Bikendrik Island is one of two luxurious getaways on small islands in Majuro lagoon. But Bikendrik comes with fantastic tales of space rockets, connections with Libyan revolutionary Muammar Gaddafi, amazing decor, and stunning views.
In April, 2025, the Daily Mail’s Ben Mack wrote about the island and its owner Susanne Kayser. This included stories of her late husband Lutz: “… (he) founded the world’s first commercial space launch company — he was basically the original Elon Musk. The couple lived in Africa in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Libya, where they were friends with enigmatic ruler Muammar Gaddafi.”
People fly in from around the globe to stay at Bikendrik’s beach houses while locals enjoy day trips to the island that include magnificent lunches.
An excerpt from Ben Mack’s article for Daily Mail Australia, published on April 13, 2025.
Bikendrik: The unreal, tiny tropical island like Downton Abbey in the South Pacific - where the stories are more unbelievable than the sunsets and food
Getting here has been such a journey, it feels like I might as well be on another planet – or, given the sheer number of antiques around me that would be enough to fill a museum, another time.
But remoteness is part of the appeal of Bikendrik. Encircled by jacuzzi-warm water as clear as crystal, the little island is covered by leafy palm trees, frequently dropping coconuts from their towering heights onto emerald green grass.
The perfectly-manicured grass seems a marvel amid the hot tropical sun and poor soil of the coral atoll the private island’s on. Perhaps unsurprisingly, owner Susanne Kayser – Bikendrik’s sole permanent inhabitant, an elderly woman who’s lived here for about 20 years – says the lawns require constant maintenance.
The remoteness can’t be overstated. Getting here first requires flying deep into the South Pacific – with United Airlines from Guam or Hawaii, or Nauru Airlines from Brisbane, both of which have several stops on little islands along the way – to Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, located on a narrow atoll where the tallest things are usually palm trees.
That’s one step. Once in Majuro, it’s a half-hour’s drive to a pier near the town centre. Finally, it’s a 40-minute trip in a small boat – during which little flying fish leap into the air – to Bikendrik.
On the island is a beautiful old wooden, single-storey villa Susanne calls home. It’s home for guests who stay with her, too.
Susanne runs Bikendrik as a luxury boutique lodging. In fact, it’s the only property in the Micronesia region that’s part of the prestigious Five Star Alliance.
Along with Susanne’s villa are three large beach houses guests can stay in. Each has electricity, air conditioning, flushing toilets, and spacious baths stocked with Hermès toiletries and buttery-soft Melsimo robes. The island is also covered by 5G Wi-Fi.
Susanne’s villa is surrounded by a huge, wraparound verandah. The building has strong colonial vibes – and inside is a cosy, antique-filled library. Many of the books date to the 1800s, as do the original paintings.
Guests can stay in the beach houses ($1,250 a night) or the main villa in the aptly-named Colonial Suite (AUD$2,000 a night). The little room has calming blue walls, white wicker furniture, and nineteenth century portraits of Susanne’s ancestors.
The room is dominated by a four-poster bed, which Susanne and her husband brought to the island with them. The bed was made in the Philippines in 1900 of dark ironwood. It’s so heavy, it takes six people to move – yet it’s incredibly soft to sleep in.
The room is so dreamy that my first morning I forget not just where I am, but when I am. Not an electronic screen’s glow is to be seen as sunlight filters in through the semi-sheer lace curtains. Have I found myself back in the Victorian Era, or the world of Downton Abbey? … READ MORE
Where to Stay
Whatever your budget you’ll be able to find the right accommodation, be it a hotel with all the amenities, an island cottage, a room in a home…
