Tahiti non-stops from San Francisco

picture yourself in French Polynesia (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Flying to Tahiti will get a lot easier beginning next October 30. United Airlines has announced nonstop Dreamliner flights from San Francisco to Papeete. Flying three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday), United plans serve this route from October 30, 2018 through March 28, 2019.

Why I'm excited by this news: 

You can avoid LAX, a monstrously inconvenient place to connect. Domestic flights arrive at one of eight terminals, and you have to schlep yourself and your baggage to the international terminal, check in again with Air Tahiti Nui (which means leaving airside), and go through security again (plan for a long wait in line). If you plan to check bags, you'll have to see if your domestic airline has an interline agreement with Air Tahiti Nui.

Flying through SFO will be a dream by comparison. Being a United hub, you'll have easy connections from all over the US with your bags seamlessly checked all the way through to PPT. Passengers can walk between United's domestic and international gates without having to go through security again. And SFO offers a choice of lounge experiences — the American Express Centurion Lounge or United's Polaris Lounge.

The timing of the flights is bit disappointing. The outbound flight departs SFO at 2:45 p.m., arriving PPT at 9:25 p.m. Because this is too late for connecting Air Tahiti flights onto Bora Bora or Moorea, you'll have to overnight in Papeete; I recommend the InterContinental Tahiti. The return, departing PPT at 11:45 p.m. and arriving SFO 10:50 a.m. the next morning, is fine.

However, the "season" for which United is flying the route makes no sense — from October 30 until March 28. This is "summer" in French Polynesia, the rainiest and most humid time of the year. The best months to visit Tahiti begin in April when you'll enjoy the driest weather and most comfortable temperatures. Oops! Guess someone at United failed to check the "high season" for Bora Bora and Moorea.

I've been twice ... so please contact us to plan your dream trip to Bora Bora and ask about the value-added Virtuoso and Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities. We can save you hundreds of dollars on your trip of a lifetime.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

lost night in paradise | who pays?

beautiful lagoon waters (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Who pays when something goes wrong on your vacation? One of the travel blogs that I regularly follow, Ben Schlappig's One Mile at a Time, relayed the sad story of a missed night during a couple's honeymoon. Their flight from Moorea to Bora Bora had a stop at Huahine. There it suffered a mechanical breakdown and was unable to continue to their final destination. Ten hours later, Air Tahiti sent a replacement plane, but due to high winds in Bora Bora, the plane was unable to make the flight until the next morning.

So they missed their first night in Bora Bora at a (very) expensive resort, and they lost the amount they had paid for their first night at the resort.


Question: how could they have protected against this?

Answer: travel insurance

Problem: travel insurance policies are not created equal


We work almost exclusively with Travelex, Brownell's preferred travel protection partner for many years. I spoke with a telephone representative of Travelex this morning, and I asked her about the particular situation I read about on Ben's blog. She told me the following.

Trip Interruption coverage would have been activated by a delay of a Common Carrier caused by a mechanical breakdown, weather delay, or strike. Such a policy benefit would have covered their unused travel arrangements resulting from this delay up to 100% of the amount of cancellation protection and Trip Interruption purchased (for a Travel Basic policy) or 150% of the interruption protection purchased (for a Travel Select or Travel Max policy). [language revised 12:08 p.m. as suggested by Laura Heidt]


What about the travel insurance from your credit card? The devil's in the details, so I checked out those details. American Express Platinum does not include a travel interruption component. Citi Prestige offers travel interruption coverage if you miss "more than half of [your] Trip because of missed connections, delayed departures, etc." Citi Sapphire Reserve states that interruption coverage does not apply from "Common Carrier caused delays, unless they are as a result of an organized strike that affects public transportation." Visa Signature provides neither Trip Cancellation nor Trip Interruption coverage.

link for Travelex travel protection

Let me stress that you should rely only on the representations of your travel insurance carrier for their authoritative answers to what would or would not be covered by your policy.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Mt. Mouaroa, Moorea

Mt. Mouroa, Moorea (c) 2014 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Just back from my Paul Gauguin cruise around the Society Islands of French Polynesia, so I'll begin with this shot from the last day of my trip. Our group enjoyed a 4x4 excursion around the island, viewing some of the spectacular scenery — Moorea's jagged mountain peaks and panoramic views of Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay from high above the sea. It was a misty and sometimes rainy December day, but the weather made the scenery even more dramatic. See above my picture of Mt. Mouroa taken from a pineapple field.

