Final review of our trip

What a wonderful trip we had. We have done many wonderful travels but this one rates right at the top.

We have to start by commenting on the Polynesian people. Throughout the trip in Tahiti and Aitutaki especially the people were incredibly friendly, warm, caring and  happy. They are funny and love to laugh. They are truly delightful people. You would want to take one home with you just to be reminded of what kindness & happiness is. 

The highlight would have to be the magnificent turquoise topaz color mix of the lagoon water of Bora Bora and the beauty of the lush island of Aitutaki. The few hours spent alone on One Foot Island will be remembered forever. 

We liked Raro too but really, 2 nights there would have been enough. We feel that we should have spent a week in Bora Bora and a week in Aitutaki. Skipping Raro all together would have been ok. 

Raro is cooler, windier and not as friendly. It is also definitely New Zealand's Florida. So not culturally as interesting. That is just our opinion. Many people we met on our trip loved Rarotonga. 

Bora Bora's over-the-water bungalow is the ultimate experience.  Nothing comes close to it. To be able to live in complete luxury, being pampered, have your own deck to dive from and swim with the tropical fish is truly paradise. The Hilton Nui is first class all the way. 

Aitutaki is pure heaven. The weather is very tropical and the island is beautifully lush and green. The lagoon is very large with many small motu islands you can go to for the day and the water is breathtakingly turquoise.

The Etu Moana resort was out of this world. Wow! What a beautiful boutique resort with only 8 stunning and utterly comfortable villas. Magnificent beach were you can kayak and snorkel or just catch a few rays. The warm & friendly Canadian hosts made it extra special.

The sky at night is filled with stars like we had never seen and you can clearly see the Milky Way. It was just so nice to be able to walk the beach at night coming back from dinner and admiring the twinkling sky. 

One note about Mosquitos. There were only a few on our trip. Nothing to be a concern at all. We did bring repellent and wore it occasionally. Don't believe all the fuss about it.  

My birthday dinner in Bora Bora at the beach Gazebo was so special as well as finding the very special & exclusive Tahitian black pearls I will want to wear forever.

All in all, this was indeed a very special trip, the best 50th birthday gift one could ever dream of. 

If you have a chance, do go to the SouthPacific for a glimpse of Paradise on earth!

Read our Trip Advisor reviews and here is the link to our best photos 

click here to view them

Hilton Bora Bora review
Palm Grove Rarotonga review
Etu Moana Aitutaki Review

Last two days in Aitutaki

We rented a scooter and explored the lush & green island. Lots of goats, cats and no dogs. Dogs are not allowed on Aitutaki. The daughter of the king was bitten one day and ever since dogs were banned. What a shame !

We had lunch at an authentic local favorite take away. They made a mean burger with  coleslaw. Terry loved it!

We spent the rest of the day on the beach and our villa before going to Puffy's for a terrible fish & chip. The beach bar had a great review on Trip advisor but you can'talways believe these reviews.  My salad was good at least and the cooks very friendly. 

Saturday June 29

Last day in paradise started with another beautiful breakfast by the pool at Etu Moana. We had to check out but fortunately the resort made lockers available to us and showers before our flight. 

We spent the day walking on the beach, kayaking and having lunch at Tamanu a 5 minute walk on the beach. No need to walk the streets there, you just need to walk the beach to get wherever you want to go!!

Our hosts drop us off at the airport at 6pm. We boarded our 7th flight of the trip on time. When we arrived in Rarotonga, New Zealand airline told us that we would not depart at minight as planned. The plane leftAuckland  late and we would leave 2 hours late! This meant a 6hour wait in a tiny airport with nothing to do. We ended up leaving at 2:30am and missed our connecting flight to Vancouver. We ended up spending 3.5 hours going thru security and jumping thru the reconnecting flight arrangement. Oh boy! It is painful flying thru the US. We made it home at 11pm on June 30th after 25 hours traveling!

Etu Moana Boutique Resort, Aitutaki

Wow! We started with paradise, and we are ending with heaven! This place is the most beautiful small resort on earth! We have a beautiful and comfortable  beachfront villa. This boutique hotel is owned by a wonderful Canadian couple who put a lot of extra attention to details. 

