Tahiti & Moorea

1. ~8:30a●A Polynesian breakfast

   Tropical fruit, fresh coconut, and a pain au chocolat (Tahiti is French) on a deck over the lagoon, Moorea's jagged green peaks rising behind.

2. ~10:00a✦The lagoon & a motu picnic

   Moorea's lagoon is sublime — a boat to a sandy motu, snorkelling the coral gardens, and the bommies thick with fish in the warm, clear water.

3. ~12:30p✦Swim with rays & reef sharks

   The famous shallow encounter — gentle stingrays gliding around you and blacktip reef sharks circling in waist-deep turquoise, with a guide.

4. ~2:30p◆The Belvedere & the bays

   A drive up to the Belvedere lookout over the twin Cook's and Opunohu bays and the heart-shaped island, past pineapple plantations and a marae (ancient temple).

5. ~5:30p✦A lagoon sunset

   The lagoon at golden hour from your deck or a sunset cruise — the peaks blackening against the fire-coloured sky.

6. 8:00p✦A Polynesian tasting or motu dinnerAnchor table

   A French-Polynesian seafood degustation lagoon-side, or a private motu dinner under the stars with the lagoon lapping. The marquee experience; arranged at the resort.

Moorea is many travellers' favourite Polynesian island — its jagged peaks and sublime lagoon rival Bora Bora with fewer crowds. The ray-and-shark snorkel is a gentle, magical highlight.

1. ~8:00a✦Swim with humpback whales (in season)

   From roughly August to October, humpback whales come to Polynesia's warm waters to calve — Moorea is one of the few places on earth you can responsibly snorkel near them. An unforgettable encounter.

2. ~11:00a✦A drift snorkel or dive

   The reef pass and coral gardens — a drift snorkel or dive among turtles, rays, and clouds of tropical fish in spectacular visibility.

3. ~1:00p●A lagoon-side lunch

   Poisson cru (Tahitian raw fish in lime and coconut milk) and grilled mahi-mahi at a lagoon restaurant.

4. ~3:00p✦Paddle, kayak or e-bike

   The lagoon by paddleboard, or an e-bike around the island past vanilla plantations, fruit stands, and quiet villages.

5. ~7:30p●A beach-grill dinner

   Dinner with feet in the sand — the catch of the day grilled over coconut husk, the Southern Cross overhead.

Whale season (Aug–Oct) is a genuine bucket-list reason to time a Polynesia trip — snorkelling near humpbacks is extraordinary, with responsible operators. The reef snorkelling and diving here are world-class year-round.

1. ~9:00a✦Papeete & the public market

   The Tahitian capital's lively Marché de Papeete — vanilla, monoi oil, black pearls, tropical fruit, and Tahitian crafts over two bustling floors.

2. ~11:00a◆A marae & the island's history

   An ancient marae (open-air stone temple) and the Museum of Tahiti and Her Islands — the deep Polynesian culture beneath the French overlay.

3. ~1:00p●A roulotte lunch

   Papeete's famous roulottes (food trucks) — poisson cru, chow mein, and grilled fish on the waterfront, the locals' favourite cheap, delicious meal.

4. ~3:00p✦Black-sand beaches & a blowhole

   Tahiti's volcanic black-sand beaches, the Arahoho blowhole, and the lush Faarumai waterfalls on the wilder east coast.

5. ~6:30p✦A Polynesian dance show

   The fire-lit drama of 'ote'a drumming and dance — the heartbeat of Tahitian culture, often with an island buffet.

Tahiti itself (the main island) is more about culture than beaches — Papeete's market, the marae, and the black-sand coast give context the resort islands don't. The roulottes are a delicious, authentic local institution.