Towards the eastern extreme of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands lies Alor Archipelago, and off the west coast of Alor, tiny Kepa. On its craggy north coast sits a small dive resort, La P’tite Kepa. A lifestyle business for its French owners Anne and Cedric, I think of it more as their labour of love: love for the incandescent sunsets and fabulous house reef, but also for the place, the environment and, most importantly, for the people who live there.

Twenty years ago, sustainability was at the forefront of Anne and Cedric’s minds: locally sourced construction materials, no internationally imported food, communal meals to minimise waste. As the island has no natural spring, tightly controlled fresh water from the mainland is used only for food preparation, showers and drinking; sanitation is by sea water, toilets are bucket-flush. A small solar set-up delivers sufficient power for lighting, but there are no fans or air con, and a single charging station lies at the restaurant. They took this approach not for green accolades, they say, but because it was the right thing to do.

• Tags: Indonesia, Issue 26, Stuart McDonald