Why the tropical paradise of Tahiti should be your next cruise destination
Sense ancient mystical energy – and snap up newly hatched
black pearls – in French Polynesia, writes Jamie Ditaranto
Cerulean lagoons are guaranteed
across French Polynesia’s 118
islands, but dive below the
nation’s postcard-perfect surface
to uncover opportunities for
adventure and gain a deeper
understanding of Polynesian culture.
Sprawling across an area the size of western Europe
in the middle of the deep blue South Pacific, French
Polynesia beckons travellers with the promise of
mountains, turquoise waters and the allure of rich
Polynesian heritage.
The country’s best-known islands may be familiar
to anyone who has travelled by daydream but they’re
even more enchanting in reality. You may have pored
over images of Tahiti’s palm-lined beaches and Bora Bora’s overwater bungalows, but these islands
are just starting points.
French Polynesia has five
archipelagos to explore, from the central Society
Islands to the southern Austral Islands, eastern
Tuamotu and Gambier isles, as well as the distant
northeast Marquesas.
Beyond its vivid natural beauty, this is a place of
Bungalows – Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort
culture, with a legacy of an ancient civilisation that
mastered the sea and the stars. So ignite your sense of wonder and discover which hidden gems – or pearls
– await on some of French Polynesia’s most popular
and more remote islands.
TAHITI
With so many alluring destinations to explore,
visitors to French Polynesia often use Tahiti and
its internationally connected capital, Papeete, as a jumping-off point.
But this mountainous island is its own treasure trove of natural beauty, hiding
waterfalls, caves and the legendary Teahupo’o, a reef
break that forms humongous barrel waves sought
out by the world’s top surfers.
For tamer waves, a mix of white and black sand
beaches such as Vaiava and Lafayette provide access
to aquamarine lagoons.
To get the most out of the
island, a small boat tour can cruise you right into the
shallows, perfect for setting up a picnic on a motu, a small and usually nameless islet that forms in the
lagoons.
The water level is so low that you can fix a table and chairs in the sand and have your meal –
hopefully the coconut milk-drenched poisson cru – in the sea.
To see what Tahiti might have looked like many
years ago, venture beyond Teahupo’o to Fenua
Aihere, a hard-to-reach area on its northeastern
shores. According to Richard Wan, who often
escapes to the wilder side of the island when he’s not
working as the commercial director for his family’s
pearl company, it is extremely remote.
“You have to
drive to the far side of the island, then take a boat to
get there, but it’s one of my favourite things to do,” he said. “You can hike, swim, discover cliffs and
caves. You really see the volcanic aspect of the islands. It’s raw, just rocks and nature.”
If you just have time for a short stay in Papeete,
Richard suggests visiting the Robert Wan Pearl
Museum, which is named after his grandfather
who founded the multigenerational business.
Here you can get a mini education in what to look for before you go pearl shopping, but, added Richard: “The number-one rule is if you fall in love
with the pearl, buy it. It’s like love at first sight.”
Urban life in Papeete offers a different side of
French Polynesia, as you can busy yourself in its
colourful market, which sells everything from
clothes and fruit to black pearl jewellery.
After
dusk, explore the street food scene at a night
market made up of a dozen or more roulettes
(food trucks) which sell all kinds of local and
international specialities.
You will also find many
resorts on the islands, which regularly stage
Polynesian dance performances and traditional
barbecues with food baked in an ahima’a, an oven
created by digging a hole in the earth or sand
and filling it with hot stones.
MOOREA
Sitting across the horizon from its sister island
Tahiti, Moorea beckons with its twisted ridges
and Mount Rotui’s pointed peak. The island has
two large bays and is surrounded by a coral reef
that hems in a lagoon filled with stingrays and
colourful sea life.
In this same lagoon, you’ll
find the headquarters of Coral Gardeners,
an organisation on a mission to rehabilitate damaged reefs, which has so far replanted more
than 30,000 corals.
Tours of the coral nurseries
are available from its centre of operations in
Paopao Bay, with snorkelling and diving options
too. You’ll also have the opportunity to adopt
your own coral.
The project’s sustainable tourism manager, Alexi Jaraczewski, tells me: “People can expect to have a hands-on, immersive experience. They will gain a deeper understanding of coral restoration while contributing to our mission.”
As captivating as Moorea’s underwater world is, an excursion to the Valley of Opunohu is a
chance to immerse yourself in a world of jungle-
clad peaks.
Intrepid hikers can brave uphill trails
or enjoy an adrenaline-pumping quad-bike tour
through pineapple plantations on the way to
Belvedere viewpoint.
