Tahiti, a Mecca for water enthusiasts

When asked what makes Tahiti a "dream destination" for travelers to the South Pacific, invariably the answer is the mesmerizing ocean, the fairytale colored lagoons, and the multitude of water activities. Personally I have never seen water colors so vibrant in my life, the pictures you see on our website are actual photos without any enhancements!

The languid lagoons provide snorkeling and boating adventures that are sure to please the most discriminating water connoisseur. The surf breaks are on the outer reefs, so the fluctuating tides and choppiness found in Hawaii are nonexistent in Tahiti - that is why they have the famously popular over water bungalows. Some of the best surf spots in the world are found in Tahiti and the underwater scenery is a true paradise.

As with any archipelago each island is unique and offers visitors diverse vacation opportunities. I think it is important to understand each island so that when you decide to make your dreams come true and visit Tahiti you won't be disappointed. I would like to state unequivocally that diving and snorkeling opportunities abound throughout French Polynesia, however, below I have described the aquatic highlights of each island.

The island of Tahiti is the largest of the Society Islands; it is here where the International airport is located and where the point of entry is for all visitors. The island of Tahiti gets overlooked by many visitors as it is quite busy, however if you are a surfer this will be a main island to explore. It is here that the Tahiti Billabong Pro takes place in May each year.

The best surfing spots are at Tahiti Ihi (Little Tahiti), including the Big & Small Vairao Passes (year-round reef breaks suitable for experienced surfers) and the Teahupoo reef break (April to October), which hosts the annual Tahiti Billabong Pro in May. On Tahiti's west coast, there is good surfing from May to October, with breaks at Papara, Pointe des Pecheurs (Fisherman's Point) and at Taapuna Pass - a classic reef break with a beautiful left.

On the east coast, surf conditions are ideal from November to April. Shore breaks include Lafayette Beach, the Right Line at Papenoo, renowned for its hollow and powerful waves, and Matavai Bay and Point Venus. The right-hand reef break at Point Venus is also one of the islands most spectacular. Beginners can ride The Bay at Papenoo, while L'embouchure (The Mouth) offers a challenge for the more experienced surfers.

Moorea is a short plane flight (literally 10 minutes from start to finish) or a 30 minute ferry ride away from Tahiti. You can stay on one island and easily take a day trip to visit the other. Of the major islands (Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea), Moorea is the least developed and offers visitors a more laid back Tahitian experience. The best water activities on "the Magic Island" are Dolphin Quest, located at the Intercontinental Beachcomber, taking a guided whale watching and dolphin tour, water skiing, parasailing, sea kayaking and the ever popular shark and ray feeding excursions.

Raiatea is known as the sacred island. The highly skilled seafaring Polynesians first landed on this island well over a thousand years ago. The large deep bays provide for excellent sailing opportunities. The only navigable river (Fa'aora) in Tahiti, is located on Raiatea. I had a great time kayaking up this lazy river, where after maybe 45 minutes of kayaking we landed at a small plantation and were treated to some fresh fruit. We witnessed first hand how Tahitians ever so gently hand pollinate the Tahitian vanilla flowers - which produce Tahitian vanilla beans. There are drift diving adventures in the many passes and a ship wreck - a spectacular three masted ship that sank in 1900 which is located just 100 feet in front of Hawaiki Nui Hotel.

Taha'a, affectionately known as the Vanilla Island, shares the lagoon with Raiatea. This quiet island is known for its protected bays, a magnificent turquoise lagoon surrounded by motus, gorgeous white powder sand beaches, and spectacular views of Bora Bora off in the distance. The giant natural lagoon is perfect for kayaking, snorkeling, as well as shark and ray feeding excursions. We took a kayak and ventured off by ourselves where we explored remote beaches, snorkeled, and kayaked over amazing coral reefs. If you only have time to visit the Society Islands then you must visit a pearl farm where you will be educated on this fascinating and labor intensive process.

