Letter from Paradise
Ellen and I spoke
with you in the gift shop at the Kia Ora Village as we
were on our way to Kia Ora Sauvage and you were going on to Tikehau. We
were really happy to talk to some travel agents that actually enjoy
traveling and are willing to see the world first hand. So, here is our
$0.02 worth on Sauvage.
The boat ride from the village is about an hour long. As we approached
the
island we were absolutely struck dumb by the beauty of the place. The
boat
from the village has to anchor off the beach because the draft is too
great
to land passengers on the beach. As we were anchoring, we were greeted
by a
half dozen sharks circling the boat. Our host, Jeremy, came out in a
shallow draft outboard boat to greet us with a smile and a "hello
friends"
shout. We can't compliment Jeremy enough for his genuine heartfelt
enthusiasm and Aloha. This guy was on stage for the entire time we were
there and never, ever, showed any lack of genuine love of his islands
and
desire to share them with us.
The bungalows were basic and very comfortable (we loved them). The food
was
plentiful and excellent. Jeremy took us out in the lagoon every evening
for rum punch and the sunset. There is no hot water, but we didn't miss
it.
It is a little hard getting up in the morning telling yourself there isn't
any hot water, but once you get in, it's great. Kerosene lanterns are
brought around each afternoon. It's too dark to read under lantern light
but everybody is in bed by 9:30 and up by sunrise. The stars at night
are
beyond belief because there is no ambient skylight to dim the view. Our
only distraction was the sound of coconuts falling from the trees during
the
night. We had clean sheets and a comfortable bed every evening. We heard
the surf on the reef and were treated to evening rain showers on the
thatched roof.
The island dogs; Joe, Josephine, and Roxy are a real treat. They come
and
go with reckless abandon, joining you for a boat ride, a swim, or sleeping
on your porch all night. They really add to the ambience of the place.
Sharks. Sharks are everywhere in the water and you quickly get used to
them
and realize that they are not a threat. The sight of fins and the "men
in
gray suits" becomes common place and any fear quickly disappears.
There are organized activities every morning and afternoon, such as
snorkeling, spear fishing, or island exploring. Ellen and I opted for
being
taken to outer islands for a day of beach combing and being castaways.
Jeremy brought us a picnic lunch that included hot and cold entrees, a
table
cloth, and a bucket of iced Hinano. We did this for 3 days on a different
island each day.
We opted for an additional night at Sauvage because we just couldn't bring
ourselves to face civilization until we absolutely had to. Both of us
got
pretty misty when we got on the boat to leave. The last night we were
there
we strung a net across a tide pool on the reef and walked a school of
parrot
fish into the net. We caught the fish during a beautiful sunset at 5:30,
showered, had drinks, and had our catch for dinner at 7:00. Life is good,
and it just doesn't get any better than Sauvage.
We aren't campers, we like our comforts and have stayed at some of the
finest hotels in the world. Savauge is not for everybody. But, if somebody
is looking for a romantic retreat or wanting to get in touch with
traditional Polynesia, this is the place. Please feel free to contact
us if
you have any questions or if we can be of assistance.
Mike and Ellen - Camarillo, California
