close

Find your paradise in French Polynesia

By Kristin Emery for The Almanac newsroom@observer-Reporter.Com 10 min read
1 / 9

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Aerial view of Bora Bora

2 / 9

Photos: Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

View at Intercontinental Tahiti

3 / 9

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Arrival dock at Le Taha’a Resort

4 / 9

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Le Taha’a Resort pool and lagoon

5 / 9

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Aquamarine water at Taha’a

6 / 9

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

A rainbow appears over the bungalows at Le Taha’a Resort.

7 / 9

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

St. Regis Bora Bora

8 / 9

Bungalows at St. Regis Bora Bora

9 / 9

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Kristin Emery/For the Observer-Reporter

Turquoise water from the dive boat in Taha’a lagoon

This is the stuff dreams are made of: clear skies, balmy breezes, turquoise water, unmatched serenity.

From the moment we decided to honeymoon in French Polynesia, the questions came rapid fire. Long flight? Yes. Expensive? Yes. Over the water bungalow? Yes. Are you excited? Absolutely, yes!

French Polynesia is a location that you think only exists in your dreams, but it’s actually very reachable and will exceed your wildest expectations. Before you reach for your phone’s map app or start typing in an internet search, know that French Polynesia is the place you think of when you watch South Pacific, read exotic travel blogs, and imagine the perfect place for a secluded escape from reality. It’s reachable with only one layover (we flew United from Pittsburgh to San Francisco, then on to Papeete, Tahiti, all in one day). It’s about two hours farther by plane than Hawaii but is worth the extra travel to experience the bluest of beautiful waters, true Polynesian culture, exquisite food, and some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.

Where is it?

French Polynesia is a collection of more than 100 islands in the middle of the South Pacific about two hours by plane beyond Hawaii. Your entry point will likely be the island of Tahiti, which is home to the Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.

Tahiti is beautiful on its own with a lush interior and beautiful beaches that host hordes of surfers and kite boarders. From here, you can venture out to other islands like Bora Bora, Moorea, and the scuba-diving mecca of Rangiroa.

Our flight left Pittsburgh at 7 a.m. and took us to San Francisco with a three-hour layover before an eight-hour flight to Papeete. The time difference is six hours behind (the same as Hawaii), so we landed at 7 p.m. local time on the same day we departed Pittsburgh.

You’ll find a large selection of hotels in Papeete, and you can’t go wrong with the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort & Spa, which is a quick five minutes from the airport and has beautiful rooms, spacious pools, and a lagoon. Try to time it so that you’re there for the incredible Sunday morning brunch buffet featuring traditional Tahitian delicacies and a fantastic live music and dance show.

After filling up on poisson cru (traditional Tahitian marinated raw fish ceviche of tuna and coconut milk) along with fresh croissants and pastries (this is, after all, French Polynesia), we took off in a 4×4 with Aratai Safari into the lush interior of Tahiti. This backcountry tour is not for the faint of heart (or those with back problems) as the “road” is pitted with huge potholes, but the reward is hearing stories of ancient kingdoms and Polynesian gods, perusing the volcanic vistas and waterfalls, and taking a swim near the lava tube. You’ll enjoy spending your first night or two exploring Papeete and Tahiti and recovering from the long journey.

The Archipelagos

From Tahiti, you can venture out to several collections of islands to the northwest or northeast. These are the islands that host the coral-fringed lagoons and over-the-water bungalows that look so stunning, you can’t believe they’re real. Moorea is a short flight or ferry ride from Tahiti and is a popular choice for families and those wanting plenty of activities like hiking, snorkeling, and zip-lining. We wanted exactly the opposite (since this was our honeymoon) and followed our travel agent’s advice to head for the sparsely populated paradise of Taha’a in the western part of the Society Islands. Its 35 square miles are home to only around 5,000 inhabitants and the nearby coral reef surrounds it and the smaller island of Raiatea, which hosts the airport. The popular method of travel here is (obviously) by boat, and staff from Le Taha’a Resort & Spa were waiting to whisk us away for the 30-minute overwater trip to the motu (a reef islet).

Taha’a provides stunning vistas and azure water and warm breezes. We sipped coconut drinks at the pool bar, waded to the tiny offshore motu and snorkeled in the coral lagoon. We splurged on an over-the-water bungalow, which was luxurious, spacious, and quiet. A manta ray cruised by shortly after our arrival and we loved peering through the glass window in the floor to watch for lively fish appearing just below us each evening.

Dining here is a treat: Fresh seafood right from the dock; succulent, sweet mango, and pineapple, along with gourmet French cuisine. Le Taha’a is part of the regional Pearl Resorts of Tahiti brand (with other hotels on Tahiti and Bora Bora), and the resort is situated on a private islet looking at Taha’a in one direction and Bora Bora in the other. Its 58 suites and villas sit over the water, on the beach and in garden settings and feel cozy and serene. The staff here treats you like family.

If you can pull yourself off of your villa’s deck or away from the beach, coral lagoon, or pool, make sure to take the Mahana Moe Moea Tour by Terainui Tours. You’ll spend a leisurely day exploring the island of Taha’a, its black pearl farm, vanilla farm, and rum distillery before snorkeling with rays and blacktip reef sharks. Later, they’ll treat you to a beachside lunch on a private island featuring the day’s fresh catch and sumptuous fruit. Lastly, you’ll snorkel through another of Taha’a’s magical coral gardens.

