Tag Archives: Moorea

Moorea French Polynesia
Asia, Caribbean, Europe, Greece, Hawaii, Islands, Kauai, Maldives, Oceania, Plan, St. Lucia, Tahiti, Thailand, Trip Ideas

7 of the World’s Most Beautiful Islands

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While no longer well-kept secrets, the following isles continue to engage with charm and scenery.  Read below to see our picks for the most beautiful islands in the world to see in 2022.

Moorea

The Islands of Tahiti include over 100 islands within five archipelagos. The most photographed and visited are the Society Islands, which include Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea. You’ll find barrier reefs and cobalt blue lagoons, powdery soft sands and emerald volcanic peaks. Among the dramatic mountain ridges lies volcanic Mount Rotui, the second-highest mountain on Moorea. The five-mile round trip hike to the top is challenging even for experienced hikers but rewards with scenic views of the entire island.

Moorea

The mountains of Moorea are some of the most rugged in the world. Mount Rotui is the easiest to climb and offers views of Opunohu Bay and Cook’s Bay. Photo: Ugur Ozden/Flickr

Santorini

Certainly, Santorini has been on many a bucket list. For decades it has been the most popular Greek destination but it’s still worth joining the crowds to see this crescent moon-shaped island. Cruisers head to the picturesque village of Oia for the views and sunsets amidst the stunning architecture of whitewashed buildings dotted with cobalt blue dome roofs. Be sure to wander through the stone-paved alleys stopping at a café to taste the local wine paired with tomatokeftedes a patty made with local feta cheese and the famous Santorini cherry tomato.

Santorini

After visiting Oia village take the hike along the caldera to Fira, the largest town on the island. Drop by a tavern or two along the way. Photo: Gene Tobia/Flickr

Kauai

While tropical rainforest covers much of the island’s interior including ribbons of trails favored by hikers, the Garden Island offers 111-miles of coastline with 50 miles of glistening white sand for beach lovers. The Na Pali coastline with its intensely colored dramatic cliffs, pinnacles and canyons beckon photographers from around the world to capture its glory from air or sea. A helicopter tour from Princeville takes visitors over the 65 miles of lush roadless terrain showcasing the waterfalls, valleys and crevices.

Kauai

Kauai has several small towns to explore. Hanapepe is known for art, Koloa dates back to the sugar era of 1835 and locals favor Hanalei. Photo: Karsten Winegeart/Unsplash

Bali

The land of elaborate temples, Hindu ceremonies, terraced rice paddies and monkeys, the island of Bali is not known as much for its beaches as for its lush landscapes. Sure, you can find white and black stretches of sand with cliffs looming above hidden shores. Dubbed the most popular beach in the world of Instagrammers, Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida Island is mostly viewed from above. Getting to its shore involves a precarious hike and most will find the scene from above to be equally mesmerizing. 

Bali Nusa Penida

Kelingking Beach AKA T-Rex Beach is the claim to fame for the island of Nusa Penida. From above the shape resembles the neck of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Photo: felfin05 evin on Unsplash

Maldives

This archipelago of 1,200 islands and atolls stretches across the equator and lies within the Indian Ocean. The collection is comprised of fine white sands formed from coral, crystal waters and palm trees; and it’s the world’s lowest country reaching four feet above sea level. Here, over-water bungalows are prevalent. Rasdhoo Atoll is uninhabited topside but beneath the surface, the surrounding ocean is populated with hammerhead sharks, manta rays and stingrays as well as the more docile sea turtle. 

Maldives Rasdhoo Atoll

Divers find Rasdhoo’s underwater world to be some of the best. Shallow water lagoons are great for beginners while deep walls and channels appeal to the advanced. Photo: Maahid Photos/Unsplash

St. Lucia

A visit to St. Lucia isn’t complete without a glimpse of the Pitons, the Caribbean’s most distinctive landmark. Often seen from the winding mountainous roads when approaching Soufrière, the views are ubiquitous. Even more captivating are the twin volcanoes seen from the water. These twin peaks that rise up from the sapphire blue sea are connected by an inland ridge that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

St. Lucia Pitons

A visit to the Pitons might include a rigorous hike on the Gros Piton trail or a relaxing soak and mud bath in the Sulphur Springs. Photo: David Dale/Flickr

Phi Phi Islands

The Phi Phi Islands National Park is comprised of six islands skirting Maya Bay, which was made famous in the 2000 film The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The two larger islands Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi were so popular among day-trippers and snorkeling boats that the officials of Thailand closed the bay, not so much due to Covid but to restore the damage done to the once pristine spot due to over- tourism. Today visitors are allowed back but with imposed new rules to protect the area.

