French Polynesia

Tahiti & Moorea:  August 2013

Hotel Tahiti Nui in Papeete

Spin class in the pool at Hotel Tahiti Nui

Living room/kitchen/boys’ room at Hotel Tahiti Nui

Bedroom at Hotel Tahiti Nui

Michel instructs us on the correct stance.

Our instructor, Michel Dermont

Aidan hops on the board.

Michel corrects Aidan’s stance. You need the arms for balance.

Nathan practices his form.

This was the only time Shellie actually stood up on her board!

Nathan’s up!

That’s Aidan in all those whitecaps.

Nathan finding his balance

Great wipeout, Aidan!

Good position, Neerav

Jump up… jump up

I got it. I got it.

Almost…

Oops

Nathan adjusting his balance

Way to hang on, Aidan.

Up…

Up…

Up…

Ok, maybe not.

You can do it! Stand up!

Neerav waves goodbye.

Nathan’s seems to be a natural.

Nathan rides his wave all the way to the shore.

Aidan showing some good form

Aidan looking good on his board

Neerav cheers Aidan’s surfing success

Shellie waiting for her wave

Shellie calling it quits

Looking the part…

Surfing beach for beginners

Notre Dame in Papeete

Sunset in Papeete harbor

One of several cruise ships in harbor

Roulettes, or food carts, in Papeete

Pig on a stick at Roulettes

Aidan votes the crepe at the Roulettes the best of the trip!

Dinner at the Creperie

Neerav and Aidan

Aidan gets a ride from Daddy

Sliver of moon over Tahiti

The island of Moorea, viewed from the ferry

Neerav headed to paradise, the island of Moorea.

Neerav and Shellie on ferry headed to Moorea

The island of Tahiti, viewed from the ferry

Boys with backpacks in tow

Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa

Some of the over-the-water bungalows at Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa

Our bungalow

Neerav could get used to this!

Our own deck… great snorkeling right here!

Our bungalow deck… what a “backyard”

Blue water, blue sky… blue heaven

Ah, Neerav is home.

This photo does not do this hotel room justice.

Aidan’s bed near the glass floor

Glass floor… so cool!

Rain shower and claw-foot tub in bathroom

Aidan, self-described “Island Boy”

Could Aidan be any happier?

Aidan and Nathan in the pedal boat, as seen through the glass floor

Boys pedaling through crystal clear water

Boys at play

Neerav is looking very Polynesian on his paddle board.

Looking good, Neerav!

Aidan out to sea

Nathan masters the paddle board.

Neerav and Nathan at Moorea Beach Cafe for dinner

Setting sun at Moorea Beach Cafe

Black tip sharks beneath the restaurant and bungalows

Aidan loves sharks!

Moorea

Neerav going for the long putt on Hole 1 at Moorea Green Pearl Golf Course.

Interesting pin

Another long putt on Hole 6 for Neerav

Aidan at the wheel… watch out!

Aidan, your caddy, at the ready!

Aidan enjoys the view off Hole 7.

Aidan on Hole 13

Aidan putting on Hole 15

View from Belvedere Lookout of Mt. Rotui

On the left, you see Opunohu Bay; on the right, you see Cook’s Bay.

The highest point is Bali Hai from the movie, South Pacific.

Nathan at Belvedere Lookout on Moorea

The tree with the orange flowers in mahogany.

Water lilies at the hotel’s ponds

The pool is not as impressive as the beach at Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa.

How glamorous! Shellie is doing laundry in the hotel bathtub.

Beautiful sunset off our deck

Wiping out is not fun.

Ouch.

Aidan is still all smiles.

Nathan is all patched up and staying out of salt water today.

Ugh.

Aidan at home on the water

Aidan ready for the surf.

Aidan getting in a workout

Nathan and Aidan snorkeling in Moorea

Aidan finds a very fragile sand dollar.

Neerav and Aidan call it quits for the day.

Shellie enjoys the turquoise blue water.

There’s three rows of bungalows at the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa.

Our bungalow, #103

Creperie in the middle of the bungalows

It’s too windy for even birds too fly.

This bird looks fake, right? He’s real and looking rather mean.

The “tree” on the right is a cell tower or some kind of antenna.

Neerav working poolside

The pool is cold!

Nathan ventures into freshwater with his cut… no problem.

Aidan and his cape poolside

Nathan doing handstand in pool

Beautiful flowers

Orange hibicus

Beautiful colors

Pink hibicus

Polynesian carving

Neerav getting ready to make some calls for work.

Boys play leap frog on paddle boards. No water sports this morning because of strong wind and current.

Wind-blown look

There are worst ways to recover.

Aidan saves the day by pulling in the pedal boat. The current was just too strong.

Aidan hunting sand dollars

Nathan and Shellie kayaking

The water is serious crystal clear.

Nathan and Shellie out for a quick spin, before it gets too windy again.

Nathan’s wound

Man, my legs were ugly before but now… yikes!

Not exactly swimsuit material!

Aidan and Nathan on outrigger canoe headed to Lagoonarium

Just look at those blues! The sign reads: Jardin de Coral, translated Coral Garden.

Neerav, Aidan, and Nathan at Lagoonarium’s motu

Changing huts at Lagoonarium

Our hut for the day

Nathan and Neerav snorkeling

Gentle stingray

Aidan pets the stingray like a puppy.

Neerav, Nathan and Aidan spot a black-tip shark!

So how large was the black-tip shark, Nathan? It really was!

Close-up with a stingray

Neerav and Aidan check out the rays during feeding time.

Shellie pets a stingray.

The stingrays feel soft.

The seabirds get feed, too.

The feeder actually rides a ray.

Black-tip shark moves in during feeding time.

Another black-tip shark… harmless

We counted six sharks at one time.

You lookin’ at me?

This fish was green and pink… can’t recall the name.

Look at those bright yellow flippers!

Shellie and Neerav at Lagoonarium

Nathan and Shellie at Lagoonarium

Ah, some love…

After swimming with sharks, Aidan bought this shark tooth necklace. With his tan, he’s looking very Polynesian.