Blogs from French Polynesia, Oceania - page 3

I would never have imagined there's a backpacker trail of sorts through the islands of French Polynesia, but the multi-island flight packages offered by Air Tahiti ensure travellers continue to bump in to each other. For me this has always encapsulated the magic of travel, and to see friends you have a genuine connection with in multiple locations helps solidify the special bond that only comes from getting out and exploring the world. I have to admit it was with a degree of sadness I prepared to bid goodbye to my travel friends in Moorea after our unforgettable adventures together, however after some preliminary discussions we began to realise this is a special crew. So it was off to Air Tahiti, and before you could say voila we rearranged itineraries for a second week of island ... read more

Geo: -17.55, -149.6... read more

If you are a serious diver, you will have heard of the famous Tiputa Pass....if not, I guess Rangiroa will never be on your wish list! Here we are, second stop in the Tuamutus after a short flight from Fakarava and a little stop on an even smaller atoll with our little propeller. Yes, I did dive this place 6 years ago in June, and yes it is on my top five list for dive sites in the world...even if at the end of the day, the diving at home tend to be better! Last time I dived with Franck. He is still on the island, but left for his annual holidays. Good news, he moved in with great people....so I spent 9 dives with Raie Manta club own by Yves Lefevre and dived also with ... read more

‘Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.’ – Gustave Flaubert Another day at sea before our final port of call. At about mid-day the Captain announced that we were about to pass the Islands of Great Disappointment. Back in the 18th century an expedition team had spent months at sea before landing on these islands in order to replenish supplies. They were greatly disappointed as they couldn’t even find suitable drinking water and so were named this group of islands!! Like most places that have a bad reputation, a publicist is employed and shortly thereafter a make-over ensues. This would usually include a name change to sound more appealing. Perhaps change the islands name from the Islands of Great Disappointment to the islands of Great Surprise. The surprise ... read more

‘Travelling’s not something you’re good at. It’s something you do. Like breathing’.– Gayle Foreman It is traditional for the cabin stewards on cruise ships be skilful in the art of towel origami. These usually take the form of an animal such as monkey, dog, peacock etc and use a combination of bath towel, hand towels and face cloths to sculpt a shape to resemble the desire animal. Using a set of wobbly eyes brings the sculpture to life. Whilst we have only experienced a handful of these fun images during our ten years of cruising, on this cruise, Holland America have provided a different animal each night. We learned that each cabin steward has to be proficient in at least seven different animals and it should take no longer than one and a half ... read more