Two Tickets to Paradise - French Polynesia and The Paul Gauguin

Overwater Bugalows at the Hilton Moorea Resort

To celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss, the Boss and I went on our dream trip to the South Pacific in August.   We started with 3 nights in an overwater bungalow at the Hilton Moorea, followed by a 7-night cruise on the Paul Gauguin, a very upscale all-inclusive cruise ship that specializes in French Polynesia itineraries.  Make no mistake, this was not a budget trip in any way, but we loved every minute of it, so it was worth the high price tag.  As the saying goes, travel is the only thing you spend money on that makes you richer! 

At the Cruise360 Conference earlier this year, Esther shared our itinerary with a senior executive of Paul Gauguin Cruises. She suggested we do the overwater bungalow stay prior to boarding the ship rather than at the end of the cruise, so we could finish our anniversary trip in all-inclusive style with pampering service on the ship, and we took her advice.  About the only thing that wasn’t wonderful about the trip was getting to Tahiti in the first place.  We left home in Northern Virginia just after noon on August 18, flew five and half hours to Los Angeles, arriving just before 6:00 PM in LA.  Our connection to Tahiti didn’t leave until midnight, so we had to kill six hours in the grungy international terminal at LAX.  We couldn’t even check our luggage until 8:30 PM at the Air Tahiti Nui counter.  Then the flight to Tahiti was another 8 plus hours, and we arrived there at 5:30 AM local time.  Took a cab to the ferry dock and rode the ferry across to Moorea, only about 40 minutes.   The Hilton had a bus waiting at the ferry on Moorea to take us to the hotel, where we finally checked in roughly 26 hours after leaving home.

The pool at the resort - rarely saw anyone in it.

Within a few minutes of our arrival at the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa, however, the journey was quickly forgotten, as we were well taken care of by the hotel.   Although our bungalow was not ready, they provided us a day room to shower and freshen up, and change into swim suits.  We left our luggage in the lobby, and it was delivered to our room and waiting for us when we got our room key after lunch.  We spent a relaxing morning on the beach.

We had to hang out here until our bungalow was ready - poor us!

We had an issue with the bungalow – we had paid for a “panoramic” bungalow, which basically are the ones further from shore with a little more seclusion and better overall views.  Our bungalow was the last one before the panoramic section, and at first they tried to tell us we had a panoramic bungalow.  Esther pointed out that their web site said different, and after a brief discussion, the manager admitted that ours was not a panoramic, but said they had none available that night.  She said they would move us the next day for our last two nights, and offered us a nice resort credit.  We often say the sign of a good hotel, cruise ship, resort, etc. is not necessarily the absence of problems (because they happen everywhere), but how the hotel responds, and we were quite satisfied with the Hilton response.

A view of the beach and resort with the mountains of Moorea in the background.

The three days at the Hilton were amazing.  The resort only has bungalows, and there are only 109 of them, 55 on land and 54 over the water.  Our overwater bungalow, #106, had a large bathroom, a combination bedroom and sitting area, a covered balcony, and a lower platform with a ladder into the lagoon.  And it was our own free-standing structure.  There was even a window in the floor so you could see into the water below the bungalow.

The balcony on our bungalow

The swim platform off of our balcony - the water is only about 5 feet deep, but the snorkeling was amazing!

Looking at the overwater bungalows from the resort restaurant - we were in the second to the last one near the end.

We had been warned that everything in French Polynesia was exorbitantly expensive, but found prices to be not much more than you would expect at a top hotel or resort anywhere else.  Yes, a cheeseburger was over $20, but we had a pizza for lunch at the poolside bar and grill for under $20, and dinner at the overwater crepe bar was around $65.  Dinner in the main restaurant was about $120, including drinks.  We also left the resort one night to dine at the Moorea Beach Café, which was nice.  But I did think the $17 martinis there were priced a tad high!

Tom learns how to remove the husk from the coconut - sort of...

