How best to round off a trip to South America? With a beach break in Tahiti, of course! One client did just that. Read on for her account of the trip...
Little piece of paradise
After a short night's sleep, we were off on the local flight to Bora Bora. Having chosen to sit on the 'wrong' side of the aircraft (it's a 50/50 chance!) we missed the sight of Morea and other islands but did get a view of Bora Bora as we came in to land. The main island nestles in a lagoon of crystal clear aqua green waters; memories of the film South Pacific came into mind (and I probably hummed the entire score during our three day stay). Greeted by our hotel reps with a garland of flowers, we were taken by boat to our exclusive atoll. Rooms over the water were clearly occupied by honeymoon couples, as flower decked canoes paddled back and forth with room service meals. We were staying in a quiet garden room with our own jacuzzi and garden, complete with resident crab, he was shy but definitely big enough for a meal for two.
Snorkelling above Manta Rays
We made the most of our three days on the island, with a 4x4 tour that turned out to be a good practical demonstration of how a Land Rover can go vertically up a small mountainside. The World War II American gun emplacements at the top, coupled with the view were another reminder that we were in South Pacific. And if the overland views were not quite spectacular enough, we also took a 35 minute dive in a submarine, going down to 40 metres and seeing some stunning marine life from the comfort of a glass surround deck. By luck we were the only passengers on this trip, so had uninterrupted views. All too soon our short trip to Bora Bora came to an end and it was time to pack up and leave our little piece of paradise and head for New Zealand, Australia and home.
This has been the trip of a lifetime and we have had the most amazing experiences over the last 2 months, and it has all been down to the care and attention to detail shown by Original Travel. From country dossiers, to updated flight times, our travel plans have gone like clockwork, and our hotels have been exactly what we wanted in each destination. Particular thanks to Steph for all her advice and arrangements in South America and to Rosie for arranging our Bora Bora trip and not forgetting Saskia and Kat for calmly helping out at the very beginning of our journey when Hurricane Irene threatened to derail the whole adventure - but that is another story.
Take a look at Rosemary's previous trips in The Galapagos, Peru, Argentina and Chile.
For more information on tailor made travel to Latin America and French Polynesia, contact Original Travel.