The Tuamotus
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The Tuamotus
Includes Why Go? Rangiroa...... 145 The Tuamotus? It’s the dream South Seas snapshot: the 77 Tikehau...... 154 atolls – narrow coral rings encircling turquoise lagoons – Mataiva...... 157 that make up this stunning archipelago are flung over an immense stretch of indigo-blue ocean. Fakarava...... 159 Life in the atolls is equal parts harsh and paradisiacal: Ahe...... 164 hardly anything grows, so there’s little fruit and vegetables, and the only drinking water is collected from the rain. Yet the silence, starry skies, coral beaches, blue lagoons, idyllic motu (coral islets) and languid pace of life captivate nearly Best Places everyone who makes it here. Most tourists visit Rangiroa, Tikehau and Fakarava, which have the bulk of the tourist to Stay infrastructure, but it’s also possible to explore lesser-known ¨¨Ninamu (p156) beauties such as Ahe, Mataiva and Makemo. ¨¨Kia Ora Resort & Spa Anyone who loves the water will adore the Tuamotus. The (p151) vast, pristine marine area offers unparalleled opportunities ¨¨Ariiheevai (p158) to encounter the menagerie of marine life. For nondivers, fantastic lagoon excursions beckon. ¨¨Havaiki Pearl Lodge (p162) ¨¨Tevahine Dream (p151) When to Go ¨¨The Tuamotus get more sunshine than any other archipelago in French Polynesia. Best Places ¨¨The shoulder seasons (April to May and October to to Eat November) are the best times to visit. ¨¨Raira Lagon – Beach Raira ¨¨From December to March is the period when storms and (p152) rain are more likely. ¨¨Mitivai (p152) ¨¨Between June and September, the prevailing trade winds ¨¨Tikehau Village (p157) produce pleasantly mild weather but rough seas – not ideal ¨¨Snack Kori Kori (p164) for boat excursions. ¨¨Diving is excellent year-round, but the seas are calmer from October to May.
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Île aux Récifs aux Île Slowing things down down things Slowing and white-sand beaches on on beaches white-sand and (p145) on on (p145) at and finding your own slice of of slice own your finding and 5
Walking along the pink- pink- the along Walking 3 Tumakohua Pass Tumakohua Mataiva seeing surreal coral formations formations coral surreal seeing (p39) (p39) (p157). around
on Fakarava. on Tiputa Pass Tiputa Aratika (p37) and and (p37) with hundreds of sharks in in sharks of hundreds with emerald waters of lagoon lagoon of waters emerald (p162). remote on
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Exploring the legendary legendary the Exploring Going nose-to-nose nose-to-nose Going Swimming in the pristine pristine the in Swimming Leaving the world behind behind world the Leaving 1 2 4 6
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The Tuamo 144