Visiting Tahiti and French Polynesia’s Islands of Paradise
PAPEETE, Tahiti – From that first whiff of fresh gardenias on board on Air Tahiti Nui’s late-night flight from LAX, our delegation’s trip from rural Indiana’s flatlands to South Pacific’s plush utopia, had already entered a new realm of sensory bliss.
The flight attendants placed flowers in our ears and switched to traditional Polynesian wraps. Champagne flowed freely. The pilot’s instructions were in English, French and Tahitian. Every passenger had private television screens, earphones, pillows, blankets, and seats that reclined in exquisite comfort. It was as if everyone were flying First Class. French Polynesia and 118 islands’ hospitality had already kissed us and we hadn’t even yet touched her soil. The airline industry could learn a lot from those folks.
For the next two weeks, two professors (myself included) would take 20 American college students on a 10,000-mile round-trip excursion via airplane, bus, van and boat to the islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine and finally, Bora Bora to discover the people and culture of French Polynesia.
Just as expected, locals greeted us at the airport in Papeete (pronounced “poppy eh tee”) and placed leis on every person who got off the plane. Getting through customs went smoothly because of the trilingual agents’ efficiency. While most of the service industry and structure is fluent in English, it would be helpful for someone in the travel party to speak conversational to advanced French.
Our hotel, the Royal Tahitian, had such deep green shrubbery, it was as if we had all entered a new kingdom of greenery. Each morning, we’d get up and find flowers had fallen from the trees and landed on the walkways. The beachfront Tahitian indeed treats each visitor regally. Mornings began with freshly cut pineapples, mangoes, watermelons, croissants and coffee.
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