In some ways the best place to see French Polynesia is from the air as all the reef lines, islands (Motus) and colour changes of the sea appear more dramatic. We boarded our catamaran, an Eleuthera 60 with four guest cabins for a three night sail to Huahine, Tahaa and Raiatea.
The first day was somewhat overcast but the seas were a gentle swell so no illness problems for anyone.
Our fellow passengers were a French couple teaching in Tahiti and a Swiss couple taking a year off. The captain was French and the cook/stew was Polynesian. We stopped in a few bays to snorkel, kayak and play on the beach. On the last evening we moored off of a local hotel for Happy Hour and some music, touristy but fun.
The following day was glorious for our return to Tahaa and the clear aqua waters were as beautiful as we have ever seen, you can easily see fish and various species of ray, you almost don't need a mask. We thought this was good but we had yet to see the jewel in the crown which from the ocean perspective is Bora Bora. This photo was taken through a rather dirty aeroplane window.
It is possible to arrive at the airport, which is on an island, and take a launch to your 5 star hotel on one of the Motus, sit on the manicured beach, eat lobster and drink champagne served by happy smiley people as you gaze across the lagoon to the rugged peaks of the main island. This would be as close to paradise as you would expect to get.
However, the main island is quite different as we discovered on our cycle ride. It is quite populated, people are not particularly friendly, it smells of drains, and there are a lot of mangey dogs running around.
So there are two sides to every story but the upside of Bora Bora is sensational.
On to Hollywood!
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