These provide editorial insights and tips in featured ports, sharing insider knowledge on what to discover, savor and experience.
Next year Oceania Cruises will operate both winter and summer seasons in Polynesia, deploying Nautica and Regatta. The line said these offer more veranda staterooms and more free specialty dining options than any other ship regularly based in Tahiti.
At the heart of the program are 10-day roundtrip Papeete sailings with a diverse selection of itineraries including must-sees such as Nuku Hiva and overnight stays in Bora Bora. Longer voyages add Hawaii or New Zealand.
Condé Nast Traveler editor's tips
An example of Condé Nast Traveler editor's tips includes skipping the restaurants and heading to the food trucks, or roulettes as they’re called in Papeete, for a cheap and cheerful alfresco dinner of local bites; strolling through downtown Papeete to know its history via colonial architecture while visiting landmarks like the Notre Dame Cathedral, town hall and the 155-year-old market; and swimming with reef sharks during an intimate boat tour aboard a small sailing catamaran with family-run tour operator Voila Moorea.
Additional shore excursion highlights include traveling off-road in a four-wheel drive to explore Moorea's mountains, deep valleys and white-sand beaches, stopping at a sacred ancient marae and learning about the pineapple crop on the way.
From Raiatea, a cruise to the island of Taha’a — source of 70% of the vanilla grown in French Polynesia — affords a visit to a vanilla plantation and a tiny islet for a Polynesian picnic lunch and some beach time.
Exploring Bora Bora's lagoon
In Bora Bora, a catamaran sail traverses the famously gorgeous lagoon, while a shark and stingray snorkel safari takes participants by boat to discover the ancient crater rim of Motu To’opua.
Another excursion visits Tahiti’s West Coast to take in the Robert Wan Pearl Museum, Jardins Paofai, Faarumai Waterfalls, Arahoho Blowhole and the Maraa Fern Grottos, home to Tahiti's largest underwater cave.
And a guided four-wheel drive adventure visits Taipivai Valley, the lush location described in Herman Melville’s 1846 novel, 'Typee.'
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