Destination Raiatea with Air Tahititi, +/- 30 minutes with a stop in Huaehin to pick up some passengers for Raiatea.

At 8h10 we arrive in Uturoa, Raiatea where Jean Jaques, the owner of the hotel Fare Vai Nui( The great house of water) is waiting for us 

Arrived after an idyllic drive along the coastline of Raiatea we check in our bungalow Bali Concept at a few feet from a coral garden.

He proposed us to hire a car to drive around the island , so we did so and on our way we were...

Raiatea is located +/- 190 km west from Tahiti , Raiatea and the island just beside Taha'a once were connected to each other but were teared apart millions of years ago and now share the same lagoon, full of motu(little islands),each one more inviting than the other , with unbelievable white sand beaches.

The highest point at Raiatea is Mt Tefateaiti (1017m) and Raiatea means "soft skylight" 

As we drove around the coastline we dicovered a few breathtaking bays that surely attracted our attention, Faaroa Bay on the Southeast to mention one.

There are nine passes around Raiatea and 2 arround Taha'a allow easy communication with the surrounding oceans .

Raiatea and Taha'a are well known for the black pearls and vanilla production, Taha'a is called the vanilla island.

Once back in Fare Vai Nui mother and Claude decided to do a bicycle tour while I chosed to kayak in the coral garden...wonderful !!!

Tomorrow we're going on a excursion in the Taha'a lagoon, time to sleep.

You almost could say Tahiti is the big city and Moorea is the countryside...arriving with the ferry AREMITE5 at Vaiare it's like the ferry is going in between the palm trees, so close are they all along the heart shaped island with its breathtaking scenery and warm Polynesian hospitality. %%%FOTO2%%%

As I set foot on Moorea land, Stéphane was on time with my rental scooter for the day. %%%FOTO4%%%

First stop at Temae with a nice view on the Sofitel resort  and downhill a nice beach with palm trees and white sand  %%%FOTO3%%%

My scooter is running well with tops peed 70 km/h , enough as the soeed limit on the island is 60 km/h.

Hitting for Cook Bay  I get to print some lovely scenery's in my memory . %%%FOTO7%%%

Coming out of Cook Bay I take a left on the pinneaple road that leads me to the pineapple farms (actually forbidden for scooters but it was a 4x4 experience with a scooter, I can recommend this road to all motorcycle minded guys)the road goes on to the Belvedere point , where you normally have a stunning overview of Cook Bay and Opunohu Bay, but it was quite cloudy. %%%FOTO6%%% Back down to Opunohu Bay and further on to Papetoai where Stéphane recommended me a dive with dolphins at the Intercontinental Hilton Resort %%%FOTO8%%%

No luck, no diving today, so I hired a paddle board (first time) and paddled away, nice experience....some more snorkling in the reefs and it was time to hit the road again. %%%FOTO9%%%

Another stop at Tiki Theatre Village , a kind of a museum of old craft works, housing etc... and off course an exhibition of black pearls.

From here on I noticed the island is wilder and even more authentic. %%%FOTO5%%%

After 118 km I arrived back around 16h30 at Vaiare , time to turnover my bike at Stéphane and take the ferry back to Tahiti.

What a lovely day....

Morgen vertrek ik , moeder en Claude blijven in Mahina ( heb ze blijkbaar wat vermoeid gisteren met de 4x4 tocht..lol...), om 7h35 voor een overvaart van +/- 35 minuten naar Moorea, het tweede eiland op mijn programma.

Ook reeds een scooter gereserveerd die klaar zal staan om het eiland te verkennen .

Moorea is 134 km² groot , bevolkt door +/- 16000 inwoners en ligt slechts 17 km verwijderd ten westen van Tahiti.

De naam Moorea betekent "gele hagedis" en Moorea is vooral gekend als honeymoon bestemming voor jong gehuwde koppels, dus echt de plaats waar ik moet zijn...haha...

