Weather Helmed

For us in the US, it seems Bora Bora is the posterchild of the South Pacific.  Initially, we thought we wanted to go there just because, well, it’s Bora Bora.  But, several cruisers that went there had mixed reviews of the island as a cruising hang-out.  It was expensive, there were lots of resorts and tourists, and the anchorages weren’t all that awesome.  I was also less inclined to go when we learned that some of our friends had their laptop stolen from their boat while they were off enjoying a local parade.  Suddenly, Bora Bora, while probably a fantastic vacation spot when you’re laying by the pool at your 5-star resort, just didn’t seem as enticing to us anymore.  But, we weren’t sure we were done with French Polynesia yet and people had told us that Huahine was nice, so we left Moorea for the next island to the northwest.

Huahine (pronounced who-ah-heenie) is one of the lesser known “leeward” islands of FP, but it is no less beautiful.  We anchored in the little bay at Fare, the main town.  The water was quite clear and the town front very inviting.  There is a bar/restaurant right at the water’s edge near the dinghy dock, a surprisingly large grocery store, two “roulettes” on the wharf serving burgers and baguettes, an open area for locals to sell their fresh-caught goods, outdoor public showers, a small cafe and hostel, and several gift shops just on the main street.  We didn’t explore too much beyond that as it rained most of the time we were there.

The one thing we were disappointed with was the snorkeling.  Matt, Jon and I all went out and wandered around various areas in the bay and we never did find a great snorkeling spot.  Several other boats were anchored farther south along the island and may have had better luck.  Ideally, had we had more time, we also would have hopped anchorages, but we needed to be moving west.

Huahine is beautiful and I would highly recommend it for those looking to get away from the more touristy islands of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.  I don’t know what the hotel situation is like there, but if you want to “get off the beaten path” of the traditional hotspots, Huahine would be a good option!

Sadly, this is one of the few photos we have of this lovely island.  It seems the farther west we go, the fewer pictures we take.  I’m going to try and remedy that!