American World traveler Spring 2017 Issue

10
cially sharks! That was my first realization
that sharks would indeed be a big part of
my experience there as the South Pacific
waters are full of them! They are also
“kapu” sacred and protected as legend has
it that Tahiti was once ruled by “shark
gods”. Sharks are as Tahitian as grass
skirts, tattoos and going barefoot. You have
to get used to them.
Huahine-island of women,
nature and ancient history
After a short hop flight with regional carrier
Air Tahiti (which we used the entire trip
and absolutely adored,) we alighted upon
Huanine. En route to our next resort-across
the bridge that joins the big and small part
of the island- our driver told us that the
island’s name meant: “woman’s sex.” It
sounds strange, but it’s due to the fact that
their main mountain resembles a woman
giving birth. “We revere women here,” he
said. We liked that!
This island is an Eden -very wild and undeveloped.
It reminds me of lush and lovely
Kauai -the garden island- and the vibe is
also similar, very laid back and easy going.
Our resort was Relais Mahana, and not at
all what we expected. No overwater bungalows,
but we were very happy with our
stand–alone little thatched cottages with
decks only a few feet from the water. The
sea there is very calm and full of sea
cucumbers. A long pier juts out from the
only restaurant and bar, and the food and
their special tiki drinks were great. Behind
the resort is a small store with locally made
art, but beyond that, it’s very remote.
However, the excellent cultural show they
presented on the beach that night was very
entertaining. Primal drumbeats and swishing
grass skirts and lovely lilting songs… it
was a shining showcase of their ancient traditions.
But my favorite thing there were the
coral gardens right off the pier. It is a
snorkeler’s dreamland, and I never
encountered a shark either! Though I did
meet a huge stingray. He glided right up to
me almost to the sand on the beach and
we went for a stroll together along the
water’s edge for the longest time. He
seemed to be as curious about me as I was
about him. It was a magical few minutes
that will stay with me forever. And the sunsets
there were surreal.
Ancient temples, vanilla and
sacred eels…
Off property we took an eco tour around
the island; it’s famous for its vanilla production,
so we visited a vanilla farm and
banana grove up in the mountains. We
also visited the ruins of many ancient temples
and went to the canal where 7-footlong
sacred eels live among the locals. It’s
definitely worth a drive around the island to
see the coconut plantations, breadfruit
trees, watermelon fields and bright tropical
blooms everywhere.
My bucket list bungalow…
Our next short flight was to Raiatea,
thought to be the original birthplace of
Tahiti, though we didn’t stay long as we
were off by water taxi to neighboring atoll
for our over-water bungalow experience at
Taha'a. Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa is a
stunning resort on its own island, surrounded
by blindingly white sand beaches and
flanked by one of the best coral gardens for
snorkeling in the region. It is a very luxurious
stay- a member of the prestigious
Relais & Chateaux collection, with a choice
of beachfront and garden cottages and villas
or two long stretches of overwater bungalows.
I was over-the-moon with mine, situated
at the far end of one pier looking out
to the other islands, I could even see Bora
Bora in the far distance. The interior was
beautifully appointed and I especially liked
the glass shelf at the bottom of the bed for
looking down at the fish, and the huge
sunken tub also had glass panels for fish
spotting around it. It also had a huge deck
and of course, stairs down into the sea.
And the water was so clear I could see the
big rays coming from far away so I could
scoot down my stairs in time to join them.
And sharks? Yep. There were a LOT of
black tipped sharks-from babies to juveniles
to full grown- this was definitely their
playground. But speaking with the staff I
learned that in 15 years of operation
they’ve never had an incident, you do your
thing and they will do theirs they say, however,
never swim in the dark. Sharks are
blind at night and that is feeding time, so
anything that moves is fair game. I took
that advice to heart!
There are plenty of watersports - kayaking,
paddle boarding etc. and a seaside pool
with hammocks also add to the appeal.
And dining in their rainforest tree house
was out of this world and I do believe their
very creative and well-prepared fusion cuisine
was the best fare we had during this
trip.
A luxury yacht sail day…
Much as we were enjoying our unique
abodes, we had also booked a private luxury
sail day with Tahiti Yacht Charters, so