Viator
Google

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Honeymoon in the South Pacific



One Foot Island, Aitutaki, Cook Islands

Are you dreaming of a honeymoon in the South Pacific?.... Through HoneyLuna, I have had the opportunity to travel throughout the South Pacific to research the islands of romance: The Hawaiian Islands, Tahiti and Her Isles, The Cook Islands and Fiji. There is a reason these islands are popular honeymoon destinations - they are all truly a tropical paradise on earth.

This page gives our editorial, feedback and online photo albums of my favorite destinations in the South Pacific. I hope my photo albums bring the magic alive for you and inspire your honeymoon planning. When you're ready to book your honeymoon travel, give us a call!! We would love to help!

I've included links to some of my online albums if you want to read about and view my photos for Hawaii, Tahiti and the Cook Islands.

Please note: you may need to "join Imagestation" to get a user name and password to view the albums, but you can opt out of solicitations, emails,etc..... it's worth taking the time to join - our albums are great!).



The Island of Kauai ~ The Island of Discovery... Kauai PhotoAlbum #1 and Kauai Photo Album #2 (This album includes Maui)



Kauai is my favorite of the Hawaiian Islands. Aesthetically, I believe Kauai is the most beautiful of the Hawaiian Islands.

It has so much to offer in terms of natural beauty. Known for its spectaular natural beaty, it is at the same time lush and tropical and stunning and dramatic, and of course completely romantic. Kauai is famed for its breathtaking Na Pali coast (a must do hike on the Kalalau Trail), Waimea Canyon (Hawaii's "Grand Canyon") the Fern Grotto and Hanalei Bay.

Being the island with the only navigable rivers, honeymooners can get "deep" in to the interior and tropical jungles via a kayak or boat that gives close up views and experiences of nature at it's best.

Kauai is a bit quieter than Maui - not as touristy, not as built up. If you want something a bit more "off the beaten path, then Kauai is for you. Another Kauai "must do"... a helicopter tour over Waimea Canyon and the Napali Coast.





The Big Island Of Hawaii The Big Island Photo Album **note - I had just gotten my digital camera so this one is kind of "amateur"....


What can I say?... I LOVE the Big Island too!! Not only does the Big Island have tremendous sun and surf appeal, it offers something truly spectacular NONE of the other islands have: the world's most active volcano!! A minimum 1 night - hopefully 2 - visit to Volcanos National Park is a "must do".

After that, you'll have time for relaxing on the Big Island's fabulous beaches (green, white and black!)or fill your days with ecoadventures: diving, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding, and searching for whales and dolphins. There are said to be 13 climatic regions on earth and the Big Island has all but two (the Artic and the Saharan). A day driving around the island will take you through almost lunar landscapes (the lava fields), to lush tropical rainforests, to savannahs and more... Nearly every one of the Big Island's diverse regions has its own nationally recognized park. This makes the Big Island "must see" for the traveler who wants to experience Hawaii's rich cultural history and unique natural resources.


Click here for a link to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Website for details on the volcano and current eruptions.





Tahiti Tahiti Photo Album



If Tahiti is Paradise (and it is!....) then Radisson's Paul Gauguin is Heaven on Earth! Nancy Williams, CEO, HoneyLuna



I have had the great fortune of visiting Tahiti several times... and I LOVE it!! On our last trip to Tahiti, we combined a week cruise on the Paul Gauguin followed by island stays on both Huahine and Moorea. I had heard great things about this
ship but had never experienced it. I must say, this is truly the greatest ship to sail the oceans and, luckily for all of us, it sails in French Polynesia - one of the most beautiful places on earth! I could write for days about the m/s Paul Gauguin - but in a few words, the m/s Paul Gauguin is: understated elegance and luxury while cruising a phenomenal itinerary. The price point for this cruise, although higher than some other cruise lines, is worth every dollar. The Gauguin's excellent service puts the rest of the hospitality industry to shame! You won't be disappointed. My only problem with this cruise is that it wasn't long enough!



