TAHITI FOR TWO: Gauguin's Picture Perfect Paradise?

Fly into Moorea, where you’ll spend an enchanting three full days in luxurious over-the-water bungalows at the Hilton Moorea before boarding your 7-night cruise through Tahiti and the Society Islands. Take it easy today and fight through the jetlag as you transition to island time.

Get out and explore Moorea today. Book the hike to Three Coconuts Pass, offered by Tahiti Evasion. This easy four-hour hike affords you exceptional views of Opunohu and Cook bays, the Belvedere Lookout, and the Bali Hali Point (as featured in the movie South Pacific). Not a hiker? See our tips for Day 3 and do one of those activities instead. This evening, enjoy a Motu Picnic on the northwestern part of Moorea. Motu Picnics include a traditional Tahitian meal (typically raw tuna marinated in coconut milk and lime juice, baked yams and bananas, grilled fish and shrimp, coconut bread, and the local Hinano beer) on the beach of a small islet, called a motu. Moorea has two of them—Motu Fareone and Motu Tiahura—both of which boast white sandy beaches close to a lagoon. Several tour companies can arrange these picnics and Tream Traterra can assist with arrangements.

Make the most of your last full day in Moorea before you board the m/s Paul Gauguin for your cruise of Tahiti and the Society Islands. Two of our favorite ooptions include horseback riding through the luscious and fertile Teavaro Valley or snorkeling right at your resort. Team Traterra can assist with horseback riding, as well as with booking tomorrow’s ferry to Papeete, before your cruise begins. Flying over Papeete is also possible, but we like the ferry because it conveniently docks right next to the m/s Paul Gauguin.

Tahiti is the largest and most populated of the French Polynesian islands. Papeete is its capital and it is here where your journey through paradise begins aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin. This luxurious yet casual, ultra-deluxe vessel will be your home for the next week. With an endless choice of things to do, from relaxing poolside with a book to playing the slots in the casino, you will always find something great to do.

You have the day to explore Raiatea; once the cultural, religious, royal, and political heart of Polynesia. According to legend, the island is home to Tahiti’s most significant archaeological sites. It was on Raiatea that ancient Polynesians built maraes—or temples—of stone in many sizes. The maraes provided a physical space for the spirits of the gods to occupy during ritual ceremonies, as did the carved wooden tikis for which the region is famous. Visit Taputapuatea, a national monument and the most important marae in the Society Islands. We bid adieu to Raiatea just before dinner and set sail with the compass set for Motu Mahana.

Good to know: If you’re discovering Raiatea on your own—without a guided shore excursion—ask staff aboard the ship to pack you a lunch. (This holds true for every day of your cruise – if you don’t wish to come back to the ship for lunch, you can always take a packed lunch with you when you disembark each day.) The tourist office is right at the spot of disembarkation. Pick up a complimentary map from there and hike to the top of Mount Tapioi. It’s a strenuous hike, but the view from the top affords a stunning view of the ship in port, as well as the nearby islands of Huahine, Taha’a, and Bora Bora.

Motu Mahana, an islet adjacent to Taha’a, is a slice of paradise in the South Seas. Its white sand beaches with swaying palms, crystal-clear waters, and gentle breezes are the perfect setting for an exclusive event where you get to spend a full day exploring the idyllic, isolated island, and relaxing with a delicious barbecue lunch. Polynesian musicians and singers will stroll through to add melody to the lapping waves and cooling breezes.

Immediately recognizable by the basalt tombstone of Mount Otemanu rising from the ocean, this half-atoll, half-mountain is surrounded by a spectacular lagoon and a series of smaller islands. Ancient Polynesians called it Parapora, or “firstborn,” because they thought it was the first island created after Raiatea.

Explore more of this magical isle on your own or on a choice of optional shore excursions. We will set sail before dinner, enjoying a relaxing evening on board.

You’re back in magnificent Moorea today. If you haven’t done so already, spend today shopping for local crafts or going on a dolphin-watching expedition. The m/s Paul Gauguin comes with a staff marine biologist who can tell you anything you need to know about these animals. And you simply must try some of the local pineapples—they are said to be the most delicious in all of French Polynesia.

Explore more of this peaceful oasis. Trek on the “Trails of the Ancients” or snorkel one of the world’s most beautiful lagoons. At the end of the afternoon, we cruise to our home port in Papeete, docking for the night.