The French Polynesia five archipelago is roughly the same size as Europe. Located further south from Hawaii and half way to New Zealand. Think the same longitude of Lima, Peru but in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The archipelago is comprised of volcanic islands, coral atolls and the vast Pacific Ocean.

Before the cruise, from the town of Papeete, we took a 4 hour tour of the island of Tahiti: visiting a grotto, a garden, a waterfall and several landmarks. Interestingly, Mutiny of the Bounty was written by the great grandfather, Charles Bernard Nordoff of our tour guide. At the hotel pool in Papeete during a deluge, met a couple from Cook island archipelago who explained no foreigner can buy land on their island Rarotonga.  They own and manage a beach resort while raising 3 children and are privileged to travel to New Zealand, Australia and neighboring Pacific islands.

Embarking on the cruise from bustling Papette harbor was organized and efficient directed by WindStar. This 10 day cruise blends 2 days at sea and visiting 5 islands over 10 days. We cover 2/5 archipelagos: Tuamoto and Societe. Our cabin is spacious with a large window port side watching the horizon and endless waves. A basket of fruit, ample bottles of water and a stocked refrigerator is the norm. Outside the cabin there are a number of places to eat, to drink, to exercise or simply to watch the sea. All the amenities coalesce into an elegant but not a stuffy sailing vessel.

After a day of at sea we arrived on the atoll from the Tuamoto archipelago, called Fakarava. We were greeted by an early morning rainbow from a passing squall. Fakarava is known for diving with sharks. The only paved road of this atoll is bustling with a tractor picking up trash, locals riding beat up bikes, or scooters and trucks driving to and fro.

Otherwise dirt roads abound to the ocean and lagoon. The coastline of the lagoon is aqua blue with coral reefs and a small number of anchor outs dot the horizon. On Fakarava foreigners can purchase land but it’s risky because a local can claim the land even after signed paperwork.

From Fakarava we motored 7 knots overnight to the largest atoll, Rangiroa in the Tuamotu archipelago. Snorkeling in the lagoon of Rangiroa met expectations. The coral is not colorful, but fish are in abundance and the clarity of the lagoon allows you to see white sand & black tipped reef sharks below. After snorkeling, took a walk on the ocean side and was stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted 3 animals running toward me in the shallow surf. Ended up to be 3 feral dogs who ran past me and later ended up in the lagoon side with 2 French tourists. The coastline is a combination of white sand and broken up coral. Under the palm tree, locals hang out, children play in the sand, and reggae music in the air.