Why we love Polynesia so much!!
We love the Polynesian culture which is very much alive through song, dance and music. This is not just a show for passing tourists, its inclusive of everyone young or old, fat or thin, Polynesian or not.
Traditions of handicraft have been handed down from generation to generation, be it sewing, weaving, making shell and black pearl jewellery or wooden and stone sculptures engraved with tattoo motives that tell stories of the ocean, fertility and tribal warriors. Theres always someone happy to show you their craft and proud to share their culture and stories with you.
People do things together in Polynesia, there’s no rush. We really learnt to slow down to take the time to appreciate where we were and who we were with.
The Polynesians pride themselves on being welcoming and friendly, which makes it very difficult to leave this special place where we have made many good friends for life and have so many happy memories.
The scenery is breath-taking with stunning walks to hidden waterfalls, sacred religious marae (outdoor temples) and villages. The vegetation varies from thick tropical rainforest to plantations of coconut treas and colourful flowered bushes of hibiscus, Bougainvillea and the symbolic white Tiaré flower. The air is filled with the sweet smell of flowers and plantations of Vanilla beans. So much so, that when sailing at night we could smell land before we could see it!
The water is warm and alive with colourful tropical fish and large marine life such as Manta Rays, turtles, stingray and sharks. The beautiful coral reefs makes this a snorkelers’ and scuba divers’ paradise. And if like us you enjoy spending time on the water the lagoons are an amazing place for surf, kite surfing, canoeing and paddle boarding.
Not to mention the sailing. There are stunning anchorages where you can be on your own playing Robinson Crusoe or be close to secluded villages. You can sail in the pristine turquoise blue lagoons or Island hop to discover the varied cultures through the different archipelagos.
You might be starting to get the picture of how we ended up staying here for eight years.
In 2016, we returned to Polynesia, this time with our little girl Juliette who had just turned one. We had sold our mono hull and were taking over Guillaume’s family boat ‘Arc en ciel’. You would think having a bigger boat would give us more space, but we soon filled it up with all our toys. Now we are on a mission to minimalise, live simply and make the most of being all together as a family.
We were so happy to see our old friends again and introduce them to Juliette and to start making ‘Arc en ciel’ our own.
You can find more out about our sailboat by clicking here.
When you become one of our patrons Guillaume will share with you some of the best gems of eight years of navigating these beautiful Islands. Secret spots and favorite anchorages not to be missed when cruising in paradise.