Huahine – the Best of French Polynesia
Huahine: The best lodging at Royal Huahine Resort (formerly Te Tiare) are the deep over-water bungalows.
Huahine is one of many spectacularly beautiful islands in French Polynesia. It’s also my favorite, primarily because it doesn’t feel touristy. When my husband and I explored the island on foot and by car, we encountered only friendly locals and felt very welcome.
Many readers have told me that if they could go anywhere in the world, it would be Bora Bora – and there was a time when I would have agreed. I’ve been to Bora Bora twice – the first time I thought it was heaven on earth, but on my last visit I was sad to see that tourism had taken a toll. In fact, some of the “friendly islanders” on Bora Bora were downright crabby.
Huahine is a 30-minute flight from the Papeete International Airport on the island of Tahiti. It’s home to about 6,000 people who live in quiet villages surrounded by lush landscape.
Free to roam about
The other thing I really liked about Huahine is that I didn’t feel like a captive in our lodging. We stayed at the lovely Royal Huahine, from which we could take a ferry into the town of Fare to eat at local restaurants and get a sense of the local lifestyle.
If you stay at the Royal Huahine (and I think you should) be sure to book a “deep over water bungalow” – not to be confused with an “overwater bungalow.” Our deep overwater bungalow provided a wonderful view of the lagoon and the reef and a great deal of privacy. When I wasn’t snorkeling right around our room, I sat on the deck and watched kayaks, catamarans and outriggers go by.
Sunset at Royal Huahine on the island of Huahine in French Polynesia.
Exploring Huahine
One day we rented a car in Fare and drove around the island, which is as close to a tropical paradise as I’ve ever seen. Huge coconut palms and leafy banana trees cover the land, and from a distance they make it look like the mountains are cloaked in green velvet. Naked brown-skinned toddlers were playing in freshly-tilled soil, and the earth smelled very fertile.
We stopped at Eden Parc, a botanical fruit and veggie garden, and enjoyed a great lunch of mixed organic vegetables, followed by bananas flambé. As we drove, we passed groups of locals sitting by the water strumming guitars, well-kept houses, and quite a few schools and churches.
In the village of Tefarerii, we heard drumming that led us to what looked like a community center. Peeking inside we saw groups of girls practicing Polynesian dances. We also stopped at a roadside stand selling shell jewelry. We didn’t have the right change to pay for the earrings I wanted, but we flagged down Le Truck L’Ecole (school bus) and the driver kindly made change for our 1000 franc note.
Before catching the ferry back to the resort, we ate dinner in one of the local restaurants in Fare. The smoked marlin salad was amazing. We also enjoyed the food in the restaurant at the Royal Huahine (formerly Te Tiare Beach Resort).
Sunset, as enjoyed from the Royal Huahine.
The deck on our bungalow was enjoyed day and night. My 5 pm massage started when the sun was low in the sky, but when I turned face up I found myself staring at the Southern Sky, exactly half of a very bright moon, and hundreds of white stars. Considering the romantic setting, it’s not surprising that Huahine is a popular place for honeymoons and destination weddings.
The resort also arranged a private snorkel tour for us, and another day we went out on a catamaran to watch surfers catching pipeline waves at Fitii Pass.
The king and queen off Huahine’s Heiva Festival.
We made a last trip into Fare to watch the parade that is the highlight of the Heiva Festival. This annual cultural event includes young and old, and I had the distinct feeling that visitors were more than welcome.
Bora Bora and the more touristed islands in French Polynesia are still gorgeous, but have lost this hometown feel. That’s why I recommend that travelers seeking authentic experiences head to Huahine. It’s a real gem in French Polynesia.
If you’re a fan of beautiful tropical islands, you may also want to consider visiting Turtle Island, Fiji.
Cheers,
Category: Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, French Polynesia
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Thanks for this articles, we love Huahine
Also we found a famous distillery “Huhahine Passion” from Christian and Rosy !