French Polynesia is a breathtaking archipelago in the South Pacific an 8.5 hour flight southwest of Los Angeles. A total of 118 islands over 2,500 square miles make up the territory. Many of them are uninhabited. But, breathtaking Tahiti, Bora Bora, Mo'orea and a few other atolls call the area home and are popular tourist destinations. Papeete is the capitol of French Polynesia and located on Tahiti. Although two towering volcanic cones make Tahiti habitable only along the coast and valleys, it boasts the highest population of any surrounding islands. Nightlife, entertainment, and shopping are vacationers' activities of choice on Papeete. Most airlines fly into Papeete, making it the jumping off point for travel throughout French Polynesia. Mo'orea island lies 12 miles away and is more laid back. Ferries run on a regular schedule. The scenic crossing takes 30 minutes. Mo'orea's varied terrain ranges from white coral sand beaches to rainforest and cattle farms inland. As with all the islands, the diverse marine life makes snorkeling a highlight. Another stunning French Polynesian island is Bora Bora. Surrounded by a turquoise lagoon and protective coral reef, it's nicknamed "leading lady." Bora Bora's beaches are ranked among the top 10 in the world, and a scuba divers' paradise. Luxury resort bungalows perched over the water on stilts are coveted by vacationers. A few fun facts about French Polynesia...the fragrant tiaré flower is used to signify relationship status. Placing the single white flower behind your left ear shows you're in a relationship. Placing it behind the right ear means you're single. Vanilla beans and pineapples are two widely grown crops on the islands. Noa Noa Vanilla Paste with it's thick consistency and bits of vanilla bean seeds is a favorite souvenir. Tahitian pineapples and the libations made with them are a close second. French
French Polynesia is a breathtaking archipelago in the South Pacific an 8.5 hour flight southwest of Los Angeles. A total of 118 islands over 2,500 square miles make up the territory. Many of them are uninhabited. But, breathtaking Tahiti, Bora Bora, Mo’orea and a few other atolls call the area home and are popular tourist
13,140,000 minutes. How do you measure a marriage of 25 years? In daylights, in sunsets, in laughter, in miles. The Southern Hemisphere's Society and Cook Islands' raw natural beauty, technicolor skies, and crystal clear water hosted a surreal silver anniversary for my husband, Miguel, and I. For eleven days upon the ship m/s Paul Gauguin our most pressing matter was what time we’d like breakfast delivered to our stateroom. The crews’ polite graciousness was second to none; undoubtably one reason the luxury liner has won myriad World’s Best awards. Great Britain’s Captain Cook was the first foreigner to reach Tahiti in 1769. Two decades later, Captain Bligh sailed the HMS Bounty to this Pacific paradise. But, Bligh’s tyrannical ways and the lure of gorgeous Tahitian women lead his men to mutiny, which many years later inspired the book Mutiny on the Bounty. Authors’ James Norman Hall and Charles Nordhoff lived on Tahiti while writing the tome. Thankfully, our visit was more blissful, full of hoots and laughter mingled with seabirds’ voices. The first morning this magnificent sunrise greeted us as we anchored off the tiny, eight square mile atoll of Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. The land was dotted with coconut, pineapple, banana, and tapioca groves. Most of the 2,500 residents live in villages and zoom around the roads on motor scooters. The crystal clear turquoise water was perfect for snorkeling. We saw fish of every shape, size and color. The reefs were teeming with marine life. We took a stroll on this GORG beach. After our idyllic day, we boarded the ship bound for another of the beautiful Cook Islands - Rarotonga. It was quite an adventure getting there. Before setting sail, our captain said over the loud speaker in his thick Croatian accent "ladies and gentlemen, the wind has
13,140,000 minutes. How do you measure a marriage of 25 years? In daylights, in sunsets, in laughter, in miles. The Southern Hemisphere’s Society and Cook Islands’ raw natural beauty, technicolor skies, and crystal clear water hosted a surreal silver anniversary for my husband, Miguel, and I. For eleven days upon the ship m/s Paul Gauguin
