Page 15 - DreamScapes Magazine | Winter/Spring 2024

ISLAND STAYOVERS
In Huahine the sustainably responsible Hotel Le Mahana Huahine, which overlooks a turquoise lagoon and a coral garden, offers complimentary use of kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and snorkelling gear. Book an eye-opening wild island tour with anthropologist Paul Atallah, founder of Island Eco Tours, whose prolific knowledge of ancient Polynesian civilization has caught the attention of a U.S. president and celebrities. Barack and Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey among other celebs are past clients. lemahanahotel.com; islandecotours.net
In Papeete, take your pick of fabulous properties. The new Hilton Hotel Tahiti, with all the luxury brand’s acclaimed amenities, is also ideally situated for long- haul passengers preparing for the flight home, close to the international airport. The Kon Tiki Tahiti, an eco- friendly trendy boutique hotel with rooftop panoramic views of the capital, is the ultimate place for glam relaxing. Located opposite the ferry terminal, it’s perfect for island hoppers. hilton.com/en/hotels/ ppthihh-hilton-hotel-tahiti/; kontikitahiti.com/en
millennia, from ancestors of today’s Polynesians through European explorers and scientists to modern times when the Technicolor saga, Mutiny on the Bounty, was filmed there in the ’60s.
Now fast forward to find a new generation of locals intro- ducing travellers to a vast curated collection of experiences. From culinary and wellness to heritage and conservation, these encounters share a deep Polynesian principle of Mana—the idea that a spiritual life force of energy permeates the universe. No wonder this French protectorate has caught the attention of today’s new travel trend setter, the culturally curious traveller. I couldn’t ask for more.
PAPEETE: CITY AND GARDEN
Heimata Hall looks like a TV star and you wouldn’t be mistaken. The trained chef, founder of Tahiti Food Tours, who once landed a role dry-running the challenges to Survivor: Samoa (2009), leads street food tours for curious foodies. I’m in the capital on his Papeete pursuits. It helps that my arrival aboard a nearly 9-hour long-haul from San Francisco a day earlier with French Bee put me front and centre on the Island of Tahiti to start the week’s quest in search of Tahiti’s ultra-authentic.
“I started this tour for real experiences. Our gastronomy is fuelled by the best seafood, tied in with incredible ingredients mixed in with French, Chinese, Japanese and Polynesian culture,” he says over lunch at Kozy Restaurant, an upscale eatery housed in a two-story house. Hours earlier, we stopped for a morning ritual of coconut-infused coffee and Firi Firi donuts at Café Rôti, hung out at the oldest Asian-owned diner in the city, Snack Lucky Luke, and careened through the stalls at the 155-year-old Marché de Papeete, the city’s heart for eats and locally made crafts.