bungalows and honeymooners holding hands on the shores of crystal-clear lagoons. What do I think of instead? I think of my son frolicking in sun- warmed waters with a huge smile on his face. Yes, the French Polynesian islands are very romantic—but they’re surprisingly kid-friendly, too! As a seasoned traveler, I know the amazing life lessons kids learn from traveling and experiencing local cultures. French Polynesia has so many cultural, historical, and natural wonders to offer families—the question is why wouldn’t you take your kids?
W
I have taken the 7-night Tahiti & the Society Islands itinerary twice with my family, and I must say, the m/s Paul Gauguin is truly the best way to experience French Polynesia. So many adventures fi lled each day… where do I begin? I think the easiest way to explain how wonderful the destination and the ship are for families is to describe our experiences port-by-port:
HUAHINE
My 11-year-old son loves history, so a highlight of this island was Fare Pote’e, a museum housed in a replica of an open traditional house. Fare was the seat of local power for the island, so there are a host of marae (religious sites built from stone) scattered along the shoreline. If you are interested in how pear s or vanilla are produced, you can easily visit these farms and be amazed in the production processes. And if you’reou feeling brave and adventurous, visit Faie, and see (and even feed sardines to) Huahine’s famous and sacred blue- eyed eels.
seat of
here are built
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asily visit the
, visit rdines ed blue- MOTU MAHANA
Motu Mahana (The Gauguin’s private islet) is just the place to dip in and do some great snorkeling, kayaking, and swimming. Or just lounge on the sandbar or build a sand castle—all of which my son gladly did. Children and adults alike can enjoy fascinating legends told by the ship’s entertainers, Les Gauguines and Les Gauguins—not to mention lounging in the dappled shade of a palm tree while sipping a fresh coconut drink!
rivate and do ng, and he sandbar hich my dults alike old by the nes and lounging tree while
SITE PAGE: T e dive staff is fun and organized, making the program uncomplicated. LEFT: Dinner together every evening was a treat! ABOVE: T e private beach on a tiny motu in Bora Bora beats any amusement park.
OP
OPPOS and o m
y ev p
hen one thinks of French Polynesia, what comes to most people’s minds are floating
BORA BORA
As a history buff, my son appreciated learning about Bora Bora’s strategic role in World War II. He also delighted in the coral ring surrounding the island that makes Bora Bora an ideal place to snorkel and dive. He took The Gauguin’s onboard Discover SCUBA Diving program on both sailings, so that we could all dive together as a family. The ship’s dive team is very knowledgeable, amiable, and thorough, and they put my son right at ease. Both Bora Bora and Moorea have wonderful shallow dive sites for beginners (under 30 feet) where beautiful coral and fi sh are abundant. The clarity is wonderful to the point that you forget you are underwater!
I think I have hundreds of pictures of my son giving me underwater OK and hang- ten hand signals, he enjoyed it so much!
MOOREA
Moorea was our favorite island! (We loved it so much, we spent an additional week there after each cruise.) We loved visiting the idyllic motus and snorkeling until our fi ngers and toes turned into prunes. My son couldn’t get enough of the friendly rays and colorful fi sh. And what little boy wouldn’t be over the moon to come face to face with blacktip sharks? Moored at Moorea, my son also had a blast kayaking and paddleboarding on turquoise and cobalt blue waters off the ship’s watersports marina.
Paul Gauguin Cruises |
www.pgcruises.com PlG i C i
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