French Polynesia
This trip is a big deal. The furthest, most expensive, challenging and awesome trip we’ve done so far. This is going to be a long read. First, I want to set the scene, provide some background on the destination, and then describe the trip in a day-by-day travel log.
Getting There
This is the other side of the world for us. The time difference is 11 hours, but surprisingly, flights aren’t as expensive, considering the distance. We paid approximately € 1,600 per person. Travel time is a daunting 25 hours just to get to Tahiti, and then another short flight to our starting point, Raiatea. So overall, our flight path looks like this: Amsterdam -> Paris -> Los Angeles -> Tahiti -> Raiatea. We decide to take some rest in Tahiti, where we rent a house and stay overnight to combat jet lag. And jet lag is no joke.
Boat
We are sailing aboard a Bali 4.2 catamaran. It’s an appropriate boat for the location, especially taking into account that our route is only 117 nautical miles. It’s an open cat design with a lifting garage door in the back. The couch and table are located in the front, and there is no net. To be honest, this is not an ideal layout. There is no shade or rain cover in front, and it rains a lot in the region, meaning all the cushions are always wet, so we barely use this space. Most of the time, we just hang out inside with all the windows and garage door open, but at night or when it rains, or when we leave the boat, we need to close them.
Aside from this, living on board is super comfortable. The cat is equipped with a fridge, freezer, a powerful water maker, air conditioning, and a solar array. Unfortunately, there is another significant design flaw. All toilets use fresh water instead of salt water, like normal boats do, meaning the watermaker is running pretty often. I understand the factory saved money on plumbing and thruhulls, but man, this is so impractical.
Sad to say but our catamaran does not sail to well, self tacking jib, strange mast placement, and main sheet setup make it uneasy to sail downwind or close hauled, which are the main points of sail for us due to prevailing trade winds. On power, the cat handles quite okay, and it’s easy to steer from the flybridge. This boat is built for charter vacations, for our purposes, it’s great, but I wouldn’t choose this design for liveaboard or long passages.
Sailing Conditions
As cruising coaches from Sailing Totem told me, “Den, this is the deep end of the pool!” And yes, I need more than one professional advice while planning this trip. We chose mid-season to go to Polynesia for two main reasons: March still counts as a winter getaway from the cold of the Netherlands, and prices are better. We paid 9000 euros for two weeks of charter, roughly 750 euros per person per week. This is reasonable for such an exotic location.
So what can we expect at this time of year? Stable winds from the east ranging from 15 to 25 knots, sometimes gusting to 40 knots. Waves up to 2.5 meters, and short bursts of rain come and go often. The rain is a welcome thing for us, it helps to cool off a bit. Temperatures range between 30 to 40 degrees Celsius with extreme UV levels.
Another major concern is anchoring and mooring. First, let me explain how the underwater topography looks like here. The Society Islands are volcanic islands surrounded by a barrier reef, with a deep channel between the reef and the main islands. The depth map looks like this: 4000 meters in the open ocean, 600 meters right outside reefs, less than a meter on the reef itself, and 45 meters in the channel between the reef and the main islands in the center.
So basically, we have very few options: either drop an anchor near the reef or pick up a buoy next to the main island. There aren’t too many spots on the reef where you can anchor, and in Bora Bora, anchoring is completely prohibited. Buoys are also limited and cost around 50 euros per night but since we’re at the beginning of the sailing season we can easily find one. Quite often owners of the restaurants and pearl farms allow us to use their buoys for free if we visit their establishments.
There are more significant threats as well, like cyclones and waterspouts. Two waterspouts occurred while we were there. This one appeared just in front of the house we stayed at on our first day. Moorea Island just reported hundreds of Dengue cases, but we aren’t going there, so it’s okay.