Moorea is a destination for adventure travelers, and the especially daring can take these tours on an individual ATV for a thrill-filled outing. Other activities include snorkeling or SCUBA diving over reefs abundant with colorful coral and tropical fish.

Also great for a romantic holiday, Moorea has overwater bungalows and white sand beaches. Contact me if you'd like specific resort information or would like to plan a complete honeymoon package.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Tahiti travel deals | combinable with Virtuoso

If you're planning to book a trip to Tahiti, Bora Bora, or Moorea, some extra value is waiting just around the corner. Tahiti Legends calls it their Twelve Days of Christmas offer. While the full details are here, these are the headlines.

Day 1 (Dec 8) — free airfare to Bora Bora
Day 2 (Dec 9) — free room upgrade
Day 3 (Dec 10) — free night in Tahiti
Day 4 (Dec 11) — free three-course dinner
Day 5 (Dec 12) — free shark and ray snorkel itinerary
Day 6 (Dec. 15) — free circle island tour by jet ski
Day 7 (Dec 16) — free dinner at Bloody Mary's
Day 8 (Dec 17) — free 30 minute spa treatment
Day 9 (Dec 18) — free sunset cruise
Day 10 (Dec 19) — free canoe breakfast
Day 11 (Dec 22) — free four wheel drive jeep safari
Day 12 (Dec 23) — free lagoon cruise and motu picnic

Hint: the biggest value, worth $500, is the free PPT-BOB round trip offer; this has to be booked next Monday, Dec. 8th.

These offers are combinable with Virtuoso amenities when you stay at a Virtuoso resort and book your Tahiti Legends package through your Virtuoso travel consultant. If you've been thinking about a 2015 trip to Bora Bora, this is the time to get in touch. We can talk about the details now … then finalize your booking on one of the twelve days of Christmas.


the fine print (pretty reasonable)

Valid for travel: December 8, 2014 to December 30, 2015.

Must be booked by: December 23, 2014

Special Code: 12DAYS

Disclaimer for all: Special Christmas promotional offer is valid only for bookings made on specified dates, not combinable with any other promotions, may not be modifiable and subject to availability. Certain restrictions may apply. Christmas promotions must be redeemed for the dates listed, and not combinable with each other, i.e. only one Christmas promotion can be applied per booking, based on choice of island or hotel. Promotion not applicable multiple times. 

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

my stay in a floating hotel in Tahiti

Actually, the title of this article may be a bit deceptive. I was invited on a educational trip aboard the Paul Gauguin as it sails on a seven night Tahiti and Society Islands cruise. Actually, if anyone would like to take the same cruise and meet me, we'll be departing PPT on 13DEC and returning 20DEC, and fares are as low as $3,995 per person.

I've never been on a cruise before, although I did enjoy a barge trip in Southern France aboard L'Impressioniste. I'm frankly not a cruise person, but I'm willing to give it a try. I will of course share my impressions, comparing my experience aboard the Paul Gauguin cruise to the luxury hotels I enjoy frequenting.

So why this cruise? In addition to an opportunity to take my wife back to Tahiti (she loves snorkeling in the warm waters of the atolls), I'm looking it as an opportunity to do some site inspections of hotels I didn't get to see back in 2007. Here's my original site inspection report, very much out of date as a new hotel has opened (Four Seasons Bora Bora), two hotels have closed (Hotel Bora Bora, Bora Bora Lagoon), Bora Bora Nui is now a Hilton, and St. Regis Bora Bora is now Virtuoso (it wasn't in 2007).


