Tahiti & French Polynesia
February 3-11, 2008

Overview
Features
Itinerary
Ports of Call
Extension

Overview (Return to top)

Experience the sublime paradise of the South Seas aboard the incomparable S.Y. STAR FLYER, an intimate sailing vessel that calls to mind the sleek, swift clipper ships that plied the waters of the Pacific during the 19th century.  Following in the wake of Captain James Cook, Robert Louis Stevenson and Paul Gauguin, immerse yourself in the beauty of Tahiti and French Polynesia and discover the legendary warmth and hospitality of their people.  View ancient stone temples on tranquil Huahine; explore the cultural legacy of the Polynesians on the "Sacred Island" of Raiatea; savor the seductive charm of Bora Bora, "the Pearl of the Pacific;" and visit Moorea, the tropical Eden that inspired James Michener to write Tales of the South pacific.  To enhance your travel experience, this program features exclusive lectures by a local expert on the culture and ecology of French Polynesia and opportunities for swimming and snorkeling in the pristine waters of idyllic lagoons.  You may extend your South Seas journey with the Papeete Post-Program Option and spend two nights in a deluxe hotel in Tahiti's cosmopolitan capital. 

Priced from $2,695
Gohagan & Company

For reservations or additional information, contact:
Jan Breitman [jbreitman@alumni.iastate.edu]
Iowa State University Alumni Association
Fisher-Nickell Hall
Ames, Iowa 50011-1370

Phone: (515) 294-6526 direct or (877) ISU-ALUM toll-free
Fax: (515) 294-9402

Features (Return to top)

The exclusively-chartered S.Y. STAR FLYER, an authentic tall ship, aboard which you will enjoy:

• Seven-night round trip cruise from Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands, with port calls at the idyllic islands of Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a, Bora Bora and Moorea.
• Spacious, air-conditioned stateroom with private bathroom facilities.
• Captain's welcome and farewell receptions.
• Delectable international cuisine served each day at a single seating for full breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Opportunities to snorkel and swim from the ship's unique water sport platform in the pristine waters and idyllic lagoons surrounding the islands.

All tours and excursions below are led by expert local guides:

• Excursion on the island of Huahine, with a focus on the cultural treasures of the ancient Polynesians.
• Cultural tour of Raiatea, a cradle of early Polynesian culture and a favorite destination of Captain Cook.
• Excursion on idyllic Bora Bora, including a circuit of the island by "Le Truck," the local open-air transport.
• Tour of Moorea, the tropical paradise that inspired James Michener's Bali Hai, featuring magnificent Belvedere

In Papeete:

• Day room accommodations in the deluxe Sofitel Tahiti Resort upon disembarking, prior to return flights home

Additional Features:

• An exclusive Village Forum with local residents discussing life in French Polynesia
• Specially arranged lectures by local cultural historian and environmental expert Frank Murphy on natural history, traditional culture, global warming and other contemporary environmental issues affecting the Society Islands and Polynesia.
• A series of tours that will bring to life Tahiti's vibrant history, culture and mythology
• All transfers and luggage handling abroad for all participants who have purchased their air tickets through Gohagan & company
• A hospitality desk on the ship
• The services of an experienced Program Director throughout the program
• Gratuities for local guides and drivers on included excursions and transfers

Itinerary (Return to top)

Day 1
Depart from U.S.
Arrive in Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands.  Transfer to the S.Y. STAR FLYER for embarkation.  Sail late this evening.

Day 2
Excursion: Enjoy a cultural tour of the island of Huahine, with a visit to the Maeva temples.  Attend a welcome reception this evening. 

Day 3  
Excursion: Enjoy a half-day tour of Raiatea, featuring a visit to the famous Marae Taputapuatea.
Optional Excursion: Cruise on the Faaroa River through a tropical forest aboard an outrigger canoe
Exclusive Enrichment: Lecture by resident biologist Frank Murphy on the course of evolution on small islands.

Day 4 
Optional Excursion: Tour Taha'a island in the open-air transport known as "Le Truck," with visits to a vanilla plantation and a black pearl farm.

Day 5 
Excursion: Take an island circle tour of Bora Bora, the "Pearl of the Pacific," aboard "Le Truck."
Exclusive Enrichments: See a demonstration of the dying and wearing of pareo, the traditional garment of South Pacific islanders. 
Lecture by local naturalist Frank Murphy on the effects of global warming on life in Polynesia. 

Day 6 
Excursion: Motorcoach circle tour of Moorea, including a visit to the unique Octagonal Church in Papetoai.
Exclusive Enrichment: Meet local residents during a specially arranged Village Forum.

Day 7  
Optional Excursions: Tour of Moorea's scenic interior in a four-wheel-drive vehicle AND Dolphin watching expedition with Dr. Michael Poole, noted marine biologist.
Exclusive Enrichment: Lecture by cultural historian and ecologist Frank Murphy on the emergence of a distinctively Polynesian culture.

