35 Days to the South Pacific with The Inside Cabin - Live from the Zuiderdam

[bcummin]

It is great to see Patrick in action again !

Barbara

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I am continuing to process the rest of this cruise as an excursion reference for future travelers.   This is a great food tour next time you are in Moorea 
 

Here's the latest from The Inside Cabin

Moorea – Tahiti Food Tour (Post #17) By The Inside Cabin on May 01, 2022 02:42 pm Click "Show More Posts" to show all the links to the other posts for the 2022 South Pacific Cruise   Moorea – Pineapple Pizza and Chow Mein Sandwiches.   Our tour group enjoyed the view of the Zuiderdam anchored in Ōpūnohu Bay at our final stop. Cruise Map Itinerary, Menus, When & Where and Featured Entertainer Cruise Reference We love food tours and cooking classes.  These are our first choice for something to do in almost every port.  Here’s why: Food tours are usually small groups – usually less than 12 people Tour format facilitates discussion among guests and guide Discover restaurants and food you might miss otherwise While named for the neighboring island, the Tahiti Food Tour takes place on Moorea.  Later, we learned that the owner, Heimata Hall, was ready to expand to Tahiti and Moorea, but when COVID stopped all tourism, he was forced to consolidate on Moorea where he grew up and lives today.  Arranging the tour was easy via email.  Heimata responded within 24 hours. HERE is a link to his home page where you can book a tour on your next visit.  The maximum number of guests is 8. NOTE:  Most tour guides outside the USA use What’s App, instead of SMS Text or I-messages.  Using What’s App requires Wi-Fi or a data plan and you need to download the APP before you leave for the cruise.  It’s also helpful to get used to using it at home before you use it for the first time on a cruise. Moorea is a tender port and despite what it may say on your itinerary, you will anchor in Ōpūnohu Bay, not Cook’s Bay, and tender into what’s labeled as the “Tender Dock for Paul Gauguin” on Google maps. A close up satellite view of the area around the tender landing in Moorea  Our meeting time was 8:30 am so we needed to be on one of the first tenders.  The tender landing area on Moorea has a pier, a covered craft market area, and a large parking lot for tour operators.  Many of the private tour operators including the HAL tours will have their vehicles in this close parking lot.  Tahiti Food Tours doesn’t do enough cruise ship business to justify the steep cost of buying access to the closer parking lot.  This means that they will meet you outside the port gate as shown here.  It’s not much further than the parking lot, and it’s easy to find.  Make sure you understand the difference when booking a private tour. On arrival at the tender landing, you will find greeters passing out flowers along with a musical group playing local songs.  It’s worthwhile getting ashore a little early to give yourself time to peruse the craft market before it gets busier later in the day.   Friendly greeters passed out flowers on our arrival in Moorea       Local musicians played during our arrival     Inside the Artisan market next to the Moorea tender landing You will usually find a few tour operators offering last-minute excursions outside the covered craft area and before the parking lot. We met Heimata outside the port gate at 8:30 am. Here is where Heimata met us with his van outside the tender landing There would be a total of 8 people on the tour, and we were the first guests Heimata picked up.  Heimata headed east and stopped at the Hilton, Manava Beach Resort, and finally the Sofitel picking up one couple at each resort.  Once our van was full, we headed off to our first stop – the Ferry Landing Terminal. Along the way, we learned that Heimata was born and raised in Moorea and worked in the family pearl business while growing up.  Heimata went to college in California and then moved to Hawaii to study at the Pacific Culinary Institute in Honolulu. The three other couples on the tour were from Michigan, New Jersey, and France. Before we sampled our first dish, Heimata explained what we would be seeing today and a little history of the island and the tour.  He would be taking us to places that we would probably never find on our own but represent some hidden food gems on Moorea.   Heimata explained what we would see on today’s tour Here are the locations of our 8 food tour stops   A few fun facts: – 35 to 40% of Moorea residents commute daily to Papeete by ferry for work. – There is no grade 11 or 12 on Moorea so everyone in those grades commutes to Papeete. The Ferry Terminal is home to the ferries to Papeete and we headed to the fruit stand at one end where Heimata ordered a bowl of fresh Mangos and Pineapples.  The Mangos were sweet and crunchy and coated with a red plum powder.  There aren’t any tables or chairs here and we enjoyed the food standing.   The fruit stand is attached to the ferry terminal and sells a variety of fresh fruit We enjoyed mango and pineapple, sprinkled with red plum powder at our first stop   We continued our tour in the van, moving counterclockwise around the island. Not every stop was at a restaurant.  Our second stop was at the Toatea Lookout where we sampled some Banana Beignets (aka Banana Fritters) from a roadside vendor.  A Crunchy crust covered a soft center, and we enjoyed the Beignets along with the view.   