Hiva Oa – Day Eight, Feb. 26, 2005

Hiva Oa is the largest and most fertile of the Marquesas.  It is very mountainous.  The population is around 2,000 with most of the residents living or working in Atuona.  The island is the resting place of French artist Paul Gauguin and French songwriter and singer Jacques Brel. 

Shuttle to town

Calvary Cemetery

Resting place of Paul Gauguin

We had to tender in Hiva Oa.  Princess pays for the shuttle to and from town – it picks you up right there at the tender. They also for pay for the Polynesian dance show that is performed twice during the day. We visited the Calvary Cemetery where Brel and Gauguin are buried.  There is also a replica of Gauguin’s House of Pleasure to tour. It was a slightly overcast day, but very humid and warm.  

Gauguin's House of Pleasure

Traditional Tahitian Dancers

Hiva Oa - All our tablemates at dinner

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu

NUKU HIVA – Day Seven, Feb. 25, 2005

Nuku Hiva is the largest island in the Marquesas Archipelago, and it is the administrative and economic capitol.  It is 127 square miles with over 2,100 inhabitants. 

Arriving in Nuku Hiva - Trina, Allen, Karen, Brett, Toni

This was my favorite of the Marquesas Islands.  We were greeted by the locals with song.  We had booked a tour (on our own) with Jocelyne’s Tours.  Jocelyne greeted us with fragrant handmade leis.   She had a large 4x4 vehicle that would take us all around the island.  There were six of us in our group, and the tour cost $92 each for the six hours.  The only way to travel over the top of the island to the other side is by 4x4.  At time, we traveled on a very bumpy dirt road, and we bounced from side to side! 

Jocelyne - eating at Chez Yvonne - Hatiheu Bay

As we explored, we made many stops to see the wild flowers, bananas, noni fruit, avocados, archeological sites (Hikokua and Kamuihei), waterfalls and views.  We stopped for lunch at Hatihea Bay.  Hatihea Bay was a favorite spot for Robert Louis Stevenson.  For lunch, we enjoyed fresh fruit at Chez Yvonne, and it cost us $6 each. 

Noni Fruit - waterfall near Taipivai - Hatihea Bay

Many of the residents live in Taipivai.  We stopped there to visit a large Catholic church filled with wood carvings.  We also drove the narrow path to the Plateau De Toovii to view the Taiohae Bay. 

'Poweder' tatoo - Spires - Church in Hatiheu Bay

another waterfall near Taipivai - Brett picking flowers - old missionary grave sites

Taipivai (most fertile valley) - Taiohae Bay - Notre Dame Cathedral

I am a huge Survivor fan.  Survivor Marquesas took place on Nuku Hiva!  The Rotu and Maraamu (and merged Soliantu) tribes were spread out around the island.  The production camp was in Taiohae Bay.  We were able to see the areas of the Rotu Tribe and the Maraamu Tribe and the jury camp and challenge beach! 

SEA DAYS – Day Five and Six, Feb. 23-24, 2005

On our way to the Marquesas Islands.....

Picture time....in Wade and Trina's Suite!

Our first day at sea was rainy and windy most of the day – the only day we had bad weather.  It was also formal night. 

Free drinks at the Captain's Cocktail Party

Pool Games - Our team won free drinks!

On our second sea day, we woke to a A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY!!! We spent several hours in the sun and played pool games.  Our team won!  Our Cruise Critic friends hosted a reception in their beautiful owner’s suit for a couple who were on their honeymoon. We had appetizers and champagne. It is a very nice suite! There were 16 of us in our CC group – it was nice to finally meet everyone! 

Our Cruise Critic Group

Moorea Sunset

Beautiful Sunset leaving Moorea!!!

MOOREA – Day Four, Feb. 22, 2005

Moorea

We discovered that room service had the best hot chocolate in the morning – which we often ordered on days we needed to tender early. We would order pastries or bagels and muffins. You could also write in bacon or eggs, and they will bring that. Most cruise ships only serve continental breakfast.

One of the many black tip sharks on our dive

  

Since we had already been to Moorea, we decided to do a two tank dive. It was arranged by the ship with Bathy’s Club Moorea (now called Topdive, http://www.topdive.com/moorea-diving.html). We were not overly impressed with the dive outfit. In between dives, we had to swap out our own gear.  Most dive outfits will to this for  you.  They offered no snacks or water offered to us. At the end of the dives, we had to clean out and return their gear. This is probably a petty complaint, but there was no customer service at all. The dive itself was great! Black tip sharks greeted the boat as we anchored at the Opunohu Canyon site. Both dives were 45-50 minutes each.  The deepest dive was 75 feet.  We saw rose coral, a huge lemon shark, and 3 turtles. 

We saw several turtles!

Brett - Toni - Wade

Rainbow leaving Moorea

There was a beautiful rainbow as we left Moorea! There are a few small tents set up right off the tender. You can find simple jewelry trinkets to buy. They took US dollars.  We topped the night off with some dancing in the disco!

TAHITI, BOARDING THE TAHITIAN PRINCESS – Day Three, Feb. 22, 2005

Our room - if you were in the bathroom, you could look through
the window in the middle of the room to see the outside!

