HEAD TO HEAD
FRENCH POLYNESIA
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The South Pacific offers so much more than magnificent beaches
he South Pacific islands are renowned for their spectacular coastlines and beaches, but they also have a hidden side. A rich Polynesian culture and timehonored traditions – from welcome rituals to food to rugby – are just a few reasons to visit beyond the beach. French Polynesia is home to remote and still pristine islands, while Fiji has a cultural diversity unrivaled in the South Pacific. Our specialists argue why you should prioritize one destination over the other – but which speaks to you?
FRENCH POLYNESIA
By Jenna Sweig French Polynesia is seen as a classic beach destination, but there’s so much to the region. You can lounge in its polished resorts, but you can also explore outlying archipelagos with wild, undeveloped shores. French Polynesia’s Society Islands (which include Bora Bora and Tahiti) offer peace, tranquility and refined properties. Think white sand, lagoons and overwater bungalows, all complemented by a backdrop of mountains, rainforest and waterfalls. Your trip could take in beautiful Bora Bora. Here, you can stay in a villa balanced on stilts above the sea and sit on your deck,
watching the sun sparkle on the lagoon. If you fancy something more active, you could go diving to observe the rich marine life of the outer reefs – beginners are welcome. If you have an appetite for adventure, make your way to Papeete on Tahiti (French Polynesia’s capital) to board a 14-day expedition cruise to the remote Marquesas Islands. En route, the Aranui V takes you through the lagoons of the Tuamotu Islands: pancake-flat, tiny in dimension, and sparsely populated. You might see copra (dried coconut kernels) desiccating in the sun – the islanders’ main source of income.
Your first glimpse of the Marquesas is likely to be their dizzyingly vertical cliffs. They rise straight out of the ocean and are smothered in vegetation. This part of French Polynesia is a far cry from Tahiti – it looks completely unexplored. When I visited I thought: is this how the first Western explorers felt when they laid eyes on these islands in 1595?’ The primary focus of the Aranui V is to carry supplies to the more remote islands of French Polynesia, and it acts as a lifeline to their small populations. Even today, the Marquesas remain relatively untouched by tourism. Life on the Marquesas Islands is all about simple pleasures. Landing on the island of Nuku Hiva, for example, you might see the dock lined with locals eagerly anticipating the ship’s cargo. People might be playing a ukulele and singing songs, while others cook meat to feed the workers as they unload. The Marquesas also contain treasures you won’t see elsewhere in the South Pacific: only here can you explore archaeological sites containing the most significant tiki structures outside of Easter Island. Get me there: An 18-day trip to French Polynesia, including 14 days on the Aranui V, starts from $9,978 pp. For more information, contact Jenna or our French Polynesia specialists on 1-833-640-8050.
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