JamieBLT

“A month with me and you will know Tahitian.” – Tanoa.

       A month on beautiful Bora Bora learning Tahitian language and culture? That’s amazing! Where do I sign up for this?  🙂

We came across Tanoa’s tour whilst perusing a million different excursions and activities to do while honeymooning in Bora Bora. Every single one offered similar highlights like “swimming with the sharks and rays,” or “snorkeling through the coral gardens,” but what made Tanoa’s tour stand out was “lunch on a private motu.” Having a small slice of paradise all to yourself for an afternoon is the stuff unforgettable honeymoon adventures are made of.

Tanoa picked us up on his private boat from our hotel dock at 9AM and off we went on our tour of Bora Bora’s large and picturesque lagoon. First stop: See the Manta Rays.

Unfortunately, the mantas were not in the mood to hang out that day so we continued on. Along the way, Tanoa pointed out all the overwater bungalows and which hotels they belonged to, as well as many historical spots on the island.

I was so caught up in what he was saying that I barely noticed we had stopped and were gearing up to jump in the water again, this time with sharks!

“Don’t worry they are friendly,” Tanoa said as he dove into the water. Being that they were Black Tip, and Lemon Sharks they were indeed, “friendly.” But knowing this and seeing Tanoa jump in still did not curb my hesitation so I reluctantly put my snorkel gear on and dawdled by the stern waiting for my husband to go in first. “Are you going in?” he asked me. “You go first, this was your idea,” I answered.

When I could not put it off any longer I finally jumped in and promptly kicked myself for not doing it sooner. The sharks and fish seemed to dance gracefully around, inviting you to see their world. It was so beautiful!

Next we cruised around and swam with the sting rays, eagle rays, and in the coral gardens with tons of colorful fish. A truly majestic experience.

We were having such an amazing time getting to know Bora Bora’s friendly lagoon that before we knew it, it was lunch time.

Tanoa took us to his family’s private island where there was a table in the water all set up for us. He showed us how to crack open a coconut, how to prepare poisson cru (a delicious raw fish salad prepared with lime and coconut milk), and how to BBQ chicken, lobster, lamb, and tuna fillets Tahitian-style!

In addition, our exquisite lunch spread consisted of  fresh local fruits, coconut bread (prepared by Tanoa’s sweet mama), a yummy local banana dessert, and champagne to toast our honeymoon! That was the moment I really felt like I was on vacation.

This was one of the best days we spent on our trip to French Polynesia. Tanoa loves his island so much, and it is obvious that the island loves him back! We too, fell in love with beautiful Bora Bora. After seeing all the beautiful life in it’s lagoon, and enjoying Bora Bora’s amazing scenery, it was pretty hard not to! We truly felt embraced by mana on this tour with Tanoa!

Check out our YouTube video for more Tanoa and Tahiti here.