Magical Bora Bora

After five nights in Taha’a, we still didn’t want to leave. The only saving grace was that we were moving on to Bora Bora, which is only a half-hour away by plane.

Again, we were met by the resort’s boat transfer, which whisked us away to the barrier island that hosts many of the resorts featuring over-the-water bungalow. When I say bungalow, that’s an understatement. We were spoiled by the St. Regis Bora Bora, where our “bungalow” was more than 1,500 square feet and had a living room and a bathroom as large as my first apartment.

The St. Regis, Conrad, Four Seasons, and others here are much larger than Le Taha’a, and while they definitely have a more corporate feel as compared to a family-like Polynesian vibe, it never seemed crowded – even at nearly full capacity. Everything here closes shortly after dusk, couples wiz around on resort-provided bicycles, and your very own butler will likely have already made nightly dinner reservations for you just to make sure you have nothing to do but stretch out on the beach or float in the surreal-colored teal water with a drink in hand.

I did manage to squeeze in two days of scuba diving (one in Taha’a and the other in Bora Bora). Both were amazing, and the reefs here are active and healthier than many other places I’ve experienced. Bora Bora hosts giant, gentle manta rays doing barrel rolls through plankton while Taha’a lagoon is home to nurse and blacktip reef sharks along with vivid coral and vibrant schools of fish.

We wound down our honeymoon in paradise with a sunset boat cruise around Bora Bora. Our crew regaled us with stories of the origins of the motus and the Polynesian people, and it seems everyone here learns at a very young age how to play the ukulele, perform traditional dances, and whip up the most fantastic fresh floral leis and headpieces in mere minutes. Their beauty is only matched by the warmth of the people and their constant smiles and greetings of “Ia Orana” (hello)!

As we embarked on our journey home, we were entranced by one last look at the three shades of powder blue, turquoise and royal-blue water around Taha’a, which is matched in beauty only by Bora Bora’s bright-teal water.

Planning It All

From the East Coast, venturing to French Polynesia does take some planning and requires more money and time than a quick trip to the Caribbean. Trust me, it’s worth it. You’ll find loads of helpful planning information at Tahiti.com and airtahitinui.com with both sites offering dozens of travel packages with combinations of several islands depending on what activities you would like and what accommodations you would prefer. We used a travel agent from Tahiti.com who was tremendous and put together a wonderful honeymoon package filled with extras.

How To Get There

Several airlines fly to Tahiti from the US with United and Air Tahiti Nui having several options from San Francisco and Los Angeles. We flew United from Pittsburgh with a 3-hour layover in San Francisco then on to Papeete, Tahiti. For inter-island travel, Air Tahiti flies a triangular route several times daily between Papeete, Raiatea (serving Taha’a) and Bora Bora.

Where To Stay/ What To Do

Tahiti

n Intercontinental Tahiti Resort & Spa

Point Tata’a, BP 6014 Faa’a

Tahiti, French Polynesia

Phone: (689) 40.86.51.10

tahiti.intercontinental.com

n Aratai Safari 4×4 Mountain Safari

Taha’a

n Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa

BP 67 Patio – 98733, Taha’a, French Polynesia

Phone: (689) 40.60.84.00

letahaa.com

n Mahana Moe Moea Tour by TerainuiTours

terainuieric@hotmail.fr

Bora Bora

n The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

Motu Ome’e – BP 506, Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Phone: (689) 40.60.78.88

marriott.com

n Sunset Lover’s photo cruise

Bora Bora Photo Lagoon- The Loveboat Bora Bora

From the East Coast, venturing to French Polynesia does take some planning and requires more money and time than a quick trip to the Caribbean. Trust me, it’s worth it. You’ll find loads of helpful planning information at Tahiti.com and airtahitinui.com with both sites offering dozens of travel packages with combinations of several islands depending on what activities you would like and what accommodations you would prefer. We used a travel agent from Tahiti.com who was tremendous and put together a wonderful honeymoon package filled with extras.

Getting there

Several airlines fly to Tahiti from the United States, with United and Air Tahiti Nui having several options from San Francisco and Los Angeles. We flew United from Pittsburgh with a three-hour layover in San Francisco, then on to Papeete, Tahiti. For inter-island travel, Air Tahiti flies a triangular route several times daily between Papeete, Raiatea (serving Taha’a) and Bora Bora.

Lodging, activities

Tahiti

Intercontinental Tahiti Resort & Spa

Point Tata’a, BP 6014 Faa’a

Tahiti, French Polynesia

Phone: (689) 40.86.51.10

tahiti.intercontinental.com

Aratai Safari 4×4 Mountain Safari

Taha’a

Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa

BP 67 Patio – 98733, Taha’a, French Polynesia

Phone: (689) 40.60.84.00

letahaa.com

Mahana Moe Moea Tour by TerainuiTours

terainuieric@hotmail.fr

Bora Bora

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

Motu Ome’e – BP 506, Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Phone: (689) 40.60.78.88

marriott.com

Sunset Lover’s photo cruise

Bora Bora Photo Lagoon-The Loveboat Bora Bora

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $/week.

Subscribe Today