Provisioning
Another major challenge and expense is provisioning. Restaurants are available but not numerous, and most of the time we eat onboard. There are two mid sized shops close to the charter base, but the prices and quality aren’t great. This is understandable, as everything must be imported and delivered by sea, but for some reason, product quality is very low. Fresh vegetables are expensive and hard to get, but meat is surprisingly good. Alcohol is another thing, it is expensive! Let’s take a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, for example. In Amsterdam, you can get one for about 18 euros. In Tahiti’s duty free shop, it would cost 30 euros, but in the shop on an island it costs more than 80 euros. The same goes for beer and wine. Local beer will cost about 10 euros for a six pack, and a bottle of average wine will set you back for about 30 euros.
Nature and way of living
Until now, I’ve talked mostly about challenges, but it’s all worth it to see this remote and unique place. Compared to other islands I’ve visited, the Society Islands are very developed and organised. Infrastructure on land and sea is modern and well maintained. All houses are tidy and surrounded by beautiful gardens. What else to expect from people who wear fresh flowers in their hair daily? Speaking of locals, they’re super chill, friendly, and sociable. Not everyone speaks English, but we always find a way to communicate. The islands aren’t densely populated. Famous Bora Bora has only ten thousand residents, and Taaha has five.
Nature is lush, green, and diverse. One of the main exports of the islands is vanilla, farms can be spotted all over the islands. Coconuts are everywhere too, and actually considered a potential danger here, no one wants to get hit by a falling coconut. Underwater life is amazing! Another thing to get used to is being surrounded by sharks. They’re reef sharks, accustomed to humans and not dangerous at all, though. Well, the scene is set, let’s move to the day-by-day log.
Day one
We start from Amsterdam, and after a short stopover in Paris, we’re headed on our long haul flight to Los Angeles. The connection there is not going smoothly. All passengers on our flight need new physical tickets for some reason, the X-ray machines aren’t working as expected. Chaos, anarchy, and confusion everywhere. Despite all this, the trip isn’t as rough as I expected.
Day two
We arrive early in the morning and head to our villa. It’s super nice, even better than advertised: big patio, open kitchen, and an amazing ocean view. Our friend is already waiting for us there. After a bit of rest, we head to the supermarket to get some beer and food. The rest of the day we spend struggling not to fall asleep. Jetlag is brutal, but we persist and manage to stay awake until sunset.
Day three
The rest of our crew arrives in the morning. We have breakfast together, then head out on foot to the airport. It’s hot, but it’s just a 20 minute walk. The airport itself is unusual, it has this awesome 60s feel, with old leather seats, wooden interiors, and no air conditioning. We fly on a turboprop plane for about 40 minutes to Raiatea. The airport here is even smaller and cuter. Immediately after leaving the gate, we spot our car rental stand. We rented a car for two days to reach the charter base and handle provisioning. We are a group of six and don’t fit into our SUV, so we need to make two trips. I go first to begin the check-in procedure.
This time we’re chartering from Dream Yacht Charter, one of the three largest charter companies in the world. Their service is amazing, top notch. The moment I step out of the car, I’m greeted, offered cold water, and invited to start the check-in process. The boat is in very good condition, and part of our provisions (water, paper towels, and some fruits) are already loaded on board. As I’m going through the briefing and paperwork, the crew is out hitting the supermarkets and stocking up on supplies. Another important task is setting up Starlink, the latest and very welcome addition to our crew. It’s a Mini model, about the size of a 13 inch laptop, powered by a 220V inverter, car charger, or even a beefy power bank. We end up using it a lot, 250 GB of traffic used in two weeks. By around 20:00, we’re done, exhausted, and still jetlagged. For dinner, we grab some good takeout from a nearby Chinese restaurant.
Day four
I start my day with the best navigation briefing I’ve had so far, while the crew is buying stuff we still need and returns the rental car. By noon, we’re ready to leave. The marina is tiny, with boats tightly packed in their berths, so we’re not allowed to depart unassisted.
We’re just 6 nautical miles away from our overnight stop and will arrive within an hour. Just 15 minutes after departure, a huge rainstorm hits, and when I say huge, I mean it. Visibility is reduced to less than 50 meters as I navigate slowly between reefs. I’m completely soaked down to my underwear, despite steering from under the bimini. Just as quickly as it arrived, the rain stops, and in 15 minutes it’s sunny and clear again.
