Tahiti and Bora Bora
Tahiti and Bora Bora Luxury Travel Advisor
I'm Beverly Schulte, a Tahiti and Bora Bora travel advisor in Sioux Falls. Through Paradise Travel, I design fully private itineraries across the Society Islands, matching clients to the right island, the right property, and the right overwater bungalow for the experience they actually want. French Polynesia is one where knowing the difference between properties is everything.
Bora Bora
Bora Bora.
Bora Bora is the standard-setter for the overwater bungalow experience. The lagoon color, the privacy, the Mount Otemanu backdrop. The top-tier properties here deliver something genuinely extraordinary. I know which ones those are and which ones look better in the brochure than they feel in person.
The Other Society Islands
Tahiti, Moorea, Taha'a, and the Tuamotus.
Most travelers fly into Papeete and head straight to Bora Bora. My clients often discover that Moorea, Taha'a, and the quieter islands of the Tuamotu archipelago offer a different quality of experience, with fewer guests, more intact reef systems, and a pace that matches what most people are actually looking for when they book French Polynesia.
The Overwater Bungalow Question
Not All Overwater Bungalows Are Equal.
Deck size, lagoon depth, reef access directly from the steps, proximity to other bungalows, quality of the in-water experience, and these details vary significantly between properties and between room categories within the same property. I navigate all of it before you book.
Getting There
The Routing Matters.
French Polynesia is a long flight from anywhere in the continental United States, and the routing matters. I handle the airfare strategy, inter-island transfers, and the sequencing of islands so the trip builds rather than exhausts.
By small ship
Tahiti by small ship with Paul Gauguin Cruises
If you want to see more than one island, I start with the m/s Paul Gauguin. She carries no more than 330 guests and was built in 1997 for the shallow waters of French Polynesia, so she gets into lagoons and small ports bigger ships skip. I'm a PEARLS Accredited Partner with Paul Gauguin Cruises.
I'd point most of my clients to the longer voyages. They reach the islands most visitors never see.
- More Tuamotus & Society Islands, 10 nights
- Society Islands & Tuamotus, 11 nights
- Cook Islands & Society Islands, 11 nights
- Marquesas, Tuamotus & Society Islands, 14 nights
- Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands & Society Islands, 14 nights
For a first visit or a honeymoon, the classic 7-night Tahiti & Society Islands voyage sails round trip from Papeete to Huahine, Taha'a, Bora Bora, Moorea and Motu Mahana, the line's private islet. You unpack once.
What's included matters here, because French Polynesia is expensive ashore. Meals and room service, wine, beer and spirits, gratuities, and kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel gear from the ship's marina. Tahitian hosts called Les Gauguins and Les Gauguines live aboard and share the language, dance and legends of the islands.
Split stays
How I build Tahiti: split stays
Most of my Tahiti trips mix two or three ways of staying, so you get the overwater bungalow and you see more than one island.
- Beachfront, then overwater. A few nights on a Moorea beach to land and slow down, then Bora Bora over the lagoon.
- Overwater, then the ship. Two or three bungalow nights, then a Paul Gauguin voyage.
- All three. Beachfront, overwater and a cruise. My favorite for honeymoons and big anniversaries.
Prefer your own boat? PONANT's Spirit of Ponant II is a private catamaran based in French Polynesia. More on my charters page. More small ships on my small-ship cruises page.
Yacht style
A second way to sail Tahiti
For a yacht-style feel, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's Evrima sails French Polynesia on voyages that call at Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine and Raiatea. I'm certified with the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
Fit
Is Tahiti right for you?
It fits you if
- You're planning a honeymoon or a milestone anniversary.
- You love the water, snorkeling and quiet lagoons.
- You've done Hawaii or the Caribbean and want somewhere farther and quieter.
It's not the best fit if
- You want nightlife, big shopping or a busy resort scene.
- Price per night is the deciding factor.
- A long flight is a dealbreaker. Papeete is about 8 hours from Los Angeles.
Divers should see my luxury dive vacations page, and photographers my photography travel page.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions.
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Start the Conversation.
Tell me where you're dreaming of, and I'll tell you honestly what it takes to do it right.
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