recent PG excursions

[Cerinda]

Starting a new thread to answer SuzCruise's questions about our adventures last week...



Raiatea: hired a guide privately to tour Marae Taputapuatea; approx. 4 hrs.; loved it.

Motu Mahana: almost the best part of the trip! first tender over, last tender back.

Bora Bora:

Day 1, waverunner and shopping -- biggest disappointment of the week (but remember, everybody else on the board adores both); the lagoon is breath-taking, the island is hotel after hotel, pension after pension, snack after snack, and with more under construction.

Day 2, drove a rental car around the island, went to the other motu. Next time, I'll plan to do nothing on Bora Bora but swim, snorkel, and enjoy the lagoon; maybe hire a guide so I can FIND the [I]marae[/I]! This motu is much less crowded, less developed, and the snorkeling only slightly inferior.

Moorea:

Day 1: Dr. Michael Poole and his assistant motored us more than halfway around this gorgeous, unspoiled island; we watched two groups of more than 20 spinner dolphins flip, slap their tails, and otherwise cavort. Although I usually enjoy eco-tourism events, I found this excursion lackluster.

Day 2: Mark Eddowes' [I]Trails of the Ancients Trek[/I]. Walking inside the caldera, through rainforest, past reconstructed temples and piles of stone, through pineapple plantings back to the main road. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WHOLE TRIP FOR US!!! Eddowes is brilliant, articulate, entertaining, irreverent, utterly unpretentious. The walk is not strenuous, but you do need decent footwear.

[jhp]

Interesting how each of us has different impressions of our cruises, all valuable to the readers. I was one of those who loved the Bora Bora wave runner and have to ask why it was disappointing? On the other hand, I didn't do that ancient trek because before I went so many said how boring it was. Difffernt strokes for different folks!

[Cerinda]

As usual, jhp, you're spot on!

I'm an amateur archeologist and a sailor. That kinda makes it make sense, yes?

Cerinda

[kaysie]

Although I wasn't on the Paul G., you may want to check out my excursion thoughts on the Windstar thread. Look for "Welcome back Kaysie." I'm certain we have similar excursions, and I agree with what has been said so far for the Paul G. Happy Cruising!
Kaysie

[jhp]

Yep, Cerinda, if you are already a sailor, you have seen those wonderful waters that I enjoyed on the PG. I am not "into" archeology at all, and I consider that a fault to my intellectual curiosity. Unfortunately, at my age it will probably not be rekindled! Each of us likes different experiences, and that is why these boards are wonderful for sharing.

[SuzCruise]

Thanks so much for all of the advice. As you all stated, it is only personal opinions, but isn't that what a critic does? Provide personal opinions? Without your opinions of your past experiences, those of us in the planning stage would have a harder time deciding what we want our experiences to be.

Thanks again for all the tips.