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Thursday, 19 November 2015
Monday, 13 July 2015
Paul Gauguin – 7 Night Roundtrip Tahiti (Papeete) - A Trip to Paradise
Paul Gauguin – 7 Night Roundtrip Tahiti (Papeete) - A Trip to Paradise
So before get
into my blog I have to say French Polynesia was on my ‘Bucket List’ – I had it
pinned as one of the places in the world I wanted to go more than anything so
when the opportunity arose to say I was thrilled would be an understatement. It
was made even better by the fact I was to explore the Society Islands onboard
the m/s Paul Gauguin.
The m/s Paul
Gauguin in my opinion is the best way to get the most out of your trip to
French Polynesia as it allows you to explore all the different islands without
having to constantly pack/unpack, keep checking in and out of hotels and more
importantly being an all-inclusive ship it’s far more cost effective. The ship
was designed specifically to sail the shallow seas of Tahiti, Fiji, and the
South Pacific, visiting small ports that larger ships can't reach and
effortlessly blending into the stunning natural beauty of the South Seas. She
offers an extension of the informal, relaxing environment of the islands,
coupled with five-star service, comfort, and luxury. With only 332 guest and a
very high crew-to-guest ratio it feels like a very exclusive way to explore the
Society Islands.
Onboard they
have spacious suites and staterooms (more than 70% with private balconies), an
onboard watersports marina and a choice of three open-seating dining venues.
The atmosphere aboard is known for its warmth, informality, and Polynesian
flair and their beloved troupe of Gauguines—local Tahitians who serve as
cruise staff, entertainers, and storytellers—add the unique personality of
Tahiti to every sailing.
Day 1
Now, the
difficult part of getting to where I consider being one of the most beautiful
places on earth was the journey… If flying from the UK the most sensible
suggestion in my opinion would be to fly London to L.A, with a stop in L.A and
then fly L.A to Tahiti however we decided on a different route. Our flight plan
was London Heathrow to Paris (CDG), overnight in Paris, then fly with Air
Tahiti Nui from Paris (CDG) to Tahiti (Papeete) with a 2 hour in-transit stop
in L.A to then re-board the same plane. I have to admit the thought of all the
travelling did make me question whether the end result would be worth it; I
soon found out it really was.
Upon arrival
at London Heathrow it hit me that soon I’d be arriving in Tahiti! I was beyond
excited. I met the rest of my group at Heathrow, I was travelling with 4 other
girls, and we boarded the BA plane for our short London to Paris journey. Upon
arrival in Paris we then had the task of finding our hotel. We were staying at
an Ibis located near Terminal 3 at Charles de Gaulle, our flight had flown into
Terminal 2A so we followed the ‘hotel’ signs (after being advised to do so by
the information desk). After various lifts, moving walk ways and corridors we
arrived at the pick-up area for the hotels where the buses come to. It turned
out our hotel was one of the ones the buses don’t actually go to, but the
driver of the bus took pity on us and dropped us of anyway!
After
checking in we decided to grab dinner at the hotel – we were all very eager to
discuss our upcoming adventure. Next thing we knew it was almost midnight, and with
what we knew would be a very long day of travelling we decided to head to bed.
The hotel room was nice, nothing special but perfect for a one-night stop at
the airport.
Day 2
Faced with a
long day of travelling ahead of us we left our hotel, taking the RER shuttle
from the hotel to our terminal – a much easier process than the night before.
We got to our check in desk early and found there was already a huge queue –
rather surprising considering we were there way earlier than you’d need for a
flight and it looked like we’d been beaten to it by at least half the plane! We
boarded and were greeted by hosts giving out flowers, a Tiare to be exact which
is not only a symbol of their airline but a flower of Tahiti. With Air Tahiti
Nui the flight figuration is typically 2-4-2 however the last few rows were
2-3-2 and we’re been given the last row of 2 and a 3. The upside was that we
were right by the toilets and crew area which was really handy for a long
flight as the only thing that really got me through was the ease at which we
could get up and down without annoying anyone – that and I could recline my
seat whenever I wanted to nap and not have to bother the person behind. It did
have it downsides being at the back though, mainly being that you were last off
the plane, which when you have less than 2 hours to transit from LA airport, go
through immigration and security to re-board the plane it meant a serious rush! 