From here, you’ll get a head-
on view of the magnificent Mount Rotui, sitting in
the centre of Moorea’s twin bays.
Celeste Brash, co-author of Lonely Planet Tahiti
& French Polynesia, also recommends souvenir-
hunting. “Moorea is one of the best islands for
shopping,” she said. “The selection is arguably
better and more manageable than on Tahiti, and
prices tend to be lower than on Bora Bora.
"The island has a fantastic selection of pearl boutiques,
clothing and craft shops, plus liquor and spirits at
Manutea, a fruit juice factory and distillery.”
If you’re tempted, you can sample various
tropical juices, rums and wines at the factory’s
tasting bar before you buy.
BORA BORA
Bora Bora has a pricy reputation, but it didn’t
start that way and there’s a surprising reason
why this island northwest of Tahiti and Moorea
has become such an icon.
Before the lagoon
became prime real estate for some of the
world’s most envy-inducing overwater bungalow
resorts, the island was an American military
base during the Second World War.
As veterans
returned home with tales of fabulous beaches
and pristine lagoons, this remote Pacific island
became everyone’s dream honeymoon hideaway –
and for good reason.
At the centre of the island, Mount Otemanu’s
spellbinding massif seems to shape shift with
each new perspective as you cruise around it.
Take a tour up into the jungle to see the remains
of the former military base, as well as centuries old communal spaces known as marae built by
the original Bora Borans.
Then have a dip in the
island’s crystal clear lagoon – you needn’t be
a guest at one of the neighbouring luxury resorts
to enjoy the privilege.
Francesca Bonato co-founded Coqui Coqui, a perfumery boutique on Bora Bora with outposts in Mexico and France. She said: “Everywhere in the lagoon is very beautiful. As you get closer to the smaller private motus [islets], the water is so clear and the islands have a sense of wildness. My favourite place is behind Motu Tane Island and off Motu To’opua on the reef side.”
If you don’t have time to make it out to the motus, Matira is Bora Bora’s largest public beach, where you may spot stingrays in the shallow waters.
Coqui Coqui sells perfumes inspired by French
Polynesia, bottling the aroma of jasmine and the
tropical flower tiare, which are frequently used in
traditional welcoming necklaces.
Francesca also
recommends checking out the clothes at Bora
Bora Original in the island’s tiny capital, Vaitape,
and Atelier Nuanua for jewellery inspired by sea
life. Marché de l’Artisanat, meanwhile, is ideal
for local handicrafts.
Most resorts host traditional dance
performances at least once a week, and even if
you’re not a guest, you can still get a ticket. On
Bora Bora this is the perfect way to squeeze in
a look at ultra-luxurious accommodation.
If you
visit before you embark on your cruise, you can
also indulge in top-dollar resort gastronomy while
the performers mesmerise you with their hip
moves and daring fire dances.
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RAIATEA
In Polynesian culture there is no island as
significant as Raiatea. Citizens believe it is the
birthplace of the gods and one of the first islands
in the region to be inhabited, making it the centre
of the Polynesian triangle – a geographical region
that has Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island as its corners.
At the heart of the island’s importance is the
Taputapuatea marae, a Unesco-recognised
landmark on which ceremonies were conducted.
Raiatea resident Tahiarii Pariente, a cultural
advisor who runs tours through his company
Polynesian Escape, explains that this is where
“people from noble lineages and paramount
chiefs gathered and discussed the values of our
society.
It also held the knowledge of traditional
navigation techniques that permitted Polynesians
to venture into an ocean with an area equivalent to
a quarter of the planet.”
However, the marae is only one part of the
sacred Taputapuatea plateau, which is also home
to one of the world’s rarest flowers. Tiare apetahi
is a fragrant five-petalled white bloom that will
not grow anywhere else in the world except for
this specific mountain on this particular island.
It can only be seen on a gruelling 17km hike, and all visitors must be accompanied by a guide
because the plant is so fragile and rare that its
exact location is kept on a need-to-know basis.
Tahiarii also recommends visiting Raiatea’s sister island, Taha’a, which shares the same wide lagoon. “Anywhere around the island, you have long strips of turquoise water with beautiful fish and reefs,” he said. “The islands also have a chain of sharp-edged mountains so you have beautiful views when driving or walking around.”
Known for its black pearl farms and vanilla plantations, Taha’a is just a short hop from Raiatea by ferry or water taxi.
Like many French Polynesian islands, Raiatea
has mountain trails and crystalline waters
teeming with sea life, but it stands out as a must-see because of its cultural significance.
From
the hallowed stones of the ancient marae, your
eyes will open to the marvel of the Polynesian
prowess that allowed them to navigate to places
as distant as Hawaii and New Zealand – both well
over 4,000km away.
