ABOUT US
Biodiversity Mission
As divers and nature lovers, we wish to create a resort which provides environmentally sustainable accommodation and activities for travellers and tourists, and manages natural resources in the best possible way to enhance the lives of the surrounding community, while maintaining the quality of the natural environment around the island of Gam.
Biodiversity Vision
Our priority is to minimise the impact of our presence, thus conserving the surrounding environment of Biodiversity, as well as the areas we visit. Our vision is to raise help raise awareness on the impact of human activities on the planet, and how tourism can benefit the areas we visit. We hope to provide you with a complete and memorable travel experience, and that you think to yourself what can you do for our planet. Your visit allows us to contribute to the local economy in many different ways and support the responsible tourism.
Our Story
Biodiversity Resort, is a project borne out of Patricia´s and Reynaldo´s dreams; two minds with many similar inclinations, mainly world-travellers and nature lovers. The project begins when our paths met: when each of us had decided to make profounds changes in our individual lifestyle, and each separately had decided that diving industry would be our vehicle for unifying our way of life, of traveling and being in contact with nature. In this way, we guided our lives and took the steps to create our dream.
Patricia Sanz
In a nutshell: Patricia, a globetrotter born in Vitoria, Spain has achived invaluable experience after many years in the tourism/hospitality/diving industry, actively engaging in all areas: from kitchen, office, diving, reception, finance, accounting, manager, marketing…. in all continents, particularly Spain, UK and all over the South-East Asia region. These journeys/experiences fed the curiosity, and slowly conceiving her dream: try her luck her own project in underwater world. It became imperative to find a way combine the experiences in hospitality with the passion for the ocean. As with all projects, careers, objectives and all walks of life, “a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step”…. And, voila! welcome Biodiversity Nature Resort!
Reynaldo Andaluz
Rey was born in San Salvador, El Salvador, and he immigrated to the US for a university education. Graduating from Engineering School, and successfully climbing the ladder in the corporate rat-race — as a way to fund diving, travelling, sailing hobbies — it was clear that this formula was not sustainable. Slowly, after years of travels, visits, dives… the idea to merge the true inner life as a means to live took form, combined with the idea that “you only live once” itt was clearly decided to pursue the dream.
Together we have traveled the seas of Southeast Asia: Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. Traveling and working in the tourism, diving, hospitality industry, learning and gaining experience in different dive centers and resorts in the area.
Eventually we conquerered all the positions related in our sector, and as it usually happens in all professional fields, we had the desire to continue our personal growth, create our own business (but without knowing where) and to play cards, to bet everything on ourselves and our dreams.
Waiting for that inspiration to arrive, and coinciding with our vacations, we went to the famous area of Raja Ampat, of which we had heard so much, read and dreamed of diving! The charm was as great as the impact! The abundance of life impressed us greatly, as well as the biodiversity of the area. In one dive we could see the marine life that we used to see in the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia at the same time! This is how the embryo was sown and step by step we started our Biodiversity Nature Resort project.
A year later we were on Yenanas beach, on Gam Island, with a “Long-Boat” type kayak and a rickety motor, which we had bought second-hand.
The initial project was to build the basics to start with; kitchen, restaurant, warehouse and two cabins! We started the construction process with a family of builders. At first, the relationship started well, but as the months went by and we kept paying up-front before delivery, the work activity was decreasing, and the fights were more frequent, in the end they left us with the project 90% paid, but only 50% built.
I remember it was Christmas and we were happy because although they had left us hanging with the work half finished, at least we were at peace to enjoy a special Christmas, that Christmas Eve we enjoyed our special menu to the fullest: rice, aubergines in sauce and sardines canned, that was the special menu! Imagine what we ate the rest of the days!
As in most projects, the beginnings are difficult, but little by little we built the resort, and in April 2013 our first guests arrived! Since then we have been growing and evolving, as a company and resort aware of the environment and local community. In 2018 we built our ninth and last cottage. This has been one of our goals: to be a small resort, where we could meet all the guests and make a intimate environment with exclusivities. We believe that 18 clients is a perfect number to be able to maintain a family atmosphere and have the opportunity to meet other travelers with whom to share adventures. We have 45 full-time employees that complete the Biodiversity family.
We continue trying to learn and improve in the hospitality field as well as in the projects with the community that have been growing in recent years.
