For the very first time to Tahiti, hands down the best experience to fly there is none other than Air Tahiti Nui, the national airline for the Islands of Tahiti! They fly from Seattle, and Los Angeles to Papeete, the capital of Tahiti. Now, there are certainly other airlines but none will come close to the true Tahitian experience onboard Air Tahiti Nui, where your vacation truly begins the minute you step onboard their Dreamliner aircraft. You are immediately welcomed by the all-Polynesian crew, and the bright colours of the seats brings an immediate sense of excitement and exhilaration as you feel you are truly heading to paradise! ​

Only eight hours from Los Angeles, and nine hours from Seattle, you arrive in Papeete, the capital of Tahiti. Once you depart the plane and head into the airport, guests are welcomed by a group of Tahitian dancers and singers providing cultural entertainment as you arrive and wait in line to enter the country instantly experiencing the hospitality of visiting their home.

Our flight from Seattle was a day time flight so when we arrived, it was 11:00pm at night. Upon arrival at our hotel, we settled in and got ready for an early morning the next day to attend the largest trade tourism event for the Tahiti Tourism, the Tahiti Travel Exchange, a conference for North American travel advisors and local Tahitian hotel, hospitality and tour companies. The importance of tourism to the islands was a key message as highlighted by the President of the Islands of Tahiti, French Polynesia, “There is a Tahiti for everyone”. This is more than simply visiting a destination for tourism. They invite guests to feel what it is like to live how the locals live, experience all sides of the islands that are different and unique, but also all connected by mana (their life force). 

We met with so many local Tahiti suppliers, from hotels, excursion companies and transportation suppliers and everyone was absolutely lovely! The consistency in the passion and the pride they have for their islands, their history, their culture and their people is what draws you to their mana. The sense of love they have for life and its simplicity is something we can definitely use a lot more of these days! 

We ended the day inspired and excited to experience the islands for the rest of our trip! 

Our itinerary was a jam packed one, and not one I would suggest taking lightly! We visited 4 islands, including Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Rangiroa, through a variety of transportation options, 13 hotel inspections, three excursions (Moorea excursion cancelled due to the heavy rain) all in the course of 10 days! 

Here are some of the standout experiences to enjoy on a trip to Tahiti! 

1. Visit the Marche de Papeete (Papeete Market).
Papeete is the capital of Tahiti and is where all international visitors arrive. It is a vibrant city, full of people and a hub of activity. Travellers start and end their vacations here, whether it be a land tour, island-hopping adventure, or through a cruise. 

The Papeete Market is located in central Papeete and is full of fresh fruit, produce and fish for locals, arts, jewelry and handicrafts for souvenirs, and all kinds of apparel, including the iconic Tahitian pareo in different stores located through the two floors of the market. 

2. Tahiti Island Tour
Explore the diverse island landscapes with a Circle Island Tour of Tahiti, where your guide will drive you around the island, immersing you in the culture, stories and significance of notable landmarks. Doing the tour of the island gave us an intro to Tahitian hospitality, lifestyle and history while exploring the amazing and diverse landscapes of the island. 

3. Try the famed “poisson cru”, the national dish of the Islands of Tahiti!
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Each place has a slightly unique version but it is essentially a Tahitian ceviche – a dish of fresh raw tuna, cut into bite-size pieces, with fresh lime juice and coconut milk, tossed with cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. It is served on its own as an appetizer in a fresh coconut shell  or it can be served with rice, similar to a Hawaiian poke bowl. (I may have tried it every day during our trip.....calories don't count when you're travelling for work, right?)

4. Enjoy a traditional Polynesian show.
Nothing gets you more excited than the explosion of the vibrant dancers adorned in colourful skirts, garlands and headpieces, captivating sounds of the drums, ukuleles and haunting melodies. Their movements tell you their stories of love, nature and tradition, and their feet stomp to the rhythm of the drums. It’s a true cultural experience, one that they are proud to share with you. Many hotels will have shows once or twice a week so make note of the evening shows but you will likely experience a few during your trip and they are not to be missed! 

5. Visit a pearl farm.
The Tahitian cultured pearl is one of the islands’ largest export and known for its size and beauty. There are only three places in the world that can grow cultured pearls and the French Polynesia is one of them. A South Pacific oyster can live up to 12 years meaning it can grow up to 4 pearls in its lifetime. 

On our last day in Rangiroa we went to a pearl farm to see how pearls are grown and harvested. It takes a minimum of 5 years to grow a cultured pearl and we got to watch the whole pearl farming process, and the work that goes into growing them. 

Just like diamonds, the quality of pearls differs and the colours, lustre and shape of the pearl can determine the grade. There is a certain percentage of imperfections permitted at each grade but the lower the percentage, the higher the grade. 

You will see pearls everywhere you go in Tahiti – from the Papeete market, souvenir stores at the hotels, and boutique luxury pearl stores with a wide variety in styles, sizes and prices. After a visit to the pearl farm and learning about the process, the time and labour involved, you gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the value and price of pearls but also how they differ from natural pearls as well. 

5. Enjoy a private island motu picnic and experience all the shades of blue up close in a lagoon tour.
Lagoon tours offer amazing experiences to get into the crystal clear waters for the most breathtaking water life experiences. We swam with stingrays and sharks in Bora Bora and Rangiroa, the original Blue lagoon, home to “shark city”, where you see so many sharks swimming around aimlessly in and around you in the water. 

