South Pacific is one of my favorite Broadway musicals. Songs from that famous show have enchanted me for many years. I was also fascinated by French Impressionist Paul Gauguin. He visited Tahiti in 1891 and painted many works depicting islanders’ life, including the famous two Tahitian women on the Beach. The South Pacific (also known as the Pacific Islands and Oceania) comprises 15 countries, including American Samoa, the Cook Islands, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji. The only part we will be visiting is French Polynesia. We will fly to Papeete (Capital of Tahiti), stay there for a few days, then board the ship Aranui 5 – a passenger and freighter cruise – with stops at the Marquesas Islands. Aranui means “The Great Highway” in Tahitian. For four decades, the Aranui ships were the lifeline for islanders, bringing supplies to villagers. When the ship docks to load and unload supplies, we will have opportunities to spend time on each island, taking in the history, culture, local foods, and artwork. We also hope to attend several dance performances by local people. We plan to do some hiking, snorkeling, canoeing, and maybe learning a few dance moves. We will debark Aranui at Bora Bora – the famous blue water lagoons. We booked a cabin over the water just like all the pictures on the cover of every travel brochure. If you are interested in learning more about this unique way of traveling through South Pacific, here is the website for Aranui http://aranui.ca I hope to share our experience and the pictures on this journey with you but my understanding is that the internet may be limited on board so I will keep a journey and take lots of picture and send you the travel log when I can. Come Aboard with us!
Bali Hai is Calling! My blog list
https://hmwjourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Balihai.pdf
Windward Islands – Tahiti and Moorea
https://hmwjourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Tahiti.pdf
On board Aranui 5
https://hmwjourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Onboard-Arauni5.pdf
Paradise Lost and Found – Marquesas Islands
https://hmwjourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MarquesasIsland.pdf
The atoll – Rangiroa dn Bora Bora
https://hmwjourney.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BoraBora.pdf