TRAVEL: Tahiti - sunsets, shows and swimming with sharks

Visiting Tahiti is like heading back in time. Not because, like Cuba, a lack of imports has left parts of the country stuck in the 1950s, but because you literally travel back in time. Let me explain. Travelling from Australia you fly over the international date line, so you move from GMT+12hrs to GMT-12hrs and get to relive your day all over again. Slightly confusing when you leave on Thursday and arrive on Wednesday...

Although our flight only got into Tahiti Faa'a airport at 11pm, we still received a warm welcome, with Tahitian dancers and ukulele players ready to greet us off the plane. We were then immediately lei'd by our travel company associates before being ushered onto a bus to our hotel, the Manava, a fine hotel with a less-than-average breakfast. The most exciting thing was the fact that our breakfast server was called Moana. 

The following morning we were back on a different bus taking us to the ferry port in Papeete, where an hour's ferry ride brought us to Moorea, a small French Polynesian Island. Thankfully the weather was calm so it wasn't too painful, but I'd hate to be on the ferry in a tropical storm. 

Our hotel for the week was the Manava Pearl, with a special surprise in that we were staying in a 'Premium Overwater Bungalow with Ocean View' (as they call it) which essentially means our little hut is held up over water on stilts, and is the furthest away from the main part of the hotel with nothing in our view but the sea. Very nice, and under the coffee table in the room we had a small glass floor from which you can see fish swimming below you. 

Life moves slower here, although I can't see how some guests stay as long as they do because there's not too much to be done. My days have been spent predominantly in the water. First I tried snorkelling which has been incredible. On the side of our bungalow is a small dock from which you can directly enter the sea, and more importantly the coral. The coral isn't too deep, just below your feet, but it shortly slopes dramatically away into the abyss - with this in mind, my first few forays out were with a life jacket, but the water is so bouyant you can literally lie flat in the water without any fear of leaving the surface. 

The undersea life is incredible here due to the proliferation of the coral - thousands of different species of the most beautiful tropical fish of all colours. My favourites have been Angel fish, bright yellow ones, rainbow fish, orange and blue striped, and just the plain weird looking fish. I could go on and on, but really, this kind of thing needs to be seen for itself. You can easily entertain yourself for hours under the surface, and with no need to move either. The patch of coral outside our bungalow, whilst small, holds hundreds of fish species who flit in and out of the coral, constantly changing place with new ones swimming through every minute. It's magical. 

When you're done being under the water, you can be on it. The Manava has free access to one and two-person kayaks which give you the flexibility to travel as you please. As there's not much to be done on the island of Moorea, which has only one ring road around it's edges (which I do like as the centre of the island is relatively untouched) your best bet is to head out to sea, which is exactly what I did. Pushing off from the Manava beach, you sail past the over water bungalows, across the abyss - the scariest part as it's indeterminable how deep it goes down, way way out of eyesight anyway - before it becomes shallow again and you can cruise through corals and gaze down at the fish below the crystal clear surface. 

Continuing on about 700m away from the resort and you'll reach the reef. Watching waves break ahead of you whilst you're on the water is a strange experience, but a cool one nonetheless. Turning around and you get the most amazing view - tiny bungalows lining the shore, the light turquoise of the clear shallow water ahead of you and beyond that the darker blue of the deep water, the steep green mountainous regions in the centre of the islands, and palm trees dotted about everywhere you turn your head. I wish I had photos to share with you from this point of view, but even I don't trust my kayaking ability to the extent that I'd take my camera and all of the photos I've taken on it out to sea! This is a great way to pass the time though - just you, your kayak and the endless ocean before you. 

Given that they had them on offer, I also decided to try out a watersport I'd not engaged in before - paddleboarding. Whilst a newbie, when the water is calm there's not too much to worry about in the area of falling overboard (unless a rogue jetski or speedboat decides to stir up some waves for you) so I felt pretty comfortable paddling out to sea. Regardless, even if you do fall in, as previously mentioned the water is uber-bouyant and you won't get far. However, as I write this, the weather has taken a turn for the worse and the sea has become choppy, with scary-looking clouds heading in from the mountains. The perfect excuse to sit inside and blog. 

When not on the water, you do nothing, and that's exactly the point. Chill on your sun loungers out the back of the bungalow, sip 2-for-1 cocktails in the bar and let the Tahitian sun warm your skin. We were probably a bit out of the ordinary in leaving the resort to check out the town, not that there's much of it. The most exciting part are the pearl shops, selling all kinds of Tahitian black pearls (presumably what the infamous pirate ship in Pirates of the Caribbean was named for). Prices do vary though, so shop around to find the size and colour you like the best. 

Aside from that, the resort offers all you could want from a French Polynesian island stay, or so it would seem. However, I have yet to think it offers you much of French Polynesia. Catering to the tourist, the resort is very French, right down to the French cuisine served in the restaurant. Our one excursion into Polynesian culture was a buffet and dance held at the resort. Whilst, being vegetarian, there wasn't anything on the menu for me, the fish is exotic and fresh. 