The seats
were comfy and we were given the usual things such as a pillow, blanket, socks
and an eye mask etc. which were all nice little touches. Each seat had its own
interactive TV screen in front of them with a good selection of recent films,
short tv programmes and documentaries (mainly destination based), a good
selection of music plus games. The meals onboard were good, typical plane food
– the only thing we didn’t enjoy was the fact you were served the meals based
on the times at your destinations (which of course is normal) but as we were on
the plane for such a long time we ended up having a couple of lunches and a
couple of dinners (on the way back we had about 3 breakfasts!). It became a
running joke in our group that it was STILL Friday. Because of the time
differences and our way of travel every time we were getting close to reaching
Saturday we touched down and were back a few hours and it was still Friday.
After what
felt like forever we landed in Tahiti. The warm air met us as we stepped off
the plane… oh and so did the rain! After going through security and picking up
our bags we were met by representatives holding Paul Gauguin signs who escorted
us to a coach and presented us with a Lei – the excitement really set in! After
a 5 minute journey we’d arrived at the Intercontinental Tahiti (a hotel used by
Paul Gauguin as a pre-cruise/post-cruise option), presented with a yummy
cocktail and shown to our rooms. We’d been given the Panoramic view rooms which
were amazing! They had the most incredible views of the infinity pool and bar,
the grounds, the lagoon area and in the distance was Moorea! I felt so lucky, I
think that’s when it really hit me that I was really in Paradise! We dumped our
bags and decided to meet in the lobby bar for a quick drink before bed to
celebrate finally making it, and yes… we did actually toast when the clock hit
midnight and we’d finally reached Saturday.
Day 3
I awoke
early and decided to take in the view from my balcony, although a cloudy day it
still looked beautiful. We later found out they’d had an usually bad spout of
weather for that time of year, but it cleared a day or so later. As this was a
once in a lifetime trip I really wanted to experience as much as I could and
make the most of everything, so seeing as I was being kept awake from jetlag I
decided to go for a swim at 6:30am. The pool was open 24 hours but only staffed
during the day time, pool towels could be checked out and sunbeds were available.
It was beautiful, the water was so warm and I could have stayed in there
forever. After a leisurely breakfast which was buffet style including cooked,
continental and pretty much everything you can have imagined, I packed up my
room and checked out. The hotel was
lovely; great staff, gorgeous décor and a perfect place for a one night
pre-cruise stay – in actual fact I would have loved another night to really get
the most of the hotel. We were being transferred to the ship at 2pm and I
couldn’t wait, the transfers were also part of the pre-cruise package with Paul
Gauguin which made the whole process nice and easy for us.
As soon as we pulled
up at the port and saw the ship the excitement really hit. We were greeted by
smiles and swiftly taken onboard and presented with a glass of champagne which
was a perfect way to start the cruise. My stateroom was gorgeous; I had a
window stateroom, category E. My first impressions was just how light and airy
the room was, to say it was a window stateroom it didn’t feel dull, dark or
enclosed at all. It was very well appointed, spacious and had everything I
would need for a weeks cruise, I was really impressed.
I also had the most
gorgeous welcome gift of champagne, chocolates, fruit and a flower decoration.
