The Society Islands

The Society Archipelago offers the classic Tahitian Island experience! High islands clad in verdant forest, punctuated by jagged mountains and sheer cliffs that drop to a narrow coastal plain. Golden beaches fringe turquoise lagoons and a stunning azure sea beyond. Waterfalls tumble from lofty peaks through deep valleys and coconut groves rustle in the breeze.

The Society Islands are the youngest of the French Polynesian islands - extinct volcanoes that have yet to erode away to leave just the fringing reefs that typify the Tuamotu Atolls. The islands of Tahiti and Moorea are the youngest of the islands, their fringing reefs hugging close to the shoreline, offering a thin and often un-navigable lagoon within. Huahine, Taha'a and Raiatea represent the next stage in the transformation. Their lagoons are wider, and in most places deep enough for even large ships to navigate. Wide passes through the fringing reef allow easy access to the open ocean. Bora Bora is the final stage before becoming a true atoll. The lagoon is wide and deep, and the island is eroding back slowly on itself. The plugs that blocked the volcano craters at the end of their final eruption are clearly visible. At some point in the dim and distant future this island too will erode away, and an atoll will form.

The Society Islands offer much for the general tourist, as well as the avid scuba diver. Raiatea and Huahine are littered with ancient marae, courts where kings and rulers held sway over the people. Taha'a is gently infused with the scent of vanilla being harvested from orchards of mango and breadfruit, Moorea has some of the most dramatic scenery in the world. All offer superb hotels and exotic cuisine, and a truly relaxed and romantic atmosphere.