We spent time every day on our balcony or swim platform, and did some of the best snorkeling we have ever seen right under our bungalow.  We took rolls from breakfast to feed the fish and were surrounded by tremendous numbers and varieties of fish of all sizes and colors.  We also saw a sting ray swim right under the bungalow, and feeding the sharks at the crepe bar was a nightly attraction.

Sharks swimming under the crepe bar at night - Esther wanted to know where they were in the daytime!

Headed into the interior of the island on the ATVs.

On our second day in Moorea, we signed up for an ATV tour of the island with ATV Moorea Tours, and highly recommend this to everyone.  Guillaume, our guide, was from France but visited Moorea four years ago and decided to stay.  Esther and I shared an ATV, and while she didn’t want to drive it, she provided her usual excellent driving advice to me.  We followed Guillaume down one of the only two paved roads on Moorea, then veered off onto dirt paths and trails, past a pineapple plantation, through a forest and to a farm with amazing flowers, and we drove to the belvedere, an overlook with great views of the island.

A budding pineapple.

We stopped to taste some of the local jams, and then drove to the center of the island, where Guillaume gave us an interesting lesson on the geology of Moorea, which is essentially an eroding volcano crater.  We finished at the “Magic Mountain” after a steep climb up some winding partially paved paths, and enjoyed panoramic views of the mountains and the lagoons.

Crossing a small stream.

Breakfast was included at the Hilton Moorea and they had a great buffet with an omelet station, and delicious local jams with flavors including pineapple vanilla and banana.  We had breakfast on the balcony of the restaurant every morning with great views of the overwater bungalows and the ocean beyond.

Breakfast set-up in the resort restaurant - omelet station to the right, and local jams on the round table.

Not sure we've ever had breakfast in a more beautiful spot.

One of the best things about the resort was that it never seemed crowded – we could always get a couple of lounges on the beach or at the pool, and never had to wait at any of the restaurants.   We would have loved staying another day, but we were excited to get to the cruise ship.

Happy Anniversary to us!

We could have done this for another day or two  (sigh...)

Sunrise from our bungalow deck - fabulous!

The Hilton provided transportation back to the ferry dock for a small fee on Saturday morning, where we met David and Laura, newlyweds from DC on their honeymoon, who had also been at the Hilton Moorea, and were sailing on the Paul Gauguin.  We all rode the ferry back to Tahiti.  The islands are close enough that you can see each one from the other.  The ferry docked almost right next to the Paul Gauguin, so all we had to do was wheel our luggage 100 yards or so to the ship.

The Paul Gauguin - photo taken from the ferry from Moorea. Our stateroom was above the second lifeboat from the left.

The onboard process was great – we left our bags at the dock and walked aboard into the Grand Salon and were given a glass of champagne as we checked in and picked up our room key cards.   By the time we got to our stateroom, the luggage was already waiting.  That never happens on the big ships!

Our stateroom was nice, but not really any larger than our typical balcony stateroom on other ships.  The bathroom was a little nicer since it had a full size bathtub/shower.

Our stateroom

Our bathroom

After unpacking, we set out to explore the ship, which didn’t take long for a ship this size.  We made our way to the pool deck, and met William, who took our first drink orders.  William asked our names, as do all the crew, and none of them ever forget your name the rest of the cruise.  A large majority of the crew were Filipinos, which is always a treat for me after growing up in the Philippines.  I get to use my very limited Tagalog vocabulary and tell a couple of Filipino jokes, and we have a great time together. 

Our first drinks on the pool deck, which eventually led to.....

......this, happy Tom dancing at the welcome aboard party!

One of my high school classmates, Tim Cone, has become the most famous professional basketball coach in the Philippines, where basketball is far and away the most popular sport and deeply embedded in Philippine culture.  Tim is a huge celebrity in the Philippines.  I shamelessly inform the Filipino crew members that Tim and I played basketball together in high school in the Philippines, and I become a minor celebrity on board by association.

