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Tahiti
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The Ultimate Eden
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Who doesn’t
fantasize about Tahiti?
Those
pale turquoise waters rimmed with sugar-white or volcanic-black sand. Those
lush green mountains, rich coral reefs, and beautiful people. Or the dazzling
flowers: purple-red bougainvillea, snow-white gardenia, peach hibiscus,
orchids of every color. And haven't you dreamed at least once of possessing that legendary Tahitian freedom—of being
unencumbered by, and far from, the rest of
the world?
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The essential thing
to know about Tahiti is that there's nothing fantastical about the place. It’s a reality—one with the
rare knack of matching fantasies. What better destination could there possibly
be for a honeymoon?
Technically, the word “Tahiti” refers to a single island of that name in
French Polynesia, but over time the word has come to encompass not only
the island of Tahiti but her sister islands as well—Moorea,
Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatea, and Taha’a. Together they form
an archipelago known as the Society Islands and sometimes called the Tahitian Islands. Each
island offers its own unique gifts, and one of
them may be the perfect place for your honeymoon.
On most of
the islands you’ll be able to arrange super-romantic experiences such as:
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A side-by-side coconut oil massage
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Dining beneath
the stars, accompanied by Tahitian music
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Being "castaways" on a private motu (islet) for an entire day, with nothing but a gourmet
picnic and yourselves for company
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Breakfast delivered to your overwater
bungalow by outrigger canoe
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A sunset sail aboard a private catamaran,
with dinner, Polynesian
music, and dancers
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A
just-caught lobster and trimmings served on the beach
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Your room, bath, and bed graced with wreaths of flowers
Honeymoon splurge:
Spend your honeymoon in one of the tantalizing
over-water bungalows these islands are known for. You'll find them at
upscale places like the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort, Hotel Bora Bora Pearl
Beach Resort, Le Meridien Bora Bora, Hotel Kia Ora Village (Rangiroa),
Hotel Te Tiare Beach Resort (Huahine), Sheraton Moorea, Raiatea Hawaiki
Nui Hotel, and many others.
»»Read about
other honeymoon splurges around the world
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Tahiti:
If you’re flying to the Society Islands, you’ll almost certainly land at Faa’a
International Airport on
Tahiti, minutes from Papeete (pronounced
Pop-ay-tay), the capital of French Polynesia. For most visitors, this
island is merely a pause on the way to and from Bora Bora, Moorea, or one of
the other less-populated beauties. For some, though, it’s a destination in
and of itself—a tropical paradise jam-packed with excellent restaurants,
high-end resorts, shops and boutiques galore, discos, nightclubs, things to
do, and many opportunities for adventure.
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Once you leave the
city and enter Tahiti's beautiful mountainous interior, you’ll
find deep valleys, pristine streams, and waterfalls. The loop road ringing the
rugged coast is easy to drive, with black sand beaches all along the way. If
you like Nature leavened with citified pleasures, you may find that this
island is all you want and need. But if you’re after that “get away from it
all” feeling, explore Tahiti for a while before heading to another island.
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Moorea:
This island's beauty is
unforgettable. A wide, shallow lagoon surrounds eight steep mountains crowned
with waterfalls—easy to see why
Moorea
was the inspiration for James Michener’s mythical Bali Hai in
Tales of the South Pacific. You’ll wander in peaceful meadows, past
pastel-painted houses surrounded by gardens of hibiscus and birds of paradise.
You’ll find beaches so beautiful you’ll be unable to describe them when you
get home…but you’ll try.
What to do
on Moorea?
Explore the lagoon, a study in blues and greens, via outrigger canoe,
glass-bottom boat, parasail, windsurfer, kayak, or jetski. Go snorkeling or
diving. Take diving lessons. Feed a manta ray. Take a 4x4 safari up to the
waterfalls. Go on a heli-tour of the island. Shop for something sexy at
a small boutique, or buy something for your home at an artist’s workshop.
Enjoy a couples spa treatment. Charter a yacht. Witness a beachside Fire
Dance.