Phi Phi Islands Thailand

While the Maya Bay draws with its natural beauty there hundreds of gorgeous islands between Phuket and Krabi. Take a longtail boat and explore the area. Photo: Miltiadis Fragkidis/Unsplash

Tahiti Mooriea Hiking
Islands, Oceania, Play, Tahiti

Tahiti’s Best Hikes

 

Truth is, no one comes to Tahiti just to hike. They come for white sand beaches, sparkling lagoons and kaleidoscopic reefs. But there are still good reasons to pack the walking shoes along with the flip-flops, and those who take to the trails are rewarded with lush landscapes and magnificent views. Some routes are easy, well maintained and marked. Others not so much. Fortunately, guides are available at reasonable rates, and many are fonts of wisdom on island flora, fauna and history. Here are some of our favorite hikes on the three major islands of the Tahiti group.

Banyan Trees Tahiti

A grove of banyan trees provides shade on a footpath through Moorea’s Opunohu Valley. This popular hiking route leads to an elevated overlook known as Three Coconut Trees Pass. Photo: Xavier Lancry/Tahiti Tourisme

Tahiti

One of the best ways to discover Tahiti’s interior beauty is on the Fautaua Valley trail. The walk starts at Papeete Town Hall, and follows a marked route along a jungle stream framed by lush groves where mango, guava, and banana trees grow wild. Three miles later, you will reach the base of 450- foot-high Fautaua Falls. Stop and enjoy or continue on for a steep half-hour climb to the top of the cascade.

More adventurous hikers can hire a guide for a trip through the Hitiaa Lava Tubes. A two-mile walk leads to a series of giant tunnels formed by cooling lava. A river runs through these passages, which are up to 900 feet long. Exploring the tubes will require some wading and scrambles down small waterfalls and across boulders, so plan on getting wet. Tahiti’s most challenging hike is an ascent of the island’s second highest peak, 6,88-foot Mt. Aorai. This demanding 12-mile round trip is an all day adventure that passes by some steep cliffs, and is best done with a guide, and during the dry season.

Bora Bora

A must-do hike on the island of Bora Bora is a visit to the Valley of the Kings. An easy three-hour walk into a lush interior basis that holds the recently- discovered remains of ancient Polynesian homes and temples, and a huge banyan tree that is a living mausoleum. Along the way, guides share stories of island geology, ancestral plants, medicine, Polynesian legends and sacred trees. They may also share wild island fruits and coconuts plucked straight from the trees.

Other walks in the valley include the Ancestors Road and the Track of the Past, which delve deeper into the historic secrets of the valley. More ambitious hikers can make the uphill trek to the sacred Cave of Anau, or make a six-hour round trip climb to the 2,100-foot summit of Mt. Pahia for 360-degree views of the island.

Moorea

For an easy and rewarding walk, follow a trail from the village of Afareaitu through a green landscape of mango trees, past coffee plants, wild orchids and vanilla. An easy half-hour ramble brings you to a pair of waterfalls that tumble 200 feet into pools that are ideal for a cooling swim. Moorea’s most popular hike is the loop through the Opunohu Valley, which follows a well- maintained trail as it climbs some 500 feet to the high point known as Three Coconut Trees Pass. From this elevated saddle hikers can enjoy open vistas of the north and south coasts of the island, plus up-close views of Mt. Mouaroa and Mt. Tohiea.

A slightly more strenuous route is the two-hour walk from the village of Vaiare to Pao Pao on Cook’s Bay. The route ascends to a ridge that delivers grand views of 7,300-foot Mt. Orohena, as well as the whole interior of Moorea. The island’s most challenging trek is a climb to the summit of Mt. Rotui, which holds a special place in Polynesian mythology, and provides a glimpse into the interior of an extinct volcanic crater.