Toatea Viewpoint The view from Toatea viewpoint on Moorea The Banana Beignets were crisp and tasty, with a soft center   Our third stop at the Golden Lake Restaurantwould prove to be the most interesting and unique.  The Golden Lake Restaurant is hidden behind a fence covered with palm trees and you may miss it if you are driving by and not paying close attention. The Golden Lake restaurant is hidden behind some palm trees. They serve Chow Mein sandwiches and a variety of other snacks While we waited at picnic tables next to the restaurant, Heimata ordered a tray full of Chow Mein Sandwiches.  These sandwiches were invented by Chinese immigrants to Polynesia and have also found a following in the USA in the southeastern corner of Massachusetts. Chow Mein Sandwich from the Golden Lake Restaraunt A Chow Mein sandwich is as simple as it sounds.  A helping of Chow Mein inside a fresh sandwich roll.  Not a low-carb lunch, but they sure are good! The Moz Café was our fourth stop and is above the Banque de Polynesie.  It’s not obvious there is a restaurant on the second floor.  This is the value of this tour as you would never find these places if you were simply wandering around on your own.   The Moz Cafe is on second floor of this building Here are the steps leading to the Moz Cafe   Shortly after we sat down at a long table, we were each served a small plate with three items: Poisson Cru, like ceviche Crispy Wonton with Tuna Tartar Banana & Pumpkin Poe – made with tapioca pudding and coconut milk Poisson Cru, Crispy Wonton, and Banana & Pumpkin Poe We enjoyed our food here for about 15 minutes before heading back out to the street.  We had a little free time to explore the Maharepa Grocery across the street and went looking for some more Tim Tams and the Red Prune Powder we enjoyed on the fruit at our first stop.  The trick is to hide the Tim Tams away onboard so you don’t eat them all on the first day. Maharepa Grocery sells Tim Tams and the Red Plum powder they used on the fruit at our first stop Our next stop (#4) was another roadside viewpoint overlooking Pao Pao Bay where we sampled small rice balls with chicken inside called Boulettes, and Rambutan, a red spiky fruit common throughout the Asia Pacific region.  Off in the distance, we could see Mouaputa, a sharp peak with a profile of a woman looking at the sky with a hole toward the top.   We enjoyed these Rice and Chicken Boulettes during our stop overlooking Pao Pao Bay We sampled a Rambutan at the viewpoint overlooking Pao Pao Bay Mouaputa, meaning “pierced mountain” in Tahitian, literally has a hole in it   French Polynesia is not known for its pizza, but our fifth stop was Allo Pizza.  This is easily spotted from the road and has pizzas available for eating in or carrying out.  Our pizza was topped with pineapple, and tuna and covered with cream cheese over a thin chewy crust.  Although not a combination often found in the USA, it was delicious and highly recommended.   Allo Pizza serves a wide variety of delicious pizzas Alla is the proprietor at Allo Pizza Tuna, cream, and pineapple pizza   Up to now, all the stops were not places that you would likely visit as a cruise ship passenger.  Our 6th stop was Manutea Tahiti – Jus de Fruits de Moorea, a juice factory that sells fresh juices and a variety of alcoholic beverages.  Most cruise ship tours will probably work in a stop here as they offer free samples and can accommodate large groups of passengers simultaneously. Manutea Tahiti – Jus de Fruits de Moorea When you first enter, you will head back to the bar where they will offer you shot glass size samples of their Tahiti Drink (pineapple, passion, and orange juice with vanilla and cane spirits added), Pineapple & Coconut Liqueur, and finally Pineapple Rum.  After your tasting, you will have a chance to browse the shop that sells a variety of souvenirs in addition to their beverages.   Pete and Judy at the bar inside Manutea Tahiti Pete outside the Manutea retail shop and bar   Our 7th and final stop was at The Tropical Gardena vanilla farm and restaurant that is well off the beaten path at the end of a bumpy, half-lane paved road up the side of the hill.  The restaurant has a spectacular view of Ōpūnohu Bay and the Zuiderdam at anchor. The Zuiderdam in Ōpūnohu Bay Here we sampled Guava, Banana Crepe with tapioca flour, and a variety of jams spread on coconut bread, followed by some fresh fruit sorbets.  Judy had lime sorbet and I had pineapple – they were both very good.   Heimata summarized our day at the Tropical Garden, our final stop We enjoyed fresh guava, banana crepes, and coconut bread at the Tropical Garden, our final stop Our final stop included our choice of sorbets from the Tropical Garden   There is also a shop here that sells pareos and vanilla. At 1:30 PM, 5 hours after we started, we returned to the tender pier and said our goodbyes to Heimata and our fellow travelers.  We took one final walk through the local craft market before heading back to the Zuiderdam. We spent the rest of the day relaxing in our cabin and getting a quick dinner in the Lido.  The ship got underway around 5 PM and headed over to Papeete arriving around 9 PM.   Capt Friso Kramer at the Moorea sail away Another gorgeous sunset over the South Pacific as we headed toward Papeete   We stayed on the ship, and I went to the World Stage to see the Tahiti Cultural Show that started at 10 PM.   Lead vocalist at the Papeete cultural show Papeete cultural show band Papeete cultural show peformed on the Zuiderdam’s World Stage   After several days in a row of early starts, we planned to sleep in tomorrow and explore Papeete in the afternoon.

