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| Teahupoo |
The m/s Paul Gauguin doesn't leave Papeete until 10 p.m. Saturday night. Our flight landed in Tahiti at 5 a.m.! After clearing immigration we grabbed a cup of coffee, got some French Pacific Francs (there is both an ATM and a money changing machine at the airport), rented a car and hit the road to explore the island.
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| Beautiful water lily |
Driving on Tahiti is very easy -- and you really can't get lost. It's worth it to rent a car and spend the day exploring this gorgeous island. Being an avid wannabe surfer, we set out immediately for Teahupoo - the legendary surf spot on Tahiti Iti. It is literally at the "end of the road" and just a gorgeous paradise. The day we were there, the surf was small. Plus the break is about 1/4 mile from shore - so we didn't see much, but at least I can say I've been there!
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| Black sand beach on Tahiti |
After Teahupoo, we drove to the lookout at the Taravao Plateau. Not only do you drive through a gorgeous plain, the panoramic views form the top are breathtaking. Highly recommend this side trip! We continued our drive around Tahiti Nui to the black sand beach near Tiarei - this is also a great place to hike / explore "Les 3 Cascades".
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| Moorea from Intercontinental Tahiti |
We ended our day of exploring with a stop at the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort. This is a large, lovely property with stunning views over the pool to the island of Moorea. We enjoyed an ice cold Hinano as we relaxed in the sun, absorbed the ambience and counted our blessings that we were in Tahiti!
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| The lovely m/s Paul Gauguin |
Now it was time to board our home for the next 7 days, the m/s Paul Gauguin! We dropped our car at the airport (total rental by the way was about $60 USD - well worth it if you're up to exploring on your own!) and took a taxi to the port. There the m/s Paul Gauguin stood proudly, looking luxurious and elegant, waiting for her next group of passengers to dazzle!
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| Our beautiful stateroom |
We were just a few minutes early to board but no matter - the crew was already there to provide service. They welcomed us warmly, offered us cold water and tagged our luggage. They seemed genuinely happy to see us!
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| A balcony stateroom is a MUST! |
As you can see, the staterooms are gorgeous! They are roomy, well appointed, plenty of storage and offer large bathrooms will a full tub/shower. I encourage you all, to definitely book a stateroom with a balcony! Yes, it does cost more, but it is worth it! We spent lots of time relaxing on our balcony. Being early risers we were up with the sunrise about 5:30 and have coffee delivered to us every morning to enjoy on our balcony while we soaked up the view and started our day!
By using HoneyLuna's honeymoon registry (
www.honeyluna.com) or Paul Gauguin's honeymoon registry
www.honeymoon.pgcruises.com ) you can let your friends and family buy pieces of your Paul Gauguin honeymoon as your wedding gift and have those additional funds to pay for a balcony stateroom!
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| Exploring Raiatea |
Saturday night we "set sail" or technically, began motoring / cruising to Raiatea. When we awoke Sunday morning, we were still several hours from Raiatea but could already see it in the distance rising from the Pacific. It was so beautiful watching the island as we got closer and closer... Although not a touristy island / as well visited as others in French Polynesia, Raiatea is a lush, beautiful island and I LOVE IT!
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| Raiatea |
Raiatea is called "The Sacred Island". It was the first island settled by Polynesians and is considered the cradle of Polynesian culture. My favorite shore excursion on this island is the combo Faaroa River cruise
with the jeep safari (which also takes you to the Taputapuatea Marae). One of the great things about cruising on the m/s Paul Gauguin is that it does visit some of the smaller islands and you do get to spend a lot of time on each island - which gives you plenty of time to do some shore excursions as well as to explore on your own if you wish!
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| Local dancer welcomes us! |
After our day of exploring, we stopped by the Grand Salon for a Polynesian Dance Show / Welcome put on by a local dance troupe. The children were lovely, charming and gracious and the show really put us in the mood!! I even got up on stage and danced a bit.... I might have blown my back out trying to swing my hips like these girls but it was really fun!!
Let me just say that for each and every night on the cruise we enjoyed the MOST amazing dining experience! The food was wonderful, the wines magnificent, and the service was just spectacular. So I won't go into a lot of detail about what we ate (there's really not enough room!) but suffice it to say, it was all great. The dinners are a la carte (no buffets!) with a wide range of excellent choices. Also, I will say that I'm a vegetarian -- and I had so much to choose from that it was never a problem for me. My cruise mates enjoyed the fish and meat dishes and assured me they were fabulous as well!
Next post, Motu Monday! (My favorite!!!)
Take a look at the amazing / fun / adventurous shore excursions offered by the m/s Paul Gauguin
http://www.pgcruises.com/excursions/default.aspx Of course you can include the shore excursions in your HoneyLuna honeymoon registry!! Your family and friends will love purchasing for you these fantastic experiences that you will cherish for a life time!
If you would like help booking your Paul Gauguin honeymoon cruise, please email us at info (at) honeyluna.com and we will refer you to one of our preferred travel agents!
Start your honeymoon registry now! Visit HoneyLuna's honeymoon registry (
www.honeyluna.com) or Paul Gauguin's honeymoon registry
www.honeymoon.pgcruises.com )
