Raitea is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. It’s name means “faraway heaven”, and rightly so with its green-carpeted mountains, cascading waterfalls, crystalline waters, and the beautiful Tiare apetahi, a white corolla-petaled flower so rare it can be grown no place else on earth.
The port is in Utoroa, the only town of any size, and has a few local shops in the renovated waterfront area, where we docked right next to Wind Star’s beautiful sailing cruise ship, Wind Spirit. The island has numerous pearl farms, known for the gorgeous black pearls of French Polynesia, and coral gardens, caves, scuba diving and snorkeling in the lagoon shared between Raitea and neighboring Tahaa island.
I went with a group from the ship to the lagoon for the unique experience of drift snorkeling. Our local guide anchored the small boat just off Tahaa island in crystal shallow water where we walked along the narrow beach a short distance toward the mouth of the sea, then surrendered to the current that gently and effortlessly drifted us back to the waiting boat, through the coral garden just inches below, and watched through our face masks the spectacular underwater show of fish, coral, octopus, clams, and wide variety of colorful marine life. We did this again and again until, reluctantly, it was time to return to the ship and leave behind this little slice of heaven.
It is ALL so beautiful!!! I have loved every post. Sorry it is nearly over…maybe you can just stay on?
Truth….we are already back home, but I am still getting caught up on the blog, and enjoying reliving the memories. Believe me, if we could have stayed on, we would have!