Tag Archives: Tahiti

The Sixth Day of National #PlanForVacation Day: Rangiroa, French Polynesia

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The first thing that comes up when people refer to Rangiroa is its fantastic marine life. Rangiroa or Ra’iroa means Endless Sky in the native language. It is the largest atoll within the Tuamotu Atolls, located almost 250 miles (one hour flight) away from Tahiti. The atoll consists of a string of 240 islets tied together for over 110 miles.

Narrow sandbars and mini isles preserve a prolific marine life and offer some of the world’s best diving and fishing. The abundance of the underwater world displays an array of live colors. See schools of multicolored butterfly fish, turtles, dolphins, and sharks. Whether you are an advanced diver, beginner, or enjoy snorkeling, an incredible paradise awaits.

Having had the opportunity to visit French Polynesia myself and meeting many of the local hoteliers, I was super excited when Josh & Lindsey came to me and asked to create a unique honeymoon, partially off the beaten path. Although Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti all were part of their fantastic itinerary, they wanted to include an even more secluded, less visited area.

Rangiroa happened to be a dream come true. It is home to Hotel Kia Ora, a boutique luxury hotel located on the northwest part of the atoll, set in the heart of a beautiful coconut plantation, offering the most stunning turquoise lagoon and white sand beach. With only 60 villas and bungalows spread across the grounds, the beach, and over-water, the recently renovated hotel offers an intimate experience to anyone looking for a peaceful stay in paradise.

We picked the hotel for exactly that reason, but also because it offered Lindsey and Josh the opportunity to stay a couple of days on the hotel’s private island called “Le Sauvage.” It is, as the name indicates, “the wild one.” About one-hour boat ride from the resort, the private island offered five bungalows only. At the time, there was no electricity or air-conditioning. Food was provided by the only two resident staff members at a communal table for all guests of the island. Le Sauvage is currently closed for updates, so we will see what has changed once it reopens to welcome guests.

Thank you Josh & Lindsey, for sharing some of your Rangiroa photos!

This is the sixth destination highlight of twelve, leading up to the National #PlanForVacation Day on January 29, 2019. Don’t let your vacation days go to waste, plan a trip!

STEFANIE PICHONNAT
Stefanie Pichonnat is the owner of Cumar Gold Travel; a boutique travel firm specialized in creating customized travel itineraries. Having personally traveled to Hawai’i, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and Tahiti, she can help you create a wonderful South Pacific experience. To plan a trip contact her at stefanie@aav-travel.com

Finding Paradise in Tahiti – The Brando – Tetiaroa

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Imagine a place, far far away, somewhere close to the equator, in the middle of the South Pacific, 17.0000° S, 149.5500° W to be precise.

A place where you will find yourself blinking your eyes, just to make sure it is real.

A place with colors so intense, like you’ve never seen them before.

A place where you hear the gentle lapping of  waves, the light humming of a honey bee every now and then, and a bird screech ever so often.

A place filled with the smell of sea salt, warm air, and tropical plants.

A place where you become one with nature, where time seems to stand still, and all of a sudden you feel at peace with yourself. It is as if you had arrived in paradise and the paradise’s name is Tetiaroa.

The atoll of Tetiaro is located in French Polynesia, also referred to as Tahiti, in the outer parts of the Society archipelago to be precise. Until about 2 years ago, the atoll was known by very few (non Tahitians that is).

Marlon Brando had discovered this paradise when scouting possible locales for the movie “Mutiny of the Bounty.” He was immediately fascinated by this particular collection of motus, their incredible beauty and unique ability to make one feel that much closer to paradise. In 1967 Marlon Brando succeeded in acquiring the atoll and for many years Tetiaroa was his paradise, a place where he, his family and close friends, could escape to.

Marlon Brando however, wasn’t just a wealthy celebrity. He was also a visionary. He dreamed of an island paradise that would be a model of sustainability. He wanted Tetiaroa’s natural beauty and everything it had to offer, preserved. He wanted to create a center for research and education, that eventually could benefit the entire world.