The Paul Gauguin has a passenger capacity of 332, but we found out that there were only 208 guests on our sailing.  With a crew of 217, that meant there were more crew members on board than passengers.   We have never had better service on a cruise than we did on the Paul Gauguin, mostly because that is what they are known for (“#1 Small-Ship Cruise Line” Travel + Leisure, World’s Best Awards (2014)), but also because the ship wasn’t full, and finally because we really got to know the crew and had lots of fun with them.  We found the demographics of the passengers to be very similar to us for the most part (young-at-heart 50-somethings!), with several young honeymoon couples, and only a few elderly people.  

Entertainment on the ship is primarily provided by the Gaugines, local Tahitians who serve as cruise staff, entertainers, and storytellers.  They do create an atmosphere of French Polynesian culture on board.   However, our favorite entertainment on the ship was the Crew Show, a one-night event of comedy, song, and dance put on by the mostly Filipino crew.  The casino consists of one blackjack table, one roulette table, and 13 slot machines, and we only played a few times.

Although there are only three dining venues on the ship, Esther and I agreed that the food was the best we’ve ever had on a cruise.  The main dining room, L’Etoile, feels like the best specialty restaurants on other cruise ships.  Wonderful presentation and service.   

Me with Mike and Flo in the main dining room.  Flo (right) also does a great Charlie Chaplin imitation in the Crew Show!

Reservations are needed for their specialty restaurants, La Veranda and Le Grill, but they were not difficult to get.  La Veranda is French, and Le Grill has a Pacific Rim flavor, and both were outstanding.  La Veranda and Le Grill also double as breakfast and lunch venues, with a combination of elaborate buffets plus a la carte menus if you prefer.  The pasta bar in Le Grill at lunch was especially tasty.  We thought the wines at dinner were excellent, too.   Dining is completely freestyle in the main dining room – you can go whenever you want and you can always sit by yourself or be seated with others.  We did both.  

We sailed from Tahiti to Huahine, which was our least favorite port.  We were there on a Sunday and there wasn’t much to see on Huahine.  From there, we sailed to Taha’a, also known as the vanilla island, and this is where they have a barbecue on their own private motu (islet), Motu Mahana.   Everyone takes the tender to the motu, where they put you ashore in a beautiful lagoon with a bartender wading around dragging floating bar behind him.  The menu includes grilled ribs, chicken, sausage, burgers, local dishes, fruit, salads, and desserts, and of course there is a bar on land as well.  I did some snorkeling right off the beach, and while it didn’t match what we saw at our overwater bungalow, it was still nice.  And, of course, the Gauguines did some singing and dancing for entertainment.  A very enjoyable day.

The floating bar on the private motu.  What a great idea!

Entertainment by The Gauguines

Sailing away on a beautiful evening.

Sunset in Polynesia.

Next was Bora Bora, where we spent two days, as the ship stayed in port overnight.   Paul Gauguin has a private beach in Bora Bora, which is much smaller and quieter than the big party at Motu Mahana.  We tendered over and spent an afternoon there, laying on the beach and snorkeling.   Did I mention they had a small bar on the beach, serving beer, rum punch and soft drinks?

Paul Gauguin's private beach in Bora Bora - note the mountain of the main island in the background.

This was the site of our AquaBike adventure, where the two of us rode an underwater scooter around following a scuba diver guide.  The AquaBike has a cockpit with compressed air pumped in so we could breathe and talk without any other equipment.  You have to take a boat to the AquaBike platform out in the middle of the ocean.  After the ride, we were taken to snorkeling spot before going back to shore.

The AquaBikes - a two-seater with a glass cockpit that you can breathe inside of.

The guide feeds the fish outside our AquaBike

Downtown Bora Bora isn’t much to look at, just a dusty main road through town, with a lot of shops for tourists.  We actually spent a lot of relaxing time on the ship while in Bora Bora.  They have a great selection of movies on board, and a DVD player in the stateroom.

You never find an empty pool on a large cruise ship!

Bora Bora was notable, however, for the Polynesian blessing ceremony for couples on their honeymoons or celebrating anniversaries, like us.  The Gaugines put flower wreaths on our heads, wrapped us in a traditional Tahitian quilt, the tifaifi, and blessed us as we kissed.  Another 25 years guaranteed!