[dchip]

Pete, thanks for all the info and photos. We are thinking this would be perfect in October. 
Cheers, Denise

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Our pizza was topped with pineapple, and tuna and covered with cream cheese over a thin chewy crust.  Although not a combination often found in the USA, it was delicious and highly recommended.

 

I wonder if I called Pizza Hut and ordered such a pizza if the person who answered the phone would hang up on me.  

 

Thanks for your report and pictures!  

[KroozNut]

8 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I am continuing to process the rest of this cruise as an excursion reference for future travelers.   This is a great food tour next time you are in Moorea 
 

Here's the latest from The Inside Cabin

Moorea – Tahiti Food Tour (Post #17) By The Inside Cabin on May 01, 2022 02:42 pm Click "Show More Posts" to show all the links to the other posts for the 2022 South Pacific Cruise   Moorea – Pineapple Pizza and Chow Mein Sandwiches.   Our tour group enjoyed the view of the Zuiderdam anchored in Ōpūnohu Bay at our final stop. Cruise Map Itinerary, Menus, When & Where and Featured Entertainer Cruise Reference We love food tours and cooking classes.  These are our first choice for something to do in almost every port.  Here’s why: Food tours are usually small groups – usually less than 12 people Tour format facilitates discussion among guests and guide Discover restaurants and food you might miss otherwise While named for the neighboring island, the Tahiti Food Tour takes place on Moorea.  Later, we learned that the owner, Heimata Hall, was ready to expand to Tahiti and Moorea, but when COVID stopped all tourism, he was forced to consolidate on Moorea where he grew up and lives today.  Arranging the tour was easy via email.  Heimata responded within 24 hours. HERE is a link to his home page where you can book a tour on your next visit.  The maximum number of guests is 8. NOTE:  Most tour guides outside the USA use What’s App, instead of SMS Text or I-messages.  Using What’s App requires Wi-Fi or a data plan and you need to download the APP before you leave for the cruise.  It’s also helpful to get used to using it at home before you use it for the first time on a cruise. Moorea is a tender port and despite what it may say on your itinerary, you will anchor in Ōpūnohu Bay, not Cook’s Bay, and tender into what’s labeled as the “Tender Dock for Paul Gauguin” on Google maps. A close up satellite view of the area around the tender landing in Moorea  Our meeting time was 8:30 am so we needed to be on one of the first tenders.  The tender landing area on Moorea has a pier, a covered craft market area, and a large parking lot for tour operators.  Many of the private tour operators including the HAL tours will have their vehicles in this close parking lot.  Tahiti Food Tours doesn’t do enough cruise ship business to justify the steep cost of buying access to the closer parking lot.  This means that they will meet you outside the port gate as shown here.  It’s not much further than the parking lot, and it’s easy to find.  Make sure you understand the difference when booking a private tour. On arrival at the tender landing, you will find greeters passing out flowers along with a musical group playing local songs.  It’s worthwhile getting ashore a little early to give yourself time to peruse the craft market before it gets busier later in the day.   Friendly greeters passed out flowers on our arrival in Moorea       Local musicians played during our arrival     Inside the Artisan market next to the Moorea tender landing You will usually find a few tour operators offering last-minute excursions outside the covered craft area and before the parking lot. We met Heimata outside the port gate at 8:30 am. Here is where Heimata met us with his van outside the tender landing There would be a total of 8 people on the tour, and we were the first guests Heimata picked up.  Heimata headed east and stopped at the Hilton, Manava Beach Resort, and finally the Sofitel picking up one couple at each resort.  Once our van was full, we headed off to our first stop – the Ferry Landing Terminal. Along the way, we learned that Heimata was born and raised in Moorea and worked in the family pearl business while growing up.  Heimata went to college in California and then moved to Hawaii to study at the Pacific Culinary Institute in Honolulu. The three other couples on the tour were from Michigan, New Jersey, and France. Before we sampled our first dish, Heimata explained what we would be seeing today and a little history of the island and the tour.  He would be taking us to places that we would probably never find on our own but represent some hidden food gems on Moorea.   Heimata explained what we would see on today’s tour Here are the locations of our 8 food tour stops   A few fun facts: – 35 to 40% of Moorea residents commute daily to Papeete by ferry for work. – There is no grade 11 or 12 on Moorea so everyone in those grades commutes to Papeete. The Ferry Terminal is home to the ferries to Papeete and we headed to the fruit stand at one end where Heimata ordered a bowl of fresh Mangos and Pineapples.  The Mangos were sweet and crunchy and coated with a red plum powder.  There aren’t any tables or chairs here and we enjoyed the food standing.   The fruit stand is attached to the ferry terminal and sells a variety of fresh fruit We enjoyed mango and pineapple, sprinkled with red plum powder at our first stop   We continued our tour in the van, moving counterclockwise around the island. Not every stop was at a restaurant.  Our second stop was at the Toatea Lookout where we sampled some Banana Beignets (aka Banana Fritters) from a roadside vendor.  