Sébastien Thépénier is a French oenologist and the winemaker behind Vin de Tahiti in Rangiroa, an atoll in French Polynesia. Originally from Burgundy of France, he moved to Tahiti in 2002 to oversee Domaine Dominique Auroy, a pioneering vineyard and wine estate on coral soil in the Pacific. He has since played a central role in developing and refining its unique tropical winemaking. Q. You are originally an oenologist from France. What drew you to come all the way to Rangiroa? I am originally an oenologist from France, trained in […]

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It is no secret that New Zealand is famous for its outstanding and pristine natural landscape. From lush forests and tumbling waterfalls to sprawling mountain ranges and never-ending coastlines, there are endless opportunities to get outside and enjoy the country’s best running trails. Whether you are searching for a family-friendly activity to get the kids out of the house for the day or a challenging but manageable opprtunity to break in your new men’s running shoes, the picturesque New Zealand landscape offers numerous running trails to enjoy all year long. […]

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A friend and I discovered a sign indicating ‘restaurant’ near our eco lodge, a metal shack located behind the owners home. An elderly woman who we call grandmum lives there with her husband and her son. She is a wiry and energetic woman who is always happy to see us; for some reason, there are never any other guests. Sometimes her dog Lola comes running out; she recently suffered an injury, a nasty claw mark down her back resulting from a fight with an iguana that lives on the property. […]

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One of the activities synonymous with visiting the Bahamas is swimming with pigs. I have long heard about this, especially during multiple trips to the Bahamas over the past several years. Prior to our latest trip to the Bahamas, the closest I’ve ever come to swimming with pigs was wading with swimming pigs in the remote Tuamotu Islands in French Polynesia. So, when I was invited by EMBRACE Resort in remote Staniel Cay in the Exumas to join one of their tours including swimming with pigs, I did not hesitate […]

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Mo’orea (Moorea) is only 30-45 minutes from the port in Papeete via ferry. And the port is only 10 minutes from FAA, Papeete’s airport. Despite being so close, this island feels world’s away from the often busy streets of Papeete. Need Internet access upon landing at the Moorea port? A Vodafone phone shop is within a short walk of the ferry terminal – located next to the gas station. SIM cards plus data plans can be purchased here. Often guesthouses or hotels will arrange pickup at the terminal (may be […]

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Small but packed with information about this fascinating island nation, Tahiti & French Polynesia by Lonely Planet provides a wide range of information for both budget and luxury travelers and everything in between. Perhaps maintaining a reputation that is mostly associated with luxury resorts, Tahiti in fact also offers a wide range of other lodging options including AirBnB and family run guesthouses. This go to guide highlights the country’s diversity of lodging even in some cases, recommendations for some of the best rooms at specific properties. In addition to all […]

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We arrived at the tiny aerodrome on the island of Rangiroa in the Tuamotu archipelago of French Polynesia – marveling at the narrow air strip surrounded on both sides by aquamarine waters. Unlike all passengers we did not have any hotel reservations and we lingered around until all the passengers left and the steel gates began to close – completely locking down the small airport building. One guy walked up to us and asked us if we needed accommodation – and said because there were not many tourists on the […]

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Q. Please introduce your family to our readers. ​We are the Vawter family. In 2015 we sold or gave away everything we owned and moved aboard our 43ft sailboat. We have been living a location independent life ever since. The girls were 7 and 8 when we moved aboard and now, our eldest is about to enter high school! It’s been a pretty crazy ride. We had intended to do a 5 year circumnavigation, but we ended up taking a much more circuitous route and going much more slowly. In […]

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In 2002, Oenologue, Sébastien Thépénie responded to an ad to work at a winery in French Polynesia. Wait a minute. There is vineyard and a winery in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean? The answer is yes – on the remote Rangiroa atoll, one of the world’s largest coral atolls. And certainly one of the most isolated vineyards on the planet. Today Sébastien oversees the viticulture and winemaking for Domaine Vin de Tahiti. This extremely unique vineyard is the vision of French businessman Dominique Auroy whose early vineyard experimentation […]

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Aotearoa, the Maori name for New Zealand stayed in my head days after I inhaled its poetry, its wild forest, its volcanic lake in a caldera, the slow, gentle rhythm of its longest river, Waikato and its multi-cultural people. The North Island floated in my landscape that wanted to hear its voice during fall. There I was introduced into the polyglot voices of the Pasifika experience of Karlo Mila, a poet who captures the essence of relationships both of the urban landscape and the island cultures that dot the South […]

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An accomplishment certainly worth highlighting – world traveler, James Asquith remarkably completed visiting all 196 UN recognized countries by the time he was just 24. An even more remarkable was he started this epic and ultimate road trip when he was just 18. Recently we had a chance to ask him a few questions about his time on the road (he no longer has a permanent home) and he recently built and launched an app that has introduced an extremely affordable way for travelers to see the world. The service […]

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Young Island Young Island is home to a private resort that is located a very short boat ride from the ‘mainland’. Once you arrive you are treated to beautiful views from the private beach. A bar floats slightly off shore. Several tables set back from the beach among the gardens are ideal spots to enjoy a buffet lunch with paired with some sort of tropical drink. Passion fruit rum perhaps. Best activity after lunch – do nothing and enjoy the quiet of this pretty place. Botanical Garden The Botanical Garden […]

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It is hard to predict when the sadness and solemnity will hit you when you visit Pearl Harbor. For me it was when we set out on the Navy vessel across the channel that on a December morning in 1941 turned into hell on earth, a bloody chaos of explosions and smoke and fire and bombs.             December 7 is Pearl Harbor Day, and 2014 will mark the 73rd anniversary of the attack that brought the United States into World War II. Ceremonies will be held at the Pearl Harbor […]

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This book is a fast, engaging and at times humorous read – highlighting stories from the author’s childhood trips gallivanting with his family around the world. They visit exotic destinations – remote islands in the middle of the South Pacific and fish in Piranha infested waters – always in search of “local” non touristy experiences. The author’s father was infected with wanderlust, taking trips without making many plans and always bringing along a keen interest in fishing. This formula often combined to create memorable experiences. The first story begins when […]

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OAKLAND, Calif. (July 11, 2014) – In just a few hours, Amelia Rose Earhart will set the record as the youngest woman ever to fly around-the-world in a single-engine plane. Upon the 31-year-old aviatrix’s historic landing in Oakland, Calif., she will symbolically complete the unfinished 1937 flight of her namesake, Amelia Mary Earhart. Amelia Rose, with her copilot Shane Jordan, has logged nearly 100 hours of flight time on this journey, stopping at major landmarks and remote islands along the way. “When I began flying 10 years ago, Amelia Mary […]

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