Going Deeper In French Polynesia

With the introduction of new adventures on a luxury exploration ship, the company offering the legendary M/S Paul Gauguin is bringing its regional expertise to the far corners of paradise. 

Blog content contributed by Naomi Tonky

Snorkeling adventure in French Polynesia with sharks and stingrays (Photo Credit: PONANT / TimMcKenna)

A double rainbow arched up from the black-sand beach of Tahiti, welcoming me on my first morning on the island and beckoning toward the stretch of moana, or ocean, in front of me and the islands beyond. The colors called me to the adventure ahead—to the tropical blooms of Huahine, the shaded river of Raiatea, and the crystalline lagoon of Bora Bora. My first taste of French Polynesia’s splendor, the rainbow left me hungry for more.

On a map, it is easy to group islands geographically into archipelagos, like the Society Islands, through which I sailed for a week aboard the M/S Paul Gauguin from Tahiti. But when you approach the islands from the water, each unfolds individually, slowly, and stunningly, like a shy peacock revealing its plumage.

Huahine’s spiking emerald ridges poked up toward the sky as we approached from the east; in Fare, palm-leaf-wrapped street signs telegraphed the island’s commitment to greenery. I walked past diners sipping tropical drinks on the water’s edge to a white-sand beach and turquoise lagoon. My family and I were alone in the water, save for the ruffle-edged clams with electric-blue lips, a rather large octopus, and shy eels slithering from the coral. Later, we admired their cousins from the pier as we boarded the tender back to the ship, sailing away at sunset.

The Owner’s Suite on Le Jacques Cartier (Photo Credit: PONANT / Vutheara Kham)

A gentle breeze ruffled the skirt of clouds around Mount Temehani as I disembarked the next day on Raiatea. This time, I plopped into a kayak at the wide entrance of the Fa’aroa, French Polynesia’s only navigable river. The waterway narrowed quickly, embracing me in its high banks, shimmering with jungle leaves and dangling banana blossoms overhead as I paddled through a parade of floating sea hibiscus flowers.

By the time we reached Bora Bora, I understood that—by ship, by snorkel, or by oar stroke—French Polynesia is best experienced from the water. One can certainly visit this part of the world by land, but each time I arrived on a new island, I found myself stepping off and into the water almost immediately.

That sea-centric approach to exploring the region’s natural and cultural wonders is where Paul Gauguin Cruises, French Polynesia’s destination expert, excels—and where the line’s parent company, Ponant Explorations Group, will continue to grow. For more than a quarter-century, the Gauguin has specialized in the region, building local connections and unmatched expertise. Next year, Ponant Explorations will put down even deeper roots when it brings the luxury explorer ship Le Jacques Cartier to French Polynesia.

Three new 14-day itineraries begin in Tahiti, sailing through the Tuamotu Islands before exploring the secluded Austral, Gambier, and Marquesas archipelagos. Each day features a guided naturalist or cultural activity, and guests can kayak, snorkel, or paddleboard directly from the ship’s onboard marina. Designed with the latest energy-saving and low-emissions technology, Le Jacques Cartier blends sustainable innovation with French-style luxury.

Le Jacques Cartier(Photo Credit: PONANT / Mike Lougie)

“We’ve called French Polynesia home for more than 26 years, and we’ve always been deeply passionate about the region. Deploying Le Jacques Cartier builds on our expertise and gives us the opportunity to showcase one of the most beautiful places on Earth in a new and exciting way.”— Samuel Chamberlain, CEO of Ponant Explorations Group Americas

French Polynesia spans more than 100 islands and atolls spread over some 1,200 miles, but few visitors ever make it beyond Tahiti and its Society Island siblings. Ponant Explorations’ new expedition itineraries aboard Le Jacques Cartier will take guests farther afield and closer to the magic of the outer islands—literally and figuratively.

The ship will head deep into the rugged, wild Marquesas Islands, where craggy ocean cliffs lead up to sacred archaeological sites. Itineraries will also bring travelers to the gentle, low-lying atolls of the Tuamotus, to the remote Austral and Gambier Islands (where the Gauguin doesn’t visit), and to the tiny island of Aukena, home to just 30 residents. These rare encounters set Le Jacques Cartier apart, delivering a unique blend of discovery that few other voyages can match.

“[The ship] is going to provide just a completely different viewpoint on the destination, going where no other cruise lines are going.”— Samuel Chamberlain

Ponant Explorations Group mined its expertise in French Polynesia to create the itineraries for Le Jacques Cartier, consulting with the Gauguin’s captains. “We have an assumption that for a lot of people who have fallen in love with French Polynesia on board The Gauguin, we could convince them to try French Polynesia a different way,” Chamberlain says.

I, for one, will require no such convincing.

Aft Infinity Pool on Le Jacques Cartier (Photo Credit: PONANT / Mike Lougie)

“These ships are meant for expedition,” says Chamberlain. “She is going to provide just a completely different viewpoint on the destination, going where no other cruise lines are going while keeping environmental stewardship at the forefront of our approach.”

Like the Gauguin, Le Jacques Cartier is designed with sustainability in mind. The new ship is equipped, for example, with shell and sea creature detectors, an electronic positioning system that negates the need for anchoring, and a low-emissions propulsion system—all helping to preserve the ecosystems through which it navigates.

The ship’s 92 staterooms and suites, each with its own balcony, embody the classic French-style luxury for which Ponant Explorations is known, while ensuring guests never miss any of those perfect peacock moments. An onboard marina drops hydraulically from the back of the ship to quickly deploy Zodiacs for excursions and landings, bringing guests straight to places like Rapa Iti, where the only other access is via the container ships dropping supplies.

But discovering these rarely visited islands on land is just the beginning. Onboard amenities take the experience even further, such as the ship’s Blue Eye Lounge—a panoramic underwater space where guests are immersed in the sights and sounds of the ocean, creating the sensation of being underwater without ever getting wet.

The Blue Eye “underwater” lounge on Le Jacques Cartier(Photo Credit: PONANT / Vutheara Kham)

Back on Bora Bora, my feet barely touched the pier before I left it again, heading out to the fortress-like reef that protects the glassy-smooth lagoon from the ferocity of the open ocean. I came to swim with the curious rays and gentle blacktip sharks, but as they swirled about my legs in the chest-deep water, I was completely distracted by the action on the far side of the reef: a pair of humpback whales breaching in unison with the grace and coordination of Olympic synchronized swimmers.

Our voyage in the Society Islands came to an end in Papeete, where, as The Gauguin pulled into the harbor, we were greeted once again by a rainbow.

PONANT EXPLORATIONS offers not just one, but two, small-ship experiences in French Polynesia and the South Pacific. Be it m/s Paul Gauguin or m/s Le Jacques Cartier, your escape to paradise has never been easier.