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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One of the most memorable vineyards in all of my travels is the tiny vineyard at the Bordeaux Airport – because whenever I see this vineyard I know I’m within a short drive to some of the most coveted terroir on the planet. And in all my travels around the globe – its not like I’ve seen very many vineyards planted at airports! The few people on my flight scattered as soon as we landed; I took full advantage of a totally empty airport to wander its hall as I […]

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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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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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I’ve wanted to visit Tahiti for years but the high cost of airfare has been a barrier to visiting the country. But with recent flights from the west coast of the USA launching earlier this year and prices much more affordable then in the years past, my decision to visit Tahiti became more realistic. The capital city of Papeete is by far the largest city in the country – and yes there is even traffic downtown. But as far as cities go, this is a relatively small one. Renting a […]

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Crashing a Club Med in French Polynesia, nonpaying guest intruder John M. Edwards discovers life is no picnic. . . . I awoke on the rooftop of Tahiti’s international airport with a heavy jackboot nudging me in my ribs–! “Monsieur, Monsieur, allons-y!” All of the other sleeping backpackers, alerted by a piping yelp evocative of a vicious French poodle being savagely rogered insensate, rubbed the sleepy seeds from their eyes and gloomily gathered up their gear. “Monsieur, allons-y, allons-y!” The grim-faced Tahitian security guard, resembling Rousseau’s “Noble Savage” stuffed into […]

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Up to $100,000 Total Donation to the Polynesian Voyaging Society For All New Credit Cards Activated Between Today and May 31, 2014 HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines® with MasterCard®, Barclaycard US and Bank of Hawaii today announced the official launch of the richly rewarding Hawaiian Airlines World Elite MasterCard® for consumers and the Hawaiian Airlines Business MasterCard for small businesses. In celebration of the new card, new consumer and small business cardmembers will be rewarded with 35,000 bonus HawaiianMiles® when they spend $1,000 or more on purchases in the first 90 […]

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LOS ANGELES – March 1, 2014 – The island of Bora Bora, one of the 118 islands and atolls that make up the Islands of Tahiti, was recognized as the number three island in the world in the “Top 10 Islands in the World” 2014 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice™ awards. The Travelers’ Choice “Top 10 Islands in the World” awards honor top travel spots worldwide based on millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers. Award winners were determined based on the popularity of islands, taking into account travelers’ favorite […]

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Paradise can now be found in the palm of your hand with Tahiti Tourisme launching its first travel app for Android and Apple mobile users. The app features augmented reality and a travel guide providing information on dining, accommodations, transportation and activities for most of Tahiti’s islands and atolls including contact information and maps. The app functions as a quick reference resource while travelers are in the islands. Once the free app is completely downloaded all maps and information can be accessed without going online. Tahiti Tourisme recommends downloading the […]

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Beaches provide a beautiful escape from the daily grind of life. Laying back on a relaxing beach towel and soaking up the sun is a luxury that everyone should have the pleasure of experiencing. However, as there are thousands upon thousands of beaches to explore on this beautiful planet of ours, it may be difficult to distinguish which sandy destination is truly paradise and which is merely a mirage. Rest easy friends because we have put together a selection of the world’s best beaches for your viewing pleasure. Before you […]

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Establishing a bucket list is the ultimate way to kick-start your life goals. As Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman demonstrated in their movie The Bucket List, some are a little more extravagant with their lists than others. Some wish to own a Corvette, others prefer to see the sunrise, and there are those who want to travel the world. If those last two items are part of your bucket list, then a trip to French Polynesia will kill two birds with one stone. French Polynesia is a tiny chain of […]

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Over the past eight decades the paradise isles of the legendary South Seas have provided a backdrop for many Hollywood productions. French Polynesia has been the most popular location by far, followed by Fiji and Samoa. Both Hollywood films set in Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal Diary (1943) starring Anthony Quinn and The Thin Red Line (1999), were about the Pacific War. Easter Island features in Kevin Costner’s Rapa Nui (1994) while The Other Side of Heaven (2002) deals with Mormon missionaries in Tonga. The earliest Hollywood films about the South Pacific […]

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HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines today spread its wings deeper into Asia, with the launch of its new nonstop service between Honolulu and Seoul, South Korea. Seoul represents Hawaiian’s first destination on the Asia continent and its third Asia destination overall, having previously launched service to Manila (April 2008) and Tokyo (November 2010). Hawaiian’s inaugural flight today to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport began with a pre-flight ceremony at the boarding gate at Honolulu International Airport that featured Hawaiian music and hula, a special Korean cultural dance performance, traditional Hawaiian blessing, and […]

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