Our villa is gorgeous and the site out of this world. This is what paradise must look like!! What a way to end our vacation. We only wish we had booked more days here. 

They make bikes available to the guests so we biked to the small grocery store yesterday to get bread, cheese, wine and beer, spent the afternoon on the beautiful beach and walked along the beach to go to dinner at the Pacific resort, our hosts had recommended. Delicious food by the pool listening to Polynesian music. 

One foot island

After a breakfast around the gorgeous pool of yummy toasted bread, fruit yogurt and the best Atiu coffee, we hired a water taxi today to be dropped off at One Foot Island. The turquoise lagoon water was surreal. We kept saying, "I have never seen anything so beautiful!"

Most people take a full day cruise to go snorkle and visit several islands. We did not want to do a full day lagoon cruise and for us it was the right decision.  

We enjoyed four hours on this deserted island with amazing clear waters and overwhelming views. Wow! Indescribable experience.  

Everything was going great until we realized we were completely alone and our return boat was late, Really late!  We were the only two humans on this South Pacific island in the middle of nowhere for two hours. We waited and waited and I got really worried. Terry was already planning for our stay overnight on this deserted island. Oh boy! I was not a happy camper.

We finally saw our boat coming really slowly in the distance.  Our water taxi broke down. It had propeller problems. We had no idea and thought they had forgotten about us! They picked up all end of day people from the other motu islands, ended with us at One Foot Island. We went back on a smaller boat navigating around the coral which was somewhat scary at dusk but we made it back without further problems.

One of the Survivors season show was filmed at One Foot Island. So beautiful but happy to have made it back! We had the most beautiful sunset views from the boat that night.

A beautiful bottle of New Zealand sparkling wine was waiting for us at our villa when we came back. Management was so kind and caring.

We then went to Island night at Tamanu resort for a so so buffet but great Polynesian show put out the local families. it was very authentic. One of the little boy from the show picked me to danced with him. It was fun!!

We walked back to our villa by the beach. Ah such a wonderful day on Aitutaki!

Aitutaki

We are on our way to Aitutaki fir the last four days of our trip. We left Rarotonga at 10:30am. It is a short 50min flight North West of Raro. Can't wait to see it and experience its beauty!

Last day in Rarotonga

We woke up to sunshine, hopped on the scooter and went to the Saltwater Café for breakfast. They served Lavazza coffee. Wow! The best cappuccino of the trip. I was in heaven. 

We scootered around the island taking the inside road this time. That is where people live. Shack is what they have for houses, all on leased land. It is practically impossible to buy land or any real estate here. It is all government owned land. No possibility for wealth creation from real estate. Life is very simple here however and one does not need much to live. A scooter, a chicken and a walk on the beach!

This our last day. We liked Rarotonga but we liked Tahiti better. There are very different places. Six days was plenty, perhaps even a bit long really but we do not regret anything of course.

If you're planning to come to Raro, bring earplugs unless you like the 5 to 7am cockadoodle doo. Also be prepared to listen to 70s folk & wedding music like Cat Stevens, James Taylor and Neil Diamond. Rarotonga is very much New Zealand's Florida. So you will find yourself immersed in Kiwi culture and not so much in Polynesian culture.

One great thing we liked was the warm evening on our deck listening to the ocean and looking at the Geckos eating the very few mosquitos. 

One note about the ocean. It is very strong and incredibly loud. The roar is constant. The waves comes crashing on the lagoon reef producing huge deadly looking but stunning high surf. 

Tomorrow, we are off to Aitutaki, the paradise Atoll of the Cook Islands for another blue lagoon adventure. Often compared to Bora Bora, Aitutaki is a very small island 50 min flight north of west of Rarotonga. We have rented another beachfront villa for the 3 last days of our South Pacific journey. 

Scooting around Raro Island

We rented a scooter today to drive around Raro. That was so much fun and the best way to see the Island! 

Palm treed roads lined with beaches on one side and cafés on the other, gives you an instant island relaxed feeling. 

We had the best lunch so far at the Sails restaurant where I enjoyed a yummy Vietnamese chicken salad and Terry a gourmet burger. So far the food on this trip has been ranging from pretty good to yummy! 

It rained for part of the day. We got wet scooting around but we did not mind too much as it still beats working!!

