On the Crown: 28 Days in the S. Pacific and it Wasn't Bora Boraing

[SailorJack]

Loving your review. I may have missed it but what tour did you do on Bora Bora as you seemed to have a good time.

 

Glad you are enjoying it, and yes we had a great time in Bora Bora. We did not take a traditional type tour. We (along with one other couple) hired a taxi to show us the island. I think the cost was $30 per person.

[Gettingwarmer]

Glad you are enjoying it, and yes we had a great time in Bora Bora. We did not take a traditional type tour. We (along with one other couple) hired a taxi to show us the island. I think the cost was $30 per person.

 

Thanks for the information

[SailorJack]

With the sun coming up, we get our first real look at Papeete.

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently the dock is fairly close to the airport as we see Air Tahiti planes bringing in visitors to the island. We can just imagine their excitement at landing in Paradise after a long flight from the mainland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a beautifully laid out park that is just a few minutes from where we dock and was an excellent area for an early morning walk or jog - which we did on day two of our visit to Papette (walk that is, not jog!).

 

 

 

 

 

A promenade along the shore. They were doing work on it while we were there, but that should be completed by now.

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

Thanks for the information

 

You are more than welcome. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

 

Jack

[SailorJack]

After going ashore we met a delightful couple and together we hired a taxi to show us the island. Our first stop was at the Maara Grotto. It is listed as one of the top things to see in Tahiti and is the largest underwater cavern on the island. It is also very easy to miss if you are not looking for it as there is very little signage for it. Had we been driving ourselves we would have never seen it.

 

 

 

 

 

From the road, the path to the Grotto is well laid out and nicely graveled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But soon you enter a large overhanging forest composed of Hawaiian Ti, hibiscus, ginger, ferns, palms, tropical shrubs and an assortment of tropical vines. It was an amazing (and short) walk to the Grotto.

 

 

[SailorJack]

Tahiti has always been on our bucket list...looking forward to pictures from Papeete.:)

 

Well, there is another cruise in October just like the one I took...no time like the present!:)

[jagsfan]

This is the most scenic cruise I've ever done, and I never left home! Thank you so much for sharing. It takes a lot of time and Internet minutes to do this for us.

[SailorJack]

A short walk brings you to the Maara Grotto - also known as “Vaipoiri” which means the dark water" as the cave is hidden from the sun. It is also known as the cave of the upside down ferns as the ferns grow towards the ground.

 

 

 

 

 

The cave is much larger than it appears in the photo and goes back into the hill side. It is also fairly deep and if you look closely you can see fish and eels inside the lake. Paul Gauguin used to come here to swim and bathe and it is still used as a swimming pool by local residents. If you come with a compatible group bring your swim suits and cool off in the cool water that drips down from the cave's ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jill took this photo while standing in the shallow end of the lake.

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

This is the most scenic cruise I've ever done, and I never left home! Thank you so much for sharing. It takes a lot of time and Internet minutes to do this for us.

 

Thank you for that...glad you are following along. This is sort of my version of "live from.."

[SailorJack]

From the Grotto, take a secluded path......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over a wooden foot bridge.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

To one of the most unexpected sights in Tahiti - the Vaipahi Water Gardens. This three acre park, with free admittance, has over 75 types of tropical flowers and plants, waterfalls, streams, and unsurpassed views. It really is a "must see" if you are in Tahiti!

 

 

 

 

 

[Matcodixon]

We were traveling with another couple and we rented a car on Bora Bora. Since the main island is only 22 miles around, It is impossible to get lost. Either the water is on the right or the left and if you keep going you will soon be back where you started.

We found a couple pf beaches with almost no one there, and did some great snorkeling. The water is amazingly clear and calm.

One other highlight was a stop at "Bloody Mary's" the most famous bar in the Polynesian islands. Definitely worth a visit.

BTW we did fly in and out of Tahiti and it was exciting to land there, seeing the ship in the harbor waiting for us. Another note, The Tahitian Princess was renamed the Ocean Princess a few years after our cruise. Love the small ships.

 

Great review! Thanks for taking the time to post.

Dixon

[Baatman]

Well, there is another cruise in October just like the one I took...no time like the present!:)

 

 

Not in the cards for this year....maybe next.:(

[SailorJack]

One of the first things you se upon entering the gardens is a picturesque waterfall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The water runs off into a stream and also into this secluded pond.

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

We were traveling with another couple and we rented a car on Bora Bora. Since the main island is only 22 miles around, It is impossible to get lost. Either the water is on the right or the left and if you keep going you will soon be back where you started.

