I noticed several bicycles parked at the Manihi Pearl Resort. The manager informed they that they were available for guest use free of charge.
I pondered that for a moment before I realized that we were on an island. You could take one out on a ride and pedal and explore until you were tired and ready to come back. There was nowhere to go but full circle.
You couldn’t take it off the island. It was too big and conspicuous to carry onto the small inter-island flight so theft was not a concern. And if you abandoned it, no worries, I imagined eventually someone would return it.
It’s almost time to come full circle back to Papeete where we started.
Just one more stop at the end of the world.
For more information, contact:
Jacintha Perera, Tahiti Tiare Specialist
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
(916) 897-9597
Photo Courtesy of Tahiti Tourism
Commonly referred to as “Black Pearls”, the Tahitian cultured pearls actually come in a rainbow of exotic jewel-toned colors. The warm lagoon waters are an ideal “broth” for incubating the oyster shells and encouraging pearl growth. The final product is influenced by water temperature, nutrients and possible pollutants. Only about 7 out of every 100 shells will produce commercial grade pearls. The value is based on several factors: size, shape, color, luster, and lack of defects.
You will see many local residents, both men and women, wearing Tahitian pearls on a daily basis. There is a plethora of pearl shops in downtown Papeete as well as boutiques at major resorts and on cruise ships.
My favorite local designer is the lovely and talented Tahia Collins, a resident of the island of Moorea, now an internationally acclaimed jewelry designer. Her elegant exclusive creations can be viewed in boutiques throughout the islands.
I am blessed to have several Tahitian pearls and look forward to adding to my collection over time. They are the perfect mermaid’s jewels after all.
For more information, contact:
Jacintha Perera, Tahiti Tiare Specialist
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
(916) 897-9597
Meanwhile, above water, an employee gives a fascinating talk, alternating in both English and French for foreign visitors, about the lengthy & labor-intensive process involved in pearl cultivation. It’s hard WORK and unlike the finished product, there’s nothing glamorous about it.
A professional grafter imbeds a “seed”, a small bead, in each black pearl oyster as an irritant to initiate the growth process. The live oysters are tended with care over a 3 year period – periodically inspected, cleaned, lowered/raised as necessary – as layers of organic matter are built up coating that nucleus. Then the final harvesting reveals the tiny percentage of valuable pearls actually produced and suitable for sale.
For more information, contact:
Jacintha Perera, Tahiti Tiare Specialist
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
(916) 897-9597
Photo Courtesy of Tahiti Tourism
Commercial fishing, mother-of-pearl production and copra (coconut) plantations were once the mainstays of activity in the Tuamotus. Now that has been replaced by the much more lucrative enterprise of pearl farming. Today, there are over 300 pearl farms throughout the archipelago. Many are family-owned and operated on isolated motus.
It is possible to visit one of the 30+ black pearl farms around Manihi. Below the surface of the clear blue lagoon, clusters of individual oysters dangle down along long lines, filtering water and nutrients that may eventually nurture a beautiful pearl.
photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme
For more information, contact:
Jacintha Perera, Tahiti Tiare Specialist
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
(916) 897-9597
A short inter-island flight finds us on Manihi where transportation vehicles (read: two golf carts) are parked adjacent to the open-air airport (read: supports with a roof) next to the runway (read: airstrip). These await arriving passengers and will shuttle them down the road (read: sandy track)to the smaller Manihi Pearl Resort, the only hotel here.
Once you get settled, relax on the beach or at the poolside bar with a cool drink. It’s very easy to meet other travelers at such a small, intimate place. Staff members may entertain guests with music, song and dance this evening. After dinner, stroll back to your fan-cooled beachfront bungalow.
There is an almost eerie solitude here at night – no air conditioners whirring, no external lights, only the sounds of the waves and the wind.
Ah, peace and quiet for a few days.
For more information, contact:
Jacintha Perera, Tahiti Tiare Specialist
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
(916) 897-9597
Imagine a tropical breakfast delivered by room service to your overwater fare or bungalow via outrigger canoe for a private, romantic and leisurely start to your new day in paradise.
Photo Courtesy of Tahiti Tourism
I’ll stop talking now and let you savor that image.
For more information, contact:
Jacintha Perera, Tahiti Tiare Specialist
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
(916) 897-9597
One of your first observations will be the contrast in geography. The high peaked mountains, lush valleys and hidden caves characteristic of the Society Islands are replaced by stretches of empty beaches and groves of coconut palms, silent except for the lapping of waves and the gentle rustle of trade winds. These are low-lying atolls where life is relatively simple and with few distractions.
