Two neighbouring undeveloped islands in Fiji’s Yasawa Group are heading back to auction, offering a rare opportunity to acquire a private island retreat with a blank slate for development.
Nanuyasesara and Nanuyabuli, sitting just off the southern coast of Naviti Island, are being sold together and span roughly 24.5 acres combined. The pair previously carried a listing price of $4.512m but return to market this time with a reduced reserve of $1.7m. According to listing agent Richard Snowsill, the islands sit approximately 2.5 hours by boat from the Nadi area, or around 30 minutes by seaplane or helicopter — close enough to Fiji’s main tourism hub to be workable, remote enough to feel genuinely private.
What makes the listing unusual is what isn’t there. Neither island has villas, hotels, or any other major development — just white-sand beaches and open Pacific views. Snowsill says the landowners are returning the islands to market because they’re seeking funds for other projects, rather than any issue with the property itself.
Misha Haghani, CEO of Paramount Realty USA, which is running the auction alongside listing agent Cara Milgate of Intero Real Estate Services, argues that the lack of development is actually the appeal rather than a drawback. An asset like two untouched islands in Fiji, he says, transcends typical valuation metrics — the value lies precisely in the fact that a buyer isn’t inheriting someone else’s vision.
The islands are held under a 99-year Special Use-Tourism Development Lease, meaning a buyer would acquire rights to use and develop the land for tourism purposes, subject to conditions set out in the lease that haven’t been made public. That opens the door to either a private residence or a tourism development, though any project would still need to clear standard planning and infrastructure approval for building on undeveloped land.
Cost is the open question. Snowsill estimates construction of a modest residence at roughly $5,000 to $8,000 per square metre, on top of basic infrastructure and utilities — though he’s clear that figure is a preliminary building estimate rather than an all-in cost to make the islands habitable. Exactly how far that budget stretches will depend entirely on what the eventual owner decides to build.