French Polynesia Things to Do

[KruzeKrazy!]

We are doing a Pacific Princess 10-day cruise preceded by 1 full day (2 nights) in Papeete and followed by 4 days on Moorea.

 

We think we're set for what to do in Papeete and Bora Bora but are looking for a few feature items for 1 or 2 of our other stops. We do not need to be in 'excursion-overload' mode and are looking for more great scenery/R&R than culture/museums/shopping/etc. We also don't scuba nor want to do a snorkel/motu picnic everywhere (we are doing Patrick's in Bora Bora).

 

Any suggestions for relaxation and beautiful scenery on:

- Huahine

- Rangiora

- Raiatea

- Moorea

 

Thanks!!!

[chrysalis]

A ton of info here from a CC member....

 

http://www.pescadoamarillo.blogspot.ca/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00-10:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00-10:00&max-results=50

[CruiseCtrl]

In Huahine we did a seadoo excursion http://www.hauhine-nautique.com that we loved. Wake up early here and take a picture of this stunning place. This was our favourite island.

[paul929207]

There is also a current thread started by SailorJack with his review of his recent cruise on the Crown that included stops in FP.

[5:00_Somewhere]

I know you said you don't want to snorkel everywhere, but I have to tell you that one of the most spectacularly beautiful experiences I have had in my entire life was the "drift snorkel" through a "coral forest" on Raiatea/Taha'a.

 

As you may (or may not) know, Raiatea is one of the few FP stops where there are actually two islands within the same barrier reef. We traveled by boat around Raiatea out to Taha'a, close to the barrier reef. We stopped on a little motu off Taha'a and hiked out close the the reef, then waded into the water and let the gentle surf breaking over the reef push us through the coral forest. The salt content of the water was so high we had to do virtually nothing to float, and we only needed to flutter our hands or feet the littlest bit to direct ourselves. We saw thousands of the most beautiful tropical fish, and the water was so clear I got hundreds of absolutely stunning pictures just using my little Canon point-and-shoot digital camera in an underwater case.

 

It took about 30 minutes to finish the drift (following a guide), and then those who chose to were guided back to the beginning to do the whole thing over again, which was great as we were able to see even more the second time, knowing our way through.

 

As I say, I fully understand that this might not be of interest to you if you already feel you're doing enough snorkeling, but it was such a spectacular experience for all of us on this excursion, I just had to share. Oh, and it was a Princess excursion. We did this in the morning, spent the afternoon exploring the little town ourselves, and then did another sunset sailing excursion around Raiatea in he evening, which was very relaxing and beautiful as well.

 

Whatever you choose, I have no doubt that you will have a wonderful time. This entire cruise was one of the most memorable we've ever taken.

 

Happy cruising.

[dd57]

In Huahine we took the shuttle into the teeny town and just walked around. It is very scenic with only a few shops you don't HAVE to go into. We did however go into the supermarket there. It was very interesting to see what the locals could buy. In one freezer we saw a half of a calf wrapped in plastic (the whole right side with 2 legs). It was a very easy day so we could save our energy for the other islands.

[beg3yrs]

Here's a link to a Cruise Critic forum dedicated to the Pacific Islands: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=104

 

You'll find LOTS of stuff in there.