After settling in and unpacking we had the muster drill and then picked up our
snorkelling gear from the Marina. At the start of the cruise you can pick up
your own snorkelling set and it was then allocated to you for the duration of
the cruise and you kept it in your stateroom for whenever you needed it, this
was a nice little touched from Paul Gauguin, especially as watersports often
played a huge part in the cruise and it was a big interest to many onboard. One
of the things I noticed was the age ranges of the other guests; far younger
than I’d imagined. I knew Paul Gauguin catered for all ages and they did get a
variety but I didn’t realise to what extend until I got onboard. There were
quite a lot of large multi-generational families and honeymooners, so that was
really nice to see a good mix of people and I was informed there was a quite a
lot of repeat guests too. For children and families the main attraction is the
Ambassadors of the Environment Youth Programme which allows 9-17 year olds to
explore and learn about marine life including activities such as hiking, rainforest
trails, learning how vanilla is cultivated and exploring the coral reefs. This
is a one off fee per child and it’s a full weeks’ worth of activities, parents
are able to pay and join too if they so wish. I liked the way the dining was
organised onboard. They had their main dining room L’Etoile which was open for
dinner only as open dinning from around 6:30pm-9pm. La Verenda was open for a
buffet & a la carte style breakfast and lunch and then an a la carte dinner
by reservation only. Le Grill was the same; buffet & a la carte style
breakfast and lunch and then an a la carte dinner by reservation only. On our
first night we had dinner in La Veranda which was absolutely fantastic, not
only did it have a lovely atmosphere but the food was perfect. Such a wide
choice on the menu, a lot of fish and local produce. Still jet-lagged and tired
from all the excitement we all had an early night ready for the next day in
Huahine.
Day 4
Day 5
This was the
day I was looking forward to the most, the day at Paul Gauguin’s private island
– Motu Mahana, which was a private Motu along the Northern reef edge. Awaking
early (jet lag….) I decided to take a look on deck and was faced with probably
the most beautiful sight of my life. The most incredible sunrise came from
behind the islands and filled the sky with gorgeous colours; it certainly was a
goose bump kind of moment.
I’d heard everyone say that the waters were like 14
shades of turquoise and they certainly were right. It just made you feel incredibly lucky to be
alive, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and that’s exactly what I loved
about being onboard Paul Gauguin, it was full of those once in a lifetime
moments that you’d treasure forever. After grabbing breakfast in Le Grill, we
headed for the first tender of the day – this was a top tip we’d been given.
Getting off on the first tender not only meant spending as much time possible
on the Motu, but it meant arriving before everyone else, no crowds… oh and
getting the best sunbeds! The island itself was used just for the ship and was
set up perfectly for the guests onboard, it was so small you could walk around
it in about 5 minutes. They had a bar area, sunbeds, picnic tables, a huge
bbq/buffet area plus a toilet/shower area, so it really did cater for a full
day at the beach - plus all the food and drink was included for the day. It was
just bliss, arriving on the tender it’s a wet landing so you get off directly
onto the beach so you do get a little wet however it’s paradise, you can hardly
complain! It was a boiling hot day but a gentle breeze really helped as you
laid back and took in your view. We walked out into the crystal clear water for
what seemed liked forever and yet it didn’t even reach past your waist. The
island had lots to do; from using your snorkelling gear and kayaking to coconut
demonstrations and volleyball. After spending pretty much all day on the island
we decided to head back to the ship and get ready for dinner in Le Grill. This
was again was one of the restaurants you could make a dinner reservation for
between 6:30 and 9pm. It was a lovely space on the pool deck half outside with
a glass roof cover, the menu was limited (just a small selection of starters,
mains etc etc) however still great none the less. By the time we’d finished
dinner we had already arrived at Bora Bora – the good thing about the majority
of our ports of calls were that they were quite close, so often you’d arrive by
the time you’d finished your evening meal. We decided to head to La Palette for
a couple of drinks, being quite an active ship during the day with at least 50%
of shore excursions water based and/or strenuous activities we did note that on
evenings the ship wasn’t necessarily the most ‘happening’ place. This didn’t
bother us as we understood that most people who went on the Paul Gauguin were
there more for the activities during the day rather than a typical cruise-ship
evening schedule. This being said there was still quite a lot on offer with various
shows involving Les Gauguines, the Piano Bar and of course La Palette for
dancing and a disco, so really the ship had a lot to offer for everyone. After
a couple of cocktails in the warm evening breeze with the lights of Bora Bora
as a back drop I headed off to bed as we had an excursion early morning.