A Crunchy crust covered a soft center, and we enjoyed the Beignets along with the view.   Toatea Viewpoint The view from Toatea viewpoint on Moorea The Banana Beignets were crisp and tasty, with a soft center   Our third stop at the Golden Lake Restaurantwould prove to be the most interesting and unique.  The Golden Lake Restaurant is hidden behind a fence covered with palm trees and you may miss it if you are driving by and not paying close attention. The Golden Lake restaurant is hidden behind some palm trees. They serve Chow Mein sandwiches and a variety of other snacks While we waited at picnic tables next to the restaurant, Heimata ordered a tray full of Chow Mein Sandwiches.  These sandwiches were invented by Chinese immigrants to Polynesia and have also found a following in the USA in the southeastern corner of Massachusetts. Chow Mein Sandwich from the Golden Lake Restaraunt A Chow Mein sandwich is as simple as it sounds.  A helping of Chow Mein inside a fresh sandwich roll.  Not a low-carb lunch, but they sure are good! The Moz Café was our fourth stop and is above the Banque de Polynesie.  It’s not obvious there is a restaurant on the second floor.  This is the value of this tour as you would never find these places if you were simply wandering around on your own.   The Moz Cafe is on second floor of this building Here are the steps leading to the Moz Cafe   Shortly after we sat down at a long table, we were each served a small plate with three items: Poisson Cru, like ceviche Crispy Wonton with Tuna Tartar Banana & Pumpkin Poe – made with tapioca pudding and coconut milk Poisson Cru, Crispy Wonton, and Banana & Pumpkin Poe We enjoyed our food here for about 15 minutes before heading back out to the street.  We had a little free time to explore the Maharepa Grocery across the street and went looking for some more Tim Tams and the Red Prune Powder we enjoyed on the fruit at our first stop.  The trick is to hide the Tim Tams away onboard so you don’t eat them all on the first day. Maharepa Grocery sells Tim Tams and the Red Plum powder they used on the fruit at our first stop Our next stop (#4) was another roadside viewpoint overlooking Pao Pao Bay where we sampled small rice balls with chicken inside called Boulettes, and Rambutan, a red spiky fruit common throughout the Asia Pacific region.  Off in the distance, we could see Mouaputa, a sharp peak with a profile of a woman looking at the sky with a hole toward the top.   We enjoyed these Rice and Chicken Boulettes during our stop overlooking Pao Pao Bay We sampled a Rambutan at the viewpoint overlooking Pao Pao Bay Mouaputa, meaning “pierced mountain” in Tahitian, literally has a hole in it   French Polynesia is not known for its pizza, but our fifth stop was Allo Pizza.  This is easily spotted from the road and has pizzas available for eating in or carrying out.  Our pizza was topped with pineapple, and tuna and covered with cream cheese over a thin chewy crust.  Although not a combination often found in the USA, it was delicious and highly recommended.   Allo Pizza serves a wide variety of delicious pizzas Alla is the proprietor at Allo Pizza Tuna, cream, and pineapple pizza   Up to now, all the stops were not places that you would likely visit as a cruise ship passenger.  Our 6th stop was Manutea Tahiti – Jus de Fruits de Moorea, a juice factory that sells fresh juices and a variety of alcoholic beverages.  Most cruise ship tours will probably work in a stop here as they offer free samples and can accommodate large groups of passengers simultaneously. Manutea Tahiti – Jus de Fruits de Moorea When you first enter, you will head back to the bar where they will offer you shot glass size samples of their Tahiti Drink (pineapple, passion, and orange juice with vanilla and cane spirits added), Pineapple & Coconut Liqueur, and finally Pineapple Rum.  After your tasting, you will have a chance to browse the shop that sells a variety of souvenirs in addition to their beverages.   Pete and Judy at the bar inside Manutea Tahiti Pete outside the Manutea retail shop and bar   Our 7th and final stop was at The Tropical Gardena vanilla farm and restaurant that is well off the beaten path at the end of a bumpy, half-lane paved road up the side of the hill.  The restaurant has a spectacular view of Ōpūnohu Bay and the Zuiderdam at anchor. The Zuiderdam in Ōpūnohu Bay Here we sampled Guava, Banana Crepe with tapioca flour, and a variety of jams spread on coconut bread, followed by some fresh fruit sorbets.  Judy had lime sorbet and I had pineapple – they were both very good.   Heimata summarized our day at the Tropical Garden, our final stop We enjoyed fresh guava, banana crepes, and coconut bread at the Tropical Garden, our final stop Our final stop included our choice of sorbets from the Tropical Garden   There is also a shop here that sells pareos and vanilla. At 1:30 PM, 5 hours after we started, we returned to the tender pier and said our goodbyes to Heimata and our fellow travelers.  We took one final walk through the local craft market before heading back to the Zuiderdam. We spent the rest of the day relaxing in our cabin and getting a quick dinner in the Lido.  The ship got underway around 5 PM and headed over to Papeete arriving around 9 PM.   Capt Friso Kramer at the Moorea sail away Another gorgeous sunset over the South Pacific as we headed toward Papeete   We stayed on the ship, and I went to the World Stage to see the Tahiti Cultural Show that started at 10 PM.   Lead vocalist at the Papeete cultural show Papeete cultural show band Papeete cultural show peformed on the Zuiderdam’s World Stage   After several days in a row of early starts, we planned to sleep in tomorrow and explore Papeete in the afternoon.