We pick up a mooring next to Champon Pearl Farm, which generously allows us to stay for two nights in exchange for attending a free tour of their farm. Upon arrival, we test our dinghy. I’m happy with its performance not overly powerful but good enough for six people, and the engine runs perfectly. We spend the rest of the evening relaxing onboard, enjoying the view, food, and cocktails.
Day five
The first thing I discover in the morning is that our water maker refuses to turn on. It’s a serious issue. But even more fascinating is how quickly it gets fixed. True, we aren’t far from the base, but still, I reported the issue around 06:00 and by 09:00 the watermaker is up and running again. It seems the control unit is fried, but a technician finds a clever workaround, bypassing the electronics completely. It’s a bit improvised, but it works, and we can continue our journey.
The main event of the day is visit to the pearl farm. Besides owing them one, it’s genuinely interesting. Our guide does an excellent job explaining the process of growing the region’s famous black pearls, walking us through all the stages and answering all our questions. Long story short, a technician implants a small bead and a piece of donor tissue into a black lipped oyster, which is then placed back into the lagoon. Over the next 18-24 months, the oyster secretes nacre around the bead, eventually forming a black pearl. One oyster can produce up to six pearls and each time perl is getting bigger.
At the end of the tour, we’re invited to visit their store. There’s no pressure to buy, just friendly help if we choose to. Afterward, everyone is eager to snorkel, while I relax on board. For dinner tonight, we have a BBQ.
Day six
Today we’re heading to the famous Bora Bora. My sailing advisers recommended going there as soon as possible. It’s not uncommon for heavy weather to lock sailors onto the island for days since the return journey requires going against strong winds that can reach up to 45 knots. We depart early in the morning. First, we navigate through a narrow channel in the barrier reef. Inside, it’s calm as a lake, but outside, three meter waves crash over the reef. This is my first experience navigating this kind of passage, and despite reading scary stories about it, it turns out surprisingly easy. Our destination is only 25 nautical miles downwind, but as luck would have it, the wind dies almost completely as soon as we clear the reef. We miss our only real chance to sail during this trip. A few brief rain showers catch us along the way, offering nice relief from the heat. The sun at this latitude is brutal, I’m wearing a hooded long sleeve, gloves, and a buff, yet I still manage to get sunburned.
We arrive around 11:00 and initially head to the famous Bloody Mary’s bar, but the area isn’t inviting. The bar is closed for reconstruction, and everything else seems far away. So we head to Bora Bora Yacht Club instead, which turns out to be the right choice. The view is amazing, there’s a dinghy dock, and a nice bar and restaurant right there. Staying here requires two payments one for the buoy and another for yacht club access, but it’s worth it. For about 70 euros in total per night, we get mooring, dinghy dock access, parking, showers, WiFi, and most importantly, trash disposal, which is a big deal here.
This spot is also perfect for watching traditional canoe racing, called va’a. It’s really popular sport here, people of all ages take part, either solo or in big teams. Dozens of canoes zoom around us, and it’s quite a spectacle.
For dinner, we decide to explore the island a bit and head to the nearest food truck. This is how most locals eat out, prices are a fraction of what you pay at sit down restaurants, the food is great, and portions are huge. The best surprise waits for us on the way back. Tonight is the famous traditional Polynesian dance and music night at the yacht club. The show is amazing, with live drums, traditional costumes, and an unforgettable atmosphere.
Day seven
Today we explore Bora Bora. A bus from the car rental picks us up from the yacht club, and we head to collect our scooters. While the crew grabs coffee, I’m on a shopping spree. First, I hit the pharmacy, then the chandlery for some small boat items. Afterward, we start our trip around the island. The whole ride probably takes two hours, but we make several detours and stops.
First we visit a local village to see how people live here, then stop for a swim at the island’s only public sandy beach. For lunch, we find another food truck, and it’s even better. For 15 euros, I get what feels like a kilo of fresh raw tuna and rice on the side. Honestly, I struggle to finish my dish.