Our honeymoon couple friends, David and Laura at the marriage blessing.

The Boss and me wrapped together to bless our marriage!

The next stop was Moorea, where we had spent our three days at the Hilton, and maybe because of that, it was our favorite island.  We signed up for the waverunner adventure here, and were actually taken to the Hilton Moorea Resort to board the waverunners.  Esther and I shared a machine, and things started out OK.   We followed our guide and had three other couples on waverunners behind us.  Unfortunately, it was pretty windy and the guide led us across some pretty rough waters, which made steering and keeping the waverunner upright more difficult than usual.  In one particularly bumpy spot, Esther fell off, soon to be followed by one of the other couples.  Once everyone was picked up and back on the machines, we followed the guide through the worst section, where the ocean spray felt like a fire hose pointe in my face, and I was literally driving blind for all intents and purposes.  Eventually we got to a more protected area, and the return trip was on much calmer waters and a lot more fun.

Our waverunner adventure buddies - Jack and Linda (right), and Robert and Bronwyn (center).

Moorea was also where Esther finally bought her black pearls, which French Polynesia is famous for.  She ran into a very good local salesperson in one of the vendor tents at the tender dock, and picked out a necklace, earrings and ring, for her anniversary presents.  Moorea was another port where we spent the night.  The next day we sailed back to Papeete, the main city on Tahiti, and docked for the night.

A beautiful rainbow behind us on our last day on the ship - the payoff after a rainy start.

 We met a lot of nice people on the cruise:  David and Laura, the honeymooners who we seemed to run into every five minutes; Jack and Linda from Atlanta, and Robert and Bronwyn from Sydney, who shared our waverunner adventure and numerous tender rides; and Susan and Chris from Richmond, who have been on Seabourn twice, and told us the Paul Gauguin was just as nice.   We met many others, too, and as always, that’s one of the main reasons we love to travel so much.

It was a first for us to see the passengers hugging the crew members at the end of the cruise, which shows you what a fantastic staff the ship had.  We felt like we were saying good-bye to old friends after only seven days.  We will miss Flo, Mike, Rey Amor, Francisco, Arjay, Michael Jerome, Apolinario, and all the rest that took such good care of us!

The Boss with Francisco, Ray Amor and Michael Jerome - these guys were part of the best crew ever.

The crew and The Gauguines with the Cruise Director on the last night.

Fortunately, when we left the ship, we didn’t have to go straight to the airport for the long journey home.  Paul Guaguin put us on a two-hour city tour of Papeete, which was actually pretty interesting, including a stop at the James Norman Hall Museum.  Hall was the co-author of the novel “Mutiny on the Bounty”, and the museum was a replica of the house he lived in for most of his life in Tahiti.   We were also taken to Venus Point, where The Bounty supposedly landed.

The market in downtown Papeete.

The pool and lagoonarium at the Intercontinental Tahiti.

After the tour, we arrived at the Intercontinental Resort Tahiti, and were given day rooms to use until we had to leave for the airport at 8:30 PM.  We were able to snorkel in their Lagoonarium, hang out at the pool with Jack and Linda, shower and change, and have dinner at the resort before our transfer to the airport.

The Papeete airport is not a good place to have to spend two hours waiting for your flight to board.  The waiting area at the gates is not air-conditioned, and there were not nearly enough seats for the several hundred people flying out on the two late flights.   Not a great start to a long trip home.  However, this is a small price to pay to experience paradise.

We couldn’t have picked a better trip to celebrate our 25^th anniversary.   The long travel times are worth the unbelievably clear, turquoise water, wonderful beaches, amazing underwater and overwater sights, romantic settings, great food, and cultural experience.  We would highly recommend this trip, and especially the Paul Gauguin, to anyone!  We still have so many other places we want to see, but we know we want to go back to French Polynesia again.

As always, your comments and questions are encouraged and appreciated!