Welcome to the Turquoise Travel Diaries, a collection of interviews, stories, and excerpts from our fabulous team, as they travel around the world. Here at Turquoise, we pride ourselves on unrivaled knowledge of the destinations in which we specialise, so that we can provide honest, expert advice to all our guests and fellow travellers. This week, our South Pacific specialist Lara has returned from an incredible research trip to the South Pacific and she shares with us amazing stories and ancient legends about the islands…
Lying in the middle of the South Pacific you have French Polynesia, a collection of 118 islands and atolls, each completely different to the next. While it will take you around 22 hours to reach the islands via the US, this incredible destination is well worth the journey. Not only are the island’s structures diverse, you can enjoy a wide range of experiences and activities – jet-ski tours, diving with hammerhead sharks, treks, private yacht charters and more.
The elders of French Polynesia possess amazing stories and ancient legends about the islands. As well as enjoying the stunning beaches and lagoons, I’d urge you to learn about the islands’ myths. I’ll start you off with one of my favourite tales…
Hiro was a warrior and demigod in Polynesian mythology, feared for his size, strength and power. As well as being a great navigator and traveller, Hiro was a thief. In ancient times, Hiro lived on the island of Vavae, now called Bora Bora. He decided to protect the cove of Amanahune from enemy attack by linking the two heads of the bay, which would make it impossible to reach by sea. Hiro headed to the nearby island of Maupiti and ripped a large piece of rock from the mountain. Standing on the rock, he attempted to push himself and the rock across the ocean using a large pole made from the pua tree. As Hiro entered the lagoon and neared Amanahune, his powers disappeared and he lost all his strength. He was forced to abort his plans, leaving the huge rock islet in the lagoon. The islet was named To’opua in remembrance of Hiro – To’o means ‘pole’ and the action of pushing, while ‘pua’ is the name of the tree used to move the rock.
The islet of To’opua is now home to the beautiful Conrad Bora Bora, a five-star luxury resort facing out to the waters surrounding Bora Bora. With some of the most spacious and beautifully designed water villas in French Polynesia, you could never be disappointed when choosing to stay at this resort. The team there are passionate about the island, its people and culture.
