TAHITI TIMES

Sunday – Oct 7th

Christina and I enjoyed Moorea’s morning glow aboard Jet Skis! After gliding across the crystal clear water, I know that I have been spoiled and will never feel the same about Jet Skiing anywhere else again.

We were lead by one of the amazing guides from Moorea Mahana Tours through the lagoon and around the coral reefs. Now, I thought Moorea was magical from the seat of a bike but I have to say that it might be even better looking across the lagoon at her lush flora and fauna and ridged mountains.

After we returned to our hotel, we wound down with a nice glass of wine and then indulged in a one hour massage treatment- there is nothing quite like being in Heaven, on Earth.

Saturday, October 6th

We continued our vacation at the Hilton Moorea- this property is located on a peninsula located smack dab in the middle of Opunohu Bay and Cooks Bay. We enjoyed staying in another overwater bungalow that was only one bungalow away from being at the very end of the pontoon. It was perfectly positioned to watch a romantic Moorea sunset- with my sister. Where’s my boyfriend when I need him?

At 6:00 pm we visited Moorea’s Tiki Village which is a ‘recreation’ of a Polynesian village that has authentic décor, excellent ambiance and some of the most warm-hearted Tahitians you would ever hope to meet. After touring through the village, we dined Polynesian style and ate breadfruit, taro and Pua (pork) all prepared by Hima’a (a Tahitian cooking pit).

After dinner it was time for the dance performance- and that included fire dancing. There had to be over 60 dancers and over a dozen costume changes, but by far the highlight of our evening was marveling at the amazing fire dancers.

I took some beautiful photos of the Hilton Moorea and the dancers of Tiki Village- Click here to see more!

Friday- October 5th

Christina and I woke up bright and early, just in time to see the sun rise over the lagoon. We enjoyed French chocolate croissants at breakfast and then packed our day bags to take off for our adventure. We decided to challenge ourselves to ride rented bikes from the Sofitel Moorea around the entire island which is 63 km (approximately 39 miles). Starting off, it was all like a dream- blue lagoons to the right of you and stunning lush green peaks to your left. We did stop at several beaches to rest along the way and enjoyed fresh pineapple. We arrived back at the hotel to enjoy a chilled bottle of ‘Tabu’ a local Tahitian brew where we reveled in our accomplishments and watched the sun slip deep into the lagoon.

Saturday – Oct 6th

Today we covered our bodies with 100 proof sunscreen and dove into the water from our overwater bungalow. We snorkeled our hearts out! The visibility was excellent and we could see straight down to the bottom (20 to 30 feet in some areas). We saw schools of trigger fish, angel fish, puffers and lots of sea cucumbers. I was on a mission to find a ‘nemo’ in a sea anemone for my sister. We weren’t successful on that attempt, but the multitude of the aquatic life knocked our socks off. Also, we were amazed by the sheer size of these fish! I swear, I saw one trigger fish that looked like it could have been half my size.

Check out a few of our photos from these two days on our Flickr! Click here!

To celebrate my sister Christina’s 30th Birthday, I planned a trip for us to travel to Moorea. We spent 7 days and 6 nights exploring this amazing place and I will be posting about our trip throughout the week!

The goal that Christina and I made for this trip was to experience the entire island of Moorea in every way possible. We wanted to explore the: interior, exterior, the incredible lagoon and the luxurious accommodations available on the island. The further we got into our stay on Moorea, the more we fell in love with the island.

Tomorrow, I will give you my first hand account of biking around the entire island of Moorea (63km) as well as our Jet ski tour around the island so please stay tuned and I hope you enjoy the journey as much as we did.

-Jessica Smith

Tahiti Legends Exclusive Offer- Buy Two Activities and Get the Third Free!

When you combine the purchase of the Lagoon Cruise and Motu Picnic and the 4 x 4 Jeep Safari, you will receive a free Parasailing excursion!

When you combine the purchase of the Jet ski excursion (1 hour) and the ATV Adventure Tour, you will receive a free Snorkeling and Ray Feeding tour!

For more information on this exclusive offer, please call your preferred Travel Agent or Tahiti Legends at 800-200-1213

While Aude was in French Polynesia last week, she had an opportunity to eat at the Kaina Hut Restaurant in Bora Bora. She ordered from Tahiti Legends’ exclusive menu and had the crispy red tuna with foie gras (in the center of the tuna), accompanied by a sweet potato mash which she says was simply- “DELICIOUS!”

The Kaina Hut Restaurant is open every day at 6:30PM, except Friday. To pre-book your reservation during your stay in Bora Bora and sample Tahiti Legends’ exclusive menu, please call your preferred travel agent or call Tahiti Legends at: 1-800-200-1213.

To view more pictures of the cuisine available at the Kaina Hut- please click here!

We also have a video of the restaurant available on our Facebook.

Fijians are known as the friendliest people in the world.
And they want you to bring your friends to visit their beautiful islands.
For a limited time, take a friend and they get 50% off airfare.
If you’re getting married, the bride is 50% off! That’s friendly!

See our Friend Flies 50% Deals now http://www.tahitilegends.com/fiji50off

By the way, have you been to our Facebook fan page? We are only 75 away from reaching 2000 fans, so be friendly and get your friends to visit and like our page.

Food Friday recipe comes from the fabulous Soneva Gili by Six Senses in the Maldives.

Soneva Gili in the Maldives features a most unique underground wine cellar and chocolate cave.

Hot Chocolate Souffle

3 1/2 oz dark chocolate, cracked
1 1/2 tsp milk
1 1/2 tsp water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 egg yolks
1 1/2 egg whites, whisked until stiff
A pinch of salt
1 tsp butter for greasing souffle moulds

Preheat ovean to 350F. Melt half the chocolate in a bain marie and whisk in the milk, water and half the sugar until smooth.
Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks and whites, salt, remaining chocolate and sugar until well incorporated.
Pour the chocolate mixture into 2 buttered souffle molds and bake for 13 minutes. Serve with vanilla or exotic flavored ice cream, such as mango.

Hot Chocolate & Bailey’s Fondue

10 1/2 oz dark chocolate
2 tsp Bailey’s Irish Cream

Melt the chocolate in a bain marie, then mix in the Bailey’s. Pour into a fondue set, or a claypot over low flame.
Serve with bite sized accompaniments such as strawberries, cubed mangoes, marshmallows, small cookies, etc…

Photo Courtesy of Planetoddity.com

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves attraction is a magnet for both local inhabitants and travelers visiting from overseas. This particular glowworm (or in latin: Arachnocampa luminosa) species is completely unique to New Zealand.

You can begin your tour from several places- but the most popular is departing from Auckland, where you will then travel South through the farmland of the Waikato to Waitomo. Your experienced guide will take you through the stunning underground scenery while sharing interesting stories, legends, and historical facts. The highlight of every tour is a boat trip through the amazing Glowworn Grotto, where thousands of glowworms light your way as they suspend from the ceiling.

This is truly a must see for any traveler visiting this region!