Maeva! Welcome!
Much more than a group of islands, Tahiti is a wonderful state of mind, seducing honeymooners, romantics, adventurers, and vacationers looking for a tranquil escape. Here, around these South Seas isles, a romantic sunset sea sends giant curls of turquoise breaking onto the colorful reefs that protect the tranquil lagoons of warm, bright-emerald waters and white coral-sand beaches.
Closer Than You Think
Easier to travel to than you might imagine, Tahiti's Faa'a Airport is under 8 hours by air from Los Angeles LAX airport, with nonstop flights leaving nearly every day. As far south of the equator as Hawaii is north, Tahiti is halfway between California and Australia, on the same side of the International Date Line as North America, and in the same time zone as Hawaii - (only two hours behind California April-October and three hours behind California November-March).
Islands
Tahiti - Queen of the Pacific
The island of Tahiti, towering over the ocean like a proud and royal Queen, is crowned by a circle of majestic peaks.
The mountainous interior shelters deep valleys, clear streams, and high waterfalls, all bathed in the green iridescence of Mother Nature's light. The flat coastal lands, edged with a rugged coastline, are home to fields of tropical flowers and most of the island's population.
Papeete, the invigorating capital city and gateway of the territory, boasts world-class resorts, spas, fine restaurants, nightclubs, and endless shopping at the vibrant markets, pearl shops, and boutiques.
Tahiti ... Just the word ... The world's definition of paradise.
Tahiti-Nui Mare'are'a
Ancient songs give the island many names:
"Mounting Place of the Sun"
"Land of the Double Rainbow".
Legends describe the island of Tahiti as a great fish that swam away for the waters of Sacred Havai'i, now known as the lagoon between Raiatea and Taha'a.
Moorea - The Magical Island
Moorea, soaring magically out of the ocean in an explosion of green velvet, is what you would imagine a South Seas island to be.
A wide, shallow lagoon surrounds the island's vertical mountains where poetic threads of waterfalls tumble down fern-softened cliffs. Peaceful meadows flanked by pinnacles of green will fill your senses and renew your belief in the majesty of nature. Pastel-painted houses surrounded by gardens of hibiscus and birds of paradise, circle the island in a fantasy of happy, yet simple villages.
All who have traveled here agree: the beauty of Moorea is unforgettable.
Aimeo i te rara varu
This, the island's poetic name, comes from the eight majestic mountain ridges.
Polynesian legend describes the panorama of volcanic ridges as the second dorsal fin of the fish that became the island of Tahiti. These pinnacles later inspired the mythical "Bali Hai" that was based on James Michener's book, Tales of the South Pacific.
Bora Bora - The Romantic Island
Bora Bora, with a lagoon resembling an artist's palette of blues and greens, is love at first sight.
Honeymooners and romantics from around the world have laid claim to this island where the castle-like Mount Otemanu pierces the sky. Lush tropical slopes and valleys blossom with hibiscus, while palm-covered motu circle the lagoon like a delicate necklace. Perfect white-sand beaches give way to emerald waters where impossibly colored fish animate the coral gardens.
Simply said, the most beautiful island in the world.
Pora Pora
The ancient name, believed to mean
"first born," came from Polynesian legends describing this as the first island to rise when Taaroa, the supreme god, fished it out of the waters after the mythical creation of Havai'i, now known as Raiatea.
Huahine - Garden of Eden
Huahine, with its lush forests, untamed landscape, and quaint villages, is one of Polynesia's best-kept secrets.
A deep, crystal-clear lagoon surrounds the two islands while magnificent bays and white-sand beaches add drama and solitude to their virtues. Relatively unchanged by the modern world, Huahine's few residents welcome visitors with great kindness. The island's soil is rich and fertile, providing the farmers a bountiful harvest of vanilla, melons, and bananas.
The spell cast by Huahine will last a lifetime.
Hermosa
This name bestowed by Captain Cook in 1769 means "beautiful" in Spanish.
The name Huahine may come from the profile of a mountain which reveals the
shape of a pregnant woman.
Mythology provides two legends for the creation of the two islands of Huahine: either the god Hiro cut the island in half with his canoe or a spear thrown in a contest among gods pierced Moorea's Mt. Mouaputa and then sailed 100 miles where it split Huahine in two!
Raiatea & Taha'a
Raiatea - The Sacred Island
Raiatea, meaning "faraway heaven" and "sky with soft light", was first named Havai'i after the homeland of the ancient Polynesians and is the most sacred island in the South Pacific. This, the second largest Tahitian isle, was the center of religion and culture over 1000 years ago and still lends enchantment to ancient legends told to this day. The green-carpeted mountains covering the interior include the celebrated Mt. Temehani, a sort of Polynesian Mt. Olympus.
Where legends began and dreams are fulfilled.
Taha'a - The Vanilla Island
Taha'a, with the rich aroma of vanilla lingering heavily in the air, offers a glimpse of the traditional, tranquil life of the Tahitians. The flower-shaped island's simple beauty is charmed by soft mountain shapes and surrounded by tiny motu with bright sand beaches. In the fertile valleys cutting within the island, local farmers grow watermelon, vanilla, and copra.
With a heart-beat rhythm of life unique in the world.
