To discover the storied Polynesia of Melville, Gauguin and Michener, you have to travel to Tahiti’s outer islands. Moorea, the former haunt of Tahitian royalty, is one such island where you still see fishermen paddling outrigger canoes, pareo-clad women strolling along the roads and children fishing from island bridges. Moorea is an island of vertiginous mountains – most of its 18,000 people live along the narrow coastal shelf. Behind tin-roofed wooden houses lie lush green mountains rushing up to fill the sky.
French Polynesia comprises some 130 islands, of which Tahiti is the best known. Just 12 miles across the lagoon from Tahiti lies Moorea.
Note: Moorea is a tender port. Transportation from ship to shore will be via the ship’s tender service.