 

Tuna, cream, and pineapple pizza...

🤢🤮

[The-Inside-Cabin]

4 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

Tuna, cream, and pineapple pizza...

🤢🤮

It was actually pretty good.....surprisingly 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Fakarava – South Pacific Snorkeling (Post #19) By The Inside Cabin on May 09, 2022 04:08 am Click "Show More Posts" to show all the links to the other posts for the 2022 South Pacific Cruise   Warm water, blue skies, and colorful sea life combined for an amazing excursion on Fakarava  Cruise Map Itinerary, Menus, When & Where and Featured Entertainer Cruise Reference Fakarava is a rectangular atoll about 35 miles long by 15 miles wide.  The narrow strip of land surrounding the lagoon ranges from about 500 ft to ¼ mile across.  There are two navigable entrances, one at each end of the rectangle.  Fakarava is the second largest atoll in French Polynesia, right behind Rangiora. Satellite View of Fakarava showing our snorkeling locations  The Zuiderdam entered the lagoon through the north entrance and anchored ¾ of a mile from shore. Our final snorkeling excursion for this cruise was scheduled for Fakarava with Fakarava Excursions.  We booked the morning ½ day tour which was the only one available at the time.  Subsequently, they opened some afternoon tours, but we decided to stay with the morning tour (8:30 AM departure) even though that meant another early start for us. Here is the tour description from their website: Departure:  8.30 a.m. – Return:  12.30 p.m. / Boat trip:  40 min to go/60 min return First, we will sail all along the north channel “GARUAE”.  Then we will join TEAHATEA, one of the best places of Fakarava.  It is a lagoon inside the lagoon, like a clear, warm and natural swimming pool with white sand beach around.  It’s time to use your camera! During the return, we will have a break for advanced snorkeling on coral rocks inside the lagoon. Fresh water, fruits juice, chilled coconut water with a straw, coconut cake, cookies included.  You will also learn how to husk, open, grate and extract coco milk, and to prepare traditional raw fish.  Then, you are free to doze, sunbath, swim or play the role of Robinson… You don’t need to pay in advance.  The price is $75 or 7500 CFP.  It’s a better deal to pay in CFP if you can get your money changed in advance. The Cruise director announced that we were cleared to go ashore at 7:30 AM and we were out the door in a few minutes to head to the BB King lounge where Tender tickets are distributed for four and five-star mariners.  The lounge was empty and there was no wait for anyone who wanted to go to shore this early. Fakarava does not have a lot of popular excursions, like Easter Island, so the demand for tender tickets is low.  The tender ride was about 10 minutes. The Tender Landing area on Fakarava  Once ashore, there were only a few boats moored along the dock and it was easy to spot the one for our tour as it was displaying a sign labeled Fakarava Excursions.  We were a little early, so we had time to wander through the nearby market that sold everything from groceries to hand tools. Our Tour BoatThis group was playing local music when we arrived We boarded our boat and left the dock at 8:30 AM heading west and speeding past the Zuiderdam in a few minutes.  We weren’t sure exactly where we would be going but I was able to track our progress using Maps.me  (Available in the Apple or Google Store) and could only speculate as to our ultimate destination. After 30 minutes we stopped near a small island and drifted for a few minutes while our guide explained that commercial fishing is restricted here along with an explanation of the various birds in the area.  The most interesting information was that the birds built their nests on the ground because there were no predators on this island. We stopped near this small island for a few minutes on the way to the Blue Lagoon  A few minutes later we arrived at our mooring in the Green Lagoon, located in the northwest corner of the atoll’s interior.  