Day 6
Today I
decided on room service breakfast so I could have a slight lay-in before our
excursion. Room service breakfast was quite a big menu, ranging from a cooked
breakfast to continental; all you had to do was leave your request outside your
door before 3am. Our excursion today was the ‘Off the Road Adventure’ in Bora Bora,
it was $129 and described as a way of reaching parts of the islands only
accessible by a land rover, it promised stunning views and a guided tour of the
island. It seriously did not disappoint - what an incredible excursion…. And
when it said off the road, it really did mean off the road! There were some
serious holding on to your chair moments when the Land Rover took on steep
hills that you wouldn’t think possible and you got a bit too close to the edge
of a cliff than you’d like but when you reached the top you literally skipped a
breath at the views in front of you.
The best way I can describe what I saw was
to say it was like looking at a postcard. It may seem corny but you see
beautiful images on postcards, you can view the pictures online and in the
brochures but they always seem like a complete dream world. It’s always someone
else’s image that you’re looking at but this time I was seeing it for my own
eyes – and it really is as stunning as you’d
imagine.
imagine.
Again I had that
‘luckiest person in the world’ feeling that Paul Gauguin deliver to you every single
day. We were taken to various sites around the island, given a great insight
from our tour guide and after 3.5 hours our tour came to an end. We decided to grab lunch in La Veranda today,
ordering from the a la carte menu (they of course had a wide choice on the
buffet too). Lunch, as like everything else onboard was great, I decided to go
for a burger and salad. This afternoon was spent soaking up the sun on the pool
deck before preparing for the evenings events!! We were informed we were on the
‘best cruise of the year’ because we were luckily enough to be in Bora Bora on
the night of their annual event ‘Heiva I Bora Bora 2015’. This was the annual
singing, dance and sports competition that all the islands in French Polynesia
took part in. Talk about amazing, it seriously was a one-off and it was such a
cool thing to experience. What was such a quiet port during the day had been
completely transformed in the evening, they had art and craft stalls, a huge
stadium for the show and it was bustling with locals. After a great evening we
headed back to the ship (PG had put on late tenders especially), I grabbed room
service dinner and settled down with a DVD.
Day 7
After
breakfast we briefly got off the ship to take a look at the local shops in town
area, the majority were all souvenir and pearl shops – which were a big deal
over there. We boarded the ship and had a quick lounge by the pool before
taking the tender to the Bora Bora Motu.
We’d been advised that this Motu was far more basic than the one previously as this was just a private area of a beach so it had no washrooms and no food, although they did provide soft and fizzy drinks. I had to say I absolutely loved it, the sand was just perfect, the water was divine and the view… picturesque!
The lagoon was lovely, you
could walk out for miles and it was such soft sand, it wasn’t great for
snorkelling however we heard from people it was better round the other side. We
didn’t stay for too long on the beach, only a couple of hours but it was well
worth going. Once back onboard I decided to have a bit of time in my stateroom
before getting ready for dinner. We met in the Piano Bar for a few pre-dinner
drinks – this was becoming a firm favourite with our group. Dinner tonight was
in L’Etoile which I was really looking forward to considering the last time we
ate in there it was the infamous ‘sea sickness night’ and we barely ate so I
was hoping this time would be different. The food was great, a good selection
and very tasty, the majority of the food onboard was all locally sourced so it
was extremely fresh. After dinner we headed to the Grand Salon, tonight was the
Cruise Directors show. I have to say I
was extremely impressed, he was a great singer and as much as I’d enjoyed the
shows with Les Gauguines it made a change to have something a bit different. We
ended the night we a couple more drinks in the Piano bar before heading to bed.
Day 8
I love
Moorea! Don’t get me wrong, all the islands we visited were beautiful and nothing
could take away from how Bora Bora seemed literally like the most amazing place
on earth but Moorea had a different look to it. It was so green! With huge
peaks and such lush vegetation it made me think I was in a scene straight out
of Jurassic Park, it was absolutely stunning.
