- 2023 World Cruise – The Adventure Begins (Post #1)
- The Adventure Begins! – Fort Lauderdale (Post #3)
- At Sea – en route to Falmouth, Jamaica (Post #4)
- Falmouth, Jamaica (Post #5)
- The Tuxedo Junction at Sea (Post #6)
- Puerto Limón (Post#7)
- Zuiderdam and Volendam – side by side – Panama Canal Transit (Post #8)
- Two Faces of Panama (Post #9)
- Library Grand Opening – At Sea (Post #10)
- The Graveyard of Good Intentions (Post #11)
- Something Old and Something New (Post #12)
- The Captain’s Dinner and Zuiderdam Ball (Post #13)
- Mike West “The Ship Guy”- At Sea (Post #14)
- Sunday Brunch – At Sea (Post #15)
- Taming the Towel Animals – At Sea (Post #16)
- The Final Day of our 8th Consecutive Sea Days (Post #17)
- GLAMPING IN NUKU HIVA (Post # 18)
- Sailing the South Pacific (Post #19)
- Island Joy presents Ukuleles in Concert (Post #20)
- Flowers, Pearls and Roulottes in Papeete (Post #21, 21 Jan 2023)
- Moorea Photo Safari (Post #22)
- Snorkeling in the Rain in Raiatea (Post #23)
- Late Sleepers in Uturoa, Raiatea (Post #24)
- Sea Day Brunch and Coloring for Adults (Post #25)
- Horse Racing on the High Seas – Derby Night (Post #26)
- Fashion Show on the High Seas (Post #27)
- 2025 Grand World Voyage – Sneak Peak (Post #28)
- Blow Holes on Tonga (Post #29)
- When is a world cruise a world cruise? (Post #30)
- At Sea – Dr. Karen Woodman, Linguist, Guest Lecturer (Post #31)
- Auckland Yarn Crawl (Post #32)
- Tauranga and a Visit to Hobbiton (Post #33)
- Gisborne Wine Tour (Post #34)
- Windy Wellington (Post #35)
- Let them eat cake on the Tasman Sea (Post #36)
- Sailing the Tasman Sea (Post #37)
- Two Days in Sydney (Post #38)
- Port Arthur, Tasmania (Post #39)
- Hobart, Tasmania (Post #40)
- Valentine’s Day at Sea (Post #41)
- Adelaide, Fringe Festival (Post #42)
- Adelaide – Kangaroos and Germany in South Australia (Post #43)
- Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island (Post #44)
- Fremantle Fat Tuesday and Yarn (Post #45)
- Perth – Swan Valley Wine Tour (Post #46)
- 2020 Grand World Cruise Reflection and Reunion Party (Post #47)
- Slot Pull at Sea (Post #48)
- A valid claim of Bingo (Post #49)
- Indian Ocean Highlights (Post #50)
- Song Writing at Sea with Trevor Knight (Post #51)
- Port Louis, Mauritius (Post #52)
- La Possession, Reunion (Post #53)
- Formal Night Surprise (Post #54)
- Maputo – Hump Port – (Post #55)
- Our Overland Safari Begins!
- Safari Day #1 – Durban, South Africa (Post #56)
- Safari Day #2, Thanda Safari Lodge (Post #57)
- Safari Day #3, Thanda Safari Lodge (Post #58)
- Safari Day #4, Thanda Safari Lodge – Cape Town (Post #59)
- Cape Town – Table Mountain (Post #60)
- Cooking in Cape Town (Post #61)
- Lüderitz, Namibia (Post #62)
- Walvis Bay, Namibia (Post #63)
- At Sea – Enroute to Angola (Post #64)
- Luanda, Angola (Post #65)
- Crossing the Equator at the Prime Meridian (Post #66)
- Abidjan, Ivory Coast – Côte d’Ivoire, (Post #68)
- Banjul, The Gambia (Post #69)
- SNOW DAY IN DAKAR, SENEGAL (Post #70)
- Aprils Fools’ Day at Sea (Post #71)
- Santa Cruz, Tenerife (Post #72)
- Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canarias (Post #73)
- Riding a Camel in Agadir, Morocco (Post #74)
- Casablanca to Marrakech, Morocco (Post #75)
- Tangier, Morocco (Post #76) 7 April 2023
- Malaga, Spain (Post #77) 8 April 2023
- Lisbon, Portugal (Post #79) – 10 April 2023
- A Coruna Spain (Post #80) 12 April 2023
- Holland America Line 150th Anniversary Party in Amsterdam
- Bergen, Norway: Snow, Rain and Sun (26 April 2023)
- Praia da Vitória, Azores (5 May 2023)
We venture off the beaten path in search of interesting photo opportunities and celebrate the Chinese New Year back on the Zuiderdam
Promptly at 5 am, the Zuiderdam was underway from Papeete starting the short journey to Moorea, where we anchored in ‘Ōpūnohu Bay.
