The trip of our dreams

A day we won't forget!

We get up early because at 6:00 the Tekura Tahiti Travel shuttle passes by to take us to the Fahaa airport. It's only 6:00, but almost everyone is up. This is how we begin to understand that here people get up early, eat dinner early and go to bed early. After stopping by the port to pick up some tourists who arrived by ferry from Moorea, we finally arrive at the airport and at 7:30 we leave for Tahaa. The plane is small and so will the subsequent ones be because the landing strips are smaller in size compared to the usual ones since you often land on small motu. Once we land we'll have to move by boat because the airport is in Raiatea, the island next to Tahaa. Many tourists go to the Tahaa Private Island, a super luxurious structure frequented by VIPs; we, on the other hand, will go to a small and romantic Paradise: the Vahine Private Island.

This small structure is a private island managed down to the smallest details by a French family. The structure consists of a restaurant, a bar/library, an area equipped for water activities, 3 beach bungalows, 3 suite bungalows and 3 overwater bungalows. Upon our arrival the Manager and an employee (Polynesian) welcome us with a flower necklace and their slogan "welcome to Vahine, beyond the island there is the world, here there is paradise!" My wife and I had never seen such an enchanting place. They lead us to the restaurant to offer us breakfast and to choose the courses that will be served to us at dinner, then they'll show us the areas of the island (all carefully maintained), but the highlight has yet to come. Around 11:00 Carl leads us to our Fare (in Polynesian: house) and here we remain speechless.

A stilt house built with simplicity but which blends perfectly with the surrounding nature. Created with two sliding walls (it stays half open if you want), inside it has the refrigerator covered with woven leaves, the folding table with a glass bottom so you can admire the fish from the room, the walls and furniture all covered with woven leaves, a large bathroom with two little rooms on the sides. In one the shower, in the other the toilet, all with shell ornaments, and finally the terrace; with hammock, two sun loungers, two deck chairs with a small table and a ladder for direct access to the sea. But the most spectacular thing is the panorama. A natural pool in the distance the water becomes a bit bluer, and even further away you can see Bora Bora.

We remained for several minutes without speaking, admiring the spectacle before us, the peace that reigns on this island which I think is the place where everyone would want to be for their honeymoon. After an afternoon of relaxing in the sun, around sunset time a waitress brings us a tray with two flutes of appetizers and a bottle of champagne. She leaves them on the little table on the terrace and says: "a gift from Carol and Carl" (the owners). Everything cared for down to the smallest details, the sun gave us a fantastic sunset right behind Bora Bora and we could toast to our eternal love in a super romantic setting. From 7 to 8 pm dinner is served, and the restaurant too has its charm. The lights are very soft, the tables are lit by a simple candle and the waitresses have hairstyles with floral ornaments.

The cuisine is French with some small Polynesian influence, and is nothing short of exquisite! I think we will never forget this day because this place fascinated us for being romantic and overwhelming like few other places on earth.

Tyrant Wind

By now we've picked up Polynesian rhythms and at 7 we're already awake. We decide the menu for dinner and after the usual mega breakfast (omelette, fruit, Tahaa vanilla yogurt, lime jams and coconut cookies, milk and fruit juices) we take the pedal boat and go to visit the wild part of the island. Here the coral reef is very close and the water currents are strong. We take a few photos and return toward our fare because the wind has picked up and unfortunately it will stay with us all day and night. After dinner on the beach a Polynesian show is scheduled and we get involved in the dance too.

By now we're getting to know the other guests of the island and we notice that we Italians are about half of the tourists on the island and this average will hold true on the other islands too, in fact a taxi driver in Papeete had told us that from June to September there's an invasion of Italian newlyweds. We return to our fare and the wind torments us all night with drafts coming through the… sliding walls!!

Waiter or waitress?

Finally the wind calm down and we can thus bask in the sun all day. In the afternoon we discover that entertainment activities are held in the central structure and today the women are taught to create floral decorations. The one teaching it all is the island's all-around waiter or waitress. In fact in Polynesia it's quite easy to find these guys raised as women who do the housework or take care of activities generally carried out by women. In the evening all the women at dinner wear their creation in their hair and afterward the Polynesian show is repeated again

by the sea, lit by torches and caressed by the sea breeze.

Farewell, wonderful island

Unfortunately today we will leave this corner of Paradise, but we manage to enjoy this spectacle until 2 pm. We take the canoe and wander around this natural pool trying to capture and make indelible the memories of this fantastic place. When the boat arrives, Carol and Carl accompany us to the pier to say goodbye and offer us, as tradition dictates, the shell necklace as if it were a see-you-soon. So we set off for Raiatea airport in the company of a couple of kids from Bari who, like us, are going to Bora Bora.