Our balcony

The view from our balcony

Before packing up and checking out of the hotel, we took advantage of a few activities.  We checked out kayaks and paddled around the over water bungalows.  We also took a swim in the Lagoonarium. 

a ray in the Lagoonarium

Marketplace - shopping in Papeete, Tahiti

our $15 arrangement

Checking into the Tahitian Princess was a breeze. We were able to grab a bite to eat at the grill before heading back off the ship to the market (Marche Municipal) to buy our fresh flowers for our room - $15 US for a nice arrangement! They also had handmade jewelry and trinkets to buy upstairs in the market and a lot of the places took Visa rather than French Pacific Franc.

Our Cruise Director Frank - he was also our
CD on a later cruise to Alaska!

We met our steward Rodolfo (Rod), who would take care of us for the entire trip.  He always had a smile and was waiting to greet us!  The Tahitian Princess was a smaller cruise ship.  Passenger capacity was 680, and 373 crew.  It meant we got to know a lot of people!  

Smaller deck and pool

MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA – Day Two , Feb. 20, 2005

On day two, we took the ferry to Moorea - meaning 'Yellow Lizard'.  Moorea is less one hour from Tahiti by Ferry.  Approximately 12,000 call Moorea home.  Many people commute by plane (10 minute trip) or ferry to work on Tahiti.  It offers spectacular bays and white sand beaches! 

Ferry to Moorea

Mt. Rotui

We rented a car for the day. With it being Sunday, the juice factory was closed. We walked around the Moorea Beachcomber, sister resort to where we were staying (we thought the Tahiti resort was a bit nicer) and drove up to the Belvedere Lookout – what a beautiful panoramic view!

Intercontinental in Moorea

Beer of Tahiti

 In Painapo, we went to The Other Place (http://www.painapo.com/painapo_restaurant.html) and had their Tahitian feast.  It was off the side of the road (easily spotted by the gigantic warrior statue on one knee), and they put on a great Sunday brunch show!  It is known well to the locals.  Be sure to stop by on Sunday and take advantage of the Ahima’a (underground) meal.  We had chicken, pork, fish, cabbage, veggies, breadfruit, fresh fruit, coconut milk, and many Hinanos!  We also snorkeled right there off the beach.

Cooking the entire meal Ahima'a (underground)

This 80 year old man did a coconut demonstration, then climbed the palm tree BAREFOOT

The Roulettes were a perfect choice for dinner that night, and very affordable.  A roulettes are food trucks and all the locals eat at them!  If you want to blend in with the locals and enjoy a great, inexpensive meal, try a roulette!  We had pizza, salad, and the best homemade crepes!  That evening, we met our Cruise Critic friends in the Tiki Bar at ICB – they were a great group of people!!!   It was or first experience using Cruise Critic.  Since then, we always join the forum/boards for our particular cruise.  We have met so many great people!  You can also get great tips, ask questions and research ports and things to do.  Visit http://www.cruisecritic.com/ , create a user name and password, then click on Boards!

French Polynesian Cruise – Tahitian Princess, Feb. 19 – March 3, 2005

TAHITI – Day One, Feb. 19, 2005

This is one of my very favorite tropical vacations!!!  I want to go back, and will go back someday!!!

Way back in February 2005, we took a two week vacation (no kids) with our neighbors and best travel friends, Wad and Trina Woodard.  We had booked our cruise through www.kimskruises.com and got a great deal on Princess.  We had to book our own airfare and hotel for our pre-cruise stay in Papeete, Tahiti.  At the time, we found a good deal on Expedia.  We were able to book our flight, and book our hotel as a package deal, saving us some money!

Our Cruise Critic friend took this great picture of our plane flying
into Papeete.  You can see Moorea in the background!

Our flight to Papeete, Tahiti started in Seattle, leaving on Feb. 18 at 5:30pm.  We flew to Los Angeles and boarded Air France for the almost 9 hour flight. We left LA just after midnight, so we tried to sleep the best we could, since we were arriving in Papeete in the morning!

Tahiti is an island in French Polynesia, middle of the South Pacific.  French Polynesia is composed of over 150 islands and islets.  Tahiti is the largest of the islands with over 402 sq. miles of surface area.  The highest peak reaches 7,353 feet into the clouds. 

The views around the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort!  Amazing!

We arrived in Papeete early in the morning and taxied over to the InterContinental Beachcomber (ICB).  Toni and Trina were in the pool by 10am!  We had a 3rd floor panoramic room with a view of the lotus pool and Moorea at the ICB. The food at the hotel was very expensive – or so we heard. In the afternoon, went to the large shopping market (15 minute walk, right out of the ICB) and bought croissants, bread, cheese, water, juice and a few other snacks to get us by.

An aerial view of the ICB - see the lagoonarium and the water bungalow rooms!

The ICB was amazing top rated resort!  It looked right out over the South Pacific to Moorea.  It had a private beach, two pools (with swim up bars), two restaurants, spa, tennis courts, and a unique Lagoonarium.  The Lagoonarium houses sea life of all species, including parrot fish, sting rays and angel fish.  You can snorkel in the lagoon or view the sea life from the bridges that cross over. 

Le Belvedere

Le Truck

For dinner that first night, we had made reservations at Le Belvedere through ICB. Transportation from ICB was included in the cost of the meal and was via a Le Truck. It was a wonderful choice, and I highly recommend it. For two people, we paid $123 US. That included transportation, salad, beef fondue (a large portion), really good French fries, a large carafe of wine, and ice cream for dessert. We had great company (also joined by our Cruise Critic friends) and a great view of the city below! It was well worth it! 

The amazing view from Le Belvedere