Ra’iatea, French Polynesia, 6/16/2023, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
French Polynesia & Pacific Islands
Our last day in French Polynesia was spent on the amazing island of Ra’iatea. We spent the morning in the Marae Taputapuatea with the option of a birding hike with Mike G. or a culture tour around the Marae.
The afternoon was busy with an incredible lunch on board National Geographic Orion and presentations from our on-board National Geographic photographer and cultural specialist as we make our way to the Cook Islands.
Born in Zimbabwe, Ross grew up between a 45000-acre Game Ranch and the small town of Victoria Falls, which is situated inside of the Victoria Falls National Park. Most of his earliest childhood memories were of the wildlife that was always on his doo...
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Fiji, “the island of smiles,” and Beqa certainly lived up to the name today. We have had incredible weather on our journey so far. The sun was shining today, but the winds were picking up. Fortunately, we were able to get ashore and meet some incredibly friendly locals. We were fortunate enough to be presented with kava. This was followed by a traditional dance performance. The island is famous for its fire walkers. We were told of the history of how individuals are believed to be given the gift of walking on fire, and we observed the incredible feat as they walked barefoot across boiling hot rocks. We strolled around the area and spent time with locals before returning to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon, some of us chose to go on a challenging hike from one side of the island to the other, and all returned with smiles from ear to ear. Our day finished with the captain’s farewell drinks; it was a wonderful finish to an incredible journey that started in French Polynesia and ended in Fiji.
Fiji has an interesting and complex geological history. It’s based on a submerged platform of ancient formation. The Fiji Islands are largely a result of volcanic action, sedimentary deposits, and lovely formations of coral. This morning, we had the opportunity to explore two more islands of Fiji, Vurulevu and Yabu. Right before breakfast, we loaded the Zodiacs and cruised around the small island of Yabu. This pest-free island is home to red-footed boobies, wedge-tailed shearwaters, lesser frigatebirds, and brown boobies. Vurulevu Island had a lovely sand beach for the beach toys. Kayaks and standup paddleboards were available for guests who wanted to explore our surroundings. Some guests decided to snorkel from shore while others just enjoyed relaxing. It was a great morning of exploration. After lunch, we had another opportunity to keep exploring the underwater world. Our favorite highlight was the opportunity to snorkel while manta rays swam curiously beside our guests. We had great sightings of the giant oceanic manta ray as well as the reef manta ray. Back on board, we all concluded that it had been a great day and a life-changing experience!
After clearing Customs on board ahead of our first stop in Fiji, National Geographic Orion guests were treated to a very special afternoon at the rarely visited village of Waitabu on the island of Taveuni. This is the third largest island in Fiji, and it is known as the garden island thanks to its lush and extensive forestation. Villagers conducted a ritual kava ceremony for us, and we were told that the schoolchildren practiced for three months ahead of their exuberant performances today. There was time to stretch our legs on the walk to a photogenic waterfall in Bouma National Heritage Park for a refreshing swim in the river.