Our last task for the day is to pick up some souvenirs in the main town, return the scooters, and head home. Somehow, we end up in a bar instead, but it’s all happy hour’s fault.
Day eight
Today we have a dive tour planned. The first dive is in the lagoon, where we’re hoping to see manta rays, but unfortunately, we don’t see any. For our second dive, we head outside the reef, diving through what feels like a hole in the ground. It turns out to be a hiding spot for variaty of fishes. Overall, a very cool experience. There are plenty of sharks here as well, they all are reef sharks, black tip, and white tip, harmless for humans but it takes some time to get used to their company.
After diving, we move the catamaran closer to the atoll, to the buoy field at Motu Tapu. It’s very chill here, only a few other boats around, and the water is crystal clear, a beautiful spot. In the evening, we take the dinghy to the reef hoping to spot manta rays again. No luck there, so we spend some time hanging out with stingrays and sharks instead. We bring a couple of beers and enjoy our improvised floating bar in this remote place.
Day nine
Today we have a good chance to leave Bora Bora. The wind is only 10 knots, and the sea is calm. The stronger winds are arriving tomorrow, potentially trapping us for days or even a week. We start very early and reach Taha’a around lunchtime. The return trip takes longer because we’re going against the wind and waves. We need a good spot to stay for a few days and choose the buoys at Hibiscus Restaurant. The water depth here is 45 meters, and we have no way to check the buoy, so we just have to trust it. The spot is somewhat exposed, but we have things to do ashore while the wind calms down. The restaurant is nice, with a convenient dinghy dock nearby, and importantly, there are cars and scooters for rent. We first try renting six scooters, but people just laugh at our request. Apparently, there aren’t six scooters available anywhere on the island in general. We settle for one car and two scooters instead.
Day ten
Today we drive around Taha’a. We start from the main settlement Ha’amene, which has a supermarket, pharmacy, church, small restaurant, and cafe. After breakfast and some shopping, we continue our journey around the island. It’s incredibly peaceful and quiet here, with beautiful nature everywhere.
To illustrate how friendly people are, all drivers wave at each other on the road, driving around 30 km/h. Later on we learn half the island drives without licenses, which explains their calm driving habiits. The day is rainy and extremely humid, so driving an air conditioned car is perfect. When we reach the opposite side of the island, we feel like having a coffee. Google leads us to a nearby campsite with a small coffee shop, which turns out to be a charming place, paired with a vanilla farm and a lovely small artisanal shop. We spend some time chatting with the owner and enjoying good coffee.
For dinner, we return to Hibiscus, a lovely place with delicious food and great signature cocktail. The weather forecast tonight is edgy, wind reaching up to 30 knots, so we decide to set a watch just in case.
Day eleven
The first half of today is spent diving with Taha’a Diving. We drive to their base, get equipment and paperwork sorted, then head to the dive boat. The weather is rough, with lots of wind. Inside the reef, it’s calm, but outside, waves easily reach 2-3 meters. We sped out to our dive site, the boat jumping over waves, leaving us soaked from the spray, quite an adventure.
Our first dive is just outside the reef, basically wall diving. Underwater, it’s calm and visibility is great, overall an excellent dive. The second dive is a shipwreck, the Nordby, a Danish three masted cargo ship sunk in 1900, resting at an easy 10 meter depth. It has a hole in the side, allowing us to enter.
Returning to the catamaran, we realize we’ve accumulated a significant amount of trash. Since we have a car, we decide to handle it now. Trash management in Polynesia is complicated, with separate bins for organic waste, steel, plastic bottles and cans, glass, and everything else. Our trunk is full, and we drive 15 minutes to a marked trash spot. Unfortunately, it’s completely full. No problem, we think, and head to the next spot but there’s an issue. All other marked trash spots are missing their bins entirely. The locations exist, sheltered and prepared, but no bins anywhere. We search further, almost circling the entire island again, even consulting first responders at the main village. We return defeated, trash still in hand, needing to figure something out soon.
