Slow life inside the lagoon on Taha'a

After a lovely overnight sail from Tahiti we found ourselves at the island of Taha'a. This small island shares a lagoon with the larger Raiatea. We were looking for something a bit laidback from the big city and a chance to do some snorkeling and exploring. We were not disappointed. Taha'a doesn't get too much tourism although a few of the smaller South Pacific Cruise ships wander through, but we didn't see anyone getting off the ships.

Enjoying a day at the end of the rainbow in Taha'a

There was so much to enjoy here. We spent one night at the head of a 2 mile long inlet, which is the acclaimed 'the best' restaurant on the island. We agreed. The food was excellent. We wandered through the village which consisted of a school, a store, a pizza truck and a few other small businesses. The local teenagers were jumping off a bridge into the lagoon, laughing. The local church had choir practice. The families meeting near the water taxi stop to go to/from their jobs around the island (more accessible by boat then by car). It was a vibrant atmosphere.

The dock in front of the Vanilla Farm, another rainy day

Continuing a short 7 mile trip around the island we found ourselves at another lovely anchorage with snorkeling near by, a pearl farm tour and a Vanilla farm. The vanilla farm smelled so good. We learned about the production & uses of the vanilla beans and it was a good way to spend an afternoon. The best part was the Vanilla ice cream!

The family run Pearl Farm on Taha'a

The converted traditional catamaran -- with a new life as a Tapas Bar adjacent to the Rhum Distillery

Our final stop on Taha'a was on the western shore with a view of Bora Bora in the distance. We snorkeled some on the reef and enjoyed the busy active bay of Village Tapuamu. There was a continual stream of small cargo ships coming into the bay, as well as the local passenger fast ferry.

While the bay was busy, we were one of a few boats there and enjoyed just watching the world go by. There was a Tapas Bar overlooking the bay housed in a traditional double hulled canoe turned into a restaurant, a grocery store, good snorkeling for Deb, 2 rhum distilleries that gave tours and a moped rental shop. We didn't do much this week on Taha'a, but we very much enjoyed the laidback atmosphere, walking along the beaches and getting ready for our crew change in Bora Bora. We started shifting things on the boat from 'cruising' mode back to 'offshore sailing' mode.

A lunch stop on the reef

We ended the week with the short trip to Bora Bora and dropped our crew Deb & Gregg off so they could return to the Pacific Northwest. It felt strange and admittedly a bit fabulous to once again have the boat to ourselves. However, we had new crew coming in a few days so we didn't get too comfortable. It was a nice chance to dig into the deep lockers, work on a few projects that were obtrusive to anyone onboard and get ready for the leg to Niue/Tonga.