Time in Tahiti

Here’s a look back at my first time in Tahiti. I spent a cumulative total of 4.5 days in French Polynesia while on my way to and from Easter Island in 1998. I flew out of Sydney to Papeete on 20 November. Thanks to the dateline I arrived in Tahiti earlier the same day. I then spent an afternoon exploring downtown Papeete before transferring to Moorea with the local ferry service.

For the next three nights I camped out in a garden villa at Moorea Village Hotel on the island’s west coast. The hotel had 80 bungalow style villas, each with its own kitchenette and private access to a stunning white sand beach. Sadly, the resort closed in October 2005 and its distinctive beachfront restaurant has been reclaimed by the sea. These days the building’s red concrete balcony pillars are all that remains.

How do I know this? While researching this post I struggled to find any reference to the hotel’s prominent beachfront building. By chance, I stumbled across an image of its remains as shown above. I can only surmise that the structure fell victim to a devastating cyclone. The prime candidate is Oli which swept through the region in 2010. I’ve subsequently learned that ten of the villas were re-leased and reopened as Moorea Fare Miti resort.

The weather for my stay wasn’t as dramatic. Instead it was partially overcast and humid, punctuated by a brief tropical downpour every afternoon. However, the inclement weather matched my mood perfectly. A few months earlier, my first long-term relationship had come to an unexpected end. In the months before we broke up, my former partner and I had talked about visiting Tahiti. I’d decided to proceed with the trip, in part as a defiant form of revenge travel. 

It’ll come as no surprise to learn that traveling alone on a romantic tropical island isn’t a great distraction. Instead, I spent several days largely confined to my bungalow wallowing in self pity. However, despite my mood and the inclement conditions I still found time for some memorable excursions. This included an awesome parasailing ride in the lagoon facing the InterContinental Moorea Resort. 

The sensation of rising into the air behind a surging speedboat was awe-inspiring. As a solo flyer, I was initially harnessed to the parasail onboard the boat, then gently launched into the air from a platform at the rear. As I rose, a second crew member slowly unwound the tow rope sending me higher and higher. The view of the lagoon from my flight’s highest vantage point was spectacular, to say the least. Of course, the boat driver pulled a classic cliche manoeuvre. At one point he slowed the boat, waited until my feet touched the water, then opened the throttle and sent me soaring again.

Sadly, the Intercontinental didn’t survive the COVID pandemic. Its overwater bungalows, restaurants and recreational facilities now lie abandoned on the island’s north coast. However, some of its co-located attractions including the Moorea Dolphin Center continue to thrive. While at the resort, I took time out to watch the center’s trainers put some of its dolphins through their paces.

For my third day on Moorea, I hired a scooter for a half day. I spent time racing along the island’s western coast, soaking in the azure lagoon views, and visiting the island’s more renowned sights including Belvedere Lookout and the photogenic Eglise de la Sainte Famille church. Images of this building’s pristine whitewashed walls and vibrant red trimming are frequently used to promote the best of Moorea.

As I noted earlier, when I wasn’t exploring the island’s coast I hung out in my garden villa. However, with no television, radio or wifi available there wasn’t much to keep me occupied. One afternoon, I walked into the nearby village to source some reading material. Unfortunately, most of the books and magazines on sale were published in French. I eventually found a couple of English language editions of GQ magazine.

On 23 November, I packed my bags and returned to Papeete by ferry. I then made my way to the airport for a midnight flight to Easter Island. Once again, the time zone difference worked in my favour. I landed early the following morning and enjoyed two full days on Easter Island before returning to Papeete. You can read more about my time on the island here.

My return flight arrived mid-morning on 25 November. With time to kill before another late-night flight to Auckland, I decided to spend my final hours in Tahiti enjoying dinner and a cultural show. I booked myself a table at Te Tiare, a restaurant at the InterContinental Resort on the main island of Tahiti. The resort is considered one of Papeete’s finest. It sits on the island’s northwest coast looking over the lagoon towards Moorea.

As I sat down to dine, I noticed an elderly lady sitting alone. I asked her if she was a solo diner and offered to join her for the evening. She was delighted to accept and warmly welcomed me to her table. We enjoyed a delightful evening together swapping traveller's tales, watching fire dancers, and women in grass skirts, whirling their way around the restaurant’s open-air stage.

My overnight flight departed Tahiti at the ungodly hour of 1:00am. I finally arrived in Auckland on 27 November where I enjoyed the company of my parents and my brother Matt and his family for three nights. Mum could tell that time alone in Tahiti had somewhat dampened my spirit. She did her best to cheer me up. I finally arrived back in Sydney late on 29 November.