After a leisurely breakfast and a
lounge around the pool with the most stunning backdrop we got off for our
afternoon excursion. We’d arrange to do the ‘Under Water Walk’ excursion which
was where you walk under water but with a helmet on your head so you can see
all the marine life, and when I say helmet I mean it’s like a giant fish bowl.
They did this excursion in quite a few ports however as we’d done various
different things throughout the week this was the day that it fit in with our
entire group. It was only $129 and very much worth every penny. I have to
confess, I'm not one for the ocean; I can swim fine, I love being on a ship and
seeing the sea and I think it looks stunning… from afar, however I'm a bit of a
wimp when it comes to creature of the sea. Watching from a distance isn’t a
problem, but faced with the idea of going down into the sea and having them all
swimming around me did quite petrify me.
If I’d have been anywhere else in the
world I wouldn’t have done it - that’s a fact, but this was a once in a
lifetime opportunity and if there was ever anywhere in the world ‘water
activities’ had to be done, it was in the Society Islands. So I put my brave
face on and we headed off to Moorea by tender where we were greeted by our
guide. We were in a small group of 7, so our 5 plus another couple which was
really nice, it’s not quite the same when you’re in a huge group for an
excursion. After a short car journey to the Intercontinental Moorea we were
taken to the jetty where we boarded our little boat. After a couple of minutes
we arrived in the lagoon in-between two little islands and we set up camp for
our adventure. We were split it to two groups and given our health and safety
instructions and then began our descent into the water, it was only around 12ft
so it wasn’t exactly too deep. The helmet was heavy and felt rather strange to
start but after a few minutes I began to relax. We saw so many fish! As soon as
we got down there they swam straight over to investigate as we were given food
to hold which brought all the marine life over to us. The biggest surprise for
me was the Stingrays, they were so soft to touch and far cuter than I’d
imagined. It was an odd feeling walking underwater with the helmet, it was
quite difficult to walk and you could sort of bounce and stride and though you
were weightless.
Just as we began to
make our way back to the boat our guide spotted a Moray eel, he let us watch
from afar as it popped its head out from the coral. Afterwards he’d told us
he’d not seen that one before, he’d seen others in the area but didn’t know
that one and often they could be a bit hostile which is why he kept us a little
bit back. It was such a brilliant experience and despite being a bit dubious to
start with I really enjoyed it and was so pleased I’d gone through with the
excursion. On the boat ride back our guide told us to look out for sharks in
the waters below and I actually spotted one! Having said that, I was pleased to
spot one but even more pleased I was back on the boat for the viewing! After
being dropped back off to catch our tender we took a quick look at the market
stalls in the port area, most were selling pearls which seemed to be a common
theme throughout the whole cruise. Getting back on the tender as the sun was
starting to go down gave us another wow moment as the ship looked so beautiful
in its surroundings.
Tonight was Polynesian night onboard and we’d originally
wanted to dine in La Veranda again however on Polynesian night we’d been
advised that the menu was the same throughout the ship so it didn’t matter either
way so we stuck to L’Etoile. Being Polynesian night the dress code was very
relaxed, people were encouraged to wear their most tropical outfits and as much
colour as possible. The most exciting part was between 6:30-7:30pm where local
mamas were onboard making heis and leis. The local mamas set up in the hallways
outside the restaurants and they made the most beautiful garlands and head
dresses. I totally fell in love with mine and wore it throughout the whole
evening, they also had a band playing local music and it was one of those times
where you realise just how involved and in touch with the locals Paul Gauguin
are. It’s not fake, it’s not a one-off, this was a regular thing onboard and PG
really does ensure to give such a cultural and authentic experience when
sailing with them. Dinner was sublime, so tasty and fresh – we really enjoyed
our meal. We had a few drinks in the piano bar and as we’d had such a great
evening we really wanted to stay up late and make the most of it. Christian the
Cruise Director joined us in the Piano Bar for drinks and then took us up to La
Palette where he instructed the DJ to turn the music up load so we could dance
the night away. Don’t get me wrong, there wasn’t more than a hand full of
people in there but we had a blast, La Palette was a great area that not many
people seemed to visit. At the back of the ship with seating indoor and outdoor
plus a dance floor it gave just an added extra for people to use on an evening.