Here is a "day by day" account of our cruise...

Day 1 - Arrive ship - gorgeous! Complimentary cocktails for sail away party and I'm already relaxed. Pull up anchor and sail on.

Day 2
- Wake up in Raiatea and look through our enormous
stateroom window at the stunning beauty of this island. Have breakfast outside on the deck at Le Grill (this became our daily routine - something about having coffee in the morning on the deck gazing at a beautiful island really appealed to me!) We then took a wonderfuljeep safari/outrigger river and lagoon excursion to explore Raiatea. We weren't disappointed! The Gauguin's activities desk is well staffed and very helpful. Arranging excursions was painless. (Many thanks to Lara and Henri for their help and recommendations...)

Day 3 - Early morning on deck to watch our cruise into Taha'a. Everybody MUST do this - it's gorgeous. We then opted to spend the day on Radisson's private Motu Mahana. WOW! I could get used to spending my day as a castaway with lunch served with white linens and cocktails in coconuts.

Day 4 - Wake up in Bora Bora - another great view from our
stateroom window. We took the jeep safari / snorkeling excursion (I had done this before but loved it so much we did it again).

Day 5 - Quite honestly, we woke up to rain. (We still had
breakfast on deck, only this time under the canopy) But don't worry. You can still snorkel and scuba to your hearts content - even in downpours. I spent the day scuba diving (see above photo) and the visibility and diving was excellent despite the rain. The Gauguin's instructors and scuba staff were knowledgeable and competent. (I'm a Dive Master so I can say this with some authority...) I highly recommend their program for both certified and "wanna be" divers. This evening we attended the lecture "Ancient Tahiti of the Golden Mists" presented by Dr. Mark Eddowes on the history of Polynesia. Excellent, excellent lecture and highly recommended to all.

Day 6 - Woke up this a.m. to sunny skies and the cruise around Tetiaroa - Marlon Brando's islands - on our way to Moorea. Lucky guy bought those before people really knew about Tahiti! Anyway, sun turned briefly to rain so I attended Dr. Eddowes lecture on "Mutiny on the Bounty - What Really Happened". Another must do. The lecture ended and the sun came out just as we cruised in to Cook's Bay. Stunning of course -there is a reason this bay is so famous! This was also Thanksgiving (We had a lot to be thankful for!) and the Gauguin prepared a wonderful turkey dinner for the Americans on board. I'm a vegetarian but I still enjoyed the pumpkin pie!

Day 7 - Dolphin watching excursion with Michael Poole - another MUST DO! Stunning views of the Moorea coastline while you search for spinner dolphins. Dr. Poole is a marine biologist / Director of the Marine Mammal Research Program in Moorea. His knowledge of these dolphins was amazing and interesting. That night we cruised back to Papeete for our last night on the ship. The next day I was pulled off the ship - kicking and screaming! This is a fabulous cruise and will be a wonderful journey to remember for all! Please visit the m/s Paul Gauguin's site for future cruise dates and call us about booking your cruise in Tahiti on the m/s Paul Gauguin. And if a cruise on the Paul Gauguin doesn't work for you, then by all means you will be completely and totally happy staying on any of of the islands in Tahiti!

The Cook Islands The Cook Islands Photo Album



All right, I admit it!! I am a South Pacific junkie. I was recently able to spend a glorious 10 days on the islands of Aitutaki and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. I loved it just as much as Tahiti - and in some ways, a bit more. It is a long flight (close to New Zealand) but very much worth it! The Cook Islands are a great blend of Kiwis and locals - and of course the islands are English Speaking. The Cooks are also ringed by coral reefs which create beautiful lagoons and excellent swimming beaches. It's also an incredibly affordable destination (once you're there...) So take a look at the pictures and DO consider the Cook Islands for your honeymoon!




Digg!