Huahine, nicknamed the Garden of Eden, is one of my favorite islands. Not only is it lush and gorgeous, it is very private and extremely laid back. You can easily drive around the island, but to get to some of the best beaches you must hire a boat or go on a snorkeling excursion. We spent the morning and afternoon on a gorgeously remote stretch of white sand where we explored the overgrown jungle, hiked around, snorkeled and enjoyed solitude for one glorious day! Huahine is known for deep sea fishing and has some of the best surf spots in Tahiti. Fare, Fitii and Parea feature reef waves all year round. The Ava Mo'a Pass facing the village of Fare is a surfing spot well known in the Pacific. Also each year in October Huahine is the departure point for the greatest traditional canoe race in Tahiti, the Hawaiki Nui Va'a.

Bora Bora is known as the island of romance. The entire island is encircled by motus and translucent lagoons with mesmerizing hues ranging from turquoise to cobalt blue. Known to be the most beautiful lagoon in the world, this lagoon is linked to the ocean by the Teavanui Pass which forms a natural swimming pool completely protected by waves. In the Society Islands, Bora Bora offers the best diving and snorkeling opportunities, plus you must go on the ever so popular shark and ray feedings when visiting this island. Some of the top dive spots are the Leopard Rays Trench, the White Valley, and the Tupitipiti Point. For a true adventure you can rent a jet ski, like we did, and circumnavigate the island! This was a true adventure for me, I am glad I did it! There is also a sea turtle protection center at Le Meridien where they take care of wounded sea turtles.

The above islands make up the grouping of the Society Islands. The next group of islands, the Tuamotus, are the largest atolls in the world. If measured by size they would be equivalent to the size of Western Europe! These islands are basically the tops of sunken craters, with rifts of underwater canyons that are famous for night and drift diving. It is here in the Tuamotus where you will find some of the best diving in Tahiti. You will also find over 250 pearl farms as this is a major source of income for those who live in this region. Visiting the Tuamotus will offer travelers a true life Robinson Crusoe adventure. I highly recommend including a stop over at one of these islands for a well rounded visit to French Polynesia.

Rangiroa is the largest and most populated of the atolls. This fantasy island is what dreams are made of, and if you are fortunate enough to visit this spectacular island you will know utopia exists. The huge protected turquoise lagoon is so large it would encompass the whole island of Tahiti! Divers and snorkelers will find vast animal life around the Avarotu Pass which is famous for its manta rays, and the Tiputa Pass, "the 100 sharks pass." Rangiroa is known around the world for being a divers' paradise. Drift snorkeling and diving adventures will thrill the novice and advanced water aficionado.

Tikehau is known for its beautiful pink sand beaches and is surrounded by a gorgeous translucent lagoon with an immense variety of fish. If you visit the Tuheiava Pass you can see the manta ray's ballet, schools of barracudas and tunas.

Manihi is affectionately named the Island of Pearls. Manihi has beautiful white sand beaches and is surrounded by a lagoon of fairytale colors. There are many pearl farms sprinkled throughout the lagoon, and a visit to a pearl farm is a must see attraction when visiting Manihi. The island also offers exceptional diving opportunities that attract international divers.

Fakarava is the least traveled to island in the atolls, and is second largest of the atolls, second to Rangiroa. This is the ancient capital of the Tuamotus and is virtually an undiscovered gem. This is the only island whose waters are protected by the UNESCO charts and offers divers the opportunity to view many rare crustaceans. The Northern Pass of Garuae is the largest in French Polynesia and is excellent for experiencing the open sea in a drift dive as the coral formations are of exceptional quality. This is the meeting place for rays, dolphins, and a myriad of fish that spread across a huge canyon that is covered with coral.

The focus of this article was on water adventures in Tahiti. Of course, there are many land adventures on each island and these too will differ island to island. Remember the value season for Tahiti is from November - May, excluding holidays. I have been able to create personalized getaways to this exotic land for many clients who thought they would never get the chance to visit French Polynesia. I cannot stress the importance of working with a destination specialist, you all probably know my mantra by now. Offers for 2007 will become available around October 2006. Don't wait 'til the last minute to plan your trip of a lifetime, contact Joyce Craddock, a Tiare Specialist today at jc@incrediblejourney.net.