We spent 3 days in Huahine, in complete disconnection. For me, the main reason was that I left my phone at the pension in Moorea, which I realized only once arrived at the airport. Too late to go back… too bad for me. The other reason we found out after our 20mn flight, is that internet access is a scarce resource everywhere on the island, and even more scarce when you stay on a boat…

When I was looking for accommodations in Huahine, I found an offer on airBnB to stay on a sailing boat. The idea of staying in a different type of accommodation was very attractive. And we could also sail for a day if we wanted to. The experience ended up being way better than expected. From an accommodation, it became a lifestyle for our entire stay, and one day of sailing became 2 days.

We were welcomed by Chris, the skipper, at the jetty in Fare, the main town (well, more like a village really). We had a drink at the Yacht Club, which is a very low key but cosy restaurant overlooking the bay, far from the poshy stereotype of a real Yacht Club.

Chris is a French sailor who has been sailing around the globe for more than 10 years. He settled in French Polynesia 4 years ago, and has been offering private cruises in the islands since. We were very lucky to be able to stay for few days only, as we were his only airbnb clients of the year! He is very nice and funny (don’t tell him I said that!), very meticulous and caring with his boat, which is immaculate. From the first minutes, we got along very well, and that’s what decided us to do a cruise for the entire duration of our stay with him, as opposed to go to the island to visit and come back at night. It was the best last minute decision ever! A bit of shopping, first night onboard in the bay, and we embarked for our cruise the following morning.

We had a very nice view on the island from the bay. The name Huahine is derived from “Vahine” meaning woman in Tahitian. When you look at the island from the bay of Fare, you can distinctly see a pregnant woman laid down on her back, with her knees bended.Or maybe you see her only when you’ve been told the story… It is also one of the island which inspired the Disney movie “Moana”.

Chris gave us several options for the sailing route. We chose the easy one, staying in the lagoon of Huahine, and hopping from bay to bay. The shades of blue were incredible, going from deep blue to turquoise in the shallower parts.

We had a first stop for snorkeling. A bit disappointing, as corals tend to bleach, and there were less fishes than I expected in a lagoon. Maybe my expectations were set a bit too high, and I become picky… Quick lunch on the boat, and we headed to a nice white sand beach, only accessible by boat. We had a quick chat with Siki, an old Tahitian who guards the area, while crafting some jewellery with shells for the visitors, and just bathed in the very shallow lagoon. Forget about depth, you have to sit and lay down to put your head underwater. A bit later, Chris showed us the nearby bay between Huahine Nui and Huahine Iti by dingy, and we came back slowly to the boat.

Slow is probably the best word to describe our stay. Everything was at slow pace, with very little around, only incredibly beautiful sceneries to contemplate, and you realize that it is sufficient to make you really happy.

What made me very happy too is the discovery of paddle board. I tried just before dinner, at sunset, and found it really great. It is like floating around, alone in an immense lagoon. Loved it! We took our showers outside, at the back of the boat, which gives a weird sense of freedom. I was not convinced at first, but let myself go with the flow, and did not regret it. Guys went to the front, and I had my “me time” watching sunset under the shower. Quite unique…

Nights onboard had the same routine: showers, meal prep, drink and dinner. It was fun cooking all together, chatting, tasting, adding spices on the go. Chris is a very good cook, who loves flavours and healthy food. Every night was then a very special moment.

Eff and Chris decided to start the second day with a hike to a viewpoint on a nearby mountain. I passed, and went paddling instead. This time, really alone, paddling in the turquoise waters, stopping to spot passing rays, or just to relax and enjoy the scenery. There are moments in life when everything is in perfect adequation with your expectations, and you feel completely serene and fulfilled. It was one of them for me, and exactly what I was looking for when we embarked for our trip. Serenity, peace, beautiful nature, and seclusion.After this blissful time, we sailed a bit further down the lagoon, to go and enjoy a Ma’a, the Sunday lunch cooked in a traditional oven at Tara’s place. The oven is in fact a large hole in the ground, where food is cooked on a bed of volcanic rocks. It is covered by several layers of palm trees and other materials. Forget about thermostat, everything here is manual, and learnt by experience only.

It looked a bit touristic as first, but ended up being a really nice experience. We arrived at the seaside restaurant right on time to see the opening of the oven. Then we sat at our table, barefoot in the sand, under the palm trees and overlooking the bay. The lunch was a buffet of specialties: uru, raw fish in coconut milk, pork, chicken and fish cooked in the oven, several poe (fruits in coconut milk),…. as everywhere in French Polynesia, portions were massive! No question to go back and have another round. It felt like eating enough for the entire week… The only dish we were not able to swallow was the Fafaru. It’s fermented fish, served with coconut milk. The milk is supposed to soften the taste. Well, it doesn’t. It is just awful, and I would not recommend it to anyone.The lunch was a big success. Good food with the sound of traditional music and ukulele, cosy location, and good chats with our neighbors. A couple of retirees travelling in the region for couple of months, one young woman looking for a job in Polynesia, and another one travelling around the world. All French of course, as most of the visitors of French Polynesia.

Chris picked us up in the afternoon. We decided to stay in the same bay for the night. So the rest of the afternoon was spent paddling, looking for the rays in the lagoon, swimming, and relaxing. It was a real break: taking time to do nothing special, with zero connection to the outside world, enjoying every ray of light, the warm temperature, the colors, the sunset, the good company… Another day in our bubble. We went on shore to have a cocktail at the nearby hotel. But we drank very quickly, as the massive attack of mosquitos and nonos chased us back to the boat. Another reason to love the boat lifestyle, there aren’t any annoying insects…

We sailed back to Fare in the morning, Eff and me being assigned as sailing assistants. Chris put his captain hat, and summoned us for the maneuvers. Faster, stronger, move, Vee your turn, Eff now, Vee again…. that was quite messy for us! But luckily it was not too far nor too windy. Looks like we need more training to be confirmed assistant sailors…For our last afternoon, we rented a car to go and discover the island from within. Another great surprise! Huahine is quite wild and pristine. You can drive around only in few hours, stopping at various stops. We ate our sandwiches on the beach of an old Sofitel hotel, which closed down several years ago. Only the poles of the water bungalows remind of the past. The lagoon there is really beautiful, and the sand is perfect white. Great location, which apparently will be back to business soon, as the land has been acquired by new investors recently.

We then stopped in a traditional pareo shop, where the owner hand paint herself her pareos. We arrived right when she was starting a demo, so we enjoyed the explanations, and even helped her to paint a new one.

Tips: For those interested, be careful when buying pareos in Tahiti. Most of them are coming from Bali. So check the fabric: if it is synthetic or rayon, it is a fake. If it is cotton, and handpainted, it is traditional.

The tour of the island was really nice. My favourite part being the east coast of Huahine Iti. It was a real discovery as we didn’t get to that part with the boat. Amazing views, unlimited shades of blue, rich vegetation, and beautiful mountains. Huahine has it all.As recommended by the car rental agent, our last stop was at the local distillery. A couple of popas settled there more than 25 years ago and has been making and selling fruit liquors. Production is done from local fruits only. You can go and have a degustation. Least that we can say is that the owners are super generous with the quantities!! We tried many different kind of liquors, and were quite happy at the end… Luckily the neighbouring police station was closed when we drove back to the car rental agency.

It was already time to go back onboard for our last evening with Chris. Last hours, last night, and early morning rise to go and catch out flight to our next island: Maupiti.

Thanks Chris, thanks Prana, thanks Huahine for the amazing bubble of disconnection. We would have liked more. But new and different surprises were waiting for us.

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