Enchanting Isles Itinerary

Enchanting Isles Itinerary
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You have six days to discover the magic that causes some to proclaim Moorea the “perfect South Seas island.”

Day 1 Los Angeles/Tahiti
Leave tonight on the vacation you've always dreamed of, in the legendary islands of Tahiti.

Day 2-7 Moorea
Just 8 hours later and you're in paradise! Warm Tahitian smiles and a fragrant tiare lei welcome you. Take a short but scenic ferry ride across the Sea of the Moon to majestic Moorea. Settle in at your hotel, take a dip in the crystal clear lagoon, then lay back and get ready for five unforgettable days. Each day offers its own special adventures... bask on a white sand beach, tropical drink close at hand. Take a rental car around Moorea's 37-mile perimeter road, and explore the interior on an adventurous Land Rover Safari or join a Lagoon Cruise & Motu Picnic Lunch. You'll have no trouble filling your days and nights on Moorea, the perfect South Seas island.

Day 8 Tahiti
Back to Tahiti today, with time enough to head into Papeete aboard le truck, the colorful local transport, for some last-minute sightseeing.

Day 9 Tahiti/Los Angeles
Sadly, your South Seas sojourn comes to an end today, as you board your return flight to California.

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Land Rover Safari

Savor the serenity of Moorea's majestic mountains. Visit vanilla, grapefruit and pineapple plantations, and ancient sacrificial sites accessible only to 4-wheel drive vehicles.

Your half-day safari will take you past a 200-ft. waterfall, where you will stop to refresh yourself with wild-growing fruit. A great photo opportunity presents itself at the Toatea lookout point, just above the Hotel Sofitel: a panoramic view of Temae beach and the outlines of Tahiti across the Sea of the Moon. As you ascend Mt. Mouapouta to visit the maraes and the Belvedere lookout point, your guide (depending on the wishes of the group) may take a slight detour into the Opunohu valley, a microcosm of Society Islands history.

Moorea is heaven on earth for plant lovers, and a 4-wheel drive safari enables you to look at the plants that only grow in the mountains, such as tree ferns, mimosas, puarata (Metrosideros collina - New Zealand Chrismtas tree), guavas, acacia and lantana. Along the coast and in the lower valleys you see the more common and very beautiful coconut palms, purau (the bark of which is used to make ceremonial grass skirts and to lash canoes), aito (Iron-tree, used to make clubs), uru (breadfruit), mape (Tahitian chestnut), fara (also known as pandanus), tou (Cordia subcordata, prized for its wood) dozens of species of hibiscus, gardenias, fragrant plumerias, heliconias and much, much more.

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Lagoon Cruise & Motu Picnic

Upon boarding the boat, your skipper will go through the checklist of what to bring with you: Towel, snorkel, mask, fins and reef walkers (thick rubber soled underwater shoes).

Coast through the clear Polynesian waters to meet the sting rays.

Look off to the side of the boat and you'll know when you've reached your destination. Known as the most graceful animals of the sea, these enormous creatures will glide with elegance past your boat again and again. Their fluid movement will make you think they are flying under water. Put your reef walkers on, and when the guide gives you the green light, jump in! They swim all around you. Your skipper teaches you how to touch them. Kiss one of these curious giants encircling you, and its wings actually flap rapidly with approval, creating quite a splash!

More on Sting Rays:
Sting rays have a 'disc' span (wing span) of about 3 feet. They are also more intelligent than sharks. Plankton is one of their favorite foods, but they eat small fish and crustaceans as well. Because they are bottom feeders, their nostrils, mouth, and gill slits are located on the underside of their bodies. The ray uses its gills to eat by sucking water in through them. This allows plankton to remain in its mouth while water is pumped out. Then, the plankton are channeled into the ray's stomach to be digested. Rays reproduce between May and October. When they reach about 10" in length they sexually mature. Female rays give birth to two or three pups per litter. Rays learn to evade predators by spending much of their time on the sandy bottom, flapping their wings to throw sand on their bodies.

Return to your boat so the skipper can take you to a private motu (islet) for your picnic. Jump in and snorkel the turquoise waters, while you wait for the crew to make you a tasty spread. Feast on the local favorite dishes as the multi-talented crew play their ukuleles.

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Le Truck

"Le Truck" is efficient and affordable but more importantly, it's a "user friendly" form of transportation. Le trucks are decorated whimsically in whatever fashion the driver fancies.

There are many "Le Trucks" circling the entire island including Tahiti-Iti. Although there are pre-determined pick-up locations, Le Truck will usually stop for you, given it has room and can safely pull over. Just hail it, take a seat and do as the polite Tahitians do: as each new person boards, move down to make room for the next. Just prior to your desired stop, push the button above you and pay the driver after exiting.

Prices are approx.120 CFP (roughly US $1.00) and a bit more in the PM.

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