Although Marlon Brando died in 2004, his dream to create a self-sustaining, top-class, luxury resort that acted as a center for guests, residents, as well as scientific research, became reality. Today, Tetiaroa is likely one of the most unique resort properties you can imagine. Not only is it unlike anything else, it is also very exclusive and the hotel buzz is brimming with many people wondering, if this concept and idea can survive.

Whether it will or not, only the stars can tell (and there are plenty on Tetiaroa where stargazing is at its best). And whilst the idea might seem crazy to some, the product and concept is solid. The resort is top-notch, every detail paid attention to. The food, despite the fact that you find yourself miles out in the South Pacific, is flawless. The service is impeccable and very personable. You feel welcomed to paradise from the moment you step off Air Tetiaroa’s plane.

What originally seemed like a place that could quickly become boring, turned almost immediately into a place you would never want to leave.

Here are a few of my favorite images taken during my stay.

STEFANIE PICHONNAT
Stefanie Pichonnat is the owner of Cumar Gold Travel, a boutique travel firm specialized in creating customized travel itineraries. Having personally traveled to Hawai’i, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and Tahiti, she can help you create a wonderful South Pacific experience. To plan a trip contact her at stefanie@aav-travel.com

Sneak Peek of what’s to come: Tahiti, Tetiaroa, Bora Bora, and more

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As I am sitting in my office chair, typing on the laptop, my hands slightly chilly from the cooler fall like air, I cannot help but feel the excitement in me grow. This December, I will have an incredible opportunity. Granted, I get quite a few of them and they are always exciting. But this one, this one, I have been waiting for, for quite a while. It is one of these opportunities that only gets extended to very few specialists, and truth be told, most of the time they are located along the West coast, not necessarily from the Midwest.

Photo courtesy of the Brando Resort

Thanks to Classic Vacations and the Tahiti Tourism Board, I will be traveling to Tahiti coming December. I will get to experience Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Tetiaroa.

Tetiaroa will be our first stop. It is a privately owned atoll in the Windward group of the Society Islands and up until recently was solely enjoyed by its owners, the Brando family. Marlon Brando had discovered the atoll whilst looking for movie locations for the Mutiny of the Bounty in 1960 and eventually purchased the atoll a couple of years later.

Last year however, The Brando resort opened, and now over 50 years later, we all have the opportunity to experience this small piece of paradise.

Photo courtesy of the Brando Resort

After Tetiaroa we will be heading to Bora Bora, a volcanic island, surrounded by sand-fringed motus (islets). Bora Bora is famous for its spectacular scenery with Mount Otemanu, a dormant volcano, as well as scuba diving and some of the most prestigious luxury resorts.

Photo courtesy of the Brando Resort

As the leaves are starting to turn, and as it is getting chillier outside, I cannot wait for this exciting adventure to start!

Written by AAV Travel’s South Pacific Expert

STEFANIE PICHONNAT
Stefanie Pichonnat is the owner of Cumar Gold Travel, a boutique travel firm specialized in creating customized travel itineraries. Having personally traveled to Hawai’i, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and soon Tahiti, she can help you create a wonderful South Pacific experience. You can contact her at stefanie@aav-travel.com

Destination Wedding – Tahiti

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Tahiti is a dream destination for many couples. Turquoise-blue lagoons, overwater bungalows, scenic backdrops and colorful traditions are what make this destination paradise. No wonder Tahiti is many couples’ wedding dream destination.

Until just recently however, it was really hard to legally getting married in Tahiti. One of the requirements was for the couple to stay on the islands for at least 30 days prior to getting married which made a legal wedding nearly impossible.

However, the French Republic passed a new law in 2010 which allows non-residents to wed as early as the day they arrive in French Polynesia as long as they have submitted their paperwork to city hall 45 days before the ceremony. The legally binding wedding will take place at the city hall, and the wedding ceremony, typically held at a beachside resort, follows.

A good destination wedding planner can help you go through the necessary aplication steps which are not complicated, but time-consuming. In general, Tahiti is not the easiest travel destination in terms of planning. International flights, ground transfers, inter-island flights, excursions, accommodations and more make the help of a romance travel concierge invaluable.

Posted by: Stefanie Pichonnat can be reached at 812-917-2149 or stefanie@aah-travel.com