Vandaag verder nog een wandeling door het Parc de Bougainville, genaamd naar de eerste Franse navigator Louis Antoine de Bougainville die rond de wereld zeilde tussen 1766 en 1769 met het fregat "La Boudeuse"

Bij het aanmeren in 1768 te Papeete sprak hij de woorden" je me crois transporté dans le jardin d'Eden" 

Papeete betekent trouwens het water die valt, vanwege de tientallen watervallen.

Nog even een zwemmertje in de Pacific  en er verder een lazy day van gemaakt...uitrusten voor Moorea morgen

Na het uitstekend onbijt aangeboden door mijn privé kok Claude kwamen er wat opklaringen , reden genoeg om de auto te nemen en het eiland wat verder te verkennen.

Aangezien ik de auto bestuurde kon ik ook bepalen waar de rit naartoe ging en ik had zin om met onze kleine 4x4 van de kust weg het binnenland in te trekken.

Via een landweg enkel toegangbaar met 4x4 zijn we +/- een 20km ver gekomen om te eindigen aan een stuwmeer die gevoed wordt door de tientallen watervallen die we onderweg tegengekomen zijn.

Van daaruit terug naar de kust waar de wolken plaats  hadden geruimd voor de zon.

Op alle surfspots was het bijzonder druk vanwege de hoge golven, sommige tot 3m...in het zwarte zand het schouwspel van die jonge surfers gade geslaan.

Van daaruit zijn we naar het Noordelijkste punt van Tahiti gereden Teahupoo waar veel bananen-en ananasplantages zijn...onderstussen een zwemmerke in de Pacific Ocean gedaan...zaliiiiiiiiiiig...

De rit gaat terug met nog een bezoek aan de watertuinen van Vaipahi, een verzameling van de mooiste planten en bomen, bloemen , waterplanten in een oogstrelend decor...

Na al dit pracht nog even verpozen op Taharuu beach om de surfers nog wat te bekijken.

Uitgerust rijden we terug naar onze lodge waar chef Claude ons opnieuw zal verrassen met een heerlijke maaltijd...het leven is heerlijk in Tahiti...

Went for a swim in the pool , meanwhile Claude prepared us a Taihitian fruit breakfast, served in a Mango...nice way to start the day...

After breakfast we took the car , an old Daihatsu 4x4 , back to basics...no power steering, no automatic windows, no airco, no etc...but still running smoothly .

First we drove to Papeete , the capital with +/- 30000 citizens, on all islands together there are living 220000 people and +/- 180000 people are living in Tahiti the biggest island and also the economical heart of Polynesie.

The trip goes on to Punaauia and Paea along the coast, a lot of surfers busy showing their best tricks on waves1,5 to 2m high.

The beaches are black , black vulcanic sand...strange.

After a walk on the beach we headed for Papara, well known for the production of Monoï oil .

From Papara it goes to Papeari  and back to Mahina with a stop between Tiarei and Papenoo at "the whistler's hole" or "le trou du souffleur"

When the waves are hitting on the rock the water gets underneath the rock and by pressure it is thrown back out of dozens of little holes making a whistling sound.

Back at the house our chef prepared us a delicious meal and so day one came to his end.

I left Los Angeles with Air Tahit Nui  and the airplane wasn't even half full so plenty seats free.

Once the sign fasten seatbelt went out , charming airhostesses gave each passenger a little nice smelling white flower called "tiaré" 

It is a flower that only grows in polynesia  and Taihitian people believe it protects you...so no worries I'm quite safe for now

During the flight I had a nice nap stretched out on 4 seats, so I arrived quite fresh in Tahiti.

Walking on the tarmac  , we were welcomed with a Taihitian music and dance act...what a nice way to arrive

Once passed custom services mom and Claude , who arrived only 3 days earlier and are staying in Tahiti for 2 months , picked me up at the airport.

At 22h30 still 26° so I needed to change winter cloths quickly.

A nice drive through the capital Papeete  on our way to Mahina where mom and Claude are staying.

Time to say goodnight...