Vahine

Order on the beach

Order in the interior

Order in the dock area

Order in the toilet

 In the category of islands with less than 10 bungalows, Vahine is the polar opposite of Ninamu. Highly manicured, the sand is raked, the bungalows are air-conditioned and the owner is rarely present. As it happens, he was visiting with his wife during our stay.

But the island is beautifully run by Loure and the chef Terrance. His cooking is amazing. We think it would merit a Michelin star. We thoroughly enjoyed our three-night stay.

Vahine is beautifully located, thirty minutes by boat from the airport on Raitea and close to the island of Tahaa. It sits in a sort of lagoon with snorkeling and kayaking available and many small islands nearby.

Vahine in the distance

Vahine

 Snorkeling is subject to the vagaries of currents, which enter through breaks in the nearby reef and were strong during our visit. We did a few drift snorkels from a boat and an independent "slalom" snorkel off a nearby island belonging to the same owner. (He is building a few family vacation villas there.) The "slalom" snorkeling is done in current with water about a foot or two above the coral. We had to either snake our way through them or glide over them as stretched out as possible. Not bad, but we prefer simpler snorkeling situations. In some spots we could stand on stand on sand between the corals or hold on to some coral to take time to examine a spot.

We had a charming little bungalow with a sort of Japanese-Polynesian style.

Sliding window/doors

We kayaked to the island seen in the distance.

The chandelier is made of tiny seashells.

The food deserves special mention - incredible, especially when you consider the remoteness of the location.

Foie gras with a chutney underneath, on a tuille. Edible silver on top.

Baby octopus on zucchini on mahi-mahi on gratinee potatoes on minced vegetables

Creme brulee flambe

Smoked marlin on top of a creamy eggplant wrapped in cucumber

Today we move on to the island of Huahine. As we left, a majority of the island's population gathered to bid us farewell.

Laure, the manager on the right and Terrence, the chef, behind her. The owner and his wife in the middle. Two guests on the left.