Day 8
Arrive in Papeete, Tahiti
Disembark the S.Y. STAR FLYER.  Enjoy day rooms in the Sofitel Tahiti Resort.  Transfer to the airport and board your return flight to Los Angeles.

Day 9
Arrive in Los Angeles

Ports of Call (Return to top)

Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands
Tahiti epitomizes the South Seas experience.  Ever since Captain James Cook landed here in 1769, the isle has exerted an irresistible appeal to all who have encountered it - Fletcher Christian was so captivated by this tropical paradise that he led a historic mutiny aboard the H.M.S. Bounty and remained in the South Pacific instead of returning to England, and Paul Gauguin abandoned his family and career in France to embrace the seductive lifestyle of Polynesia. 

Bustling, cosmopolitan Papeete, the gateway to the treasures of the South pacific and the capital of French Polynesia, has extended a hospitable welcome to visitors since its founding as a missionary settlement in 1824.  Located along the northwest coast of Tahiti on a natural harbor, Papeete is set against a backdrop of verdant, forest-clad peaks.  Cooled by trade winds, it enjoys one of the finest natural settings in Oceania.  Papeete's tropical ambiance is complemented by the charm and diversity of its inhabitants, a vibrant blend of native Tahitian, French and Chinese.

Huahine
Formed of two islands - Huahine-nui and Huahine-iti - separated by a deep blue bay and ringed by a coral atoll, this untouched paradise has soaring peaks, lush rain forests, dazzling white beaches and ancient shrines.  The idyllic port of Fare lies nestled between the sea and a woodland of towering mape (chestnut) trees draped with sweet-scented vanilla vines.  In the nearby settlement of Maeva, the ancient religious center of Huahine-nui, stand 10 imposing marae, built in the 16th century of locally quarried stone and dedicated to Tane, Oro and other Polynesian deities. 

Raiatea
According to local legend, Raiatea was once the "sacred island" of Havai'i, the birthplace of Oro, the god of war and fertility, and the center for the colonization of Hawaii, the Marquesas and New Zealand.  In the pre-colonial era, it served as the political and spiritual center of the Society Islands and was beloved by Captain Cook, who called here on each of his three voyages of discovery.  Raiatea's placid Faaroa River, the only navigable stream in Polynesia, threads its way through a world of wild hibiscus, bamboo and Tahitian chestnut.  The rare and beautiful tiare apetahi, a delicate white flower, is found nowhere else on Earth.  Along the eastern shore is Marae Taputapuatea, constructed of coral and black volcanic rock, and one of the best-preserved temple complexes in Polynesia.  Once a sacrificial site to Oro, it was restored in 1995.

Taha'a
Idyllically set across a blue lagoon to the north of Raiatea, Taha'a is dominated by the profile of Mount Ohiri, named for the Polynesian god of thieves.  Two exotic enterprises provide the islanders' livelihoods - the production of vanilla and the farming of lustrous black pearls.  Along Taha'a's northeastern shore lies a string of motu, pristine islets of white, powdery sand beaches shaded by graceful palm trees.

Bora Bora
With its soaring, black basalt peak, lush cloak of tropical forest, turquoise lagoon, coral reef teeming with multi-colored fish and outlying fringe of motu, Bora Bora - "the first born" in Tahitian - is the proverbial vision of a South Seas paradise.  It was settled by adventurous Polynesian mariners in the 10th century A.D., and Captain Cook called at Bora Bora on is first voyage in 1769 and again on his third and final voyage in 1777.  Islanders have preserved the ways of their forebears and still wear the traditional pareo, a sarong-like cotton garment dyed in brilliant colors or adorned with floral patterns.  In Bora Bora's forested interior, villagers cultivate breadfruit, coconuts and taro, and stone marae preserve the legacy of ancestral Polynesian deities.

Moorea
Rivaling Bora Bora in scenic splendor is the heart-shaped island of Moorea, the remnant of a long-extinct volcano.  Once a sanctuary for vanquished warriors from Tahiti, it was visited by Captain Cook in 1777, and by the American novelist Herman Melville in 1842.  It also inspired James Michener to write his unforgettable Tales from the South Pacific.  A drive around Moorea's perimeter reveals stunning vistas of forest-clad mountains, lush valleys and foaming waves breaking against scalloped shoreline.  Moorea offers a distinctive blend of traditional and Western culture; its abandoned temples evoke its Polynesian heritage, while its churches underscore its role as the center for 19th-century missionary activity in the Society Islands - Papetoai's unique Octagonal Church is the oldest European structure in the South Seas.  The azure waters surrounding the island abound with marine life, including whales and dolphins.

Extension (Return to top)

Papeete Post-Program Option
Following your Island Life in Tahiti and French Polynesia program, spend two nights in Papeete, Tahiti - a city blending French chic with a warm Polynesian ambiance.  Accommodations are in the deluxe Sofitel Tahiti Resort.  Enjoy included tours focusing on the legacy of Paul Gauguin and the natural beauty of Tahiti.