We would wade about 50 yards ashore in the calf-deep water to the Blue Lagoonwhich is a notch in the larger atoll between two of the larger, narrow landmasses. Heading to the Blue Lagoon with our bag of snorkeling gearThe Blue Lagoon While we headed over to the Blue Lagoon to start snorkeling, our captain, and his crew of one set up a portable table with some snacks and beverages we would enjoy later. Our tour group enjoyed some snacks during a break from our snorkeling These were the snacks we enjoyed during our break Varying from a few feet to over 10 feet deep, the turquoise water was warm and filled with colorful fish.  There was very little current and swimming along the surface was easy.  I enjoyed watching a school of Chromis fish dart in and out of their coral home as I would get closer and move away. These fish woud seek cover inside the coral as I approachedTypical fish found in the Blue Lagoon After about 30 minutes in the water, we headed ashore and enjoyed some cookies, fresh fruit, and juice before heading back to the water for more snorkeling.  We only saw one reef shark, but there were plenty of other species of tropical fish. We were here about 1 hour and 45 minutes before wading back out to the boat.  It was now 11 AM. Heading east, we sped across the water at high speed for 30 minutes until we arrived at our deep-water snorkeling spot.  The water here was from 5 to 30 feet deep.  The current was noticeable and having fins is recommended to help you swim against the current to avoid drifting into shallow coral, tread water easier, and maneuver.  Most of the fish were a little further away and everything was more spread out.  There were a few reef sharks, not as many as we saw on Raiatea, but a couple.  We were here about 45 minutes before we climbed back into the boat and sped off back to town, arriving in 15 minutes (12:30 PM local time). Here are some of the fish we saw in the deeper water snorkeling areaWe saw a few Black Tip Reef Sharks in the deep water snorkeling area The payment was not required in advance, so everyone paid our captain at the dock before we said our goodbyes and went ashore. Our tour Captain and Crew  There isn’t very much to do here other than go on snorkeling tours.  There is a small tourist information center with restrooms and slow Wi-Fi.  The password was printed on a piece of paper on a bulletin board next to the door.  Next to the tourist information building is a small building with a half dozen tables filled with local crafts. Tourist Information Center. The Wi-Fi was slow and the password was posted outside the door  There was a vendor renting bicycles and selling T-shirts near the Tender waiting area.   Pedal Bikes and E-Bikes were available for rent    T Shirts for sale near the tender landing    The Artisan Market is behind the tender landingInside the Artisan Market 100 yards further north was a small café selling pastries, snacks, and soft drinks. There are a couple of restaurants down the road heading south along with a church.  Here is a nice video from “Cruise Ship Karen” that shows more of the island than we visited during our brief time ashore.  After about 1 hour we headed back to the ship where we learned we were required to complete another muster drill that was as simple as the first time – go to your station, scan your card and watch the safety video in your cabin.  (Note:  this is required every thirty days) Around 5 PM we enjoyed the Sail Away which was lightly attended. Saxophone player Akos Laki, from Yugoslavia, now living in the Netherlands was the featured performer. Akos Laki  More about him HERE and HERE He put on a great show with a nice style and sound playing tunes which included:  Sway, Amazing Grace, and Happy plus more. Tomorrow will be our first sea day in a while.  Then we will have our final two ports before heading back to San Diego.  The clocks will advance by 30 minutes to line us up with the Marquesas time zone.     The post Fakarava – South Pacific Snorkeling (Post #19) appeared first on The Inside Cabin - Exploring the world from the inside cabin.

