Hotel La Pirogue in Tahaa

It is early morning as I write this and I am currently in Tahaa. I’m sitting in the wonderful open air bar of Hotel La Pirogue, looking out to the blue lagoon with the main island of Tahaa in the distance. I am here for site inspections and arrived last night. La Pirogue is a charming little hotel with just 8 bungalows (5 Garden & 3 Beach). Located on a motu, it is 30-minutes by boat from the airport in Raiatea.

La Pirogue has a classic Tahitian feel. The bungalows are very simple but comfortable. The have a nice deck with teak lounge chairs, a queen size bed with mosquito netting, no a/c but they do have a ceiling fan. Unfortunately my fan was working rather slowly. All of the bungalows face the lagoon and look out towards the main island of Tahaa. The property however, goes all the way to the ocean side of the motu so you can also experience the more wild side of the motu. It is a great place to look for shells.

For me the highlight of La Pirogue is the open air bar and the delicious cooking of Giuliano the owner. He is an excellent chef and unlike many small hotels which have to limit the number of hours the restaurant is open, Giuliano will prepare a limited bar menu for you any time of the day. In addition they also provide the same bar menu as room service.

La Pirogue is a great little hotel for people not wanting to break the bank.

Bora Bora and Beyond

Living in Moorea, I have had the undeniable privilege of visiting most every island & atoll in French Polynesia that has an airport and many that don’t even have that. There are 118 islands and each island is unique, carrying its own special charm. I can say without question that each island is truly magnificent.

Most Americans find themselves going to Moorea & Bora Bora. Some actually make it to Huahine or Tahaa and even fewer make it to the Tuamotu or Marquesas islands. Often when the vacation or honeymoon is in the early planning stages, I’m asked which is the best island? How do Moorea & Bora Bora compare? Should I do Huahine or Tahaa? And what about Manihi vs. Tikehau? The fact is every island is beautiful and the good news is that there is no wrong choice. I often tell people to go with their feeling. If you had the feeling to go to Huahine then that is where you should go. Don’t analyze it. Just go for it.

From my perspective, the biggest problem is that too many people, view a trip here as a once in a lifetime occurrence. Granted most people are unlikely to spend the kind of money on future trips that they spend on their honeymoons and that is OK. It makes sense that honeymoons should be an indulgence. I like splurging as much as the next person but it is simply not necessary to break the bank in order to experience paradise. Yes, we all hear about the rooms in Bora Bora that go for $1000+. And you know what, that too is OK. There are a lot of people in the world with a lot of money and god bless the people who can afford to do Bora on the high end. Of course some will say those prices are a travesty and talk longingly about the way Bora Bora once was. I absolutely understand their point of view. It is difficult to watch development occur in an area that was once so pristine and untouched. The fact is, Bora Bora was a hard secret to keep! I do however want to point out two other perspectives:
1) It is not necessary to spend a fortune to experience Bora Bora! There are actually some lovely moderately priced hotels. You just can’t be sucked into thinking the only way to do Bora is the expensive way.
2) There are 118 islands. Bora Bora does not have the monopoly on beauty. Yes, it is gorgeous — breathtaking even, but it is just one of many gorgeous islands.

The truth is, I would be hard pressed to tell you which island I think is most beautiful.

Last year I surprised James & took him to Bora Bora for his birthday. It had been many years since he had last been there. Now mind you, James was ticked off when they decided to put street lamps on part of Moorea so I was very curious to see what he would think of Bora Bora. Well he loved it. Cruising across her turquoise lagoon, James looked at me and said “Bora Bora has its reputation for a reason, this lagoon really is incredible.” We are lucky, because of the business we get to stay in all the best hotels for free and for us it is a great escape to be able to indulge in the luxury of Tahiti’s finest. Let’s face it, it’s wonderful to sip champagne from the deck of your overwater suite but you know what? There are times when I want luxury and there are times when I want a more pristine remote experience. Is one experience better than the other? No. Both experiences are vastly different and equally valued in my book.

Many people ask if I have a favorite island. In fact is, this is a hard question to answer as I am able to appreciate each island for its unique qualities. However, there is a place that possesses a bit of magic for me. It is a little atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago called Ahe. Is Ahe for Everyone? Absolutely not. There are no hotels. Just one very simple but charming little pension called Coco Perle. It is where I like to go with my family when I need a true vacation. I leave my computer at home and for a brief moment in time, I have no phone, no TV and no email to respond to. I spend the day with James & the kids looking for shells along the reef, playing in the lagoon and having hermit crab races. We eat pahua (a sort of clam) fresh from its shell and drink coconut water while sitting in the lagoon. It truly is our little paradise. But you know what, before I discovered I Ahe, I thought the southern part of Fakarava was my favorite and before that, I was in love with Tikehau and before that it was Tahaa. Meanwhile, James has a different list of favorites. So you see my point is, the more you discover Tahiti & Her Islands, the more you will be able to find YOUR perfect paradise. And who knows, you may find yourself in love with more than one island and would that be so bad?!

Restaurant Le Sud

Long week at work and my new routine is a massage every other Friday then a nice glass of wine with James and the kids. Tonight we chose Le Sud as the location to unwind. Located in Maharepa and within walking distance of the Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa, Le Sud is a great casual restaurant with open air and a relaxing ambience. You can order take-out pizza or as we suggest, stay and enjoy the menu with specialties from the south of France. James ordered the Pacific Plate which is a wonderful seafood sampler that includes, tuna, swordfish, lobster and and all sorts of other good things. I ordered the tuna carpaccio and it was delicious. Next time you’re in Moorea, you must stop by for dinner. Tell Leon the owner, that Laurel & James sent you and be sure to tell him you want ketchup with your fries! You see, Leon is very French and finds it to be so American that we like ketchup with ours. In spite of the fact that he prefers mayo, we think Leon is a great guy and definitely recommend stoping by his restaurant.

