“Te Island of the Immense Sky,” as this secluded atoll is known, boasts a crystal lagoon so vast that the entire island of Tahiti could fit within it, making Rangiroa a bucket-list destination for divers and snorkelers. Te undersea discoveries here are exceptional with some of the most colorful and abundant marine life found anywhere on Earth. Te submerged landscape borders on the hedonistic, home to fish of every shape, size, and color cavorting against a filigreed coral backdrop. You may even spy wild dolphins, playfully enjoying life as dolphins like to do.
French Polynesia’s largest atoll invites you to find your perfect beach. If tranquil waters fringed by white velvet sand come to mind, you’re covered. Or you might choose to wander the picturesque village of Avatoru, or venture just a stone’s throw farther along to discover Dominique Auroy Winery which produces French Polynesia’s only wine label, Vin de Tahiti.
Te Gauguin offers two snorkeling excursions on Rangiroa. Drift snorkeling gently carries you with the current where the Pacific Ocean meets Rangiroa’s lagoon. Te view below the surface is said to be the island’s best. Snorkeling Rangiroa’s
‘Aquarium’ brings you to another of the island’s sweet spots, where you’ll hand-feed the fish in their prismatic aquatic kingdom.
If diving is more your style, consider the SCUBA Motu Nuhi Nuhi excursion, which visits Tiputa Pass, where hammerhead sharks make their home during summer (December-March), and eels, colorful fish, and whitetip reef sharks frequent throughout the year.
FAKARAVA Tis treasured enclave is home to flora and fauna not seen
anywhere else on the globe. Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, you will see Mother Nature’s handiwork firsthand on land and beneath the water. Te Tuamotus’ second-largest lagoon is one of the world’s most prized (yet still relatively undiscovered) diving and snorkeling locations.
Like the rest of the South Pacific, the vibe on Fakarava is relaxed and stress-free. Unplug from your worries and spend your day wandering through the main village of Rotoava. What you're seeing is real, and this is just the beginning. Feel the warm sand between your toes on extraordinarily beautiful beaches. Or go beneath the glass- like surface of the lagoon for an entrée into another world.
Whether you spend your day exploring below the surface of the water or above, you’ve found paradise. As your cares melt away with the breeze, imprint this beautiful day in the bank of memories you reach for when one day someone asks you when you were happiest.
AT SEa Please report to the Pool Deck. Te Gauguin’s heated, mahogany- framed saltwater pool is calling. Te sensation of being in the water while traveling on the water should not be missed. Take a dip. Grab a chaise. Order up a little food and your favorite cocktail. Chat up your fellow travelers—one meets the most interesting people while at sea.
Te day is a blank canvas before you. Tomorrow, Taha’a.
Taha’a [Motu Mahana] Forget your troubles, deadlines, and responsibilities on this gentle little islet that will steal your heart and tingle your senses. Taha’a’s sweet, vanilla-scented air
will stay with you like your first kiss, while the island’s beauty will be forever imprinted in your mind.
If you made it your quest on this voyage to find your perfect beach, you may discover it here at Motu Mahana, Paul Gauguin Cruises’ own private slice of paradise. Bring your complimentary snorkel gear from the ship, feast on a barbecue lunch, and while away the afternoon doing whatever your vacationing heart desires.
Moorea (OVERNIGHT) It seems like you could walk for miles in Moorea’s waist-deep lagoon. Te soft sand beneath your feet, the kiss of the sun on your shoulders. Like the finest uncut crystal, the warm water has such clarity it’s almost as if it isn’t there. Take a spin in a glass- bottomed boat, snorkel, swim, or just float for the sensation of zero-gravity levitation. Looking landward, this magical lagoon is met by a carpet of verdant jungle which surrenders to the fractured shell of a once- mighty volcano. Everywhere you look is exceedingly beautiful. Surely in such an exquisite setting, many great loves have been born.
Papeete, Tahiti Can it possibly be coming to an end? Already? Enriched and relaxed, your gracious home at sea has returned you to where you began what seems like only moments ago.
And so it is that the conclusion of your epic voyage has arrived. With a fond farewell, we bid adieu until your return to the m/s Paul Gauguin when you’ll be greeted like old friends, as if you’d never been away.
Society Islands & Tuamotus Roundtrip Papeete, Tahiti
10 NIGHTS from $5,500 per person Includes 30% Early Bonus Savings*
2024 SAILING DATES:
January 24; March 6; April 24; May 29; October 9; December 11, 2024
*See page 79 for Terms & Conditions
Paul Gauguin Cruises |
www.pgcruises.com 43
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