Tahiti: The Big-Ticket Item

Out of all the 50 things…exploring the French Polynesian Islands on a cruise ship was by far the big-ticket item.  It was the trip of a lifetime, which took place over my actual birthday.  The idea came while we were hanging out with our friends Kaitlin and Jennifer, enjoying some libations and lunch at a little café in Serenby after taking the kids on a nearby hike.  This was a good 18 months before my actual 50^th birthday, and we were brainstorming ideas on how to celebrate the major milestone.  After dismissing the idea of a big party, I shared that I’d prefer to visit some faraway exotic location.  I had also always thought it would be cool to go on an Olivia Cruise – a company that has been organizing travel excursions for women who love women since the 1980s.  A quick Google search later…and we had landed on an Olivia Cruise on a luxury liner in the French Polynesian Islands.  Serious intentions were expressed along with a sense of urgency to book soon before it sold out.  Then the lovely moment of making grand plans while lounging in the sun, drinking cold

beers, and listening to the laughter of our kids playing in the background came to an end, and we went on about our lives.  But this is when Kaitlin and Jennifer learned that I have a bias towards action, especially when I get a clear confirmation from my inner wise guide that this is indeed the right decision.  The next day, I booked our room on the Olive Cruise ship and sent Jennifer and Kaitlin the link to do the same.  Thankfully, they rose to the challenge, booked their reservation, and the anticipation for the long-awaited trip began.

I could write a book about this trip, which still feels like a dream, but I’ll attempt to keep it to the highlights, mostly so I can revisit this post and relive the heavenly experience all over again.

September 3 – 4 – Atlanta to Papeete, Tahiti

We flew Delta, leaving on an evening flight out of Atlanta with a 4-hour layover in Los Angeles before boarding Air France for an 8-hour flight to Papeete (pah-pay-AY-tay), Tahiti.  We arrived at the InterContinental Hotel in the early morning hours. It was way too early to get into our room, but we checked our bags, ate breakfast in the open-air restaurant, and tried to take in the amazing views that surrounded us.  We then crawled to some lounge chairs by the water and slept until our rooms were ready. Okay, we may have been able to rouse ourselves enough to wade over to the swim-up bar (c’mon, do you know me at all?).

That night, we attended a dinner show in the hotel’s main restaurant, featuring locals performing a “vibrant show of traditional dances of the Marquesas Islands” with the ocean as the backdrop… spectacular.

September 5 – Papeete, Tahiti

We boarded the ship in the early afternoon, settled into our rooms, and then started to explore the ship.  The ship was part of Winstar Cruise Lines and among their luxury liners; therefore, the entire experience, from accommodation to service, was top-notch.  The best part was that the ship was designed for a more intimate experience with a capacity of around 400. So, no matter where you went, it never felt crowded; there was always a bar stool or lounge chair available.  I don’t even think the ship was close to capacity, so, at times, it felt like we were on our own private yacht.

September 6 - Moorea

We sailed all night and woke up already anchored in Cook’s Bay off the island of Moorea (mo-oh-ray-ah). We rode the transfer boat to the island, picked up the electric bikes we had reserved, and spent the day riding the one road that circled the entire island.  We stopped once for lunch at a quaint spot overlooking the ocean where I had an amazing fish dish (what would become one of many during my trip). I guess when you live on an island surrounded by fresh fish…you master the art of cooking it. What struck me the most and remained consistent throughout the trip was the lack of development. Under French control, these islands seem to prioritize maintaining the natural beauty of the islands and access to it over selling out to the highest bidder, leading to the development of private beachfront high-rises, condos, houses, and hotels, which then exclude others from accessing and enjoying them—a stark difference between a European mentality and an American one.  We are so quick to figure out how to monetize our natural resources. From a visitor's point of view, it was definitely appreciated.

September 7 - Raiatea

The next morning, we woke up anchored off the island of RAIATEA (rah-eeh-yah-teh-yah). They are not well-known for having great beaches…more of a rocky island, so Jen, Kaitlin, and I decided to join a group excursion organized by Olivia Cruises of a kayak adventure on the Faaroa River.  While the initial effort to enter and exit the river was a bit challenging, the rest of the “adventure” consisted of gentling paddling into the center of the island, where we were surrounded by a lush landscape while learning a little bit about the island's history (which I totally failed to retain…but I got some good pics).

