When I was told we were going for a walk in the island's interior on our first day on the South Pacific island of Tahiti, I imagined a gentle stroll through the lush green jungle that covers much of the island.

I hadn't imagined that a couple of hours later I would be waist-deep in gushing water dressed in a wet suit with a harness strapped round me, precariously scrambling up a slippy ravine.

Like most people, my image of Tahiti and her 118 islands scattered over five archipelagos in the South Pacific was of sun-soaked shores lined with bamboo bungalows perched on stilts over turquoise-blue sea. I expected the sort of destination that mainly attracts honeymooners drawn to the island by its romantic isolation.

That is certainly on offer. However, as my day spent clambering up a volcanic lava-tube and hoisting myself up waterfalls proved, there is far more to the islands than at first meets the eye.

I had never been canyoning before and the experience was both terrifying and exhilarating. When I did manage to look up from where I was putting my feet, I was stunned by the incredible beauty that surrounded me.


Do you have a Tahiti travel tip to offer? Post a comment below


Green mountains densely covered in what looked like large broccoli heads sloped up to the sky. Below, the land dropped down dramatically to the sea.

Ever since the crew aboard Captain William Bligh's HMS Bounty, downed tools and staged a mutiny back in the 18th century, tales of the tropical beauty and warm nature of the Tahitian people have captured the European imagination.

Captain James Cook, the first to map the islands of the Pacific, and numerous missionaries and military expeditions soon followed in his footsteps, forever changing Tahiti's way of life.

Long-lasting French-British rivalry for control of the islands was finally laid to rest when King Pomare V ceded Tahiti and most of its dependencies to France in 1880.

Today the European influence remains much in evidence. Road signs are written in both Tahitian and French and it is not unusual to come across a boulangerie at the side of the road.

Despite the influence of invaders, Tahitians remain proud and attached to the culture and heritage of their Maohi ancestors. Like most of the Tahitian's I met, our guide Herve Maraetaata, was covered in the most intricate tattoos which he described as his "passport".

Body art has a long history among the Polynesian people dating back to a time before islanders could read and write. They were considered signs of beauty and were ceremoniously applied at the age of adolescence. Each village had its own unique tattoo which was used as a way of immediately identifying where someone came from.

In an effort to promote Tahiti's unique cultural identity, the Radisson Plaza Resort Hotel in the bustling capital city Papeete, has its own full-time 'cultural animator' who puts on daily demonstrations of traditional dance and crafts as an introduction to Tahitian culture.

Each guest has the chance to attend two cultural events during their stay. I tried my hand at weaving coconut fibres into a decorative hat but the result bore little resemblance to anything I'd ever seen adorn anyone's head.

One of the great attractions of Tahiti and her islands is how easy it is to travel between them. Besides the frequent catamaran services, daily flights link now fewer than 50 of the 76 inhabited islands.
The geographically-unusual island of Rangiroa consists of a string of coral encircling a turquoise lagoon and is one of the world's most popular diving destinations.

A total of 240 tiny islets, or motus, each no more than three feet above sea-level, cover the lagoon's 110-mile circumference. It is little surprise that most of the island's activity is based in or around the lagoon.

The lagoon is home to millions of brightly-coloured, exotic-looking fish which gather around the many reefs. The clear water means that visibility is excellent and it is not hard to see why people come from all over the world to snorkel and dive.

One of Rangiroa's most successful exports is the black pearl. Most guest houses can organise a trip to the island's pearl farm where the precious gem is grown and harvested on an almost industrial scale.

Tahiti and her collection of islands may be the epitome of the South Seas holiday hide-away - but those keen to do more than lie on the beach enjoy a fantastic choice of leisure options, from scuba diving to hiking in the mountains and searching for that elusive and perfect black pearl.

Alison Purdy flew to Papeete with British Airways and Air Tahiti Nui via New York and LA and she was a guest of Radisson Plaza Resort, Tahiti, Sofitel Moorea Beach Resort, Moorea and Raira Lagon, Rangiroa.

Operator Turquoise Holidays offers a 10-night package to Tahiti from £2,295 (two sharing), including Virgin flights ex-Heathrow to Papeete with Virgin and Air Tahiti Nui (via LA), three nights at Radisson Plaza Tahiti (room-only), four nights at Sofitel Moorea (room only), three nights at Relais de Josephine (half-board), domestic flights, transfers.


:: Leisure activities include a day's canyoning bookable through
Mato-Nui Excursions, with picnic, £73; Moorea Hiking is booked directly
through Tohie'a Excursions; hike to pass of the three pine trees, with
picnic, £43; snorkelling at Blue Lagoon on Rangiroa, £44.

:: Turquoise Holidays reservations: 01494 678 400 and
www.turquoiseholidays.co.uk

:: Destination information on Tahiti & Her Islands available on 0207 202
6378 and www.tahiti-tourisme.co.uk


Do you have a Tahiti travel tip to offer? Post a comment below