| The South Pacific is truly the stuff dreams are made | | | | seas getaway here. You can choose to charter your |
| of. It is what we all wish for when we're sitting in our | | | | yacht on Raiatiea and cruise over, or fly to Rangiroa, |
| fluorescent-lit offices on a dull, grey March day, | | | | the largest atoll, and pick up your yacht there. |
| looking out on the piles of dirty snow on the | | | | Rangiroa lies about an hour's flight from Tahiti and is |
| sidewalk, longing to be somewhere else. Palm-fringed | | | | known for its pearl farming, superlative diving, and |
| beaches with soft white sand, azure, incredibly clear | | | | quite surprisingly, its local wine, Vin de Tahiti. Rangiroa |
| water, tranquil aquamarine lagoons with fish in | | | | Vineyard was created by French wine enthusiast |
| amazing colors, volcanic islands with flower-scented | | | | Dominique Auroy in 1992 by shipping in the |
| breezes and overwater bungalows - simply paradise | | | | appropriate type of soil from Tahiti and vines from |
| on earth. | | | | France and Italy, and today the vines produce two |
| Tahiti is the largest of the 118 islands and atolls | | | | harvests per year. |
| known as French Polynesia. It is located in the | | | | Diving and snorkeling, however, is the primary reason |
| Society Islands archipelago, which includes other | | | | people visit Rangiroa; it is considered one of the |
| vacation destination favorites such as Moorea, | | | | world's best diving spots. The 240 tiny islets, all below |
| Raiatea and Bora Bora. Tahiti is the most populated, | | | | 3 feet in elevation and separated by 100 small |
| with 178,133 inhabitants, and home of the capital, | | | | channels, create a huge, crystal clear lagoon (with |
| Papeete. The island is volcanic with high mountain | | | | 150-foot visibility in the water) in that impossible |
| peaks, deep valleys, rivers, waterfalls, and lush | | | | turquoise-jade green color you think, until you see it, |
| rainforests. The north east coast has black sand | | | | must be photoshopped. Whether you prefer |
| beaches, and the south west side has white sand. | | | | snorkeling, scuba diving, or the view from a |
| There are several yacht charter companies on Tahiti, | | | | glass-bottomed boat, you can expect to see |
| and all charter varieties are available - fully crewed, | | | | dolphins, black tipped, lemon, nurse, and grey reef |
| skippered or bareboat. Raiatea, a 40-minute flight | | | | sharks, red snapper, napoleon fish, surgeon fish, |
| from Papeete, is the base for most charter | | | | barracuda, tuna, jackfish, moray eels, various rays, |
| companies. The best time to visit is March to | | | | several sea turtle species and sometimes even Manta |
| November, with April, May, June and September | | | | rays. The two deep passes connecting the lagoon |
| being the top choices. During those months, you can | | | | and ocean (Avatoru and Tiputa, which are also the |
| expect moderate trade winds blowing from the East | | | | names of the two villages on the island) are where |
| at 10 to 15 knots, air temperatures in the mid 80s | | | | most of the marine action is, and don't miss the |
| and water temperatures around 80. January and | | | | adrenaline-pumping daily event called "shoot the pass" |
| February bring heavy rains, and, as is the case in so | | | | when you (and the fish) are rushed with the tidal |
| many places, July and August are the height of | | | | water through the pass at a very high speed. |
| tourist season and therefore more crowded. | | | | After all this excitement, a great way to end your |
| If you want to experience something a bit off the | | | | day is by getting a massage at the Kia Ora Hotel |
| beaten path, head northeast from Raiatea to the | | | | (near the Tiputa pass) followed by a pre-dinner drink |
| Tuamotu archipelago. This chain of atolls, the largest | | | | on their glass-bottomed, above-water bar before |
| in the world, is about the size of Western Europe | | | | heading into the open-air restaurant for a traditional |
| with 78 sparsely populated and wonderfully | | | | Polynesian meal, perhaps paired with one of the local |
| undeveloped islands. The Tuamotus is not a common | | | | wines! |
| tourist destination, and you can expect a true south | | | | |