The path to our beach bungalow
The pool and restaurant area at the Fare Vai Nui hotel on Raiatea
Paddling to a desserted island
The little islands are called motus.
Sunset in Raiatea
The dining area at our hotel. The restaurant offers fine French Polynesian cuisine.
Each beach bungalow has an ample deck.
Bora Bora can be seen in the distance.
The bungalows line the shore.
The bedrooms are decorated in Polynesian style.
The first leg of our South Pacific trip was a quick flight from Tahiti to the island of Raiatea to meet our yacht charter. We allowed two nights stay to ensure we wouldn’t miss the boat. We booked at the Fare Vai Nui , a small guesthouse run by a charming French couple, Jean Jacques and his wife Chantal. Although we had been a little nervous about trying out our French, we found that it was very easy around non-English speakers who really appreciated our efforts and were very encouraging. Our stay at the Fare Vai Nui was like an escape to another time. We had our own Polynesian-style bungalow next to the water and we enjoyed delicious French meals while watching spectacular sunsets over Bora Bora across the waves. On our second day Chantal helped launch us in a kayak for a paddle across to a motu, a small uninhabited island. One of French Polynesia’s wonders is that you can still explore an island without any other tourists.
