Oceania · French Polynesia
Ten days in the most authentic Polynesia, in small lodges: Moorea's lagoon by clear kayak, the Faaroa River and the Taputapuatea marae on Raiatea, and the legends of Tahiti Iti.
Quick facts
Indicative price from
€3,099
per person
This itinerary is a starting point: we'll adapt it with you in your tailor-made proposal.
Request informationA Polynesia far from the big resorts, in three small, well-kept lodges. On Moorea you stay at Moorea Beach Lodge, in a tropical garden on the beach, and explore the lagoon by clear kayak, seeing the coral beneath your paddle.
On Raiatea, the sacred island, a lagoon-view bungalow at Raiatea Lodge, a boat trip on the Faaroa, the only navigable river in Polynesia, and a visit to the Taputapuatea marae, the religious centre of the Polynesian Pacific and a UNESCO site.
It ends on Tahiti Iti, the wildest part of Tahiti, at Vanira Lodge, between ocean and mountains, with half a day discovering sacred forests, caves and legends.
10 days in the programme
Arrival at Tahiti-Faa'a international airport, a flower garland welcome and shared transfer to Moorea, the island you see across the water from Papeete, less than 20 km away. Check-in at Moorea Beach Lodge, in the Hauru area on the island's north-west tip: a tropical garden of palms running down to the beach. French Polynesia is 11 hours behind Italy, 12 during Italian summer time: the rest of the day is for resting and watching the sunset over the lagoon.
A morning on the included guided clear kayak excursion: half a day, shared with other guests. The hull is see-through, so as you paddle over the shallow lagoon you can see the coral and tropical fish below you, and with a little luck rays and turtles too. The reef that encloses the lagoon keeps the ocean waves out, which is why the water is usually calm. The afternoon is free at the lodge, between the beach and the shade of the garden.
A free day. One idea: a drive around Moorea on the coast road, about 60 km, with a hire car or scooter booked separately. The road runs along Opunohu Bay and Cook's Bay, two deep inlets cutting into the island from the north coast. From the head of the Opunohu valley a road climbs to the Belvedere, the lookout over both bays. On the north-east coast is the public beach at Temae, with white sand, for a swim before heading back to the lodge.
Shared transfer to the airport and domestic flight to Raiatea, the second-largest island in the Society archipelago after Tahiti. Its ancient name was Havai'i, and it is considered the cradle of Polynesian culture. Check-in at a lagoon-view bungalow at Raiatea Lodge, on the north-west coast, a few minutes from the airport. Raiatea shares its lagoon with neighbouring Taha'a. In the afternoon you can take a stroll in Uturoa, the main town of the Leeward Islands, between the harbour and the shops.
Half a day on the included excursion, by boat and shared. You head up the Faaroa, the only navigable river in Polynesia, which flows into the bay of the same name on the east coast: its banks are lined with mape, Polynesian chestnut trees with huge buttress roots. A little further south, at Opoa, you visit the Taputapuatea marae, a complex of stone platforms where priests and navigators from all over the Polynesian triangle gathered. It has been a UNESCO site since 2017.
A free day, with ideas that are all optional and booked separately. A visit to a vanilla plantation, where the flowers are pollinated by hand, one by one. Guided snorkelling in the lagoon's coral gardens. Or, for keen walkers, a guided hike on the Temehani plateau, home of the tiare apetahi, a white flower shaped like half a corolla that grows only on Raiatea. If you prefer to rest, the lodge faces the lagoon.
Domestic flight from Raiatea to Tahiti, then about an hour's drive south-east on the shared transfer. You cross the Taravao isthmus, which links Tahiti Nui, the large part of the island, to the Tahiti Iti peninsula, smaller, green and sparsely populated. Check-in at Vanira Lodge, in the hills above Teahupoo: wooden bungalows built into the vegetation, with the ocean in front and the mountains behind. The Teahupoo wave, one of the most powerful in the world, hosted the surfing at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Half a day included with a local guide, shared, discovering places that Polynesian stories link to gods and ancestors. The route crosses forests regarded as sacred and reaches caves in the volcanic rock, with stops at viewpoints over the coast. The guide tells the peninsula's traditions and legends. Tahiti Iti's coast road ends at Teahupoo on one side and at Tautira on the other: the stretch in between, called Te Pari, can only be reached on foot or by boat.
A last free day. One idea, optional and booked separately: a boat trip along Te Pari, the coast of volcanic cliffs, waterfalls and caves that no road reaches, with a close look at the Teahupoo wave. Alternatively, with a hire car you can drive up to the Taravao plateau lookout, at about 600 metres, with views over both parts of Tahiti. For last-minute shopping there is Taravao, the town on the isthmus, with shops and small markets.
Shared transfer to Tahiti-Faa'a airport, about an hour's drive, for your flight home. Alternatively, the trip can be extended with a few nights on another island in the archipelago. Before leaving, the tourist tax is paid at the hotel.