That is NOT to say you will be limited to living Robinson Crusoe style. The small Hotel Kia Ora provides creature comforts albeit with a certain rustic charm. Do not expect the fashionable features of a world-class Bora Bora Resort . But they are not really needed or missed here.
Their overwater bungalows are extremely popular, especially with honeymooners. The glass coffee table that serves as a viewing window and direct access to the water from the deck are lovely appointments.
For more information, contact:
Jacintha Perera, Tahiti Tiare Specialist
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
(916) 897-9597
Rangiroa is the most popular visitor destination within the Tuamotus and is one of the best known dive sites in the Pacific. It is the second largest atoll in the world after Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. In fact, the lagoon is so sizable that it could actually contain the entire island of Tahiti.
Photo Courtesy of Tahiti Tourism
As a certified scuba diver myself, I can tell you that one of the main attractions is the Drift Dive through the Tiputa Pass. Divers and snorkelers are taken by boat to the ocean or outside of the reef and dropped off into the water. Participants are asked to join hands so no one gets separated. The strong, swift-moving current takes hold and carries them along rapidly back into the lagoon.
As you float by in a rush, you can view an abundance of marine life below, including gray reef sharks and perhaps even manta rays. This is repeated several times just for the fast fun of it all. And as you return out past the reef, playful dolphins may accompany you.
For non-swimmers, a glass bottom boat excursion can be arranged.
For more information, contact:
Jacintha Perera, Tahiti Tiare Specialist
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
(916) 897-9597
Our adventure continues . . .
In the very heart of French Polynesia, between the high-peaked volcanic Society Islands and Marquesas Islands lies the giant arc of Tuamotu Atolls.
Photo Courtesy of Tahiti Tourism
Atolls are created as the coral reefs surrounding an island rise just as it sinks. Over time, as the land gradually vanishes beneath the surface of the sea, a donut-like atoll remains around the lagoon.
This is the place to indulge in a desert island fantasy.
Breathtakingly beautiful. Remote. Uncrowded. Quiet. My kind of place.
These far-flung specks of coral that form the largest Polynesian archipelago are also known as the Dangerous Archipelago. Here around low-lying islands, razor-sharp reefs are littered with wrecks. In fact, Thor Heyerdahl’s famous rafting expedition on the Kon Tiki, was a casualty here on the Raroia reef.
Pictured above is Rangiroa’s Blue Lagoon. We will perform a closer inspection tomorrow.
For more information, contact:
Jacintha Perera, Tahiti Tiare Specialist
www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com
(916) 897-9597
For a view of Tahiti from a different vantage point, the luxurious and intimate mv Paul Gauguin,which was designed specifically for French Polynesia, sails through the Society Islands on a 7-night cruise itinerary part of the year. Unlike larger cruise ships, this vessel blends well with the environment rather than dominating it with sheer size. Ports of call include the islands of Tahiti and Raiatea with overnight stays in Moorea and Bora Bora. The European staff is gracious and accommodating to your vacation needs and wishes.
This small ship has an upscale yacht-like ambience with a maximum of 330 passsengers. As a 6-star luxury product, it features all oceanview staterooms ansd suites, gourmet meals with pouring wines and spirits, shipboard activities and entertainment with a local emphasis, plus 24 hour room service.
The unique rear watersports platform offers complimentary watersports such as kayaking, windsurfing and waterskiing. Snorkeling equipment is provided for guest use throughout the voyage and comes in handy during the stop on their private Motu Mahana, next to the island of Tahaa neighboring Bora Bora. And the onboard Carita Spa of Paris is an oasis of pampering.
This is truly a seamless way to travel through these idyllic islands. It is one of those rare experiences that warrants repeating just for the pure pleasure of it. Many passengers do return for a repeat performance. Out of decades of worldwide travel experience, it remains one of my personal top 3.
Luxury for Less: You can experience the Paul Gauguin for yourself on the September 26 – October 3 Society Islands cruise at very attractive discounted fares. Rates expire August 15 but I anticipate that space will be gone before the deadline! I recommend that you act quickly to get this travel steal.
http://www.islandgetawaystravel.com/Gauguin.htm
I will discuss other sailing options in August: yacht charters in the Tuamotus Atolls and freighter travel in the Marquesas Islands.
