Luxury Travel Advisor - August 2007 - (Page 26) ACCESS: Air Tahiti Nui (www.airtahitinui.com) offers daily nonstop service to Tahiti (Papeete) from JFK and LAX. Recommended dining spots in Bora Bora include Bloody Mary’s (689-6772-86) in Povai Bay. It’s a local favorite, so you definitely need to book ahead. Ditto for the very intimate La Villa Mahana (689-67-5063), also in Povai Bay. In Moorea, the restaurant of choice for foodies is Te Honu Iti in Cook’s Bay (659-56-19-84). If your clients are in the market for cultured black pearls (they actually vary in color from midnight black to luminous shades of pink), tell them to check out Matira Pearls in Bora Bora (www.matirapearls.com; 68967-79-14), the Black Pearl Gem Company on Papetoai in Moorea (www.blackgemco.com; 689-56-3668) and Tahiti Perles on rue Jeanne d’Arc in Papeete (www.perlesdetahi ti.net; 689-45-03-03). For browsers, there are a multitude of shops hawking black pearls in Vaitape. For woodcarvings and colorful pareos, the kitschy Boutique Gauguin in Vaitape is a definite don’t-miss. Jacuzzis, a gym, spa services en suite or on the beach and cool classes (tai chi, tattooing and onshore cooking). Shore excursions include beachfront horseback riding, Jeep safaris, submarine rides 100 feet below sea level and helicopter tours. Departing every Monday from Bora Bora, seven-day voyages include stops in Taha’a, Huahine and Raiatea, as well as venturous sails to innumerable motus (tiny palm-fringed islands and inlets brimming with lush rain forests, waterfalls and wild sherbet-colored flora) for aquatic safaris in limitless-visibility lagoons in search of an area with tropical fish. Contact Sales Director Laurent Tapotofarerani (laur ent.tehei@gmail.com; 33-6-8888-40-55). Island Destinations (www. islanddestinations.com) provides a collection of exclusive sundrenched programs throughout French Polynesia and other sought-after destinations, such as Bermuda, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Mexico, Fiji, Hawaii, Dubai and the Maldives. On top of that, their concierge services indulge guests around the clock, be it lastminute helicopter transfers, spa treatments or hard-to-get tattoo appointments (lately, they’re harder to book than tables at hot restaurants) in no time flat. They’ll even arrange the most unusual of requests, such as draining a pool and refilling it so that the water LE TAHA’A bungalows offer stunning views in a minimalist—yet chic—beach setting. Guests of the hotel enjoy alfresco dining by a tranquil pond (above). 26 LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR | August 2007 http://www.airtahitinui.com http://www.matirapearls.com http://www.blackgemco.com http://www.perlesdetahiti.net http://www.perlesdetahiti.net http://www.islanddestinations.com http://www.islanddestinations.com
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