When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. One of the perks of working for a company that promotes travel is every once in a while, you get lucky. Back in January — I'm super behind on these — I managed to make my own lemonade and brought my mom along to make it a bit sweeter. With a phone call on a cold Monday morning, I asked my mom if she wanted to go on a two-week-long cruise to French Polynesia. Miraculously, she called me back an hour later saying yes and come Wednesday morning, we were on the plane to meet up in Los Angeles and continue on our way to Tahiti.
When our plane touched down at Fa'a'ā International Airport in Tahiti at 3 a.m. with leis around our necks, we met up with the group of adventurous individuals. We would be together for a 13-day cruise with three pre-nights in Tahiti through Road Scholar aboard the Aranui 5. Including my mom and I, there were ten other travels along with our Group Leader. Following a 20 minute drive, we arrived at Le Meridian on Tahiti's west coast to check into our rooms and finally collapse into a soft bed after a full day of travel. If someone had asked me three days prior if I ever thought I would go to any island in the French Polynesia, my answer would have been somewhere along the lines of, "maybe on my honeymoon or to celebrate a large event."
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| View from the balcony of the hotel in Tahiti |
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| Proof we made it to Tahiti |
Waking up to roosters crowing in the morning, I opened the blinds of the hotel room and it finally set in that I was, in fact, in French Polynesia. The view from the hotel balcony takes the cake as the most serene view that never got old during our three nights there. With a tropical climate, fresh fruit followed every meal we had with every bite being just as delicious as the first. We had a few hours to explore the hotel grounds before the group orientation. Leaving the shade of the palm trees, my mom and I walked out to the beach for our first view of neighboring Moorea and snuck in a necessary photo in front of the bungalows to make family and friends back stateside more jealous than they already were.
Following our orientation, we had a short walk to Museum of Tahiti and the Islands with a special exhibit on Tikis. Our second full day set us out on a van for a drive around the circumference of Tahiti. A nice surprise was in the center of Pape'ete, we pulled over to observe a massive 30-foot mural on the side of the building. Our local guide Yvonne pointed out that it was a painting of her that was done several years ago after an artist approached her asking if he could take a picture of her for a painting. We continued on for several scenic viewpoints including Point Venus - named by Captain Cook where he observed the 1769 transit of Venus. On the south coast of Tahiti, we visited a privately owned garden filled with exotic plants used with traditional medicinal uses. Our lunch that day was in a private patio at their house, enjoyed family-style and featuring a number of local dishes. Our stops for the rest of the day included caves where local children swim after a long day at school, one of Paul Gauguin's former spots, and a well preserved Marae — the focal point of traditional Polynesian culture. That evening the hotel put on a performance featuring traditional dances that have been preserved.
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| Pape'ete from a viewpoint east of the city |
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| The Aranui 5 dropped anchor in a bay |
The next day, we boarded the Aranui 5 to set sail to some of the most remote islands in the world. Most of the crew are from islands across French Polynesia and speak French, their local dialect, and English that was almost always conversational. They were happy to share their knowledge of their homes and culture, explain the meaning of their tattoos, and never hesitated to dance when music was playing. We never met a Polynesian who couldn't sing, dance, and play an instrument. To quote our Group Leader Elizabeth, "it's in their blood." With a warm welcome dance and punch, we departed the port of Tahiti and set out on our way for the first island on our journey: the small atoll of Fakarava. A quick snorkeling stop helped everyone relax before a day at sea to reach our first island of Nuku Hiva.
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| A map of the Aranui 5 sailing |
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Volcanic rock pillars on the island of Nuku Hiva
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| One of Nuku Hiva's spectacular bays with a lone sailboat |
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French Polynesia — and especially the Marquesas — are unique among former colonies as they managed to retain their traditional culture. Since they were so remote and couldn't be used for plantations, they were left alone until the missionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries. A population of 9,000 people is scattered among 15 islands with villages rarely larger than 1,000 people. With each village, we were greeted by traditional dances and crafts, explored preserved Marae and discovered the unique adaptation of Polynesian culture and Christianity. Along the way, we visited the Paul Gauguin Museum and the cemetery where he and Jaques Brel are buried, enjoyed traditional dances under a 100-foot-tall banyan tree, and learn how local goods are made. Local crafts include Monoi (coconut oil), tapa (paintings on tree bark that is flattened with a large wooden bat), and carvings on wood and animal bone.
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| The cemetery where Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel are buried on Atuona |
On the fifth day of the cruise, we stopped at the island of Oa Pou for one of the most fascinating talks we would enjoy all trip. We met with Marie, a local school teacher originally from France. She shared her story of how she ended up in Oa Poa, married to her husband with two daughters, and teaching English in a village with 1,500 people. She provided an honest detail of the difficulties of education in a country comprised of five island chains, the details of French oversight and its effects - both positive and negative - as well as a perspective who has spent a considerable portion of her life between two cultures.
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| The mountain spires of Oa Pou, towering to a height of 4,035 feet (~1,300m) |
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| Entering the bay to get to the town of Vaipae'e on the island of Ua Huka |
Last but not least, we visited Rangiroa and Bora Bora. Rangiroa is known for its pearls and was mostly a beach morning. Bora Bora was a day to enjoy as you like. We had a choice of excursions, visiting the town, or enjoying a private atoll that is owned by the Aranui. It was on this atoll, called a "motu" that we had a picnic lunch for our last day. My mom and I chose to snorkel, and swim with sharks and rays. A bonus was finding a manta ray and being able to swim as it glided below.
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| The final sunset on Tahiti from the hotel grounds |
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