Here is a picture of the roosters roaming around. They are everywhere and don't care what time it is...they cocorico non stop!!

The weather in the South Pacific

We had beautiful weather in Tahiti but not much so in the Cooks so far. The good thing is that it is warm and you typically get a bit of everything in the same day. It never stays overcast and the rain, only last a minute or less.

The wind has been very strong these past few days. We had planned to kayak and snorkel but the water is too murky and wavey. Maybe later today. 

We have been taking long walks on the beach and enjoying DELICIOUS Coco milk from Coco Late Café down the road.

Avarua, Rarotonga

Today, we hopped on the bus and went to Avarua, the main town, for the Saturday morning market. There are only two buses on Rarotonga, the clockwise bus and the counter-clockwise bus. Forget about cabing. Busing or renting a scooter are the main ways of getting around.

The market featured a Polynesian show with a great singer and dancers. The market was filled with junk clothing and cheap black pearls vendors and local food carts. We actually enjoyed going around looking at the locals and tourists.

Everything closes at 12:30pm until Monday. They sure know about life balance.

Today was overcast but we sat on the beach anyway, to read and drink the day away. Very relaxing vacation indeed!

There was a free booze happy hour last night at the Palm Grove resort where we stay. Yes free! And people sure took advantage of it! Most tourists are Australians & New Zealanders with a few Americans. The Anglo-Saxon crowd if you will. Quite a difference with Tahiti which is mostly Polynesians, French & Japanese.

Terry rescued a cute Gecko resident today. He was in the bathroom and the housekeeper was going to spray it dead!!! We stopped her of course. Terry trapped the poor soul in a towel and freed him outdoors. The gecko shed his tail in the towel. They do this as a defense mechanism. Terry is my hero!! ❤👍🌺💋

We went to a great restaurant last night where the floor is sand and servers are bear feet. Terry had the best Pina Colada made with heavenly coco juice. Wow!  We walked back home along the beach to the moonlight. Beautiful day and evening!

1st & 2nd day in Rarotonga

We got to Raro at about 4:30pm on Thursday June 20th after a full day of travel. We arrived at our beachfront bungalow at dusk which comes early. Sunset is at 5:40pm the shortest day of the year in the Southern hemisphere.

The beach and deck views are stunning but the bungalow is "rustic" especially after the Hilton luxury. It looked a lot better in the morning, thank goodness!!

We awoke to the serenade of competing Cook Island cocks i.e. roosters. Wo! This is a real wake up call! Lol

We had a walk along the main road which is the only road after a somewhat more than basic breakfast. We saw pigs, roosters, mynah birds, chicken and neighborhood dogs roaming peacefully around. This place far out and far away!! ;)

A happy discovery on the way was the Coco Latte Café! Great place to WiFi and chill. 

We lounged on the beach all day with the friendly beach dogs before the resort happy hour, free booze Friday night with local entertainment. This somewhat helps make up for the rustic $375 a night bungalow I guess!?

Leaving for Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Leaving the hotel at 7:15 for the Bora Bora airport, flight at 8:10 back to Papeete, Tahiti to catch the flight to Rarotonga. 

It is a 2:30 hour flight south west from Tahiti. We will arrive at 4pm at our beachfront bungalow and be there for 6 days.

We can't wait to discover the Cook Islands!

Last Day in Bora Bora

We lounged on our bungalow most of the day today, taking many dips in the turquoise/topaz water and swimming with the fish. So many beautiful fish which we took photos of with Anthony's great underwater camera. We had fish food and they were crazy for it. Wow! They are breathtaking. Can't wait to download the pictures.

We really enjoyed the Hilton resort. Our bungalow was so big and comfortable. The bed was the most heavenly bed we have ever slept in. The bathroom was huge! The grounds were amazingly landscaped. The views from the spa breathtaking. The people were the friendliest I had ever encountered. The service was attentive, warm & caring. The food went from good to wonderful ! Everything was just perfect!! 

We will only have great memories from Bora Bora !

We will have much better pictures from the camera later. Here is a few iPhone pics.

50th birthday in Bora Bora

After much talk and planning, I finally turned 50. Terry says that I am the oldest women he slept with! I should also be the sexiest with the lingerie he bought me!!

