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Bora Bora Cruises Tia Moana Cruising Review
Huahine, Fench Polynesia
Bora Bora Thursday, January 20, 2005
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Morning in Huahine
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Breakfast Buffet Set Up On Beach
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Early morning, the anchor was raised and we headed to a small isolated bay in Hauhine. The seas had some long, rolling waves but there was little wind. The surf on the reefs were quite high, and you could see them break from afar.
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Movie- 2005 Day 8 - Beach Breakfast |
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Lagoon Breakfast
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Breakfast in the Water
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As we headed ashore with the hotel director, Victor, we noticed that two tables were set up, and a buffet breakfast was being prepared in about a foot of water.
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Breakfast in the Lagoon
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Martini Fish
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As the tender pulled ashore, we got out and walked by the small a-la-minute grill that was set up for crepes, omelets and eggs ashore, while the tables and buffet were in the water. The perfectly set tables with a full compliment of dinnerware was on a tablecloth draped table. The sea, and ship was the backdrop on the horizon, while the lush tropical palm-tree canopied beach was opposite. I've never eaten a breakfast while in the water. It was an experience you would never have on a larger ship. During breakfast the captain and chief engineer swam ashore from the ship, about a quarter mile out in the lagoon.
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Movie- 2005 Day 8 - Breakfast Buffet View with Ship |
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Walk to Remnants of Resort
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Hike to Resort
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After breakfast, the chief engineer took us up the jungle covered hill to reveal the remnants of what was once the pond reception area and a commanding view from what was once a bungalow perched over a cliff that overlooked the lagoon below. A tropical storm had decimated the luxurious resort, only accessible from the sea, and was never rebuilt. The tropical foliage had amazingly reclaimed the development in only a few years. The only signs of the past resort were some steps, a few concrete block walls, and some in-ground lighting.
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Movie- 2005 Day 8 - View of Ship |
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View From Resort
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View of Ship from Remnants of Resort on Cliff
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There were some Mahogany steps and a deck still visible on the cliff. Most of the boards had rotted out, but you could just imagine the grandeur that it once held.
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Dockside at Huahine
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Tia Moana Dockside
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From our anchorage on the other side of Huahine, the slow cruise inside the lagoon took about an hour and a half to arrive at the port town around 1:30 p.m. There was a large swell outside the reef, at about 5 meters (15 feet) which resulted in some spectacular breaking waves at the channel inlet to the town harbor. These large ocean swells produced some pipelines which the locals would go out to surf and take their outrigger canoes down the faces of the swells in the channel. The ship docked at first in the village, then anchored out to allow a small freighter transfer cargo. Even at anchor the swells moved the ship in a slow, slightly rolling manner. I inquired to the Captain if the ship had stabilizers, and he said that they used them inside the lagoon for turns (to keep the ship level) and out at sea for active dampening.
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Movie- 2005 Day 8 - Fish in a Martini Glass |
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Shops at Huahine
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Eco Tours
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Since everything is shipped into French Polynesia, everything is very expensive. A bottle of liquor from most parts of the world is two to four times as expensive. Suntan lotion and other sundries are at least two to three times expensive. The minimum wage is about $1,200 per month, so even the basic worker in Polynesia can barely afford store-bought goods. Very little is available from the local economy, hence the extraordinary prices at resorts.
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Movie- 2005 Day 8 - Lagoon View - Breakfast |
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Ancient Ruins - Eco Tour
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Ancient Fish Traps Still in use Today
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Paul Atallah of Island Eco Tours does a three hour tour of Hauhine and it's a great way to get introduced to Polynesian, French and other cultures that have influenced the Society Islands. Paul took us around in his 4x4 vehicle to show us both the culture, history, plant and ocean biology of the island. He imparted a great deal of his knowledge to us, and it was clear that he was an expert in a multitude of fields.
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Movie- 2005 Day 8 - Tour of Huahine |
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Eels - Eco Tour
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Eels
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One of the stops was to a small freshwater stream where the villagers had protected a group of giant eels. It's a curious tourist stop and you can feed them fish (they seemed to like canned Mackerel quite well).
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Movie- 2005 Day 8 - Tour - Eels in Stream |
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Eco Tour - Tamanu Fruit Healing Qualities Similar to Aloe
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Fresh Bananas Roadside
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Paul did an excellent job describing the native and imported species of plants. One plant, the Tamanu tree, produced and oily type fruit that has similar healing qualities of aloe. He said that he had used the extract of the Tamanu fruit on some burns, which healed without and scars. The uses seem to be endless. If this product ever makes it to mainstream society, it would be a huge boost for the native Polynesian population as a source of work, which giving people a more organic option for ailments. Our tour guide explained that there are only a few resorts on Huahine. A large resort, just closed due to high operating expenses. This represents the jobs for about 50 families, so the government is looking for a buyer for the vacated resort. Right now, Hauhine has one large resort on the water, a smaller resort (bed-and-breakfast type) and one hostel (all on the beach). Resort owners tend to be American.
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Movie- 2005 Day 8 - Tour - Beach View |
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Sunset
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Sunset
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Back on ship, just outside the anchorage was the cut in the reef where the large swells were forming big pipelines. The locals went out to surf and canoe the huge waves.
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Movie- 2005 Day 8 - Sunset |
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Polynesian Singers at Sunset
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Singers
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Just as the Sun set it's last strokes of color amidst the volcanic mountains and the tranquil sea, a group of local Polynesian singers performed some traditional chants and songs.
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Island Eco Tours |
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Singers
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Pepe and Victor the Hotel Director Onboard Ship
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Singers
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View From Anchor
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View of Lagoon Colors
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The lagoons around Huahine are just beautiful. After breakfast, we enjoyed the views from the Sun deck.
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Sunset
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Sunset
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Sunset
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Additional
Photographs:
Bora Bora
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(click on photos to enlarge)
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Photo Highlights from this Day ... for all photos, please
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Cruising
and Booking Information Resources
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Travel Agent:
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Global Energy Travel Services
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PO BOX 5617, Madison, WI 53705
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Contact
Info:
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Greg Giese
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TEL: (608) 238-6001
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FAX: (240) 525-2445
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EMAIL:
greg@cruisingreview.com
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Website:
www.CruisingReview.com
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Cruise Line
Info:
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Bora Bora Cruises
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P O Box 40186, Fare Tony - Vaiete. 98713 Papeete TAHITI, French Polynesia.
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Contact
Info:
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TEL +(689) 544 505
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FAX +(689) 451 065
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EMAIL:
greg@cruisingreview.com
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Website:
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