At around 1am I decided to call it a
night leaving the rest of the group dancing until around 3am!
Day 9
We decided on the buffet lunch in Le Grill today as it was right by the
pool, again we could have ordered from the a la carte menu but as there was so
much choice we never really found the need to order anything else. They also
had a hot station where the chef made ready to order pasta for you which was
really good. There was always a large selection of salad, fruit and bread along
with interchanging hot dishes which varied day by day. I can be quite a fussy
eater and there was always a good choice so that was great. I enjoyed my lazy
day in the sun and tried not to think about packing… but I knew it has to come
at some point! 
We couldn’t have picked a
better day to be in the bridge as 5 people were late boarding which meant we
got to watch all the action as it unfolded. We were only supposed to be in
there for around 30 minutes but we ended up in there over an hour as of course
the captain couldn’t sail away until we knew what was happening. The last
tender was at 4:30pm and at 4:45 there was still no sign of them. Various
attempts had been made to contact them, they weren’t on an excursion so they’d
found people travelling with them onboard and asked them to call and various
other inventive ideas. Approaching 5pm the captain was left to make the call as
to whether to set sail or not, however just before the decision was made the
guests apparently strolled up to the tender
that was still portside in hope they’d arrive, and it turned out they’d
been too busy playing golf and lost track of time…! After they got onboard we
finally got the set sail, only 40 minutes late.
It was brilliant to see the bridge and I felt very lucky, but it was even better to be in there when drama was unfolding! We left the bridge to join the regular sail away part on the pool deck for everyone and being the last night they did a little show and thank you to all the guests and crew. All the staff came out and got together for a farewell presentation. After this it was a quick change for dinner, we put our suitcases outside the room to be collected for disembarkation and we met back up in the Piano bar for a pre-dinner drink. We had dinner in Le Grill tonight which was fab. Last time we’d had it in the covered area, which was mostly glass sides and roof but tonight as we were just docking in Tahiti they’d brought the tables outside and we ate under the stars and enjoyed the lights of Papeete infront of us. It was nice to have all the islands so close as it meant you could set sail at 5pm and by 7pm we’d arrived at our next destination. Dinner was lovely, I think it was possibly one of my favourite dinners whilst being onboard. It was not only the great food but the lovely ambience of eating outside in the warm sea air. I had pumpkin ravioli, caesar salad, vegetable tempura and vanilla crème brulee – a great last dinner onboard. We decided to head to the Grand Salon to watch the show before a last drink in the Piano Bar and then bed.
Day 10
Disembarkation
day. I really didn’t want to leave; I honestly could have quite happily stayed
onboard the m/s Paul Gauguin and done it all over again. We had our breakfast
in La Veranda for the final time and then mooched around on the sun deck before
it was time to get off. On Paul Gauguin they don’t rush you to get off unlike
most other cruise lines, you can get off leisurely at around lunch time of a
bit after if you choose. We had taken the cruise package that included the day
room at their Intercontinental Tahiti as our flight wasn’t until 23:59. We were
given two choices of transfer; either disembark at 12 and have a 2.5 hour coach
tour around Tahiti visiting various different points of significance or
disembark at 12:30 and be taken by coach straight to the hotel.