[dchip]

Howie and I love Fakarava. We always walk on the other side of the island from the tender landing. It is filled with incredible coral and a nice sandy pathway. It’s like being on a deserted island. We always make a stop at the church. Inside it’s magnificent. The cemetery out back is also very interesting. Sad we aren’t stopping there on the Fall 2022 cruise. 
Cheers, Denise

[Cruise Junky]

Thanks for all your work on this post and your blog. We are booked for 2024 and can’t wait. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2 hours ago, dchip said:

Howie and I love Fakarava. We always walk on the other side of the island from the tender landing. It is filled with incredible coral and a nice sandy pathway. It’s like being on a deserted island. We always make a stop at the church. Inside it’s magnificent. The cemetery out back is also very interesting. Sad we aren’t stopping there on the Fall 2022 cruise. 
Cheers, Denise

When I was looking at my pictures I saw the table with the T shirts and wondered why I didn't buy one.....Next time I want to explore the island more toward the church etc....

[High Flyer]

9 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

When I was looking at my pictures I saw the table with the T shirts and wondered why I didn't buy one.....Next time I want to explore the island more toward the church etc....

I was in Fakarava 2019 and bought a few T shirts from that table and gave them away figuring "next time" I'll pick one up for me.   Also bought a few T's from Bloody Mary"s and again gave them away knowing I'll get one for me "next time".  Problem is I'm running out of " next times" if you get my drift.