Our cruises started in Papeete on the Island of Tahiti and went to, Huahine, Tahaa, Bora Bora, and Moorea. Our first stop was in Huahine, which is just slightly larger than Molokai and has about the same population of 6,500 people. Huahine is split into two parts with a short bridge connecting them. On both trips though we mainly stayed in the water by doing the Motu Picnic excursion. This took us under the bridge to the far side of the island for some excellent snorkeling. After that we returned to a motu for a very unique lunch. It involved sitting at a table in the water on plastic chairs eating poison cru and salads while hundreds of small fish swam around out feet. After that we went snorkeling a second time on the outside edge of the motu.

Our second Island was Tahaa. The island of Tahaa is a little larger than Huahine with about a thousand less people. It is mainly known for vanilla production a there are a couple of island tours available. We decided to do a morning drift dive. This involves snorkeling through a pass while riding the current. when you are done you walk up and do it again. We made three passes. The water was clear and there were a lot of fish. It is a bit tricky because it is shallow and you have to be careful nor to run into the coral.

Our afternoon was spent on Motu Mahana which is a private island where they have a beach barbecue and unlimited bar. This is a free excursion. It is a beautiful spot, and a big party that most everyone on the ship goes to. The Windstar Cruises use this motu on their sailings as well.

On their 7 day cruises the Paul Gauguin spends two days at Bora Bora. This is a good thing because the is a lot to do there. There are many people who consider Bora Bora the most beautiful island in the world. Mt. Otemanu and Mt. Pahai rise up in the middle of a very blue lagoon. Several small motus, surrounded by beaches and coral, circle the island. There are now over 800 overwater bungalows in Bora Bora yet some it still does not seem crowded. This may be because the bungalows are so expensive occupancy is low. In fact many have closed. To me it seems our overwater bungalow onboard is a better way to go.

We spent a morning shopping and exploring in the area around the main town of Vaitape however most of our time was again in the water. There are several tours that offer, boat cruises, snorkeling, and swimming with sharks and sting rays in the lagoon. We did a lagoon cruise which had 3 stops. First we snorkeled in 30ft deep water with lemon sharks and tropical fish, then we went into waist deep water with black tip sharks and sting rays and lastly we were snorkeling in 10 foot deep waters around coral and even more tropical fish.
Moorea is the last island we visit and the ship stays 2 days here as well. On our first day we rented a car and drove around the island. I have been going to Tahiti for 30 years and, to me, Moorea seems to be the island that has changed the least. There are not many new resorts and the bars and restaurants that I enjoy like are still there. Our favorite area is Tiahura. This is where the shark and sting ray tours go which is something we did on both trips. Tiahura is also home to my favorite beach bar and restaurant Les Tipaniers. The ship also offers a couple of interesting hikes across the island.