WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GO TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC?

If you have seen the stunning pictures of over-the-water bungalows surrounded by many hues of clear, blue water in Tahiti, French Polynesia, you are instantly drawn to this little slice of heaven. Not only does it make a beautiful picture, it is even more lovely when you see it in person.

Who travels to Tahiti? A lot of the guests coming to Tahiti arrive from New Zealand and are on their honeymoon, as Auckland is only a 5 hour plane ride away. Many more are now traveling from the U.S. to take a cruise and usually spend several days before or after the cruise on one of more of the islands.

Most of the cruise lines are just passing through Tahiti, e.g. Crystal, Silversea, Celebrity, Princess, on, perhaps, an around-the-world voyage. However, the small luxury ship, Paul Gauguin, is home-ported in Tahiti and sails primarily on 7 night cruises around the Society Islands.

Although almost all of the flights arrive and depart from Tahiti airport at night, there is always a band to energize you and try to make you believe it is earlier in the day. It is a nice welcome and au revoir.

Arriving at night means that you will always spend one night on Tahiti, because there are no island flights or ferries until the following morning. The next morning you can fly onto Bora Bora or take the half hour ferry ride across to Moorea and find a more serene, relaxed atmosphere.

When you stay in an over-the-water bungalow, you can snorkel by just walking down a few steps from your lanai to the water. The bungalows, themselves, are large and elegant. Many are air-conditioned and have glass coffee tables or glass panels in the floor, which allow you to see the fish swimming below you. There is also an underwater light beneath the panel, so you can see nighttime activity.

In addition to snorkeling, there are kayaks, boat rides, and a number of other water activities to keep you occupied, when you are not just gazing off at the beautiful, tranquil views.

When you know you can fly from Los Angeles to Tahiti in only about 8 hours, you realize that it easily compares to a flight from Chicago to Europe. Just another reason why you might want to go to the South Pacific!