In Bora Bora, we snorkelled in amazing clear turquoise waters, swam with sting rays and sharks, who were so friendly with us! We then enjoyed fresh coconut bread, and fresh fruit as we enjoyed the beautiful music sung by our guide, Ray. 

6. Stay in an overwater bungalow.
Tahiti is the birthplace of the overwater bungalow when it was first built on the island of Raiatea in 1967 and the experience of staying in one is available on so many different islands. So while staying in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora is the bucket list dream for most, it has become the ultimate experience in your luxury stay in paradise with the price tag to go along with it!

​You can stay in different types of accommodations including a garden bungalow, beach bungalow, hotel rooms or even Tahitian guest houses for a more authentic experience. Split up your stay with a variety of accommodation types for different experiences and for something that can be suitable for your budget. ​

If you are staying on Papeete and want to stay in an overwater bungalow, the Intercontinental Tahiti is the only hotel on the island of Tahiti that has overwater bungalows. 

These are only a snippet of the amazing experiences to be had for an Islands of Tahiti vacation and there really is so much more to explore and experience. We had a short time on each island to provide a small teaser of what you can experience. 

A vacation to the Island of Tahiti is more than a getaway—it’s an immersion into paradise, where stunning natural beauty, vibrant Polynesian culture, and unparalleled luxury come together to create memories that last a lifetime. Whether you're dreaming of lounging on pristine beaches, exploring lush rainforests, or savoring world-class cuisine, Tahiti offers something truly magical for everyone.

Ready to turn those dreams into reality? Contact a Certified Tahiti Specialist like myself today to start planning your personalized adventure to this tropical haven. It's not something I would have been able to put together well without having the first hand experience to know the complexities of travel and how to make it as memorable as possible. 

It's been a rough few months during the latter part of 2014 and priorities changed. Life changed things. Puts things into perspective and you realize that you can't take things for granted. Life truly is too short and one must take opportunities when they present themselves. 

So, when members of my family decided to travel to Hong Kong in February, I took this as the opportunity to take my kids to Hong Kong as well! I haven't been back to Hong Kong since 1989 so I am certain things have definitely changed! Although I was born and raised in Canada, my parents are from Hong Kong so it feels like a trip to the homeland! And to be able to provide my kids with this opportunity to experience more of their Chinese ancestral heritage is one I couldn't pass up! Plus, I will be visiting my 105 year old grandma whom I have not seen since the late 1990's. 

Naturally, I needed to brush up and get the lay of the land. So, I'm now a Hong Kong certified travel professional! Once I am able to re-aquaint myself with the area, I hope to have opportunities to share the fun and excitement, the food and the sights of Hong Kong and Asia with groups travelling with me! 

We are fortunate enough to be travelling to Hong Kong over Chinese New Year, which will be a treat onto itself! Chinese New Year is the most important day of the year for Chinese people and to be in Hong Kong for the festivities is a huge bonus. Plus, as we continue our Disney bucket list, the first stop we plan on hitting is Hong Kong Disneyland!!! We can't wait and will keep you posted with our travel adventures! Make sure you "Like" my Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ReneeTsangTravel and Twitter at @ReneeTsang1 for travel updates, news, deals and details of our travel adventures! 

Happy New Year! 2014 was a fantastic year and a great start to my new travel business, and increased my travel opportunities significantly over the last few years. I had to opportunity to visit Honolulu, Hawaii, and had  the pleasure of staying at Aulani, Disney's newest resort on the island of Oahu. I also took the family to Disneyland in Anaheim at the beginning of the summer, and went on a Disney cruise to Alaska in the middle of the summer! It was the year of Disney and the Disney train continues! 

I was also fortunate enough to participate in a FAM trip to Los Cabos, Mexico hosted by AM Resorts, and enjoyed their newest property, Secrets Puerto Los Cabos Golf Resort and Spa. It was a luxurious experience and further fuelled my passion to delve into romance travel, destination weddings and honeymoons! After all, travel is best shared with those you love. And while family vacations are fun and create memorable adventures for the kids, romance travel brings the spark back into a relationship and build unforgettably romantic memories for couples. 

In November, I was able to participate in a Travelsavers Bootcamp held at the beautiful Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. My colleagues and I studied hard for our Distinctive Destination Wedding Specialist exam and are happy to announce our new certifications as Lifestyle Specialists! 

The Travelsavers Banff Bootcamp was also the perfect opportunity to connect with my fellow Centre Holiday agents, learn valuable tips of the travel trade, meet with many current and new supplier contacts and finally meet the owners and managers of Centre Holidays head office from Ontario who made the trip out to Alberta to help us grow Centre Holidays in Alberta! 

The Bootcamp provided ample opportunity to increase our focus to our desired specialities and travel niches. As time goes on, I will continue to further my knowledge and expertise in different travel areas to help clients get the most out of their desired travel plans. Look for big things coming in 2015!! 

One of the first training course I wanted to complete was the College of Disney Knowledge! Who wouldn't want to immerse themselves in all things Disney??!! Then after I completed my Akamai Level Hawaii Destination Specialist course, I knew I needed to experience Hawaii for myself! And if you have both Disney and Hawaii certifications, then that can only mean one thing........a visit to Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa is a definite MUST DO on our list!! Stay tuned for all the details of our visit!