I'm not too sure what I was expecting from the man who has helped redefine modern-day spectacle, but the bungalows and villas, all of which open onto the beach, are wonderfully understated. Since 2015, our field correspondent Jenny Kingsley has been sharing stories from the Arctic through her journalism project Meet the North. It's worthwhile hanging around a day or two to explore Tahiti's many mountains and waterfall valleys such as Papenoo and Fautaua Valleys, on foot or by 4WD (try www.tahitievasion.com and www.tahiti-safari.com respectively). Non-divers can explore the lagoon via boat excursions (available through all hotels and pensions) that take in a spectacular pink sand beach and the ‘Lagon Bleu’, an indescribably blue area of the lagoon lined by white sand beach. Everything, apparently, grows on Bora-Bora, and there are few pollutants, which means purer perfume. Rent some wheels to tour the island, making sure to go up through the Opunohu Valley, where many ancient Polynesian temples are hidden in Indiana Jones-worthy jungle. Guy Laliberté, consummate showman and cofounder of Cirque du Soleil, bought Nukutepipi in 2007 and has been slowly turning the undeveloped island into a private retreat. © 2021 Condé Nast. Look out over Los Angeles from Hollywood Hills . In the boutique on a Tuesday morning, there's a lean, wind-whipped couple—midway through sailing their 50-foot Hinckley from New Zealand to California—browsing hats woven from faded pandanus fronds, kitten-soft suede travel totes, and sniffing potions including orange blossom-infused bath oil and grapefruit-sandalwood-vanilla and ylang ylang-coconut eau de parfums while Serge Gainsbourg growls over the speakers. All rights reserved. For a week on the island, which sleeps 52, it costs nearly a million dollars. Island Hopping Island Hopping in Tahiti. Within your chosen countries, (ours being Samoa, French Polynesia and the Cook Islands), you then have to think about island hopping again, as they are all made up of a number of islands. “And it's the only place on earth I can crank my sound system as loud as I want and not piss off the neighbors.”. The wood has been left untreated so the structures continue to weather and form patinas; window frames and red cedar roofs blend into the shadows of the surrounding primary forest. Whether you choose to spend your days lounging on the tranquil beaches to soak up each island’s unique views or exploring the islands’ cultural sites and rich marine life. Discover sharks and manta rays, humpback whales and sea turtles. We are budget to moderate type travelers & trying to find the most economic way of accomplishing our preliminary itinerary. And is it possible to... French Polynesia. With this suggested The Tahitian-born architect Alain Fleurot, who is developing the motu, is there to show us around three fare (pronounced far-ray, Tahitian for “house”) that are almost finished, built out of the cleared aito—a local ironwood that can stand up to the triple threat of water, salt, and wind—and sun-bleached coral, patiently hand-puzzled together to form support columns. Getting Around Samoa. French Polynesia, a peppering of volcanic islands across two million square miles of the South Pacific Ocean, occupies a certain place in our collective imagination, and has long served as a sort of Edenic foil to our modernizing, mechanizing world. The most outlandishly luxurious resorts on these islets include the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora and the St Regis Resort. Laliberté has ensured that the island remains a sanctuary for the large number of marvelously monikered birds that live here, like the red-footed booby and the nearly extinct bristle-thighed curlew, clearing invasive species of plants, keeping the island rat- and mosquito-free, and timing the landing of planes with when the birds are least active. Sleepy Taha'a is the vanilla capital of the country, but it also hosts a few elegant resorts on fringing islets that rival the glamour of Bora Bora. The shores of Nukutepipi, a small atoll in French Polynesia, Our most popular newsletter for destination inspiration, travel tips, trip itineraries, and everything else you need to be an expert traveler in this beautiful world. There are few places on Earth as beautifully natural as the islands of French Polynesia. Stretching across two million square miles in the South Pacific, French Polynesia's islands are endlessly appealing. Beach bum on gorgeous Fare Beach, hike the Maeva archaeological site and its extensive collection of ancient stone temples or visit Huahine Nui Pearls & Pottery to see how Tahitian pearls are farmed. The most luxurious are Le Taha'a Private Island & Spa and Vahine Island Private Island Resort. The islands' own narrative arc is continuing to evolve. Island hopping holiday in Tahiti. Into the sea with a big-wave surfer or free diver, for example, or getting inked by a tattoo artist: After all, the monochrome art form, which appeared in place of writing on the islands, still has deep social significance. This is where you'll find those world famous overwater bungalows where glass coffee tables let you peer into the fish-filled waters below and nightly buffet feasts are served by fiery torch light. With privacy and sustainability now holy grails for many, few places in French Polynesia, or the world for that matter, are comparable to Nukutepipi, a coral atoll in the remote Tuamotu Archipelago, 600 miles southeast of Tahiti and nearly 4,000 miles from any continental landmass. As a self-described cultural life coach who founded his own adventure-tourism outfit, Polynesian Escape, he's on speed dial for intrepid guests who want to hike up Bora-Bora's Mt. This time I'm taking a different tack, staying mostly in small hotels, like Vahine Island, a palm-studded motu off of the isle of Tahaa with a few wooden bungalows and humidity-defying croissants at breakfast, and Vanira Lodge, an eco-guesthouse on Tahiti's remote southwestern coast that is just a 10-minute boat ride from the notoriously heavy, world-class wave Teahupoo. I researched intensively the Air Tahiti and ferries schedules, and I have come up with an itinerary that works with the flights. Answer 1 of 7: Hi folks I just wondered if you can fly from Cook Islands to Tahiti? Answer 1 of 2: We've been looking to book our trip to Tahiti, and I found this site very helpful. Hike huge and sparsely populated Nuku Hiva where treeless, wind battered cliffs lead to jungles of wild mango and rivers lined with the crumbling stone platforms of long-abandoned villages. After a day or two you'll be waving to new friends on the road and blissfully unaware of what day of the week it is. February 23, 2017 ... Can’t blame her, it was her first time in French Polynesia whereas we have seen Bora Bora so it was a little bit different reaction. When we got married, my husband and I first discovered the beauties of French Polynesia on our honeymoon trip, when we sought the privacy and unspoiled nature. Island-Hopping in French Polynesia: What to See in Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti Can you imagine anything dreamier than island-hopping around French Polynesia? Whilst here, we’ll introduce the lesser-known, adrenaline-fuelled side of French Polynesia as you spend days out on the water deep sea fishing, scuba diving and jet skiing. Known as the ‘Sacred’ and ‘Vanilla’ Islands respectively, Ra'iatea and Taha'a share a common lagoon but are otherwise quite different. And is it possible to... French Polynesia. by Tony Huffman, Founder & Chairman. Dec 31, 2019 - Stretching across two million square miles in the South Pacific, French Polynesia's islands are endlessly appealing. While a number of these new hoteliers are drawn from outside Polynesia, it's the islanders themselves who are at the heart of the experience. I ask Tahi if he minds skipping the sights and just driving around. It rivals Bora Bora for lush, high-peaked beauty but caters better to midrange travellers and families. He jumps easily between chatting about traditional celestial navigation, which he studied, along with Polynesian linguistics, and where to eat in Los Angeles. 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