Fakarava was my last real stop in French Polynesia, and is my new all time favorite. A tiny atoll (although around one of the biggest lagoons in the world), and an UNESCO Biosphere reserve, Fakarava is probably best known as a diving destination famous for its "walls of sharks". This isn't an exaggeration, there are sharks everywhere. Most of the island's residents (I think approx 800?) live near the north pass, working to produce copra or as pearl farmers. This area was stunning, but my favorite was at the other end of the lagoon near the south pass. There's a mostly abandoned village called Tetamanu - it was originally built to be the center of the island and is made almost entirely out of coral, but today only a handful of families(e.g., 3-4) live there and ... read more

In things I didn't know, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the US established a military base here during WWII. It didn't see much conflict, but apparently the returning troups (as well as a number that decided to stay permanently) were the start of the island's tourist boom. On all of the other islands I visited, local folks were fairly negative talking about Bora Bora - the ridiculous prices, volume of resorts/tourists, and somewhat less than pristine condition of the main island. These were all true, but it is still absolutely beautiful. For all of the reasons above, particularly price, I only stayed for two nights. Naturally, I assume because of this decision, it rained the full day I was there - fortunately the few hours I had on my arrival/departure dates were a bit better, ... read more

I'd read that most people skip Raiatea because it isn't known for white sand beaches, but I'm really glad I included it. It reminded me a little bit of Kauai with mountains with huge/dramatic cliffs, waterfalls everywhere, and more green that I think I've ever seen. It's also the site of the Taputapuatea marae - maraes are old religious/political sites where the living interacted with ancestors/gods - this complex was once considered the central temple and religious center of Eastern Polynesia, and was recently made an UNESCO world heritage site. A separate island, Tahaa, sits right next door to Raiatea and shares the same lagoon - Tahaa is well known for it's production of vanilla beans (vanilla is an orchid, and apparently a moody/high maintenance one).... read more

My first stop in French Polynesia was Moorea, a short ferry ride across from Tahiti - it was a fantastic start. I read a description that I loved that said the island looks like a series of shark fins sticking out of the water - it does, with beautiful green mountains in every possible direction, circled by a lagoon with gorgeous blue water. It was a great place to explore - mountains to climb, good kayaking to smaller islands (called motus), snorkeling, and WHALE WATCHING. If you're lucky, this involves watching them from in the water - it was an amazing experience, one of my favorite things ever - I went twice and wish I'd signed up for additional days. When the males sing you can feel the vibrations coming through the water, and the second ... read more

Rarotonga is the first stop of my 10 island South Pacific travels - woohoo! I only stopped for a day or two, on each end of a longer stay in Aitutaki, but it's a beautiful island. There are lots of green mountain peaks, the most known is called The Needle, and a coral lagoon around the island with postcard pretty blue water. As far as I can tell, this is primarily a huge holiday destination for people from New Zealand - it's a small island, but lots of focus on tourists and tourist activities. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great either of the days I was here although I did have one beautiful sunny morning. Fortunately it's whale season in the South Pacific (similar to Hawaii, they spend a portion of the year here to give birth, ... read more