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Bora Bora:
Honeymooners
and romantics of all kinds thrill to their first sight of drop-dead gorgeous
Bora Bora, whose mountains—two towering peaks that dominate the island's
center—seem to pierce the very sky. Lush tropical slopes and valleys are
abloom with
hibiscus, and palm-covered motus circle the lagoon like a delicate necklace.
Perfect white-sand beaches give way to emerald waters where impossibly-colored
fish animate the coral gardens. You too, like so many who have been here, will
think that Bora Bora is the most beautiful island in the world. In recent
years, though, the island has become a bit too resort-happy, losing some of
its elegant simplicity. It’s
still a slice of heaven—just slightly more crowded.
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Try circling the island on a motor scooter, taking turns driving.
Or waterski along the lagoon for a thrill ride you’ll never forget. Go feed the
sharks. Get dazzled by the array of colorful sealife when you’re snorkeling or
diving. Jump in a catamaran for a sunset cruise. Dine at one of the many
five-star resort restaurants. Skim the waves in a helicopter. Try a
parasail-for-two. Eat an unusual fish at sand-floored Bloody Mary's. Stare at
the view from the island's southern tip, Matira Point. Take a botanical hike.
Snooze on Motu Tapu beach, the South Pacific's most photographed island.
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Huahine:
Composed of two islands, Nui and Iti,
Huahine is a place of lush forests, wild landscapes, and quaint villages.
If you're looking for a quiet, non-tourist experience, come here. Relatively
unchanged by the modern world, Huahine is one of Polynesia's best-kept secrets. A deep, crystal-clear lagoon surrounds
and unites
two islands, while magnificent bays and white-sand beaches add drama. The island's
fertile soil provides a bountiful harvest of vanilla, melons, and
bananas—crops that perfume the air. While there is little nightlife here,
there's no end of things to do. Drive around
the islands' perimeter, stopping at lagoons and bays along the way to snorkel
or swim. Visit a vanilla farm. Check out the daily fishing catch at Fare Village; only a few blocks long, it’s the island’s largest town.
Relax amidst amazing serenity, far removed from everyday life. Hop from beach
to beach on a jetski. Wander in the lagoon’s
undersea coral gardens. Explore the ancient royal
village, Maeva, with its hundreds of black stone ruins spread along
Lake Fauna Nui's shore; a few palaces and temples here have been restored, and
a thatched-roof museum holds fascinating artifacts.
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Raiatea: Originally
named Havai'i after the homeland of the ancient Polynesians,
Raiatea is the
most sacred island in the South Pacific. The second largest Tahitian isle,
it’s the center of religion and culture dating back more than 1000 years. The
green-carpeted mountains covering the interior include the celebrated Mt.
Temehani, a sort of Polynesian Mt. Olympus. Raiatea and Taha’a, which share a
lagoon, are the most untouched of the Society Islands, peaceful and
serene.
While here, visit
the sacred Mt. Temehani plateau on horseback. Explore the Faaroa River and the
massive ancient temple complex of the legendary Taputapuatea via canoe. Go on
a night-time shipwreck dive. Hunker down on an isolated beach for an entire
day of sun, water, and fun.
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Taha'a:
Sharing a lagoon with Raiatea,
Taha’a, which accounts for 80% of the vanilla
grown in the Society Islands, offers a glimpse of traditional Tahitian life. The simple beauty of this flower-shaped island is accentuated by
soft mountain shapes, tiny islets with bright sand beaches, and colorful
blossoms. One
flower in particular—the Tiare apetahi—grows here and nowhere else on
earth. An ancient legend has it that the flower’s five white petals represent
the hand of a Tahitian girl who loved a Tahitian prince. They couldn’t marry
because she was a commoner, and the breaking sound her heart made when she
died is recreated each day as the flower’s petals open with a slight crackling
sound.
Take a leisurely drive around the island, exploring the eight tiny
villages and seeing first-hand the joys of simple island living. Stop in the
main village, Patio, to take a dip in its stunning turquoise-green lagoon,
where dolphins often play. Explore a pearl farm. Spend the day on a white-sand
islet. Hike into the mountains on a well-marked trail. Tour a vanilla or
coconut plantation.
More Info:
Tahiti Tourisme North America
