Paradise!

It was well worth the very long flight from London to Papeete in Tahiti to experience the paradise of the South Pacific.
 
We set off to view the Total Eclipse of the Sun from a beautiful part of the world. The Cook Islands, the French Polynesian Islands, the Paul Gauguin cruise ship couldn't have been more romantic, relaxing and spectacular – quite perfect!

We spent four days days in Bora Bora, a quintessential tropical paradise, surrounded by a necklace of coral islets, world-famous for its beauty. We marvelled at the beauty of the sparkling aquamarine lagoon (which we were soon to see on every island during our visit). Our home was in a wonderful water bungalow at the Hotel Maitai on the main island, with uninterrupted views across to the motus and a glass window on the floor to see the underwater world too! 

We then spent 14 days of luxury on board the six star Paul Gauguin cruise ship, which really lived up to its high quality reputation. It excelled on service, fine dining, range of activities, entertainment and lectures, and it was fully-inclusive of all drinks, including champagne and cocktails, and tips. The emphasis is on casual elegance rather than glitz which truly depicts the ambiance of the region. With only 160 cabins and a crew ratio of 1 to 1.5, the atmosphere on board is very friendly and intimate. Of all the cruises we have been on including the QE2 this was by far the best ship and staff, but maybe that reflects our preference for first class service and a small intimate lifestyle on a luxury ship.
 
Our excursions off the ship were interesting and well managed, but you need to book them before you go because the best ones sell out quickly. Our ports of call were Bora Bora, Huahine, Raitea, Taha’a, Moorea and Tahiti in French Polynesia and Aitutaki, Suwarrow and PukaPuka in the Cook Islands. As a chartered cruise to see the Eclipse the ports of call varied from the normal cruises.
 
The lectures were extremely interesting and varied with speakers on Astronomy, marine biology and anthropology as well as the First Governor of the Cook Island’s wife, Helen and her son who told us about life in the Cook Islands.
 
Truly a most memorable, enjoyable trip to paradise!