We found a couple pf beaches with almost no one there, and did some great snorkeling. The water is amazingly clear and calm.

One other highlight was a stop at "Bloody Mary's" the most famous bar in the Polynesian islands. Definitely worth a visit.

BTW we did fly in and out of Tahiti and it was exciting to land there, seeing the ship in the harbor waiting for us. Another note, The Tahitian Princess was renamed the Ocean Princess a few years after our cruise. Love the small ships.

 

Great review! Thanks for taking the time to post.

Dixon

 

Glad you are enjoying it and following along. We will be going back to Tahiti and Moorea in a year or so and will be flying this time so I am anticipating the same excitement you felt when you flew in. I agree with you about Bloody Mary's...it truly is a "must see" when you visit.

 

I was not aware that that the Ocean Princess had a previous name...interesting!

 

Jack

[chamima]

Glad you are enjoying it and following along. We will be going back to Tahiti and Moorea in a year or so and will be flying this time so I am anticipating the same excitement you felt when you flew in. I agree with you about Bloody Mary's...it truly is a "must see" when you visit.

 

I was not aware that that the Ocean Princess had a previous name...interesting!

 

Jack

 

 

Not sure when the name change occurred but she was the Tahitian Princess when we sailed on her in 2005.

One of our best cruises ever.

I wish I could convince my husband to do the LA round trip but we usually cruise in February.

Now - IF Princess would do this cruise at that time of year...... HINT, HINT, HINT.

[SailorJack]

One of the main features in the water garden is this gentle waterfall.

 

 

 

 

 

The water falls into a very lovely lily pad pond. That's Jill and our travelling companions at the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then flows out to sea. You can see how close the garden is to the road that encircles the island. It is just on the other side of the little picket fence

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

Not sure when the name change occurred but she was the Tahitian Princess when we sailed on her in 2005.

One of our best cruises ever.

I wish I could convince my husband to do the LA round trip but we usually cruise in February.

Now - IF Princess would do this cruise at that time of year...... HINT, HINT, HINT.

 

Actually, it is a very good hint. You would think that Princess would run the cruise to the South Pacific in January or February when it is winter in the US and Europe - what sounds better than a winter escape to Tahiti!

[chamima]

Actually, it is a very good hint. You would think that Princess would run the cruise to the South Pacific in January or February when it is winter in the US and Europe - what sounds better than a winter escape to Tahiti!

 

AND I think they could get more for the cabins than they do in the fall or the spring!

All they would have to do is take one of the ships they are using for round trip Hawaii and combine 2 of those cruises into 28 days .

PRINCESS - are you reading this!!!

[russianmom]

Another fantastic review!

Awesome pictures!!!

 

Hawaii brings back lots of honeymoon memories. I'm a 5-0 addict so the references made me smile. :D

[Scrapnana]

Just discovered this thread a couple of hours ago and couldn't stop reading. I always enjoy your hilarious cruise reports and somehow had missed this one.

 

I am doing a similar cruise on HAL next year and you have me convinced I need an underwater camera. Your pictures are amazing!

 

Thanks for posting!

[Vict0riann]

I've enjoyed this thread, too, and it does have lots of good ideas for those of use who haven't been to what sound like wonderful ports. Definitely an underwater camera. I had one for our Antarctica expedition, but traded it in after. Wish I had hung onto it!

 

Looking forward to touching the rays...

 

Thanks, Scrapnana, for pointing us in this direction.

Edited May 23, 2015 by Vict0riann

[SailorJack]

AND I think they could get more for the cabins than they do in the fall or the spring!

All they would have to do is take one of the ships they are using for round trip Hawaii and combine 2 of those cruises into 28 days .

PRINCESS - are you reading this!!!

 

 

Well. we are looking at doing this cruise again and we would book it, so they know they have two cabins sold!:D

[SailorJack]

Another fantastic review!

Awesome pictures!!!

 

Hawaii brings back lots of honeymoon memories. I'm a 5-0 addict so the references made me smile. :D

 

Glad you enjoyed it. We are also 5-0 fans. Our only disappointment was that we could not see the back of the house as that is the side that shows up on the program.

[KruzeKrazy!]

We, too, are life-long fans of Five-O. We even have some of the seasons on DVDs so we can watch them still. Our all-time favorite episodes were the ones with Work Fat.

 

"Book 'em, Danno!"

[KruzeKrazy!]

Oops -- just saw autospell had changed Wo Fat to Work Fat... Ugh...