Day 1 in Papeete, Tahiti
When I was just a little girl, my family and I made a pilgrimage each November to the Polynesian Village in Florida. This complex, one of Walt Disney World's original resorts, was a series of longhouses—each named after a far-flung Polynesian island. My sister, brother, and I agreed that it was basically paradise: exotic Polynesian girls manning the check-in desk, tropical/kitsch decor in the rooms, a location right on a lovely lagoon, and walking paths carved out of a lush garden, lit at night by flaming tiki torches. And in true 1970s spirit, there was even a game room decked out with the hottest video games like Ms. PacMan! Heaven on earth!
I don't think it ever occurred to me all those years ago that someday, when I was all grown up, I'd be privileged enough to actually visit some real Polynesian islands! But, here I am. After a super-long trip from the East Coast, we landed in Papeete, Tahiti at approximately 11pm last night.
The long-haul trip in economy wasn't nearly as tough as I'd imagined. Our Continental flight was on-time and uneventful—all you can hope for these days! We started off a bit bumpy with Air Tahiti Nui when my husband and I initially weren't seated next to each other on the Los Angeles to Papeete leg of the trip. The staff at the check-in desk went above and beyond and got the problem fixed so we could travel together (which is important since if you know Leonard and I well, you know that despite our world travels one of us is not such a fan of flying...and that's putting it mildly).
Once on the ground in Papeete, we spent about 30 minutes in line to get through Customs. Then it was a very short taxi ride (maybe 5 minutes) from the airport to the InterContinental Resort Tahiti, where we're staying for just one evening.
The hotel seemed busy but check-in took only minutes and we sipped fruit drinks while we waited. We were upgraded to the Lotus overwater bungalows due to our status as InterContinental Ambassadors.
It was very spacious with a sitting room that had a sofa/pull-out bed, coffee table, and desk; bedroom area; spectacular bathroom with a large whirlpool tub and open-concept shower; and a large deck from which we could get right in the water. I'd definitely stay in this room again.
Our plan for the day was not ambitious. We lounged by the pool and acclimated to the time change. In the late afternoon we headed to the cruise dock at Place Vaiete in downtown Papeete on the waterfront. We've only been onboard for a few hours but so far so good. The crew is friendly, the ship is in wonderful condition, and we set sail this evening to explore the Society Islands. In an upcoming post, I'll give you our first blush impressions of m/s Paul Gauguin.
—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com
Photos © Andrea M. Rotondo
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