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Tahiti in Technicolour
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By: Jenny Caspersonn, Issue 35 – Winter 2008
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(Tahiti)
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ONE RESULT OF A VISIT TO TAHITI IS THE NEED TO SING THE ISLAND’S PRAISES, IN THIS CASE WITH THE HELP OF INSPIRATION FROM 1950S RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN MUSICALS.
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Stingrays have not had a lot of good press lately. In public relations terms they’re not winners. They are flat, grey, don’t seem to have much personality and one of them was responsible for the premature demise of a much-loved Australian personality.
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Waist deep in the clear balmy South Pacific waters off the island of Bora Bora a friendly ray is literally flapping in my lap. I find myself petting it like a puppy. Next up is a close underwater encounter with some sharks. Friendly reef sharks, I’m assured, not the bitey kind. They glide past nonchalantly content in their underwater heaven.
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Later from the deck of my luxurious timber and bamboo over-water bungalow at the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa the cloud-shrouded volcanic peak of Otemanu dominates the view across the sparkling blue lagoon. With sincere apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein I’m tempted to burst forth with a rendition of ‘Bali Ha’I'. South Pacific musical moments are almost irresistible in this tropical paradise.
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Scattered over more than four million square kilometres, in an area as large as Europe, 118 islands make up the five archipelagos of the region traditionally known as French Polynesia. The largest island, Tahiti, is home to the capital Papeete. Bora Bora and Tahiti are part of the Society Islands cluster.
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Bora Bora is less than an hour’s flight from Papeete. It is a brief launch transfer across Bora Bora's spectacular lagoon to Motu Toopua, a remnant of an ancient volcano and the location of the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa. Part of the Orient Express Hotels group, this small tropical hideaway with its lush vegetation, tall palms and white sand beaches is set apart from other properties on Bora Bora.
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The Hotel’s pool and restaurant complex sits amid landscaped stone terraces and tropical gardens. Otemanu Restaurant, the hotel’s premier eatery, features the magnificent views of Otemanu. The Hotel’s Marù Spa opened in 2004 and is beautifully constructed in hardwood, stone and bamboo. Maru Spa provides a unique treetop experience with treatment rooms hidden among the enormous branches of ancient banyan trees. Its menu of treatments and therapies includes oils and fragrances derived from Tahitian recipes, like the soothing Monoï oil, as well as traditional sensual Polynesian massage techniques that leave you feeling, yes, ‘Younger Than Springtime’.
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Beyond the hotel tennis courts and fitness centre, a range of activities are available. Hosted surfing trips, the shark and stingray experiences, fishing, scuba diving, outrigger canoes, parasailing and 4WD jeep safaris explore the main island of Bora Bora. Don’t miss an exotic outing to a tiny private island, or motu, complete with a postcard perfect white sandy beach. The motu barbeque is served under a parasol on a table and chairs set in a metre of water, complete with fine linens and silverware.
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Transfer to Vaitape, Bora Bora’s little town, is just a brief boat ride across the lagoon and a stay on Bora Bora would not be complete without a visit to Bloody Mary’s Restaurant and Bar. Opened in 1979 this American-style seafood and steak grill is one of only a handful of stand-alone restaurants on Bora Bora. Dine barefoot in the sand like the other famous names adorning the wall outside the restaurant. Of course, there are plenty more opportunities for the South Pacific song list here, especially after several Bloody Marys, the signature drink. Known over the centuries as the ‘Pearl of Queens’ and the ‘Queen of Pearls’, Tahiti’s exotic black pearls have been recognized for their exceptional rarity and value. A visit to Bora Bora’s only Black Pearl Farm gives some insight into this thriving industry. For around $500 those interested can enjoy a two-to three-hour snorkelling experience to retrieve an oyster and harvest their own pearl.
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Bora Bora was once home to post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin who, like Marlon Brando, visited Tahiti and never left. Numerous artists still populate the island inspired by the breathtaking beauty of the place.
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Soaring volcanic peaks inspire more Bali Ha’i moments. The 1958 film of South Pacific was in fact shot in Hawaii, but an American base was indeed established on Bora Bora when the US entered the Second World War after the bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1941. According to locals, the troops toughed it out improving their basketball since they never saw active service. Perhaps due to the 80s TV soap commercial with the couple in their bubble baths in their jet telling us ‘Tahiti looks nice’ or the $15,000 a night honeymoon of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban (is she ‘In Love With A Wonderful Guy’?), Tahiti has enjoyed a super-glam high-end image. Yet despite the presence of the up-scale resorts the atmosphere is refreshingly casual. The blend of bold Polynesian warriors and olive-skinned beauties with the elegance and charm of the French is a heady combination. Exotic tropical fruits sitting alongside scrumptious French pastries in the marketplace say it all. Some 300,000 baguettes a day are produced here; that’s approximately one for every one of the 258,000 people of Tahiti and her islands and never has a piece of fruit been quite so irresistible as a ‘ba na nah’. It’s ‘Happy Talk’ all right.
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Relaxing with a classic sunset cocktail in hand at the end of a day here, definitely makes for ‘Some Enchanted Evening’…
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Surf’s Up
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Frame a Bora Bora stay with a visit to Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti on Lafayette Beach. The hotel is a convenient distance to the international airport and has spacious guest rooms with views across the magnificent lagoon pool to the beach beyond.
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For surfing enthusiasts the seasonal December/January surf breaks in front of the hotel. The Radisson is close to the main shopping precinct, the Gauguin Museum and the Pearl Museum. Be sure to visit the roulottes – mobile vans – on the waterfront at Papeete serving their local fare.
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Details:
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Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa
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Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti
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For more information about Tahiti, visit Tahiti Tourisme
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