28 V I K I N G C R U I S E S
By Caroline Gladstone
It's a harsh reality, but few
places are rarely as beautiful as
their airbrushed postcards portray.
French Polynesia or Tahiti, as many refer to the
118 volcanic islands and coral cays stretching 2000
kilometres across the Pacific, delivers the goods.
e first time I saw Bora Bora's blue lagoon I
gasped in disbelief. Surely my eyes were playing tricks
and those iridescent turquoise waters were a mirage.
But four trips on, each time I spy the island from
a plane seat or cruise ship deck, I blink in absolute
astonishment.
Bora Bora, part of the Society Islands' archipelago
together with Tahiti and Moorea, has a mythical shape.
Dominated by two misshapen peaks, the volcanic isle
sits in a wide lagoon encircled by 20 small islands,
called motus, and a brilliant coral reef. Experts like to
say the lagoon manifests seven shades of blue and who
am I to argue!
Exploring
F r e nc h Polyn e s ia
An exotic slice of paradise…
