Month: February 2019

Some call it the world’s most beautiful island. Hard to say if that’s really true, but I can express with certainty that Bora Bora failed to disappoint today as Mom and toured the entire main island by open-air truck; then I snorkeled a beautiful coral reef as well as swam with sharks and stingrays. A memorable day for sure.

Bora Bora, population 9,600, is known worldwide for its five-star resorts on islets surrounding the main island featuring hundreds of overwater bungalows. In the center of Bora Bora are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. The latter is the highest point on the island at 727 meters (2,385 feet).

Mom and I sailed along the only navigable river in all of French Polynesia during our shore excursion today here at our second port of call on our 12-night Oceania Marina cruise through this vast French territory in the South Pacific. We also spent an hour on a pretty islet full of white sand and palm trees.

Raiatea, population 12,000 and land area 65 square miles (similar in size to the District of Columbia), is the second largest of the Society Islands after Tahiti, where Mom and I spent five days prior to sailing yesterday to Moorea Island and onward today. Raiatea means “faraway heaven” and “sky with soft light.” It’s the homeland of the ancient Polynesians and the most sacred island in the South Pacific.

I swam with sharks and stingrays in the gorgeous turquoise waters off Moorea Island today during our first port of call on our 12-night Oceania Marina cruise throughout French Polynesia. This is the closest to both marine species I’ve ever come and it was definitely exciting!

Moorea, population 17,230, covers 51 square miles just a dozen miles west of Tahiti in the Society Islands. The island’s name means “yellow lizard.” Samuel Wallis was the first European to sight the island in 1767. The major industries are pineapples and tourism.