Le Taha'a Island Resort. A Virtuoso property close to Bora Bora, I've booked it but never seen it. We'll spend a couple of hours there the morning of December 15th.

Four Seasons Bora Bora. This resort was still under construction during my last visit (click here to see a picture I took from the water), but we'll be spending a day there on December 16th. FS is picking us up at the dock at 10 a.m. and returning us at 4 p.m. We'll get to see rooms, enjoy the beach, have lunch, and we've even booked spa treatments.

InterContinental Thalasso (on Bora Bora) is owned by the same company that owns Paul Gauguin cruises, and we'll be seeing it on December 17th.

InterContinental Moorea also has the same owner as the Paul Gauguin cruises. We'll be visiting this property the morning of December 18th, followed by an afternoon site inspection of…

Hilton Moorea. There are really two recommended properties on Moorea, and this will give me the opportunity to see both in a single day — quite helpful in helping clients consider their choices on Moorea.


What about cruising aboard the Paul Gauguin as a way to visit Tahiti? It's certainly economical, as all meals and beverages are included in the price of the cruise — and you only have to pack and unpack once while you enjoy visits to Huahine, Taha'a, Bora Bora, Moorea, and Papeete.

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Tahiti vacation guide

Moon Travel Guides have been published for a vast array of destinations; there are literally dozens of destinations available. I was offered the opportunity to review the Moon Handbook Tahiti and received a review copy that was thoughtfully autographed by the author, David Stanley. This encyclopedic guide to the islands of French Polynesia would be especially useful to travelers wanting to visit the smaller and less-visited islands, as there does not seem to be a spot that Stanley has left unexplored in his travels. Readers will learn about the history and geographical highlights of each island along with a discussion of attractions, sports and recreation, accommodations, and food — as well as logistical details on how to get there and how to get around once one has arrived.

One of the most useful features of the book is a discussion of various accommodations available to visitors. Stanley's site inspections not only discuss the quality of the rooms but provides invaluable information about the quality of the beach and snorkeling at various resorts as well as alternate nearby dining possibilities. Example: "The Sofitel Moorea la Ora Beach Resort ... sits on one of the finest beaches on the island with a splendid view of Tahiti (but poor snorkeling)." However, the book (just published in February 2011) is not up to date. The cyclone that hit Bora Bora a year earlier destroyed the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort and severely delayed the renovation of Hotel Bora Bora; this information is not reflected in his discussion of these two Bora Bora resorts.

If you're planning Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, or any of the other islands of French Polynesia, Stanley's Tahiti vacation guide pulls together a wealth of knowledge into one comprehensive handbook.


Tahiti vacation (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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full solar eclipse | July 11 in Tahiti

As if you needed another reason to visit one of the most idyllic spots on earth, French Polynesia will experience a total solar eclipse on July 11, 2010. A solar eclipse occurs when the new moon passes directly in front of the sun, blocking out its light and creating a mystical "twilight in the middle of the day" experience. According to Nasa's eclipse website, "the southern coast line of French Polynesia's Tahiti lies a tantalizing 20 km north of the eclipse path and experiences a deep 99.96% magnitude partial eclipse at 18:28 UT."

Tahiti and Moorea will experience a 98% eclipse of the sun. There is room availability on both islands that evening, and you can spend the rest of your Polynesian holiday on Bora Bora. The warm waters of its lagoon are the most incredible shade of aquamarine, and this is one of the best places on earth to snorkel. My recommended places to stay? Four Seasons Bora Bora (the ultimate five star resort with a distinctly Polynesian flavor) and Bora Bora Lagoon Resort (an Orient Express property with reasonable prices and the best snorkeling anywhere).

Never look directly at the sun. The only time that the Sun can be viewed safely with the naked eye is during a total eclipse, when the Moon completely covers the disk of the Sun. It is never safe to look at a partial or annular eclipse, or the partial phases of a total solar eclipse, without the proper equipment and techniques.


Bora Bora (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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