Tiare Apetahi Flower
Upon Mt. Temehani on Raiatea lives a flower so rare it can be grown no place else on earth. Ancient legends spin a tragic romantic tale where the five petals of this white flower represent the hand of a common Tahitian girl who was in love with the son of a Tahitian king. Because she was not allowed to marry him, she died of a broken heart; the sound of which is re-created each dawn as the delicate petals open with a slight crackling sound.
Rangiroa - The Endless Lagoon
Rangiroa, a string of coral encircling a luminous turquoise and jade-green lagoon, is one of the world's greatest dive destinations.
From the air, the atoll - the second largest in the world - seems to be a giant pearl necklace laid upon the water.
Here is a world where 240 tiny islets, or motu, each no more than three feet in elevation, lay upon the ocean for more than 110 miles completely encircling an infinitely deep lagoon.
Surrounded by two legendary bodies of water, Moana-tea (Peaceful Ocean) and Moana-uri (Wild Ocean), the main villages of Avatoru and Tiputa offer the visitor with a unique look at the South Pacific lifestyle of the residents. Along the few roads, coral churches, craft centers, local restaurants, and tiny shops provide enjoyable land-based experiences to complement the many activities awaiting the visitor in the lagoon.
A world where drama and simplicity share the same breath
Manihi
Manihi, lost in the vastness of the South Pacific, conjures up castaway dreams of a tropical isle.
Far from the modern world, the crystal-clear lagoon was once filled with mother-of-pearl and is the site of Tahiti's first black pearl farm. Today, Manihi is still the leading supplier for the Tahitian cultured pearl industry.
This is "farm country" South Pacific style. Instead of crops, over 60 farms here produce the world's most sought after gem: pearls. Manihi's lagoon waters are among the most perfect on earth for cultivating pearls because of the temperature, density, salinity, light, and overall climate.
Besides the pearl farms, visitors enjoy exploring the lagoon and the main village of Turipaoa. There are few cars here so walking around the town square and along the coral paths is as peaceful and romantic as the lagoon itself.
Tikehau
Tikehau, a graceful oval crown of pink-sand beaches, can only be described as a picture postcard.
Considered to be one of the most beautiful atolls in Polynesia, the fragrance of the air is matched only by the abundance of life in the bright-blue water. The friendly people, their homes awash with gardens, invite you to share and explore their world beyond imagination.
In this pristine world, fish seem to outnumber people one-billion-to one. In fact the density of the fish in the lagoon is so high that Jacques Cousteau's research group declared that Tikehau's lagoon contained the highest concentration of fish in all of the Tuamotu atolls.
Fishing is among the primary industries here for the 400 residents. Families share fish parks - underwater fenced areas - where they trap parrotfish and other lagoon species as a primary source of food and income. Families also ship fish by air to Papeete for sale in the local markets. Visitors enjoy endless hours of exploring the perfection of the lagoon, the Isle of Birds, and the tidy island village of Tuherahera.
Fakarava
Fakarava, is an untouched world where nesting birds and marine life live in harmony with the land and water.
The rich ecosystem is home to rare birds, plants, and crustaceans while the dive sites are virtually undiscovered. Life along the quiet shores is equally unique with quaint villages, old coral churches, and welcoming people.
Even though Fakarava is the newest destination to welcome resort visitors among Tahiti & Her Islands, it was one of the first population centers and the ancient capital of the region. The lagoon, the second largest after Rangiroa, is rich with life below and above the surface and a prime example of nature at its finest. So pure is the environment here that Fakarava is being considered for classification as a UNESCO nature reserve for the preservation of rare species.
Life among the 400 residents is centralized around the quaint villages of Rotoava and the Tetamanu.
The Marquesas Islands - The Mysterious Islands
The Marquesas, or Henua Enata meaning "Land of Men", are seemingly lost at the end of the earth.
Even now, some of the islands are virtually untouched since the era of European exploration. The isolation of the Marquesas from other lands has created an immense pride among the people and a fascinating culture. The language is unique to Tahiti, as the lilting Marquesan dialect is traced directly to the ancient Polynesian tongue of Maohi.
Natural wonders abound as 1000-foot waterfalls cascade down sheer volcanic cliffs, and towering mountains disappear mysteriously in the clouds.
This world belongs to the past where the spirits of the ancient Maohi still live.
The primary islands with lodging are:
Nuku Hiva - Mystic Island
The largest island in the Marquesas is known for towering spire-like peaks; secluded, lush valleys; ancient religious sites; fjord-like bays; and waterfalls so high that most of the falling water evaporates as it descends.
Hiva Oa - Paul Gauguin's Island
This majestic and historic island is known for its wild, untamed landscape, giant stone tiki, endless and unearthly vistas, and as the final resting place of poet Jacques Brel and artist Paul Gauguin.
Gambier Islands – Mangareva - Islands At The End of the World
Over one thousand miles southeast of Tahiti are the Gambier Islands. The cradle of Catholicism during the nineteeth century following the arrival of the first missionaries to the region, hundreds of stone buildings from that era survive including churches, convents, schools, and watch towers.
Mangareva, the largest island of the region, is home to most of the population and the center of the region's pearl industry. The island's only small family pensions are located here in the town of Rikitea |
