10 eco wonderlands

THE PRIMAL SIDE OF HONEYMOONLAND

Moorea and Tahiti
Most people visit Tahiti intent on romance and South Pacific indulgence; one look at the translucent lagoons, picture-perfect palm-tree-lined beaches and lusty volcanic mountains and it’s easy to fall under the spell. Divers, of course, come for the primal thrill of sharks (silvertip, blacktip reef, whitetip, lemon and gray), acres of hard-coral kingdoms, stingrays, turtles, mantas and clownfish galore, all set against a backdrop of water that often exceeds 200 feet in viz.

But beyond the white fringe of the beaches and hidden from the blue lagoons exists a heart born of volcanic upheaval. Just on the other side of the road from the over-water bungalows of Moorea and Tahiti, eco-adventurous dive travelers will find jungle-choked trails and waterfalls and rivers that flow through volcanic lava tubes. On Tahiti and Moorea alone there are hundreds of ancient marae, which mark sacred Polynesian structures, hidden under the shade of the green canopy. Getting to these places requires four-wheel-drive vehicles or a good set of hiking shoes — and sometimes both.

Most visitors skip right through Tahiti on the advice of travel agents who’ve only really seen the main city of Papeete. If you’re into off-the-beach adventure, don’t listen to them. Polynesian Adventures will take you by the bumpiest road on earth to an opening in the side of a mountain near the Papenoo Valley: the Lava Tube. Headlight in place, the guide takes you straight into the heart of the island. Your path is the river, which twists and falls over and through volcanic tubes that formed when the island took its first breath above the surface. Between tubes, the river winds through a rainforest thick with ferns, vines and foliage. It’s a hauntingly primitive vision. At the end of the trail the river’s source erupts from a deep cave; exploring it leaves you muddy from head to toe -- and satisfied to be in that state.

Underwater Tahiti takes a more Zen approach to life. My wife took her first dives here under the sure guidance of Bernard Begliomini, of PADI 5-star TOPDive (which also has shops on Moorea and Bora Bora). One of our first dives was just beyond the buzz of Faa’a. What? You might want to double-check this. I couldn’t find it. Airport, a Catalina flying boat at a depth of about 60 feet. It’s completely accessible from the fuselage to the cockpit, and many a diver has tried in vain to take the controls and lift the ship off for one last jaunt through the clouds.

Ty Sawyer / Sport Diver Magazine

Nearby, the Aquarium, Tahiti’s most popular dive site, is largely manmade. A Cessna, two schooners and loads of interesting coral heads hide clownfish, tiny green and yellow leaffish, pipefish and a macro wonderland of critters.

On nearby Moorea — which, to my mind, is the loveliest of all the Society Islands — you’ll find a trail that takes you on path through the ageless interior. It’s good to go with a guide, especially if you’re hiking the entire route, which cuts through the island from the quiet town of Haapiti all the way through to Opunohu Bay. It’s probably not a good idea to make the hike après dive, as the pass is above 1,000 feet.

Despite being separated by only a narrow pass from Tahiti, the undersea world off Moorea has taken a decidedly different tack. Here, the action stays electric. At the top of the list of dive sites has to be the Tiki. Here, I’ve seen as many as eight lemon sharks, 40-50 blacktips and a few grays sneaking in and out. Some operators actively feed the sharks; others just stuff a fish head in the rocks and let the fellas and their snapper entourage sniff themselves into a frenzy -- at least until some enterprising titan triggerfish uses its teeth to remove the coral hiding the fish head. The resulting explosion of piscine movement is one I’ll never grow tired of witnessing. I’ll also never forget the stingrays and zippy blacktips at Stingray World, which is only about 3 feet deep.

Must Do: The Green Heart

Moorea: Three Coconut Trees Pass. This hike is best done with a guide to take you through the densely forested interior.

Tahiti: Lava Tube. Hike up rivers and waterfalls that pass through ancient lava tubes.

Must Dives:
Moorea
Stingray World
The Tiki (shark dive)
The Roses (PADI advanced)
Opunohu Canyons
Taotoi

Tahiti
The Marado (Tahiti Iti)
The Faults of Arue
La Goelette and the Catalina flying boat
St. Entienne Drop-off
Aquarium

Sidebar: Getting to Tahiti
OK, listen up. Tahiti should be ruled by divers, albeit romantically inclined divers. It’s only 7_ hours from Los Angeles and is in the same time zone as Hawaii. It’s thrill-ride diving is not as far away as you think, and the French people there are nice. ’Nuff said.

Moorea Pearl Resort
Over-water bungalows/garden bungalows/family bungalows, pool, dive center (Moorea Blue Diving Center), conference center, two restaurants, two boutiques (one for pearls; one for general shopping), excursions, watersports, baby-sitting on request www.pearlresorts.com.

TOPDive
PADI 5-Star dive centers in Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, Fakarava, Resort on Bora Bora (nine bungalows and a restaurant), nitrox, rentals (gear and camera), inter-island packages available www.topdive.com.

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