If you're not staying within walking distance, you can always phone and ask for a pick-up.

Restaurant Le Sud
phone: (689) 56 42 95
email: leon.g@mail.pf

To the woman who makes it all possible!

OK, so this is not a recent photo of the kids. In fact it is over a year old but I happen to like the photo of Elvina. Elvina is our nanny and if it weren’t for her, I would get nothing done. I pick her up after dropping Fiona off to school at 7am. Coming home, she proceeds to clean the house in a whirlwind fashion (you know, it really is shocking how dirty the house gets from the time she leaves until the time she arrives in the morning and lets not talk about what the house looks like after a weekend without her). She then takes Dushan to the beach where they spend most of the day playing. Fiona gets home at 3 on most days and then Elvina keep both kids busy until at least 4:30. She is so much more than a nanny. She is a part of the family and I am so grateful to have her. This photo by the way, was taken on Tahitian day at pre-school (ecole maternelle) and Elvina made the beautiful crown of flowers Fiona is wearing. So here’s to Elvina. We are truly blessed to have her in our lives!

Good News & Bad News

Tonight’s blog comes to you from the Moorea InterContinental Resort.
The good news of the day is that Moreto showed up with his bulldozer and knocked down the coconut tree that was threatening to fall on top of the bungalow. He did a great job. The bad news is that he cut the phone line in the process. Hmmm, maybe he didn’t do such a good job after all. Anyway, it is kind of a problem when you earn a living via the internet! James told me the phone company would be here today. They weren’t. James also told me, Thierry (the wood guy) drove by and gave James the hand signal that he would be returning later today. Good thing I didn’t hold my breath. On a much more drastic note, I just found out what happened to the contractor building our rock wall. Apparently he tried to commit suicide. Yes, that kind of news definitely puts things into perspective. I guess we are lucky it is our bank who paid him as we will definitely get our money back. Not sure when, but I do know it will happen. Meanwhile, we have been told all sorts of horror stories of people who have paid him cash for different jobs and it’s all gone. Again, something else to put things into perspective. For those of you wondering when the Sofitel Ia Ora will reopen, the answer is, I’m not sure. You see, they were using the same contractor as us. Granted they presumably have a lot more money than us but they are stuck using the same hussier (the only one in Moorea) who is in the hospital until tomorrow in order to get their paper work in order for their lawyers. Well that’s it for today’s installment of As Moorea Turns. How about everyone cross their fingers that the phone company actually shows up tomorrow!!!

The Bungalow is Still NOT Finished

Take an obsessive - compulsive American woman who is used to getting things done immediately and ask her to oversee the construction of a bungalow in Moorea and what do you get? You get a woman who feels schizophrenic. Bordering between a calm Tahitian state of “No worries, it will get done when it gets done” and a neurotic American state of pestering her husband 50 times a day about WHY no one has showed up to work again?!?!?!?

The woodworker who is making the windows & doors said he was going to start the job the beginning of March. Not quite sure what beginning he was talking about.....Well we can’t lay the hardwood floors and install the kitchen and bath until the doors and windows are in. Meanwhile we ran out of tile for the bathroom but I’m promised by the store manager in Tahiti that the tile is ordered and will be here the end of March. Then there is the issue of the rock wall. We took out a loan to pay for the construction of the rock wall. Here when you get a construction loan, the bank deposits all the money into the contractor’s account. Well the contractor is in the hospital for 4-months with god knows what and his construction company apparently no longer exits. We call the bank and their response is, “not our problem.” So we hired a lawyer and he said for sure we can get our money back but first we need l’hussier to write up a legal document showing that the work has been abandoned. Well wouldn’t you know, the hussier is also in the hospital but she supposedly gets out on Thursday. So here I sit, expressing my frustration in a blog. You see, if I mention it to James one more time today, he is sure to file for divorce. At least I can take comfort in the fact that the roof looks amazing and if the rest of the bungalow looks half as good, I will be very happy when all is said and done...

Homage To Our Pony

I have decided to start this blog by paying homage to our beloved pony Coquin. She was a gift from Santa to our daughter Fiona in 2003. As you can see from the photos, Fiona & Coquin had a special bond. They even used to nap together. Before coming to us, Coquin was a working horse at the Pony Club in Tahiti. She lived her life in a stall and would take kids on rides in a ring. Taking the ferry to Moorea, Coquin discovered a whole new life with us. She had no fences and she was able to run free. We would periodically have neighbors stopping by to tell us Coquin was eating all their bananas. She was a true chow hound and took full advantage of her new found freedom. When Coquin wasn’t eating she would hang out by our back door. The door was always wide open during the day and Coquin would hang out while I was working on the computer. Her head was literally inches from my desk. If you’re wondering why I’m speaking in the past tense, it is because Coquin passed away this weekend. She died by the back door. James discovered her when he woke up and immediately went to our neighbor Moreto to ask for his help. . Five minutes later, Moreato showed up with his bulldozer. We buried Coquin by the mango tree. So here’s to Coquin. She was a gem of a horse and is dearly missed!