Sample Itinerary
Here is sample itinerary of what you may expect while enjoying a sailing vacation with TradeWinds in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. Weather or other outside factors may mean that your Captain sets an alternative course.
Please note: Guests booking to cruise French Polynesia after 1st January 2022 will board and disembark on Fridays, not on Saturdays as is the case prior to 1st January 2022.
Arrival Day
Boarding is at 5pm on Saturday in Marina Apooiti on Raiatea. You will be welcomed with Captains’ Cocktails before heading out to the anchorage in time for watching the sun going down on the next island we’ll visit: Bora-Bora! You will then receive your cabin briefing and once we have settled in and become acquainted with our fellow passengers we will enjoy a delicious three course dinner, prepared using the freshest local ingredients by your onboard chef.
Raiatea is known as “the sacred island” as it is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Marae Taputapuatea, a large ceremonial complex dating back to 1000AD. The site features several Marae and other stone structures and was once considered the central temple and religious center of Eastern Polynesia.
Cruising Day 1
Wake up to the smell of fresh coffee in paradise and take in the breathtaking surroundings. You have made it to the middle of the South Pacific! The lush greens of the mountainous hills and varying shades of blue in the lagoon are incomparable. Breakfast is served so let’s tantalize our taste buds with exotic seasonal fruits and freshly baked French pastries. Our captain will go through the various safety aspects of the boat and outline the plan for the week. The sails will then be hoisted as we head across the lagoon to the sister island of Taha’a to the beautiful Faaaha Bay. (There are only 13 letters in the Tahitian alphabet, and every letter in a word is pronounced)!
Taha'a is symbolically called “the Vanilla island”. It is on these fertile lands that Tahitian vanilla is cultivated, considered the best and the most fragrant vanilla, which is sought after by the best chefs around the world. This morning you will visit a family run, organic vanilla farm 'Vallée de la Vanille'. The process of vanilla cultivation and it's many uses will be described in detail. Along with the famous Coconut oil, a local antiseptic miracle oil is also produced on site from the Tamanu nut.
We will then have lunch anchored in the turquoise blue water of the lagoon, this blue is just hypnotizing!
We will then sail to the west coast of Taha’a, drop anchor for some amazing snorkeling just of the back of the boat, perfect for becoming reacquainted with your snorkeling gear. Afterwards, cocktails will be sipped watching the sun going down on Bora-Bora!
Cruising Day 2
Get ready for the most amazing sail of the week, choose your favorite spot for the 4 hours sail to the Pearl of the Pacific, Bora Bora. The Bora Bora lagoon is spectacular and is said to boast 13 shades of blue. We will spend much time in, under and on the water here. The first stop is for a delightful well-deserved lunch, we’ll moor in a large shallow area where rays can sometimes be seen swimming in the turquoise blue water.
In the afternoon you will sail around the north of Bora-Bora towards an area called the “Hotel side”: Four Seasons, St Regis, Intercontinental all iconic hotels with their overwater bungalows that make the fame of this very unique island of the South-Pacific, we will sail past all of them to go moor at the south-east corner of Bora Bora, at the “Swimming Pool”, right on time for a board meeting (cocktails on the paddle board!).
We’ll relax and day-dream, watching the infinite turquoise water on the horizon, and on the other side the sunset painting Bora-Bora’s dramatic silhouette with all its flaming colors.
Cruising Day 3
This morning is all about water sports!
You will go snorkeling looking for spotted eagle rays around the Tepuhoro point. Your captain will take you with the tender to the area, stay calm and quiet and they can be sometimes a whole school of them swimming right below you and a skittish white tip reef shark might pass by in the deep …
You can also use the kayak or the paddle board to go explore the white sand beach on the Motu across the bay, gorgeous beach combing with the most amazing view of the island across the lagoon: Yes, this is Bora-Bora and YOU are living the dream! Your captain will raise the sails and circumnavigate the whole island, regatta time!
As we dock in town for lunch, you can then go and enjoy some shopping in town or you may wish to check internet here and send some photos home to make friends and family extremely jealous!
You will then move to the Bloody Mary’s bay in the afternoon, for some sunset cocktails before dinner.
Tuesday night’s meal ashore is either at the star-studded Bloody Mary's bar and restaurant or in a Bora-Bora restaurant of your choice. At Bloody Mary’s the daily catch is on display and you just need to point at what fish you want to eat, the chef will throw it on the grill right away!
Cruising Day 4
After a nice healthy breakfast Scuba divers will be collected from the boat by the local dive center (see details in our “Good to know” section). In the meantime, your Captain can drop you ashore for a short hike to the lookout above Matira Point, where you will be awed by the different shades of blue in the lagoon. You can also go beach-combing on Matira Beach, the world famous and most beautiful beach in Bora-Bora!
After lunch your Captain will set the sails up for the afternoon sail back to Taha'a, keep an eye out for dolphins near the passes of Bora-Bora or Taha’a, as this is where they like to relax. In season we have the chance to see humpback whales coming in our waters for breeding, calving, mating or simply relaxing, so all eyes on deck and look for spouts! Arriving in “The Vanilla Island” we will sail along its lush green coast and we will pass the village of Tiva to see the picturesque red and white church on the waters’ edge.
Your Captain will anchor just south of Motu Tautau on the west side of Taha'a (home of The Relais and Chateau resort “Le Taha'a"). Far in the distance Bora Bora will be framed between the motus dotted along the edge of the reef.
Go swimming if you want or just relax floating behind your luxury yacht. We love this place because it is where you will be able to see the most amazing South-Pacific sunset right over the water, green flash…!?
Cruising Day 5
After your Chef's amazing breakfast your crew will bring you ashore in the dinghy for a spectacular drift snorkel between two motus. This is the highlight of the week for underwater adventurers and is not to be missed! You will need water shoes to walk to the start of the drift section.
We will continue our circumnavigation of Taha'a and moor to finish the day in the beautiful Motu Ceyran. Go for a swim or float with a view over Huahine; its shape from a distance looks like a pregnant Tahitian lady laid in the water with her very long hair floating over the horizon! Ask your captain what does “Huahine” means in Tahitian, you will maybe learn the legend of the “Secret Island”…
Cruising Day 6
After breakfast we will sail to the largest, most impressive bay of Taha’a: Apu Bay on the south side of the Island. We will be taken ashore to visit the Champon Pearl Farm, a locally run farm where pearl production and jewelry creation is done by the family with great professionalism and taste. They will inform us on the process of pearl making and will bring us into the workshop where we can witness first-hand all stages of pearl harvesting. Peer over the pearl surgeon’s shoulder and share in the excitement as he delicately pulls out exquisite pearls from oysters he had implanted two years previously!
In the afternoon you may wish to snorkel along the drop off, explore the bay on the paddle-boards and kayak, or go for a leisurely wander and ice cream ashore.
Friday night’s meal ashore will be either at the “Raiatea Lodge restaurant” for a gourmet blend of French and Tahitian cuisine or at “Le Ficus” restaurant - the friendliest local restaurant. If you select this option a traditional Tahitian oven will be uncovered, followed by a buffet of traditional delights and an authentic Polynesian dance show.
Departure Day
All too soon it’s departure day, and our crew will have the boat back on the dock by 7.30am. Enjoy one last breakfast aboard in paradise, before you depart Apo Iti Marina at 9am. First, though, we swap email addresses and photos, and then we send everyone home with great memories and anticipation for our next Tradewinds’ sailing vacation.
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