French Polynesia

23/10/2022 ●Vaitape● Bora Bora

A dream comes true, today we reach Bora Bora and are immediately welcomed by several schools of dolphins. Wherever you look, dolphins everywhere. They come up to the ship and then dive underneath.

We are brought to the shore by tender. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the crystal clear water enchants us. We are greeted by the locals with drumming music and singing.

On the way there, there is a small island tour. We pass Mount Otemanu, the central point of the island.

So every turn offers a new view of this mountain. It is lined with a colorful variety of plants.

We are proudly shown the newly built school. It is the only house, apart from the churches, that has been built with solid stone and concrete.

On the other side of the road, we see the many beaches and coral reefs. Fishing, swimming, and dolphins jumping are happening in every bay.

Arriving at the beach, the next adventure awaits us. While snorkeling in shallow water, we see white and striped fish, as well as seahorses and even a stingray swimming alongside us.

After the first impressions, we want to see more and continue walking along the coast. We come across luxury resorts one after another. It really looks as dreamy as we have seen in pictures.

We stop at the restaurant Tama’a Maitai and use the fantastic backdrop for snorkeling.

We can already see the stingrays from the shore, but in the water, they prefer to keep their distance.

The colorful corals glow in the sunlight and numerous colorful fish swim around. 

But our journey continues. Back on the ship, we watch the passing dolphins with a cup of coffee. It is incredibly beautiful to experience. We will dream of this for a long time.

24/10/2022 ●Uturoa● Raiatea

On the next island 'Raiatea', we are looking for a rental car. After a march under the hot sun, we reach the rental station, but unfortunately, there are no cars left. So we continue walking along the road, hoping to find a car. We are lucky with a small family. They quickly clean their car for us while we swing and jump on their yard trampoline.

Then we finally start. We drive around the island on the 92 km long ring road. There are various bays to discover, always with lush green mountains in the background. 

The colorful fishing boats suspended above the water are beautiful to look at.

We follow a dead-end road up the mountain to a viewpoint. No one expected that from us. We look into a valley full of trees. A breathtaking view after the long drive along the coast.

Below, there is yellow bamboo, which only grows here on the island.

The next tourist attraction is the Marae Taputaouātea, an ancient temple where only the foundations remain today. The black stones, along with the green trees and the bright blue sky, create a very calming atmosphere.

After the beautiful day tour, we want to cool off in the waterfall as a highlight. When we arrive, there is a big red sign saying access prohibited. The reason is the recent privatization of the area two months ago. We are very disappointed that we cannot experience this highlight. But the surroundings are beautiful. Banana and coconut palm trees are everywhere. We crack open a fallen coconut on the spot and enjoy the fresh water. Delicious!

Back at the harbor, the children can have fun on the playground. Because in the last few days, it was unfortunately not possible. Playgrounds are hard to find on such small islands.

26/10/2022 ●Papeete● Tahiti

In Tahiti, we visit the capital Papeete. 

We stroll through the shopping streets in the dark clouds and rain. These streets are well covered as it seems to rain here often.

At the end is the impressive town hall.

In the market hall, there is fresh fish such as tuna for a small amount of money. The local fruit and vegetables also look delicious. In addition, typical handmade products are offered, such as woven baskets, pearl jewelry, and colorful scarves.

Not far from the market, there is a historic church from the 18th century. It looks beautiful yellow from the outside and can be seen from everywhere. Inside, it is very plain.

Our journey continues in the park at the waterfront. There are beautiful playgrounds that are unfortunately all closed. 

In the artificially created pond, there are Koi carp swimming and we even discover an eel. Today we made the most of the weather and gained new impressions of the culture and the people.