Nearly 3 years have flown by since we were married and each year we have had our hearts set on going on a honeymoon. This year we were finally able to make it happen! We always wanted to return Europe and travel parts of Spain and Italy we haven’t seen, in addition to Greece. However, living on the West coast made the Society Islands and easy travel destination since there is a direct flight from LAX. Not to mention the aqua blue waters and beautiful scenery.

Our first day was spent in Papeete, Tahiti. We took a stroll in the morning on one of Tahiti’s famous black sand beaches and then headed into the city to catch our ferry to Moorea, the island where we spent the majority of our time. Prior to catching the ferry we had the opportunity to explore the Marché Municipale Papeete and tasted some of the local cuisine – delicious poisson cru. Essentially raw fish and vegetables in coconut milk and a splash of lime juice.

Moorea is a short 30 minute ferry ride west of Tahiti however, the islands are dramatically different. Tahiti is much more developed and Papeete is a decent sized city with more conveniences. In contrast, Moorea is a deserted island paradise with dramatic peaks and cliffs jutting out of the interior. Hotels and restaurants dot the main road which runs 36 miles around the perimeter of the island. The islands interior is mainly agriculture and mountainside.

Our hotel was conveniently located between the two bays on the island with unobstructed views of the crystal blue water. We were happy simply to be there, but were elated when we checked in and found out we had been upgraded to a bungalow right on the water. The over-water bungalow had a open air design with an awesome bathroom (Phil’s favorite part), a glass bottom floor in the living area (complete with a light under the hut so we could see the fishies at night), plus our own deck and dock – truly paradise.

Aside from much relaxing, we took advantage of the snorkeling and kayak gear at the hotel and spent a lot of time exploring the water and reef. We spotted some octopus, flounder, puffer fish and many other brightly colored creatures. Another day of our trip was spent on a “safari” excursion cruising up into the mountains. We checked out Belvedere Lookout which has amazing views of Opunohu and Cooks Bay, ancient Polynesian temples and some of the many agricultural spots. The island grows all of its local produce – anana (pineapple) and pamplemousse (grapefruit) are the most prevalent. We ate so much fresh fruit on the trip – simply delicious. To balance out all the healthy food we also had our share of croissants, bread, butter and sweet dessert crepes – it is French Polynesia after all!

The only disappointment of the trip was our failed attempt at locating a trail that lead to the Afareaitu Waterfalls. We rented a car (if you would consider it that) for the day to drive to the east side of the island hoping to hike up to the falls. Our directions were to locate the A-frame house on the beach 1/4 mile past the church and then follow the dirt road up hill. However, there were 2 churches within a mile of each other and nearly every house on the beach was an A-frame house. We wandered up a few poorly maintained dirt roads hoping we would find the trail but after multiple failed attempts we gave up. It was still a nice day and since we had a car we used the opportunity to see the whole island, all 36 miles of it that is.

We enjoyed a marvelous sunset the final night at the hotel – a great end to the week and our honeymoon!