Check-in for
your day room wasn’t until 2:30 anyway so we decided we may as well take the
coach tour. All this was done smoothly and we enjoyed a good few hours being
shown around the island with stop off points. We arrived at the hotel to find
our suitcases ready waiting for us, we checked in and were given our own rooms
at the hotel. I often find sometimes when places say you can have a ‘dayroom’
it’s not quite as good as it sounds but here you really do get your own hotel
room to use which was great. For all those on the Paul Gauguin package a letter
was given explaining how the process works, what time we could have the room to
and what time transfers were for each flight. We decided to make our own way
there in a taxi as it was only $25 for the 5 of us, the hotel arranged it for
us however we did notice there was always a constant stream of taxis outside
the hotel. Check out was at 8pm so we had plenty of time, so after a quick
change it was time to head to the lovely pool we saw on our first day in
Tahiti. It was quite nice this being the hotel we had stayed at for our
pre-cruise stay so we knew the hotel, knew the facilities and it meant we could
simply get stuck straight into how we wanted to spend our last few hours in
Paradise. After a lazy hour or so by the pool I decided to head to the bar area
to meet the rest of my group. Although they have a huge main restaurant in the
hotel which has a big buffet or a la carte, right next to it there is a nice
little bar that you can order snacks, sandwiches and even main dishes. We went
for a standard sandwich and fries combo and a coke and at that point it’s when
again you realise just how good value being onboard Paul Gauguin is. The food
was great, really tasty and the service was attentive however the price tag
that comes with it is quite hefty. It’s not as though it was just that hotel,
all hotels in that part of the world are well known for their big price tags on
food and services but it’s really makes you appreciate the value of the cruise. 
The sun had set for our final day so I headed back to the room so I could
shower and freshen up before the long flight ahead! After checking out we
re-grouped back in the bar for one last drink before taking the taxi ride to
the airport. The airport was so busy! They only had 3 flights that evening, two
to L.A (we were on the second of the two) and one to Honolulu and all three
were within an hour or so of one another. Air Tahiti Nui kindly put our luggage
through as ‘priority’ so they came off first in Paris which we really
appreciated as we has only about 2 hours for our connection. Security was quick
and we arrived into the departure lounge… which has one shop and a café area.
Again, as there were only 3 flights that night in quick succession and we were
the last by the time we reached the lounge all the seats were taken! It was a
really small airport with not enough seats to cope for all the people. Normally
it wouldn’t be too much of a big deal, but when your flight is at 23:59 and
you’ve got over a days worth of flying ahead of you the last thing you want is
to be fighting for a seat. After a while we found a few seats outside in the
smoking area, it was an odd airport that was open on one side with a little
grass area and a few chairs. One of our
group made the brave decision she wanted a drink so queued for around 15
minutes just for 2 bottles of water. We boarded the flight smoothly and settled
down for our journey.
Day 11
The way back
was slightly easier, our transit in LA went smoother and we arrived back into
Paris (CDG) in no time. Our bags came off the carousel in Paris first which was
great and we headed to the BA desk to drop our bags off for our final short
flight. I’d checked us in online which meant as we arrived at the desks in
Paris we managed to skip the really big queue and get straight to the front to
drop our bags off. The time at the airport seemed to pass really quickly; we were
all very tired and just wanting to get home. We finally made it back into
London Heathrow and it felt a relief to know there was no more travelling ahead
however it was still bitter sweet as we’d left Paradise behind.
Top tips:
Get up
early, seeing the sun rise is simply incredible.
Take scuba/wet
shoes, they really come in handy.
Do
excursions you wouldn’t normally do, you may surprise yourself!
Get off the
first tender on the private island day, it really is worth it.
Enjoy every
last minute and create memories you’ll never forget.
The thing
with Paul Gauguin and French Polynesia is that I had it down on my bucket list.
I genuinely thought it was a once in a lifetime experience and that I would be
completely satisfied with my trip. Now the problem is… I've been, I’ve
experienced it and I’ve realised I have to go back! My trip was so fantastic i honestly don't think once in a lifetime is enough. I really thought ticking it
off my list would be satisfactory; I thought I would be ok only ever
experiencing it once but now I realise I don’t think there’s any way I could
be. I know I want to do it all over again, and there’s one thing for certain –
it most definitely will be onboard the spectacular m/s Paul Gauguin.
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