****UPDATE!**** We just got a cancelation!  We have two spots on the coed boat. You can bring your guy or a friend or travel solo. LET ME KNOW ASAP!!!!

This will be our signature trip to Tahiti.  It's not quite 3 weeks, with 2 weeks onboard.  Nov. 24 - Dec. 12 or 13, depending on which airline you use.  $3800 plus air - see below.  Thanksgiving in Raiatea anyone?

Here are the details:

The plan for the trip is to fly to Tahiti on November 23, arriving the next morning.  We will then go to our hotel to change and drop our bags and then head back to Papeete to explore town.  We rent cars and spend the next day seeing the sights around the island of Tahiti - beaches, waterfalls, picnic lunch, botanical garden etc.  On the 26th, we fly to Raiatea and go to our hotel on the beach.  There are rental cars there as well and it’s a cool island to see.  We board the afternoon of the 27th and off we go!

The loose plan is to go to Tahaa and visit my friend Noa, who will take us on a tour of the island, showing us the many plants that are native, brought by the Polynesians when they first arrived and then the modern introduced plants.  We will see how vanilla is produced (you won’t believe it) visit a rum distillery, lots of fresh fruit and some amazing views from the top of the island.  The next stop is north to the coral river, where we snorkel through the passes in the coral.  So cool, it’s like flying!!!!!

Bora Bora is next.  Usually a great sail to the pass, and then we pick up a mooring near town where we can reprovision, shop and eat dinner ashore if we like.  Bora is pretty touristy, so we don’t stay long but it really is a beautiful island.  Maupiti is next, weather permitting.  The pass into the lagoon is very tricky so not many boats go there.  It’s such a small island, you can walk it in a few hours.  We usually stay a few days and rent bikes, walk to the petroglyphs and swim with the mantas, when they feel like it.  Only one restaurant ashore, where we will have lunch.  Usually fresh produce in a little farmer’s market in the village.

We head back to Raiatea to swap out linens, fill up the water tanks and grab some fresh food.  Next day we head for Huahine.  We will spend several days there as it’s usually everybody’s favorite.  We will rent cars and explore the island, picnic lunch, feed the sacred blue eyed eels (!) visit an art gallery, a sweet beach, maybe have a traditional dinner ashore on a motu if they are home, visit with my friend Liz Clark if she is home (Get her book called Swell!  Such an interesting read…) maybe even help with a dog rescue!  Lots of chances to hike, swim, snorkel and surf if anybody is interested.  Then we will tear ourselves away to head back to the south end of Raiatea, usually another great sail.  We will take the dinghy up a river into the jungle, more snorkeling around a mini reef, visit a pearl farm to see how black pearls are grown, visit a motu and do a little beach clean up, and sadly head back to the charter base.

Once the boat is turned in, we will stay our last night there at a lovely place called Aitapiti, owned by a french woman.  We stay in cabins and the meals are amazing.  Some people come for a few days and stay for months!  It’s a great way to enjoy the last bit of the Tahitian vibe.  Next day we fly back to Tahiti so everyone can finish their final shopping (great place to buy black pearls) and have a final dinner together before flying home.  

The cost for this whole thing is $3800 per person.  This includes all boat expenses (charter fees, fuel, insurance, moorings, water etc), provisioning, and our services as captain, cook, tour guide and entertainers.  LOL  What is not included are hotel stays, meals ashore now and then, booze, car rentals, tours and flights.  

Sound good?  Let me know ASAP because these will fill quickly.

Questions? Ready to commit? Email me at Holly@mahalosailing.com