FRENCH POLYNESIA `


We docked at a sandbank frequented by reef shark and stringrays and descended into the water. It started with one ray, then two, then three – by the end, I was nigh-on surrounded


sour lemongrass, to the ‘toothache plant’, so named for its anaesthetic properties (cue tingling tongue). Then we sat down for lunch, tucking into a menu that was so aesthetically pleasing it deserved to hang in a gallery. /hi v>Ài inVlÕ`i` L>n>n> li>v wlli` ÜiÌh Ãmoki` Ü>hoo >n` VoVonÕÌ] > Ã>l>` m>`i vÀom iliVÌÀiV-LlÕi yoÜiÀÃ >n` a whimsically carved melon that would have made Saatchi proud – all washed down with a bright-purple elixir that was every bit as fairytale as the place itself.


Laid-back luxury It took the prospect of another private isle to tear me away from Motu Nao Nao, and Vahine Island Resort, located an hour’s speedboat ride away, was just the tonic. Set on a serene lagoon, this laid-back, rustic spot is all


about ‘barefoot luxury’, with nine overwater bungalows and beachfront suites scattered across a coconut grove, a bar featuring local volcanic stone and a French-inspired restaurant enticing guests at the end of each day. Its crowning glory, though, is La Villa Royale, an extravagant, six-suite villa that opened in 2020, decked out with handcrafted wood furnishings, local artworks and shells plucked from the shores. A swimming pool meanders through the middle of it (complete with its own bar) and the 150-square-metre master suites are genuinely jaw-dropping – think king-sized bed raised on a wooden platform, a staircase leading to a mezzanine and a huge balcony overlooking the lagoon (guests can book the whole villa or just a room, with suites from €1,109 per night half-board). It also backs onto its own private beach, exclusive to guests staying there. I spent my days kayaking, snorkelling and canoeing in


FROM TOP: Moorea; writer Laura French; Papeete, Tahiti Credits: Shutterstock/NAPA, Fly_and_Dive


Ìhi ÃÕÀÀoÕn`in} l>}oon] in LiÌÜiin yo««in} on Ìhi Ã>n`] ÜhiÀi niÛiÀ Ã>Ü >noÌhiÀ ÃoÕl° iÛin}] `ii«-Ãi> wÃhin}


52


ASPIRE SEPTEMBER 2022


aspiretravelclub.co.uk


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