Polynesian Discovery: Exploring Tahiti, Bora Bora, and the Tuamotus

Days 1-2

U.S. / Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia / Embark Ship

Depart on an overnight flight to Tahiti. Arrive in the early morning on Day 2 and proceed directly to National Geographic Orion for embarkation. While in port this morning, take some time to freshen up and settle into your cabin as we prepare to depart. Alternatively, choose to walk around downtown Papeete and visit the central market where vendors sell fresh fruit, pareos, art and coveted black pearls. Join us for lunch aboard and be on deck as we set sail from Tahiti toward the Tuamotu Archipelago. This afternoon meet the staff and fellow travelers and settle into island time. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included on Day 2.

Day 3

Rangiroa

The atoll of Rangiroa is a ring of slender islands known for some of the best diving and snorkeling in French Polynesia. The turquoise lagoon at its center is the second-largest in the world. Kayak, snorkel, and scuba dive in the rich waters here, home to large schools of pelagic fish, manta rays, dolphins, and sea turtles.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Makatea

An uplifted coral atoll, the island of Makatea is one of the most unique landforms in the Pacific. A makatea is a raised coral atoll that is tilted due to plate tectonics and appears much different than the other islands in the region, containing spectacular, vertical cliffs. This specific island of Makatea gives its name to all other uplifted coral atolls worldwide. Spend the day with your local guides and your expedition team in search of endemic fruit doves and a myriad of seabirds before exploring a nearby cave and swimming among the stalagmites and stalactites of the island's grotto.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Ra’iatea / Taha’a

Encircled by a single fringing reef, and sharing a common lagoon, Ra'iatea and Taha'a are islands well worth exploring. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Marae Taputapuātea  on Ra'iatea is one of the most important cultural sites in the Polynesian world. The centuries-old complex was a center for Polynesian seafarers and the location from which they set out for Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Hawaii, and New Zealand. Our afternoon is spent at Taha'a where we visit a family-run vanilla plantation and spend time snorkeling in the crystalline lagoons where we encounter black-tipped reef sharks.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 6-7

Bora Bora / Disembark Ship / Papeete / U.S.

Be on deck at sunrise this morning to take in one of the South Pacific’s most iconic images: the angular crags of Bora Bora’s Mount Otemanu.

Spend the morning on a nearby motu for a relaxing beach day and BBQ lunch. In the afternoon, take a short flight back to Papeete where a hotel room will be available for you to rest and refresh before your international overnight flight home. Breakfast and lunch are served on Day 6.