Another French Polynesia sailing photo blog

Aug 14, 2019 | Travel

Did you read the title of this post?

You guessed it.

It’s another French Polynesia photo journal!

(soooo many good memories)

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Polly taking a dip beside the boat

Spotted a huge stingray… there were actually a few of them!

Ian checking out possible anchorages for tomorrow

Me. by Ian.

Just a little seasick.

But still so happy

and grateful.

More sailing / underwater / french polynesia photo blogs to come!

Sailing French Polynesia | Part 2

Aug 9, 2019 | Travel

Part 2 of sailing in French Polynesia (continued).

We got these maps that showed us all the anchorages on Raiatea and Taha’a

Still a bit stunned at how beautiful this boat is, the view is, the food is, and my life is.

The morning we sailed out of Hurepiti Bay,

we were greeted by a pod of dolphins!

I was so excited I could only take blurry pics haha

Ian and Rick figured out the lazy susan and the sails are up!

The wind was picking up a lottt so this was just one of the few times we had the sails going.

Above: a view of Taha’a.

Below: of course I had to ask Ian to get a photo of me and Bora Bora in the background!

Rick looks like a millionaire on a yacht hahah

First mate Polly rigging up the sails like a pro (while also being a total fashionista!)

And this is quite possibly my favorite photo of Rick and Polly so far!

I’m thinking Italian Job. Like big baller big baller. Like museum heist artists. Like classy bank robbers.

Aren’t they just the coolest?!

And here’s my guy looking like an outdoorsy waterman, living his dream lol

This was my favorite anchorage. We were in between the aquamarine blue and navy blue waters, where shallow meets deep. And next to Le Taha’a Island Resort, Motu Tautau, and with a magnificent view of Bora Bora.

The men taking us into the shallow lagoon. We had like 8 inches between our hulls and the sand!

Just a dreamy place.

The blue waters were so insane. I’ve never seen such a vibrant and drastic color/depth difference in the ocean. And Bora Bora looked so mysterious in the distance.

This little island is home to Le Taha’a Island Resort, the fanciest resort in all of French Polynesia. And right next to it is Motu Tautau, where we dinghied to for some of the best snorkeling I’ve ever seen. A drift snorkel lagoonarium, they called it. It was so cool (photos to come!)

Relaxing in Raiatea | French Polynesia blogs

Aug 4, 2019 | Travel

After a few days of frolicking around Auckland, and a short stay in Tahiti, we needed a little R&R to really make this a baecation. We got on a plane and spent a few more days on Raiatea, where we would later be getting on a catamaran to sail around!

Here’s a photo journal from Raiatea.

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We arrived at Raiatea airport. It’s similar to our airport on Tutuila in that you have to get off on the tarmac and walk to a little airport building. I looked around and was stunned to see so many motus surrounding the island.

Portraits of Ian and I taken by each other on our first night at Pension Les Trois Cascades.

Stopped by Apooiti Marina to scope out the yacht charter situation.

Ian has been dry too long for an island vacation.

Cruising around the island with no real destination in mind.

Lunch stop at Hotel Atiapiti. The restaurant concept was cool. It was shaped like an outrigger va’a, had an inside/outside section, and had a little boutique inside as well. The food was really expensive but delicious. I think we all got fish of varying flavors.

At the pier in front of the restaurant. It was a really windy day.

Visited the Taputapuatea Marae, an archaeologically significant site that dates back over 1,000 years and provides evidence of being the seat of Polynesian civilization during that time. It is now a recognized UNESCO heritage site.

Auckland Travel Journal

Jun 26, 2019 | Lifestyle, Travel

Three days of misadventures in Auckland, New Zealand.

Flying into New Zealand.

I forget it’s made up of a bunch of islands. And it’s so green.

Accidentally booked our AirBnB for next month instead of this month, so we first devoured a hot bowl of ramen from Tanpopo restaurant, where we got on the nearby McDonald’s free WiFi, and booked another last minute AirBnB.

This was in the elevator of the second AirBnB.

Walking around the harbor, and Ian of course headed straight for the sailboats.

