Raiatea
& Tahaa
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A note about flying between islands…all of our inter-island flights went like clock work. Certainly the volume of travelers is far less compared to U.S. domestic travel but the ease of check-in and the speed at which the bags are delivered to the baggage claim areas makes traveling between islands a breeze. The Air Tahiti ground crew was helpful and cheerful as were the greeters who assist with boarding, deplaning and escorting passengers across the tarmac between the terminals and the planes. Although many of our flights were less than one hour the flight attendants treated the passengers with the same gracious service as our international crew on Air Tahiti Nui. Flying was truly a pleasure again.
An international deep sea competition was in full gear when we arrived in Raiatea. Our guide for the morning arrived to escort us to one of the sail boat charter companies and a small hotel inspection. If sailing is your passion, I can imagine no greater destination than the islands of Tahiti. The Society Islands each with their own unique beauty and character offer sailors plenty of picture post card lagoons to chart. Bare boats can be arranged for experienced navigators as well as state-of –the-art luxury catamarans, which come staffed with a Captain, crew and a chef. Reading so many books about historic sailing adventures convinced me that this form of moving about the islands would certainly bring to life the romance and adventure of past explorations. Yet if settling into a beach bungalow strikes your fancy or need for deep relaxation than we can recommend a small Hotel that is run by the sixth generation owners of a coconut plantation. The grounds have changed little in all the years, with the exception of the addition of the garden and beach bungalows. The original family home remains and the family are most charming. As soon as we arrived they offered us a cooling drink of the sweetest coconut water which no doubt had just been picked. The hotel offers large bungalows with full kitchens, which are perfect for families or those who prefer a self-catering style vacation.
Highlight of Raiatea: Meeting Merava who designs and hand paints her own lovely pareo in the hotel lobby and gift shop in the Hotel Hawaiki Nui. She and a friend paint together drawing their inspiration from the flowers of the island. We purchased two here to bring home as gifts. Being able to meet the artist and see the works in progress brought that much more meaning to the gift of the pareo.