On Raiatea, you will reflect
upon the traditions and beliefs that bound these
scattered populations across the world’s largest
ocean thousands of years ago.
MANGAREVA
About 1,600km southeast of Tahiti, the Gambier
Islands sit at the tail end of the Tuamotu
archipelago and preserve a more traditional
lifestyle, where the primary industry is pearl
farming rather than tourism. The islands are a
geological marvel, sharing one enormous lagoon
formed by a sunken caldera.
The largest and most central of all of these volcanic islands is mountainous Mangareva, which is home to Saint-Michel Cathedral, French Polynesia’s most prominent historic church.
A visit here will shed light on the influence of
18th-century Catholic missionaries, whose
presence was particularly strong in the Gambiers.
Built from blocks of white coral, its construction
reflects its tropical surroundings – particularly
inside, where the altar is decorated with iridescent
black pearls and oyster shells.
The cathedral’s ornate interior gives a hint of the Gambiers’ main attraction – pearl farming. “The water is really cold compared to other parts of French Polynesia, and cold water helps us produce good quality pearls,” explained Richard Wan, whose family operates Mangareva’s Robert Wan pearl farm and museum.
Normally pearls take a year to grow, but the Gambiers’ cold water slows down the process, resulting in a deeper shine. Technically known as the lustre, this is the most important consideration when choosing a pearl.
“Lustre is the mirror effect of the pearl,” explained Richard. “If you can see yourself in it, that means you have good quality lustre and very good quality pearls.”
Cruise ships stopping in Mangareva usually arrange visits to pearl farms such as Robert Wan, which includes access to its private island, Aukena, for some beach time.
“You don’t have public beaches, because Mangareva is a small hill island and its beaches are often privately owned,” Richard explained. Companies that visit Aukena and the Robert Wan pearl farm include Ponant and The World, a residential cruise line, although private vessels are also welcome with prior reservations.
NUKU HIVA The distant and rugged Marquesas – a new Unesco world heritage site – are home to French
Polynesia’s second largest island after Tahiti, Nuku
Hiva. Consisting of crags and cliffs that plummet
into the Pacific, it’s a place that vibrates with the mystical energy referred to by Polynesians as mana.
You’ll sense this from the reverence that Marquesans feel for their ancestors, and from the numerous tikis (symbolic sculptures)
that populate the islands. Near the main town,
Taioha’e, there is a sculpture park with tikis
carved a few decades ago; you’ll have to travel to the north side of the island if you want to see
petroglyphs and sculptures that have stood for
centuries in Hatiheu Valley.
Maxime Richerd is a French Polynesian photographer who has travelled extensively
around the Marquesas by sailing boat. “The
Marquesa Islands are more mystical in our minds,” he said. “Because of how hard it is to get there,
you feel that the influence of the West isn’t
as deep as elsewhere, and people are more
connected to one another and to nature.”
Running through the centre of Nuku Hiva, hiking trails help you to explore the islands’ hundreds of waterfalls, including the tallest in French Polynesia, the 350m Vaipo. Along these steamy jungle paths you can wander in and out of stunning clearings, stopping to contemplate enigmatic caves that may have once been used as burial sites.
Nuku Hiva may be the largest of the Marquesas
but the whole chain is worth exploring.
“Every island has a different vibe; every valley a different personality, but you can only notice
it by spending time here,” Maxime added. “Many
people like to come to our country for a week and
visit one island each day, but I think you miss the
beauty of life in our islands like that.”
It’s true that when travelling all the way to a
place as remote as the Marquesa Islands, you can’t
just see one. And if the tikis have captured your
imagination, there is perhaps no more satisfying
destination than Hiva Oa island, where you’ll find French Polynesia’s most amiable sculpture.
Known as the Smiling Tiki of Utukua, this one-metre statue is believed to represent a former
queen. Her wide grin has proved infectious across
the centuries, and simply by looking at it you
can’t help but feel you’re sharing a laugh with the tiki’s ancient carver.
GET ON BOARD
Aranui Cruises’ 11-night Discover the Marquesas
cruise aboard Aranui 5, return from Tahiti via
Fakarava, Nuku Hiva, Ua Pou, Ua Huka, Tahuata,
Fatu Hiva, Rangiroa and Bora Bora, departs on February 22, 2025. From £2,786 per person.
Paul Gauguin’s 10-night More Tuamotus & Society Islands cruise aboard Paul Gauguin, return from Tahiti via Fakarava, Rangiroa, Huahine, Bora Bora, Raiatea, Taha’a and Moorea, departs on May 14 2025. From £5,740 per person.
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