Day twelve
For the first half of today, we have a botanical tour planned with Vanilla Tours, so we hop into the car and rush to the meeting point. The tour starts at our guide’s home, and what a home it is. The story behind it is fascinating. Our guide’s parents, both French sailors, met in the ’60s while crossing the Panama Canal on their way to Polynesia. They fell in love and sailed the rest of the way to Taha’a on a wooden boat without an engine. They bought a piece of land, built a house, and planted a fascinating garden, where our excursion begins. Our guide is knowledgeable and passionate about nature. My personal highlight is seeing an ironwood tree for the first time. I read about it as a kid in an adventure novel about indigenous tribes, and I’ve always been curious.
Afterward, we ride in the back of a classic Land Rover to a nearby vanilla plantation, where we get a detailed explanation of how vanilla is grown and harvested. For lunch, we pick up takeaway from the Ha’amene village and head to a local rum distillery. They have quite an operation going, producing oils and vanilla along with rum.
Unfortunately, we’re a bit rushed, and after enjoying delicious fruits provided by our guide, we quickly return to the catamaran. The weather is still nasty, and we decide it’s best to head to the marina to deal with our trash, get fresh bedsheets and towels, refill water tanks, and do some provisioning.
Day thirteen
The weather forecast until noon isn’t great, rain and strong gusts keep us in the harbor. We walk to the Uturoa city center, it’s just a short distance away. There’s not much going on here, but enough to keep us busy till lunch: a nice coffee and bakery spot on the pier, a supermarket, and a bazaar. It’s a good way to replenish supplies and spend a couple of hours ashore.
After lunch, the wind calms down, allowing us to head to our destination, the Coral Garden. I’m not much into snorkeling and prefer diving, but the crew is too excited about this spot to miss it, and honestly, it’s worth it. We anchor half a mile from the garden in just 2 meters of water, giving about 30 meters of chain, ready for any sudden weather changes. Strong winds up to 30 knots briefly hit us here, but only for about an hour or two.
The Coral Garden is the main attraction, a half mile stretch of perfect drift snorkeling with vibrant coral and tropical fish. There’s even a fancy hotel nearby, featuring overwater bungalows, privacy and seclusion are key attractions here. To experience it, you take your dinghy to the shallow lagoon, walk a short distance to the entry point, then float effortlessly with the current, enjoying the underwater scenery. It’s fun enough to repeat multiple times.
Day fourteen
For the first time in my life, I’m genuinely sick on the boat, not too severe, but enough to keep me from any fun activities. I spend the day resting in my cabin, drinking paracetamol and hot tea, keeping my hopes high that I’ll be fit for diving tomorrow.
Day fifteen
Somehow, I’m fit enough for diving today, my fastest recovery ever. Since we don’t have a car to bring us to the dive center, our divemaster picks us up from a nearby dinghy pier. We’re doing two dives today, and they aren’t quite as thrilling as our first dives with Taaha Diving, but still relaxing and enjoyable, giving us one last chance to admire the fascinating underwater scenery.
For lunch, we enjoy cocktails since the weather has finally calmed down, allowing us to relax and soak in the view. For the dinner we have BBQ, accompanied by the most spectacular sunset, a perfect moment for a group photo.
This is our third night at the same spot, and it feels great, no rush, no hustle, just the beautiful sunset and the silhouette of Bora Bora in the distance. I can easily understand why cruisers spend weeks anchored at spots like this.
Day sixteen
There’s no rush today, the base is only two hours away, and we have the entire day to get there. The crew takes the opportunity to visit the Coral Garden again. By now, they can handle the dinghy on their own, so I can relax onboard. After lunch, we head back to the marina, where the usual routine awaits us: refueling, cleaning, packing, and other chores before heading home. This trip is the most fascinating I’ve ever organized. It’s not Europe, Thailand or the Caribbean, places you can visit repeatedly. This experience is something different, remote, unusual, pristine, and unique. In a way, it feels like the crown jewel of tropical sailing adventures, and now I wonder what horizon awaits next.