September 8 – Motu Mahana

Our third day was super fun. Olivia arranged for a private day party on MOTU MAHANA,

which is a private island in the middle of the ocean, just large enough for a big, awesome all-girls drink-fest.  They had a big spread of food and two full bars open when we arrived.  They had water activities available (snorkeling, paddle boarding, etc)…but most people (including us)…chose to indulge in drinking (mojitos for me) and eating while lounging on the beach. We blew up the inflatables we’d brought and floated around on the calm ocean waves. It was one of those days you want to forever encapsulate in your memory. It was that good.

September 9 & 10 – Bora Bora

If there is any place we had heard of before booking this trip, it was Bora Bora (pronounced just like it’s spelled). We kept saying with disbelief, “Oh my God, we’re in fucking Bora

Bora!”.  It just sounds so exotic and remote…it was hard to believe we had somehow found ourselves so lucky as to be in such a place. Can life actually be this good?  Yes, it can, and it is. We had arranged to rent an open-air jeep and explore the island, but unfortunately, it had been totaled the day before (according to the desk agent at the car rental place), so they offered us a basic sedan.  It wasn’t quite the island exploration adventure we had been envisioning, but it got the job done. We started to make our way around the one road that circled the island, but were compelled at least a dozen times to pull over so we could soak in the views and take “we were actually here” photos. The ocean was an unbelievable kaleidoscope of blues, leading up to white sandy beaches with palm trees that seemed to be effortlessly inserted into this picture-perfect scene. We stopped for lunch and had another fish dish, so delicious, I had to close my eyes while I ate so I could focus my taste buds on every savory bite.

The second night, Olivia had arranged for another private island party, but took it up a notch with a feast that included lobster, crab legs, steak, and just about everything you could imagine. The open bar was accompanied by entertainment that included Tahitian performers and fire dancers.  The whole experience was beyond incredible.

September 11 - HUAHINE (hoo-wah-hee-neh)

The last island we visited was Huahine, which was my favorite by far.  It was clear that this was the least visited by outsiders, as it almost seemed to have been frozen in time, and the locals preferred it that way. All the houses were cute and quaint…some with beautifully manicured exotic “yards”…and people that seemed so genuinely happy and content. It made me almost envious of a life of such simplicity…such a contrast to the notion that more equates to a better and more fulfilled life….and worlds away from the chaos that was unfolding in our own country. It seemed as if life went on there, oblivious to the goings-on in the world. It was truly an escape for me from “real” life. I shared with Lorraine that if the whole world were to start imploding, this is where I would want to go. I wasn’t alone…I overheard many other couples making such plans…many of which included serious pursuits into buying real estate and the steps involved in lobbying for French citizenship.

This day was also Lorraine's and mine most adventurous one, which involved riding scooters all over the island.  Thankfully, it was not very populated, so the chances of getting seriously harmed in a collision were minimal. There was one moment when the ocean-meets-beach scene was so compelling that we had to stop to take it in, and we decided to wade in the aqua blue waters. However, as I started to make my way out, I noticed brown, blob-like dots dotting the water. I figured it was some sort of rock, but thankfully, I decided to do the poke-it-with-a-stick test and found it to be, instead, a large, slug-like creature — about the size of a small bunny — that covered the ocean floor.  We immediately diverted our plans, put our socks/shoes back on, and continued on our scooter ride.

September 12 – Papeete, Tahiti

We awoke the next morning to find ourselves docked back in Papeete…our dream vacation slowly coming to an end. But we were going to make the best of our final day in paradise. Shortly after getting into our room, we found ourselves poolside with cocktails, soaking in the last moments of leisure and sunshine. While I missed our kids and sleeping in my own bed, I relished the soul-nurturing nature of these carefree days and dreaded knowing how quickly the daily grind of life would zap it away.

September 13 &

14 – Back to Atlanta

The remainder of the trip was uneventful. After a layover again in Los Angeles…and losing a bunch of hours of time on the way home…we landed back in Atlanta, excited to hold our kids again while still desperately holding onto the last little bits of our vacation glow.  Although it was an expensive trip and required a significant amount of planning to be away for that long, it was well worth it. We are already thinking about our next Olivia Cruise vacation.