I had a fantastic birthday. This one will go down in history. It all started with champagne at 10:30am, gifts throughout  the day, sunshine & beach time, a beautiful cake from Annie at the Travel Group and a bottle of wine from the Hilton delivered to our room and the most romantic dinner in a gazebo on the beach. Wow! I felt like a princess all day. If that's what adding years is all about, bring them on!!

Touring Bora Bora Island

We hopped on the hotel ferry boat after a breakfast cornucopia for a day exploring the Bora Bora Island. We wanted to rent scooters but there were none available. We had to hire a taxi to drive us to Matira beach to rent bikes. 

Bikes turned out to be a fantastic way to go around the island. It is flat enough for an easy ride and slow enough to admire the views. And what views. Oh my goodness. I have never seen such blue waters. Matira Beach and the south tip of the island is just magnificent! 

We had lunch at a typical beach joint for a Croque Monsieur with the locals. Quite a shift from the resort lavish fare. 

We made our way back to town for the ultimate Tahitian experience for a girl with a special birthday; Pearl gift shopping.  My super lover treated me to a stunning black Tahitian pearl necklace with matching studs. I fell in love with the necklace and the lover again!!  ;)

What a great day we had today! We feel so very blessed to experience such beauty!

Vaitape, Bora Bora

After a scrumptious & abundant breakfast buffet at the beach restaurant, we took the hotel ferry to Vaitape, main village of Bora Bora. This was a very short trip to stock up on beer, wine, water & snacks. The small Lee Chin supermarket had everything we needed at a fraction of the Hilton prices of course. 

Vaitape is a small village without much appeal but the ride to the island was truly magnificent with views of Mont Otemanu.  

We met a lady in the village who retired in 2011, sold everything, bought a sail boat and is traveling the world with her husband. They were going to cruise the pacific islands and continuing their ongoing journey. 

We came back and had an absolute wonderful afternoon soaking the sun, snorkeling, taking underwater pictures of the colorful and friendly fish, all from our bungalow deck. 

We enjoyed some lovely Crémant d'Alsace watching the sunset before heading to dinner at the fine dining restaurant option of the Hilton. 

Interestingly enough, the weather here is not humid. It is perfect pleasant temperature day & night and do far, no mosquitos, bugs or roaches.

1st day in Paradize

Yes, it truly is paradise. To try to describe the color of the lagoon water is a futile exercise. No camera could capture the intense kaleidoscope of varying blues.  All hues of aqua, turquoise, topaz. Oh my! It is so incredibly beautiful. 

We arrived at the stunning Hilton Bora Bora from the airport by boat transfer, at 9am after our 20 hours journey. We were welcomed to Polynesian music, a fragrant flower Lei, fresh guava mango juice and a cool towel to freshen up. Check-in was all done for us while we comfortably waited. They then announced that our bungalow was ready early! The other couples had to wait to 2pm. This was so very lucky!

We lounged most of the day on our private deck, did a little swimming with the tropical fish coming to kiss our hand, had lunch and dinner at the beach restaurant with feet on the sand. Very nice start to a wonderful birthday vacation!

Where are these South Pacific Islands?

Tahiti is about 4800 miles or 7800 km from Vancouver, Canada. The islands are located in the South Pacific between Australia and Chili. We are flying from Vancouver to L.A. to Papeete and finally a 50 minute flight to Bora Bora. It will take us more than 12 hours flying time and 20 hours travelling time. We will be 5 days in Bora Bora, 6 days in Rarotonga and 3 days in Aitutaki + 2 full days travelling. The flight to Rarotonga is 2.30 hour away but we must go back to Papeete to catch that flight. Our last flight to Aitutaki is 50 minutes. A lot of travelling with much to look at out the window!! Interestingly enough, our flight itinerary tells us that the small flights are "festival" seating and which side of the plane to sit to catch the amazing views of the lagoons. Stay tunes for some pictures! Departures in in 5 sleeps!

One month away from Bora Bora and the Cook Islands

We are getting ready for a trip of a lifetime. I have a big birthday coming up and I wanted to go somewhere really special. The South Pacific has always intrigued me. From I have read we are in for a big treat! 

I have started this blog as a way for us to keep a journal of all our future trips so we can log all our memories and share them with friends. Come with us to the South Pacific. We are leaving in 26 sleeps!