It was an idyllic but challenging location, a tiny collection of wooden bungalows built on a remote hillside on an even remoter island, with no roads and only boat access. Richard Akhtar couldn't help falling in love with the place. The centre was up for sale, but the real challenge was to persuade the Fijian government to like them as much as they liked this little corner of Fiji.

Richard and his business partner Adrian were childhood friends with a dream - to give up their sensible, highly paid jobs in the City and open a diving and fishing eco-resort somewhere in the South Pacific. 'I worked for US investment banks and Adrian for boutique Far East stockbroking houses, but we both saw it as a means to an end and hated the industry.'

With Richard's American partner, Jeannie, they found Matava Resort on the island of Kadavu in Fiji. It's a prime spot, with world-class reef diving, a reliable manta site and deep-water game fishing all within a 45-minute boat ride (see the Fiji INdepth in DIVE's August 2006 issue). Fiji has a traditional culture, and Richard had some insight into local etiquette from a three-month stint on a conservation project in Fiji.

'We very much wanted to be part of the community and that fits exactly with what is expected by the locals,' he says. 'It's easy enough - you basically visit the villages, drink a lot of Kava [a ceremonial drink with pleasingly narcotic effects] and have a load of fun. The actual business is usually over in a few minutes, so it's really all about liking each other. I think the worst thing here is for foreigners to try to hide away.'

To gain the necessary licences, the trio had to impress the Fiji Trade and Investment Bureau, presenting their case on issues such as potential employment, contribution to the community, projected contribution to the economy, as well as presenting a business plan. They had to obtain the approval of the Fiji Reserve Bank for the business to be 100-per-cent owned by foreign nationals, plus Ministry of Lands approval to own freehold land. They officially took over the resort in May 2002, and have acquired a reputation as an eco-resort. The three are rightly proud of their achievements, but warn that running a dive business is hard work, even in Fiji. 'Anyone doing this has to be prepared to work 24/7 for a few years,' Richard says. 'But for the sake of your own sanity, you should plan to spend some time back at home, or somewhere like it.'