For years I’ve written about my desire to travel to the South Pacific – it’s been #1 on my list for as long as I can remember. The problem is, I’m not entirely sure why. It probably started as a very young child watching the movie “South Pacific” with my mother and sitting there spellbound by the images dancing across the screen. Over time, I became to romanticize this part of the world by reading Michener and his interpretation of the region, learning everything I could about Captain Cook and his voyage of discovery and even more modern day travelers like Tony Horwitz. When added together, they created a mythology so deep and so intense, I could barely resist it. I am therefore extremely excited that this Friday, I will begin my own journey of discovery as I finally visit Tahiti for the first time.
One of the best ways to experience the width and breadth of the Tahitian islands is by ship, which is why I’m thrilled to be joining Windstar Cruises onboard the Wind Spirit. Windstar is a cruise line I’ve long wanted to experience; their fleet of small luxury ships are famous for their intimate, yacht style travel. I love that and I love the idea of visiting this very special part of the world not only in comfort and style, but with a small group of other explorers. Routinely ranked as one of the best cruise lines in the world, I’m looking forward to finally experiencing life onboard one of their ships. The Wind Spirit is a sleek, 4-masted sailing yacht that at its maximum accommodates a very reasonable 148 guests. I love the idea of having all of the luxury amenities one would expect on any cruise ship, but with the feeling that you’re on a private yacht.
Of course, this adventure is destination focused and to say I’m excited for our ports of call is an understatement. Included on my 7-day itinerary are:
- Papeete
- Moorea
- Tahaa
- Raiatea
- Bora Bora
- Huahine
Amazing scenery, fun excursions and luxury amenities – the next week should be a lot of fun. But I won’t be just onboard the ship, I’ll also be experiencing two very different, but wonderful hotel/resorts along the way. Landing in Papeete, I’ll immediately spend a day or so at Le Meridien Tahiti relaxing and getting over any jet lag issues I might have. It sounds like the perfect spot to get into the swing of South Pacific life and I’m really looking forward to my stay.
I’m also excited for a different resort experience at Le Meridien Bora Bora midway through my cruise. The Wind Spirit overnights in Bora Bora and offers a special excursion in partnership with Le Meridien to spend the night in one of their dreamy overwater bungalows. This is the stuff of travel dreams and to finally experience what is the ultimate in tropical luxury will be a personal dream come true.
As you can probably tell, I’m excited for this adventure in a way that’s unusual for me. It’s not just visiting a nice place, it’s the culmination of decades of travel fantasies. The South Pacific has been an important motivator for me personally and to finally be there, to finally be on these islands I never imagined I’d see in person will transcend normal travel experiences and propel it into the pantheon of legendary moments.
I’ll try to post as much as I can both on the site (photos) and on my normal social media channels (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) although at times I imagine the satellite WiFi will be a little wonky, so please bear with me.
If there’s anything you want to know about any aspect of my trip please ask in the comments below!
