Blogs from French Polynesia, Oceania - page 10

After some unexpected flight changes we finally arrived in Papeete around midnight. On our flight from New Zealand to Papeete we were surprised to find Alex's cousin was flying the plan, this was unexpected and Alex was pleased to catch-up with her cousin after a number of years. We found our hotel the Tahiti Nui in a good location in the middle of town, close enough to walk in for breakfast and then drinks and music in the evening. Our first full day in Papeete was spent taking a tour with a family group of Americans who were great fun, we had lots of laughs in the back of the four wheel drive. Teiva our fantastic tour guide was the owner operator of Tahiti Discovery Tours. Having spent his life living as a traditional Tahitian Teiva ... read more

Land Ho! After seven days at sea we woke up, looked out the window and there was a wall of green. In the middle of nowhere, far from any continent, lies the beautiful group of islands known collectively as French Polynesia. Inhabited for thousands of years and made famous to Westerners by the likes of Gauguin, Heyerdahl and Michener, these lush, romantic specks of land have fueled imaginations with dreams of tropical isles, soft breezes and gorgeous people for centuries. Nuku Hiva, being the northernmost island of this chain, is the first stop for sailors venturing west from the Americas as well as cruise ships making their way to the South Pacific. This small, undeveloped island is home to about 3000 people and is a favorite of French tourists. On the morning of our arrival, ... read more

Geo: -16.4993, -151.74Today is the last day of our stay on this beautiful island and the sun is shining with hardly a cloud in the sky.We have been offered a late checkout today, we will be picked up from our room at 3.30pm transferred by boat to the airport at 4.00 and catch our plane to Tahiti at 5.20, so we have plenty of time to do as we wish.First order of the day is a little sun baking followed by a swim from our pontoon, then a shower to wash off the salt.We order a mid morning champagne breakfast with Billecart Salmon Brut, toast, croissants, omelettes fresh fruit and cheese, this will be our only meal today. We opted not to go with the infamous canoe breakfast as we didn't like the choice of food. ... read more

Geo: -16.4993, -151.74It's our anniversary today in Tahiti time so we have decided to celebrate by going to the Lagoon Restaurant. Suspended over water, Lagoon features breathtaking views of Mount Otemanu, while Jean-Georges Vongerichten's menu supposedly offers the finest gastronomic experience in all of French Polynesia. It has been raining all night but soon clears as we shower and then settle down to some episodes of Glee on the one and only channel that has English speaking content, be it with French subtitles.As the sun peakes out behind the clouds we decide to go down to the pool for a swim and to sit at the Aparima bar on the submersed stools.We grab some towels from the beach hut and find ourselves a nice spot under a shady umbrella, it not to long when we are ... read more

8. Dezember, Santiago - Osterinsel Das Reisebüro hat uns glücklicherweise den Hinflug in der Business Class gebucht, was für uns ein richtiges Erlebnis war. Es gab super Essen im Flieger und man konnte sich ganz hinlegen. Am späten Abend sind wir im Flughafen von Rapa Nui gelandet, dem einzigen Dorf auf der Insel, und wurden ins Hotel Gomero gebracht. 9. Dezember, Osterinsel Nach dem Frühstück ging es mit der Tagestour los. Zu erst besichtigten wir umgefallene Moais an der Küste. Die meisten lagen mit dem Gesicht unten, Richtung Meer. Die Insel wurde vom Jacob Roggeveen und seinem Team im Jahr 1722 entdeckt. Die Entdecker waren nur einen Tag auf der Insel und haben den Glauben der Rapa Nui Total auf den Kopf gestellt. Sie haben die Moais berührt. Aber das durfte man nicht, weil man wegen ... read more