Cruising around Tahiti

I guess we've had fifty years to plan this trip.

In March 2002 we went to Tahiti with our daughter Betsy and one of our sons, Bill, and their spouses, Phil and Susannah.

After a week at Club Med on Bora Bora, we flew back to Papeete and boarded the M/S Paul Gauguin for a marvelous week of cruising around French Polynesia. ... (more)

Papeete harbor
The ship on the left will be our home for the next week as we visit...

Tahitian welcome
These Tahitian musicians greeted our daughter Betsy and son-in-law Phil as we...

Pareos
The visitor to Tahiti is also greeted by colorful pareus everywhere. A...

A tiki at our Papeete hotel
A tiki is a stone or wood sculpture that represents a god. That's our son...

Tiki
He's in one of the happiest places on earth, so why does this...

Palm tree
We have lots of palm trees in Southern California, but somehow they just...

Tiare
This is a Tahitian gardenia that you see almost everywhere in Tahiti: growing...

Zebra dove

M/S Paul Gauguin
This beautiful ship will be our home for the next seven days. It has...

Where we're going
During the week, we'll sail from Tahiti to Raiatea, over to...

Pat and Bob
One of the trip's highlights was a day at a motu near the island of...

Motu serenade
During our visit to the motu we were serenaded by some of the...

A floating bar
We didn't have to go far for a tropical drink. Matter of fact, the bar...

Taste test
Susannah had to be sure the drinks were made correctly. Apparently they were.

Serenity
Happiness is sitting in the warm waters of a motu near a Tahitian island. Any...

High school buddies
Less than an hour after we sailed out of Papeete, I ran into Arn Piatti from...

Hibiscus

Children of Raiatea
The boys and girls of the island put on a terrific dance program. We...

More dancing
The children of Raiatea were really energetic. Well, most of them.

Susannah and friend
The little ones were a hit, and they knew it!

Palmeria

Bora Bora
Our ship anchored for two days in the Bora Bora lagoon

Phil on the skis
Phil took advantage of another water sport opportunity while we were in Bora...

Wedding ceremony
There was quite a ceremony to celebrate wedding anniversaries. This...

Tahitian love poem

Anniversary couples
Phil and our daughter Betsy celebrated their 20th while her folks survived...

Red hibiscus

Moorea & Tahiti
Sailing almost full circle, we came to Moorea, the last island before...

Cook's Bay at Moorea
This bay gets our vote for the most beautiful one we have ever seen,...

Our ship in Cook's Bay
We cannot imagine a more stunning setting for our last island visit.

Tahiti ginger

Belvedere
Almost every island in Tahiti has its Belvedere, or Beautiful View....

Butterflyfish
These are some of the most common and most beautiful fish we saw every...

Stingrays
Their enlarged fins form 'wings' with which they fly through...

Among the sting rays
Wearing masks and foot protectors against the coral, we joined these...

Another stingray
Their tails are whip-like, and are venomous, acting as a defense against...

Sharks
We weren't alone with the sting rays. There were also a few black tipped...

Another shark

Two stingrays

Plumeria

Kayaking in Cook's Bay
Towering peak on the right, Betsy & Phil in a kayak at the lower left.

More kayaks
A peak above and two kayaks below.

Lunch aboard ship
Susannah, Phil, Betsy, Bob and Pat in our outdoor dining room for most of our...

Phil & Betsy, Susannah & Bill

Back to the ship
Susannah and Bill after kayaking around Cook's Bay

Gauguin Museum
'' Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Do We Go?'...

Betsy's pareo
Another beautiful design. (If you prefer, you can spell it 'pareu',...

Another tiki
These eye-catching statues remind us we're in a very interesting...

Up close
A closer look at the tiki.

Thinking ahead
Already planning a future trip to one of our very favorite places in...

article published 4/1/2002

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Thanks so much for your wonderful photos of glorious Tahiti, it was great fun to share these!
— Eleanor Robb, September 20, 2006

Friends from St Martin
Hi Mr. Fairbanks, Remember me? I spoke with you while in the water on the French side of St. Martin while on a short stop while we were enjoying the "Random Wind" Sailing excursion. I truly enjoyed the pictures of Tahiti and hope to someday soon get to enjoy this island myself. Thanks for all the information and insight that you give on your web page.

I will look for more articles from you in the future.

Peggy King
— Peggy King, September 30, 2002

Beautifull!
VERY VERY NICE PHOTOS.GREETING TRUUS
— Truus Stotteler, April 2, 2002

I can see why you are enamored by the beauty and lifestyle of Tahiti! That opening shot of Papeete harbor reminds me of what Honolulu harbor looked like back in the late 1930s, and when one was able to see the mountains from anywhere along the beach at Waikiki. Let's hope that "progress" comes tres lentement to Tahiti Nui....
— Old Timer, April 1, 2002