Blogs from French Polynesia, Oceania - page 5

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

Im Le Méridien auf Tahiti waren wir 3 Tage gut aufgehoben in einem grosszügigen Zimmer mit Meersicht, reichhaltigem Frühstücksbuffet und sehr guten Nachtessen. Das Wetter war sonnig/bewölkt und warm ( 28•). Am 2.Tag machten wir einen Ausflug ins Papenoo-Tal ins Innere der Insel. Es braucht dafür ein 4x4-Fahrzeug da die Strasse so schlecht ist und man auch durch einen Bach fahren muss. Die Vegetation ist wirklich sehr üppig tropisch und es hat viele Wasserfälle. Zuvor hatten wir den Markt in Papeete besucht und eines der vielen Perlengeschäfte besucht - das gehört hier fast dazu! Am nächsten Tag fuhren wir mit der Fähre auf die Nachbarinsel Moorea - da hat es schon zu regnen begonnen. Am Abend des 24.12. hat es zeitweise quer geschüttet. Das Restaurant war voll besetzt für das „Xmas Eve Buffet“: sehr gut und ... read more

Our seven day crossing of the Pacific Ocean took us across the equator to our first destination of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands. We have been here a number of times as it is the first substantial piece of land encountered cruising south. Because Nuku Hiva is mountainous, the ship’s radar can pick up its image about 97 miles away according to Captain Roberts. As we came around the corner and sailed into the lovely curved bay, the green hillsides and anchored boats were quite a change from seeing only waves for so many days. We took our first of many tender rides from ship to shore. Few of these remote islands have docks or piers for visiting cruise ships. Most of the wharves here were built by Sea Bees during WWII. Of the 12 ... read more