Island Hopping. Popular itineraries

Holiday Destinations / Australasia and Pacific Ocean / French Polynesia / Things to Do / Island Hopping

Many of our client aren’t content with staying in one place. For such a remote and stunningly beautiful destination, visitors usually want to make the most of their time and see as much as possible. This, of course, combined with enough time to unwind, relax, and truly take in the majestic beauty of the islands.

That’s why island hoping is such a popular travel style, as you get to experience not one, but many of the captivating islands in the French Polynesia.

Here’s two of our favourite itineraries.

From Tahiti to Mo’Orea, Bora Bora, and Huahine in one week for a true glimpse of paradise.

From  Pape’ete,  fly  or boat straight  to  Mo’orea,  and  stay  for at  least  two  nights.  Mo’orea boasts soaring peaks, verdant hillsides and aqua waters, and is considered by  many  to  be  the  most  beautiful  isle  in  the  Society  Islands.  Cycle  around  magnificent  Cook’s  Bay  and  Opunohu  Bay,  explore  the  island’s  archaeological  sites  or  simply soak up the sun and splash around in the lagoon. From Mo’orea, fly to Bora Bora. Live  it  up  for  a  night  or  more  (depending  on  your  budget)  in  an  overwater  bungalow  or  partake in a variety of water excursions on the vast, blue lagoon. Dine by candlelight, relax in a spa and look out for celebrities. From Bora Bora, it’s a short flight to much more low-key Huahine, where you can end your holiday with two days of complete relaxation and a taste of authentic Polynesian culture. Go diving or snorkelling, take an island tour, and don’t miss trying ma’a Tahiti (traditional-style food)at the restaurant Mauarii.

Society islands, the Tuamotus, and Marquesas Islands in two weeks or more

Explore French Polynesia’s myriad of welcoming cultures as well as its natural beauty. Start with a day or more on Tahiti, where you can take an island tour or hire a car to explore Marché de Pape’ete (Pape’ete Market) and the waterfalls, roadside caves and hidden beaches around the island. At night, catch a dance performance at one of the resorts or (if it’s a Friday or Saturday) go out for a wild night in Pape’ete. Next get on a plane to Ra’iatea to see the impressive Marae Taputapuatea, one of the most  important  spiritual  sites  of  ancient  Polynesia  and  hike  up  theTemehani  Plateau  in  search of the tiare apetahi, one of the world’s rarest flowers. Dive or snorkel the lagoon and be sure to take a picnic tour out to one of the island’s fringing white-sand islets or kayak up Faaroa River, the only navigable river in French Polynesia.

From here, take a short fl ight to Bora Bora to snorkel the lagoon, swoon at the island’s square silhouette and live la vida jet set for a day or two. Then take a flight to Rangiroa, the largest coral atoll in the country. Dive with sharks, live in your swimsuit and quench your thirst with coconuts. Don’t miss a tour of the immense lagoon to see pink-sand beaches and the surreally beautiful Lagon Bleu (Blue Lagoon), a lagoon within a lagoon. At sunset, watch dolphins frolic in Tiputa Pass.

Change cultures entirely when you fly on to the Marquesas (via Tahiti). Travelling here is like stepping back in time. You’ll start in Nuku Hiva, where you can hike across windswept ridges into ancient volcanic craters before checking out the island’s array of eerie archaeo-logical sites, including Hikokua, Kamuihei and Tahakia. Follow Gauguin’s trail to Hiva Oato  see  the  artist’s  tomb  at  Calvaire  Cemetery  and  visit  the  Espace  Cuturel  Paul  Gauguin.  Don’t miss the giant stone tiki (sacred statues) at Iipona and several other ancient sites on the island. Alternatively, you could visit all of the Marquesas islands by taking the Aranuicargo ship for one of the world’s most unique cruises focusing on culture and archaeology.