The dancing was also very interesting. First, four male dancers took to the stage, with an almost violent style of dancing similar to New Zealand's Maori Hakas - lots of 'di' sounds and loud noises! They were followed by four female dancers complete in coconut bras and grass skirts, whose style of dance was completely different - kind of a mix between hula and belly dancing. The two groups alternated dances, occasionally joining together so we could see how the two styles juxtaposed one another, but fitted neatly with each other. It was very loud, and a lot of fun! 

Towards the end, the dancers headed out into the audience, offering their hands to guests. I initially thought they were looking for tips until I realised they in fact wanted volunteers - discovered when one of the dancers stopped next to my chair and pulled me to my feet. I was led up to the stage, asked to sit on his knee while the female dancers danced with male guests, and then we took over. Again, a lot of fun but I'm sure I have a lot to improve on with my Polynesian dancing!

The weather that night was pretty rough and you could see the wind waving the palm trees in the same way you see on hurricane footage. Pretty scary when you're in a wooden house on stilts... The next day the weather was much the same, which was slightly disconcerting as that was when we had booked our boat excursion. Nonetheless, the Polynesians are clearly hardier than we are and the trip was set to go ahead. From the Manava dock, we got on a small boat with 30 other people and our guide, Christina. The tour took us initially to Cook's Bay, where we were told of a legend of a god who threw his spear into the mountain to create a hole which you can see from certain angles. The geology of Moorea is strange, with the mountains and hills very pyramid shaped and pointy, not like anything I'd seen before. 

We also passed by Opunohu Bay where most of the larger ships dock due to its depth - even deeper than the abyss by our resort. We also had the chance to learn a bit about Tahitian culture for instance in how to tie their version of a sari and what the positioning of a flower behind someone's ear means - on the left means you're in a relationship, on the right means you're looking for someone, and on both sides means in a relationship but looking! 

We continued on our way, stopping at an island for a barbecue lunch. While it was cooking, we walked to the other side of the island for free time snorkelling in the crystal ocean. Initially, I thought there wasn't much to see beneath the waves until I found a coral collection where apparently all the fish hang out. It was incredible - about fifty pearl coloured fish swimming so close you could reach out and touch them, blue fish, turquoise fish, yellow fish, grey and red fish, black fish, little white fish scooting along the bottom and nibbling at my ankle bracelets. I wish I knew the names of some of these fish, but just know it was amazing. These are the times you wish you brought an underwater camera. I spent most of my time there until it was time to get out and we headed back to the other side to eat, take photos, and play with the friendly island dog. There was a lot of excitement too when we were visited by some stingrays, attracted to the motion of the water as we walked in it, who were more than friendly provided you avoided their tails. 

After a few hours, it was back on the boat - we were waved off by the dog who swam after us (doggy paddling in tropical waters is a sight to see) far further than I'm sure he should have! A short ride later, and we arrived at the main attraction - the shark and stingray feeding ground. I couldn't have got in quicker if I tried - this was a real bucket list item for me, and if I thought the fish earlier were cool, this might just have it beat. Submerging yourself beneath the water, and you're surrounded by ray's and black-tipped sharks. Actual sharks. Not something you do everyday, but we were told if you keep your hands out of the sharks mouths you should be fine! The stingrays were very friendly, coming right up to us. Strangely, they felt soft - like wet velvet. Who'd have thought? So that was a really good day.

The next day we were headed back to Tahiti so nothing much was planned, and time was spent mainly in the pool until check out and our drive to the ferry. The calm waters of Polynesia you see in photos had alluded us again and the ferry ride was intense. The boat would rise up over a wave and crash back down, complete with white wall of water which would come smashing against the window. I'd hate to see what the weather would have to be like to make them cancel a ferry trip. Whilst pretty terrifying, I found it a bit fun - kind of like a roller coaster ride. 

We were back at our initial Manava hotel for our final night in Polynesia. I must say, the part of Tahiti that we saw, I didn't like. Very built up and busy. Looking for something to do, we decided to take a walk up the road, but after twenty minutes of walking along what was basically a highway, full of loud cars and petrol fumes, I called it a day and headed back. Sitting by the pool, which had a brilliant view of Moorea, behind which the sun set, was a much more preferable end to the day. Our time in French Polynesia ended with a nice meal courtesy of Carrefour - cheaper than restaurant meals but still pretty expensive as most products are imported. This part of the world is pleasant - I'm sure I'll be back. 

Tips for Tahiti / French Polynesia: based on my experience, I strongly recommend that you leave mainland Tahiti for some of the smaller islands around. I'd never heard of Moorea before but it was a lovely place to spend some time. Another popular option is Bora Bora, and many tourists choose to do both as they offer quite different experiences - Moorea offering island life, and Bora Bora as a coral atoll. If you're up for it, leave the resort. It can be all to easy to spend your whole time in one place, particularly if you're on half-board like we were with no need to head out for restaurants, but resort life can give you a very one-sided view of the place. Plus, you'll find things are cheaper once you leave the resort. Finally, prepare to snorkel, swim or dive. There's a whole other world beneath the surface that really shouldn't be missed!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventures in Tahiti! If you want to read more about my travels, stay up to date by following me on Twitter @CiarasCountry to be the first to know when something new is posted and feel free to leave me a comment letting me know what you think!