Moorea: The Island That Made Me Addicted
The German man from Fiji had warned me. “Moorea is beautiful, Andi. But be careful. It can make you addicted.” When he said that on the phone in …
French Polynesia
From Hawaii to Tahiti: Chasing a Childhood Dream Across the Pacific
My 1993 trip to Hawaii did something dangerous to me. It did not calm my travel fever. It made it worse. Hawaii had opened a door, and behind …
Moorea: The Island That Changed the Direction of My Life
Some places enter your life long before you ever arrive there. For me, Moorea was special. Since early childhood, the silhouette of this island has left a deep …
Beach Clean-Up on Tetiaroa: My Experience in Paradise with a Problem
This is a memory from September 2001, during the old hotel era on Tetiaroa. It does not describe present-day waste handling or conservation arrangements. September 2001 was my …
A Flight to Remember: Meeting Maimiti from Tahiti, a Polynesian Girl’s First Journey
In May 1996, I shared a flight from Tahiti to Los Angeles with Maimiti, a dancer I knew from a cultural village on Moorea. It was her first …
Exploring Tiaraunu, Tetiaroa: Beauty Meets Danger
I had imagined a peaceful day on Tiaraunu, one of the motus that make up Tetiaroa in French Polynesia. Just me, two baguettes and a generous supply of …
Tetiaroa: Marlon Brando’s Atoll and the Place That Kissed My Soul
Tetiaroa’s lagoon, its Marlon Brando connection and my memories of the old hotel years. An introduction to the atoll that kissed my soul—with visiting information for today.