Leeward Islands, French Polynesia
On August 4, 2001, just before the 8 p.m. news, TF1 broadcast
Les Aventuriers de Koh-Lanta
, its first foray into reality TV.
In twenty years, 392 adventurers have participated in the twenty regular seasons and in the special edition ("
The Island of Heroes
") and twenty of them have been selected to take part, last spring, in the filming of
Koh- Lanta, the legend
, the sixth “all stars” season broadcast for the start of the 2021 school year. Voice-over of the first edition filmed in Thailand, Denis Brogniart, the inseparable animator of the adventure game, has toured the world: from Costa Rica to Fiji. through Panama, Vanuatu, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia, he hasn't missed a single season. Twenty years later, for this anniversary edition, the adventurers left for French Polynesia, direction Raiatea and Tahaa. The sister islands share the same lagoon.
Raiatea
, with its very pronounced relief, is best known for its pre-European ceremonial site classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Taputapuatea marae.
Tahaa
, with dazzlingly beautiful indented bays and a plethora of idyllic spots on the islets of the coral reef.
Their common denominator: magical turquoise lagoons (all different), an impressive relief of volcanic origin lined with lush vegetation: a paradise for adventurers!
Read alsoFrench Polynesia, between dream islands and lagoons, the Figaro travel guide
VIDEO - Flight over Tahaa in French Polynesia
Koh Lanta, Thailand
The wild island of Koh Rok in Mu Koh Lanta National Park was the setting for the game's very first season. Adobe Stock / chachanit
In 2001, the first 16 candidates of the show, adapted from the Swedish concept
Survivor
, landed on the Thai archipelago of Koh Lanta, which gave its name to the program.
They then discover the paradisiacal setting of the wild island of Koh Rok, located in Mu Koh Lanta National Park.
With its white sand beaches of coral origin, its crystal clear waters and its lush mangrove swamp, this uninhabited islet is one of the most beautiful spots in the country for snorkeling.
Accessible by speed boat from the main island, Koh Rok seduces with its postcard landscapes, which still remain relatively unspoiled today.
Read also In Thailand, an island of treasures
Isle of Pines, New Caledonia
The Isle of Pines, so baptized by James Cook because of the many column pines that grow there, is full of sublime natural sites. Adobe Stock / Delphotostock
Four years later, after having left to explore Costa Rica and Panama, Denis Brogniart drops the participants of the fifth season, called
Koh-Lanta: Pacific
, in New Caledonia, on the shores of the Isle of Pines. Named by the British explorer James Cook, because of the abundant presence of columnar pines with slender silhouettes, this oasis is full of sublime natural sites: the natural swimming pool of Oro, the bays of Kuto and Kanuméra or that of Upi, less frequented, with its huge rocks that seem to be balanced on the water. Accessible from Nouméa by plane or boat, the Isle of Pines fully deserves the nickname it fights with its neighbor Ouvéa: "the island closest to paradise".
See also Grande Terre, Loyalty Islands, Isle of Pines… New Caledonia Travel Guide
The Palawan Archipelago, Philippines
Palawan Island was named most beautiful island in the world in 2014. Adobe Stock / kbarzycki
Bathed by the South China Sea, the island of Palawan, southwest of the Philippine archipelago, hosted in 2007 the filming of the seventh season of Koh Lanta. Sacred most beautiful island in the world by
Condé Nast Traveler
magazine
in 2014, it stretches over nearly 450 kilometers in length, making it the fifth largest island in the country. A major tourist destination in the Philippines, Palawan offers visitors breathtaking nature reserves and beaches like the El Nido Protected Area to the north, whose transparent waters are home to over 200 species of tropical fish, such as manta rays and the dugongs. The ideal starting point to explore Bacuit Bay or theCoron Island renowned for its majestic karst formations and lagoons of a thousand colors.
Read alsoPhilippines: Palawan, the last frontier
Palau, Micronesia
Palau, Micronesia, is a sanctuary for thousands of marine species.
Adobe Stock / optionm
Always in search of new wild and exotic destinations for its adventurers, the producers of Koh Lanta organize in 2009 the shooting of the ninth season in Micronesia, on the Palau archipelago.
Lost in the Philippine Sea, in the western Pacific Ocean, these hundreds of islands present themselves as an incredible sanctuary for thousands of underwater species.
A pioneer in the protection of biodiversity, the government of this small country of 22,000 inhabitants has in fact enshrined in its Constitution the absolute defense of its natural environment.
While many beaches are off-limits, the archipelago is full of breathtaking diving and snorkeling sites, especially off the Rock Islands.
Read alsoIn Micronesia, diving into the wreck empire
Kadavu Archipelago, Fiji
The Kadavu Archipelago is surrounded by the Great Astrolabe Reef, one of the largest barrier reefs in the world.
Adobe Stock / emperorcosar
In 2020, for the sixth semi-special edition, the candidates from Koh Lanta had the immense privilege of flying to the Kadavu archipelago, in Fiji.
Difficult to access, this set of volcanic islands benefits from a wild and unspoiled environment surrounded by the great astrolabe reef, one of the largest coral reefs in the world.
Popular with divers and surfers, the main island is home to exceptional flora and fauna and long deserted white sand beaches on which travelers feel, more than anywhere else, at the end of the world.
Read also Laucala Island, an Eden in Fiji