Ra’iatea & Taha’a

Why Go? Ra’iatea ...... 111 Ra’iatea and Taha’a are encircled by a common , but Sights ...... 111 here you get two very diff erent islands for the price of one. Activities ...... 113 Ra’iatea is high, imposing and fi ercely independent, has Tours ...... 115 the second biggest town in French after Pape’ete and is considered by many to be the spiritual seat of the Sleeping...... 116 . Taha’a, on the other hand, has graceful Eating & Drinking ...... 118 low hills, is famous only for its sweet-scented vanilla and is Shopping ...... 119 arguably the quietest of the . Neither island Taha’a ...... 120 gets many tourists, making them the ideal place to explore a Sights ...... 120 mysterious and wild-feeling Polynesia. Activities ...... 121 The islands have very few beaches. Fortunately the reef is Tours ...... 122 dotted with motu, white-sand gems that can fulfi l anyone’s Sleeping...... 123 dreams of a palm-fringed, blue-lagoon paradise. Within the vast lagoon itself is a never-ending aquarium perfect for div- Eating & Drinking ...... 124 ing, snorkelling, or just splashing around. On land, Shopping ...... 125 the mountains, particularly on Ra’iatea, make you want to strap on your hiking boots in search of breezy vistas, water- falls and one of the world’s rarest fl owers, the tiare apetahi. Best Places to Stay » Sunset Beach Motel (p 118 ) When to Go » Lodge (p 118 ) The dry winter period from May to October is the best time to go; the weather is cooler and there is much less rainfall » Opoa Beach Hotel (p117 ) during this time – perfect for outdoor activities, especially » Titaina (p 123 ) hiking. In July both islands are in full swing with the Heiva » Vahine Island Private cultural festivities, including dancing contests. The Island Resort (p 124 ) Nui canoe race (p 230) in early November is another highly » La Pirogue (p 124 ) colourful event. Diving is popular year-round.

Best Places to Eat » Opoa Beach Hotel (p 118 ) » Tahaa Maitai (p 124 ) » La Pirogue (p 125 ) » Chez Louise (p 125 ) 111 RA’IATEA & TAHA’A RA’IATEA Bay Motu Hotopu Oatara Motu Iriru

Opoa Puohine Faaroa Bay Nordby Motu Nao Nao Avera Teavapiti Pass Motu Toahotu Fetuna Joe Dassin Joe Dassin Marae Marae 00 4 miles 8 km Motu Tau Tau Motu Tau (p 112 ) and (p 113 ), a superb ), 113 (p Temehani Plateau in either lagoon or in either lagoon Hipu Faaha Bay Bay (p 116 ) and looking for for ) and looking 116 (p Haamene Faaha one of the world’s rarest rarest the world’s one of motu (p 113 ), the country’s only the country’s ), 113 (p Nordby R a ' i a t e a (p 112 ), one of Polynesia’s Polynesia’s one of ), 112 (p (p 121 ) Faaroa River Bay Apu Patio Motu Oatara Haamene Vaiaau Joe Dassin Beach T a h a ' a Tehurui Mt Tapioi (294m) (p 121 ), Taha’a’s hidden gem Taha’a’s ), 121 (p Tevaitoa Unwinding on blissful on blissful Unwinding Taking an unforgettable hike to to hike an unforgettable Taking with an Taha’a on Spending a day Learning how vanilla is prepared and is prepared vanilla how Learning Kayaking to to Kayaking Feeling the power of of the power Feeling Diving the on the the silence Absorbing tiare apetahi, tiare Tapuamu Faaroa River Faaroa Poutoru vanilla farm vanilla owers Beach Temehani Plateau Temehani the at stopping island tour, snorkelling a bout of ) for 121 (p fl Taputapuatea centres spiritual greatest up waterway navigable purchasing a sweet-scented vanilla pod at vanilla a sweet-scented purchasing a wreck very close to shore to close very wreck deserted snorkelling in crystal-clear waters in crystal-clear snorkelling 7 8 2 3 4 5 6 Ra’iatea Ra’iatea & Taha’a Highlights 1 Mt Temehani (821m) Bay Motu Tau Tau Tiva Hurepiti

ff rst fi Samoa the tourist ff nal Polynesian also its relaxed nd an intensely fi fi cance; explore the fi as Havai’iki Nui in ancient Nui as Havai’iki Society Islands. According to According Society Islands. in 1769, when he anchored o in 1769, rst came to the island on the fi erce Ra’iatean resistance. It was not fi mountains and the vast, reef-fringedmountains and Sights c voyage, and in 1777 a pro- he made fi The clockwise following sights are listed Cook Ra’iatea Taputa- was home to Marae missionaries came to Ra’iatea Protestant History 1 hiring a vehicle and driv- recommend We ing the 98km sealed-road circuit around Ra’iatea. gives the island this way Exploring you the opportunity to experience not only but its wild natural beauty atmosphere. around the island. times, is the cultural, religious and historic centre of the islands far to the northwest to be settled, probably by people from Samoa. Endeavour Ra’iatea, known were the legend, Ra’iatea and Taha’a radar. What dominates here are the high, dominates here are What radar. steep aretwo combination of the lagoon – the you forget and can make quite awe-striking beach. The no capital, Uturoa, that there’s is the only town of signi rest of the island and you’ll calm, back-to-nature reality. puatea, the most important traditional believe many which still temple in Polynesia, What is undeniable is exudes power today. a hard-to-pinpoint,that the island emanates energymysterious that you won’t feel any- Polynesia. where else in French during his second returned in 1774 Opoa. He Paci on his longed visit before to last voyage. in 1818 and from here continued to Rarotonga in 1823 and to in the Cook Islands POP POP 3568 Ra’iatea of the Society largest is the second second most also the and after Islands important its lack of economic centre, but leftbeaches has o it relatively of takeover the French in 1830. Following was a long period of instabil- in 1842 Tahiti and ity a real attempted until 1888 that the French of the island, and in 1897 troopstakeover were sent to put down the rebellion. RA’IATEA