French & Vanilla on the Island of Taha’a

Taha'a fiord

Tahiti has always been my dream destination, my imagination sparked in my youth by the romance of James Michener's novel, Hawaii, and one of my all-time favourite movies, South Pacific. I have always planned to sail, fly or swim there, if necessary, but somehow the decades passed and I never got there—until I moved to Maui, putting Tahiti a mere five hours away by plane.

When I recently discovered that the Paul Gauguin luxury cruise line was offering special discounted fares for Hawaiian residents on its cruises to Tahiti, I knew my time had finally arrived! A couple of phone calls, some online research and the entire trip was booked—with plenty of time to identify “the best of” everything: the best hotels, the best restaurants, the best beaches … even the best stops for washroom breaks.