Legends of French Polynesia

Following your arrival into Papeete, we embark MS Panorama II this afternoon, where you’ll have time to settle in and enjoy a relaxed afternoon on deck soaking up the sights and sounds. This evening we set sail and cruise overnight to Bora Bora.

This morning we arrive into breathtaking Bora Bora, one of the most photographed places in the world, where we’ll spend the day. You’ll have the opportunity to join a variety of excursions on offer, to ensure you make the most of this island paradise. Choose from a fascinating 4x4 tour of Bora Bora, go snorkelling with stingrays and sharks, enjoy an open-air lagoon aquarium experience or you can explore the island on a Le Truck Island Tour. Alternatively you can relax on deck in the shadow of Mount Otemanu, surrounded by the turquoise lagoon. 

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning, before relaxing on board or taking part in another of the excursions on offer. After lunch, we cruise the Bora Bora lagoon before setting sail to the botanical paradise of Taha’a, where the fertile land is covered with banana, watermelon and coconut groves. Due to its unique ecosystem, the island acts as a natural greenhouse allowing the treasured Tahitian vanilla orchid to grow and thrive. Today’s optional excursion takes you around this beautiful island, tasting exotic local fruit and admiring the breathtakingly beautiful views, including the turquoise waters of Ha’amene Bay. We’ll also visit a pearl farm and traditional vanilla plantation. This afternoon we sail to a nearby ‘motu’ (atoll) for a refreshing swim and snorkel stop, before enjoying a relaxing evening on board as we anchor for the night.

After breakfast on board, we set sail and cross the lagoon to reach nearby Raiatea, which translates to ‘faraway heaven’. It is believed that this island was the ancient centre of Polynesia and that organised migrations to Hawaii and New Zealand originated here, so much so that the traditional name for the island is ‘Havai’i’, which means homeland of the Maori people. Join our optional kayaking excursion on the Faaroa river before visiting the ancient temple at Taputapuatea, a recent UNESCO heritage site, where we’ll learn about the history of Polynesia before sitting down to enjoy  a locally inspired picnic lunch. This afternoon is yours to spend at leisure.

This morning is spent sailing to Huahine, once home to Tahitian Royalty. The island is considered to be the cradle of Polynesian culture with the largest concentration of ancient temples in French Polynesia, with some dating back to 700AD. Huahine is also a huge tropical jungle, brimming with coconut plantations, banana groves, watermelon fields and vanilla orchids. Our half day optional excursion tours the island by 4x4, visiting the small villages of Fare and Maeva, before stopping at a vanilla plantation and taking the opportunity to feed the sacred blue-eyed eels of Faie Bay. A full day excursion is also available, which also includes a boat trip to a pearl farm and a picnic lunch. Enjoy a relaxing evening onboard as we set sail and cruise overnight to Makatea.

The island of Makatea is like no other found in French Polynesia. It is not a coral atoll but rather a raised island of coral. The limestone cliffs tower over the coast and the island’s interior shows significant vegetation, complete with a few species of endemic birds and a peculiar expanse of limestone holes. Today, this sleepy but spectacular island is home to three species of threatened endemic birds: the beautiful Makatea fruit dove, the impressive imperial pigeon, and the comely appearing singer extraordinaire, the reed warbler. Our half-day optional tour will take us across this unique island to a magnificent beach with rockpools to explore before we visit an incredible grotto. Swimming deeper inside the grotto, this underwater cave system will slowly open out to reveal a spectacular watery cathedral, full of weird and wonderful stalagmites and stalactites. Later in the afternoon we start cruising towards Rangiroa. 

This morning we arrive into Rangiroa, the largest atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago and one of the largest in the world! Rangiroa is made up of 240 islets encompassing a deep lagoon, and is one of the best scuba diving spots in the world. Our optional excursion today takes us to the ‘Blue Lagoon’, a natural pool formed by islets and reefs within the larger central lagoon. At only 16ft deep, the Blue Lagoon is ideal for swimming and snorkelling among the huge variety of fascinating marine life. We’ll enjoy a traditional Polynesian picnic lunch before returning to the ship for dinner on board and a relaxed evening moored in the lagoon. 

This morning we reach the small atoll of Tikehau, known as the Pink Sand Island. The lagoon here is formed by a nearly uninterrupted ring of coral, and hosts an abundance of fascinating marine life. So much so that the legendary Jacques Cousteau claimed this lagoon contained a larger concentration of fish than anywhere else in French Polynesia. We’ll enjoy a walking tour of the island, which takes us to a family run fish farm, where we’ll see the species of fish that is caught and sold at the local markets. We cruise this afternoon towards Tetiaroa. 

The secluded atoll of Tetiaroa is picture-perfect, with coconut-dotted white sandy beaches and crystal clear lagoon waters - a haven for birds, sea turtles and all kinds of marine life. It’s easy to see why actor Marlon Brando fell in love with it whilst filming here, and later purchased the entire island. In his honour, The Brando was launched in 2014. This luxury accommodation is beautifully integrated into the landscape and is 100% sustainable in its operations. We’ll spend the morning exploring the lagoon and snorkelling in the turquoise waters before enjoying lunch back on board. Later this afternoon we set sail and cruise towards Mo’orea. 

This morning we continue sailing towards Mo’orea, where we arrive around midday. It is believed that this atoll was the inspiration for the mythical Bali Hai in the Tales of the South Pacific, as eight mountain peaks rise from the magnificent lagoon. Choose from two optional excursions today, enjoy a snorkelling tour and the opportunity to feed the rays, or get your hiking boots on and discover the Three Coconuts Hiking tour. This evening, we’ll enjoy our delicious Captains Farewell Dinner and an evening of entertainment.