Known more commonly as Tahiti, the correct name for this area of
the South Pacific is French Polynesia which is a collection of five
Archipelagos, the Society Islands, of which Tahiti is one, the
Austral Islands, the Marquesas, the Gambier Islands and the Tuamotu
Atolls archipelago. There are 118 islands with an area of 1544
square miles of land but they are spread over an area of
nearly 2,000,000 square miles of Pacific Ocean, which is equal in
size to the mainland of Western Europe!
The Islands of Manihi, Tikehau, Rangiroa and Fakarava are all
part of the Tuamotu, archipelago that is the largest of French
Polynesia Island groupings. The islands lay to the east of the main
island of Tahiti with 78 islands and atolls making up the group
covering an area of 20,000 square kilometres.
These four main atoll Islands are all to be found in the north
of the archipelago, just a short 60-minute flight from Tahiti. With
very limited tourist development these islands offer an experience
of island living that has changed very little over the centuries
that man has been in occupation. These atolls offer the visitor
some of the best scuba diving to be found any where, with Rangiroa
being continually voted as one of the Worlds top 10 dive locations,
and for those who just want to snorkel in the shallows the
experience will be an unforgettable one.
*********************************************************************************************************************
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE TOUR - SOUTH PACIFIC 11TH JULY
2010
We have an exciting opportunity to book a private charter flight
to the French Polynesian Tuamotu Atoll of Hao to witness this
amazing event of a total Solar Eclipse, with a totality that
will last nearly 4 minutes 50 seconds in some places!
For more details, see the information page on the Tuamotu
Atolls.
*********************************************************************************************************************
CYCLONE OLI - UPDATE FRIDAY 8TH FEB 2010 - OLI HAS
PASSED FRENCH POLYNESIA, WITH LESS DAMAGE THAN WAS
EXPECTED.
IN TAHITI, BORA BORA AND THE REST OF THE SOCIETY ISLANDS
AND THE TUAMOTUS, THERE HAS BEEN QUITE A LOT OF DAMAGE TO
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, BUT NOT AS MUCH TO HOTELS AS WAS
EXPECTED.
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS HAVE HAD SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO
MOST RESORTS BUT THEY ARE HOPING TO HAVE THEM BACK TO NORMAL WITHIN
A FEW DAYS. SEE INDIVIDUAL RESORTS FOR LATEST
UPDATE.
RADISSON HAVE REPORTED NO MAJOR DAMAGE TO THEIR RESORTS,
JUST CLEAN UP OF DEBRIS.
INTER-ISLAND FLIGHTS ARE BACK TO
NORMAL
WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF POLYNESIAN
RESIDENTS ARE HOMELESS OR HAVE HAD SEVERE DAMAGE TO THEIR HOMES,
AND HAVE LOST A LOT OF THEIR BELONGINGS. WE HOPE THAT
EVERYONE IS SAFE AND WISH THEM WELL WITH RECONSTRUCTION AND
REGENERATION OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.