Tendering started about 8 am and our small group headed ashore for a privately arranged 4×4 Photo Safari.
A quartet welcomed us with music as ladies passed out small tuberose flowers as we entered the craft market area. The craft market area seems to have expanded since we were here last in March, and I noticed some new restrooms nearby.
If you don’t have a tour arranged in advance – there are plenty of last-minute options available.
Nyron and Adeline from HAL shore excursions greeted everyone with big smiles (see photo above).
Our tour was advertised as a 4×4 photo safari. HAL offers a similar tour for about twice the price. The HAL tour says a photographer will accompany you. Our tour with Moorea Explorer says a knowledgeable guide will accompany us. Our driver, Mata, was interesting and knowledgeable, and we visited the view spots common to many tours. We enjoyed the tour, which was a good value. The price was $350 for the vehicle which holds 8 people. Here is the description from their website:
During a 4-hour visit, as a couple, with family or friends, aboard a private vehicle, you will discover the history, the flora, we will make you fully enjoy all the wonders of the island of Moorea .
Our local guides will share with you their love for their island, their knowledge, their culture. You will experience a trip filled with unforgettable scenic panoramas. In an idyllic setting we will pass on the best information and regale you with anecdotes and historical facts.
During these four hours, you will discover:
The magnificent bays of Moorea (Cook and Opunohu)
The Belvedere viewpoint
The ancestral temples
The volcanic crater
Crossing the rivers of Moorea with eel feeding
Fruit plantations, the large and magnificent pineapple fields of Moorea
The Tropical Garden to enjoy the beautiful view of Opunohu Bay, discover the Tahitian vanilla plantation and taste local jams
Refreshment in a souvenir shop where you will enjoy a course explaining in detail what there is to know about the pearl of Polynesia, our local jewel.
In a private tour, compose your own itinerary and visit only the desired points.
Mata, our driver and guide, met our group of eight, and we headed off to our first of ten stops. Today was Sunday, so most restaurants and many shops were closed.
Our first stop was at a place Mata referred to as a Bio Museum or the “Te Fare Natura” – More HERE and HERE
We traveled in a covered pickup truck, with cushioned seats in the bed facing each other with room for four on each side. Seat belts were available.
The tour had 4×4 in the name, but while the roads were narrow in a few spots, they were all passable in 2-wheel drive cars.
The Belvedere lookout is a popular spot, and we enjoyed smaller crowds with fairly clear weather for some nice views.
Here are some photos from the rest of our tour
Our final stop was at Jardine Tropical, accessible via a steep, narrow road. There is a small Vanilla farm right below the restaurant. They offer a variety of fruits and juices, and there is a spectacular view of Ōpūnohu Bay and the Zuiderdam.
Judy picked up another pearl from the craft market, and we enjoyed this sign that declared they only had REAL pearls.
Back on the ship, we celebrated Chinese New Year. There was a special menu in the Lido, so Table 89 enjoyed dinner upstairs while sporting our Chinese New Year’s clip-on hats.
Comedy Trio, The Biddy’s, was on the mainstage. Their show reminded me of a little more risqué Carol Burnett skit. With extensive use of double-entendre jokes – the three ladies played off each other as they performed short skits intermixed with a few songs.
Tomorrow we will be in Raiatea
Peter
Thanks for all the helpful information. Your posts are such a delight to read. As they say “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Your photograph is beautiful and provides a great view of the great day you all had. I notice Judy is using the neck fan you included in your shopping list. I got that exact one for our trip next year. Thanks for the suggestion and show and tell. How has the weather been?