Because those are the three young men from California, Hugh Kelley, Jay Carlisle and Muck McCallum, arrived in 1960 to buy a vanilla plantation in Urufara, Moorea who are the real creators of the tourist islands, competing with the founders of hotel Bora Bora. Indeed, they soon discovered that there were no vanilla plantation purchased and had to turn to something else in order to survive. And they bought four bungalows that Nado Salmon had just built on a beach, called this "hotel" Bali Hai from the title of the book and film of James Michener, which describe the South Pacific islands as a paradise and who were the hits from the 50s in the USA.
The first hotel in Bali Hai Moorea when it opened in 1961 to sell the joy of living Tahitian tourists taking advantage of the arrival of the opening of the airport.
The three "Bali Hai Boys'" at the beginning of their adventure in 1964 (arch. Carlisle)
Tahitian atmosphere and rapid success
With plans Tahitian architect Gerald Garnier and investments of friends of the USA (2500 dollars the room!), They could quickly expand the hotel to enjoy the arrival of the jets taking advantage of the opening of the Tahiti airport. Bar Kikiriri Papeete, they also meet Remy Pou, a pearl fisherman Tuamotu best known as the Vilivala, a host, singer and outstanding musician because he knew all the old songs paumotu and Marquesas. They hired him and kept him with them until his death in 1994 Thanks to this man, in their youth, and their enthusiasm for Polynesia, the "Bali Hai Boys" created a hotel that soon became the center office of the island with its binges every night, towers of the island by truck and boat rides on the "Liki Tiki" (phonetically "tiki leaky" in English) well watered.
Binges, vahine and music: the atmosphere was 100% Tahitian
through "Vilivala" a pearl diver Tuamotu converted into fun of tourists.
This is the bar Kikiriri Papeete that "Bali Hai Boys" had first met Remy Pou, a pearl fisherman Tuamotu best known as the Vilivala, a host, singer and outstanding musician because he knew all the paumotu old songs and Marquesas. They hired him and kept him with them until his death in 1994.
The raft "Liki Tiki"
Their luck in July 1962, when a photographer of the magazine "Life" discovered them during a stop of the steamer Mariposa Maton Lines. He took photos and writer Eugene Burdick ("The Quiet American"), who was then living in a fare next to the hotel, wrote the article that made the Bali Hai Boys national celebrities in the United States.
The golden age of Bali Hai: Luck smiled on them in July 1962, when a photographer of "Life" magazine discovered them during a stopover and writer Eugene Burdick ("The Quiet American "), wrote the article that made the Bali Hai Boys national celebrities in the United States.
Other articles in other magazines followed and success is assured, the three men were extended first to Raiatea 1966 when they invented the overwater bungalow hotel because there was not enough space ashore.
Success is assured, the three men were extended first to Raiatea 1966 when they invented the overwater bungalow hotel because there was not enough space to land. Then in 1973 it was the turn of the island of Huahine to have a superb hotel Bali Hai, with its bungalows on stilts in a lake created to clean a marsh.
Then in 1973 it was the turn of the island of Huahine to have great Bali Hai hotel with bungalows on stilts in a lake created to clean up the swamp in which Professor Sinoto, another friend of the hotel, had complete exceptional excavations they had funded.
decline
Around 1985, several factors came to announce the future decline of hotels in Tahiti and the islands changed, competitors hotels were created, tourism "circuit of the South Pacific" (three islands in 6 days) disappeared, Michener's books fell into the oversight and the three young were no longer felt good and exhausted by 20 years of "raves" continual. Their replacement by hospitality professionals that fit the unique ambiance of Bali Hai disappeared quickly while the customer was changing, a stupid strike followed by a refusal to renew the lease closed the Bali Hai Huahine and gave a fire the coup de grace to the Bali Hai Raiatea which had to be sold. The hotel Moorea, dilapidated, also was on the rocks.
While machines destroy the hotel and the bar is ten miles binges but a ruin ...
Muck laugh ... because it has understood that the kind of tourism that they had invented forty years ago, their hotels and their lifestyle now all belong to an era that has sadly gone forever .. It was time to take a well-deserved retirement.
In June 1998 Hugh Kelley died. And so it is with relief that Muck and Jay just sold the hotel, having understood that the kind of tourism that they had invented forty years ago, that their hotels and their lifestyle now all belong to an era that has, alas, gone forever.
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