In this country, resting on magic lagoons, each piece of land is precious and loved by its inhabitants. Each of these islands will seduce you by its peculiarity, its surface, its fragrance, its simple life which will  revive in you ,in a sense, nostalgia.

 Bora Bora :  the Supreme island

Among the numerous boulders found on Bora Bora is the Ofai Honu,the Turtle Stone petroglyph that Polynesian mythology claims was the father of this dramatic island.
Possessed with godly power,Ofai Honu mated with the cliff of Mt. Pahia,called Hororai,and from their union a son was born who was named   Firiamata O Vavau.

This first great chief gave his name to the island which was known,for many years as Vavau which means the “first born”.Legend says that Vavau was the first island to rise when Taaroa,the supreme god,fish out from the waters after the creation of havai’I,now known as Raiatea.

The island quietly rests under the shadow of the towering Mt. Otemanu and Mt Pahia,most often crown with long white clouds.And while gliding in the lagoon we  have a thought for Captain James Cook who briefly visited Pora Pora  in 1777 and met Chief Puni the “Terror” who with his warriors distinguished their island by conquering their  neighbors  on Taha’a,Raiatea,Maupiti and Tupai.
By the time the American soldiers and Seabees made their “friendly invasion” during world war II the island was called Bora Bora

This exquisite island,which perfectly embodies the legendary allure of the South Seas,is known to day the world over as the Island of Dreams,the pearl of the pacific,Bora Bora the Beautiful…

Taha’a : the Orchid Island

Formerly known to the Maohi pioneers as Uporu,the natal home of Hiro,the famous god of thieves in Polynesian mythology, Taha’a is shaped like an hibiscus flower with a scalloped shoreline and deep indented bays.in the words of  Captain Cook in 1769 “Taha’a offers two very welcoming natural harbors..the one which is on the front is Haamene (the deepest bay of Polynesia) and the other one’s name is Hurepiti;it is quite large and we can easily anchor…”

Taha’a residents earn their living in agriculture,fishing and breeding livestock.The rich ,puissant aroma of vanilla perfumes the breeze.Originally introduced a hundred years ago,vanilla plantations have flourished and grown without modern machinery.Generations of family-owned farms harvest this beautiful orchid (vanilla tahitensis)creating an aroma and flavour known and loved by “chefs” around the world.

Raiatea : the Sacred Island

The Polynesian Creation Chants tells of Ta’aroa,the Supreme God who broke out of his shell and created all things.By Ta’aroa incantation Havai’I came to exist.It was the bith place of land,the birthplace of gods,the birthplace of kings and the birthplace of man.And it was to Havai’I that the souls of the dead must return.
This holy island became the cradle of Royalty and religion as well as the center of the center of Polynesian Maohi Culture,History and Heraldry.
The sacred passage of Te-Ava-Moa at Opoa offered frequent scenes of grandeur as great double canoes sailed into the lagoons,streaming long pennants from many islands kingdoms as faraway as Rurutu,Tonga and New Zealand.
The immense ancient Marae (open-air temple) of Taputapuatea is considered a national monument and is among the best preserved historical sites in the South Pacific.
High abvove,hidden by the morning mist, the celebrated and magnificent Temehani-rahi plateau rises in formidable walls of basalt.
Near the summit lives the “Tiare Apetahi” flower; so rare is this flower, it can be grown no place else on earth.Each morning as the sun reaches the mist covered mountain peaks,the gentle petals open with a slight crackling sound.

Huahine: the Island of bards

Huahine is actually formed  of two islands :Huahine Nui, the great island of the North and Huahine Iti the little island in the South united in a beautiful strait by a narrow submarine isthmus. Legend claims this isthmus was formed when it was cut apart by the canoe of Hiro.

The historic village of Maeva, built alongside the lake Fauna Nui, is a sort of open-air museum,where restored Tahitian “marae” temples, prehistoric villages and stone fish wiers lend archeological clues to civilization that existed back to AD 850,and whose proud descendants now reside in this formerly royal village.While off-shore islets called “motu” lie inside the reef, providing efficient gardens for Huahine’s watermelon and cantaloupe industry.

A birthplace and home to many famous writers, poets, artists and singers, Huahine’s world of land, sea and fable is a world where dreams meet reality.