We spent the rest of our first afternoon here coveting these sailboats.

And talked about how excited we were to be going on a sailing adventure in Tahiti next week.

The sun set early so we walked through the bustling city, ate sushi, bought some snacks, got back to our AirBnB, got cozy, and fell asleep while watching Isn’t It Romantic on Netflix.

Light and view outside the window the next morning.

Hey fiyonce. My bedder half. I love you a latte.

In bed pre-caffeine, and later coffee and brunch at Sierra Cafe.

Didn’t visit the Sky Tower this time around, even though the last time we went we had the best meal with Rick and Polly.

But it really gives the cityscape pizzazz, so I can’t not take a photo of it.

Freeze frame while at a red light, waiting to cross.

Taking the scenic route back to our place.

Where: Albert Park.

Why: These crazy tree trunks.

Met up with friends from back home who recently relocated to New Zealand.

Lauren and Gideon came over with their perfect little creation, baby Codie. It was my first time meeting her after her departure from the womb. And I must say, she’s one of the prettiest babies ever. Just look at her sweet face.

Lauren grew up in Auckland so she took us to see the sights. First off, Mt. Eden.

It was so cute seeing Ian walking baby Codie in her pram.

Ian and Gideon at the top.

The huge green crater.

Is it just me or are pigeons chubbier in New Zealand? They look so well-fed.

Aw, love this beautiful little family!

Next stop, Mission Bay beach.

Lauren convinced us to take this cute photo by the fountain.

It is really cute actually lol

Beautiful mother daughter moments. Lauren and Codie.

Our last day in NZ was mostly relaxing, walking around the city again, and packing up again for our flight to Tahiti the next morning.

Until next time!

xoxo

Scenes around Vaoto Lodge: Ofu Photo Journal

Jan 27, 2019 | Lifestyle, Travel

Welcome to Scenes around Vaoto Lodge – a photo journal that depicts my experience at Vaoto Lodge.

Vaoto Lodge was, up until recently, the only establishment that offered accommodations in the tiny island of Ofu, American Samoa. There is now one other spot, but we opted for Vaoto Lodge because of word of mouth and it’s ideal location right across the Ofu Airport runway, next to the NPS Ranger Station, and just a few minutes from (my favorite beach ever) the To’aga lagoon.

Right: NPS Ofu Ranger Station

Left: Vaoto Lodge

The Ofu Airport runway is literally a stone throw’s away from the Lodge and within earshot of the NPS Ranger Station – not a bad thing at all because there’s only one flight a week and the hubbub lasts a total of half an hour (which is actually an exciting time for the otherwise quiet village).

One of my favorite visual aspects of Vaoto Lodge is the herbage that surrounds the property, especially after a bout of rain.

You can tell that lot of thought, diligence, and patience was involved in making the landscape what it is.

The rooms are simple but have everything you need and more (yesss to comfy beds and hot showers!). This was our room, and right across we had a garden vignette of the ocean.

This bookcase is filled with history, nature, and pieces of people who travel.

This particular evening was really cool. Deborah and Ben, who own and manage the Lodge, had some leftover fish and tied it to a rock to see what would eat it. Over the next couple of hours, we watched six black tip reef sharks swim into the shallows, but only two actually took a bite. It was interesting to observe their behavior.

Alice and Marley (Deb and Ben’s dog).

We sat in the little drifter’s fale, on the beachfront of Vaoto Lodge, and watched the sky desaturate and darken.

Here, another soft evening glow surrounds us at Vaoto Lodge. Ian biked around the runway, and I hung out by the beach to snap photos of Olosega and Ta’ū in the distance; the sun hiding behind the clouds not wanting to say goodnight.

There is so much more to Vaoto Lodge… I didn’t originally plan on blogging about the place so I didn’t get photos of the main house/interior rooms, the spacious utilitarian kitchen, and oh man the mozzies! This is just a compilation of bits and pieces from my two weeks at Vaoto Lodge.

Between family, friends, and strangers, Vaoto Lodge is a home away from home.

Check out their website here: http://www.vaotolodge.com/