Arrival in Tahiti on Air Tahiti Nui from LAX |
Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 F-OSUN |
Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 (F-OSUN) |
Fa'a'ā International Airport arrivals, Tahiti - French Polynesia |
Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 (F-OJTN) |
Bienvenue en Tahiti! |
Musical welcome, Tahiti |
French Polynesia immigration |
Aéroport de Tahiti Fa'a'ā |
The domestic airline, Air Tahiti, uses a fleet of ATR-42 and ATR-72 aircraft |
Control tower, Aéroport de Tahiti Fa'a'ā |
Aéroport de Tahiti Fa'a'ā |
Departures - Aéroport de Tahiti Fa'a'ā |
Domestic departure board, Tahiti |
First leg on Air Tahiti, the short hop over to Moorea |
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQT) |
Air Tahiti is hardly the world's cheapest airline |
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQT) |
Airborne from Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Port of Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Tahiti is the main island of French Polynesia |
The island of Moorea lies just 17km west of Tahiti |
Arriving in Moorea by air |
Moorea's reef lies 700m offshore in places |
Shallow waters off Moorea |
Moorea |
Approach to Moorea Airport |
Moorea, French Polynesia |
Moorea Green Pearl Golf Course |
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQT) on the ramp in Moorea |
Second Leg on Air Tahiti - Moorea to Bora Bora |
Again we have F-OIQT |
Moorea Airport, French Polynesia |
Air Tahiti operates 7 of these ATR72s as well as 2 ATR42s and several smaller aircraft |
Northeast coast of Moorea |
Northeast coast of Moorea |
Overflight of Raiatea enrolee to Bora Bora |
The sister islands of Raiatea and Taha'a share a single lagoon |
Raiatea and Taha'a |
Taha'a Private Island and Spa off the west coast of Taha'a |
Taha'a, French Polynesia |
Taha'a Lagoon |
Bora Bora comes into sight |
Bora Bora, French Polynesia |
Intercontinental, Bora Bora |
Le Meridien, Bora Bora |
St Regis Resort, Bora Bora |
The eastern barrier islands of Bora Bora with the Intercontinental, Le Meridien and the St. Regis Resorts |
Northeastern lagoon, Bora Bora |
Eastern motus (barrier islands), Bora Bora |
The deep blue sea surrounds the turquoise lagoon of Bora Bora |
NE Lagoon, Bora Bora |
Four Seasons, Bora Bora |
Four Seasons, Bora Bora |
Most of the major resorts are on the barrier islands rather on Bora Bora itself |
Polynesians call these small barrier islands "Motu" |
The main island of Bora Bora enshrouded in cloud and surrounded by a turquoise lagoon |
Northern lagoon, Bora Bora |
Bora Bora, French Polynesia |
Sit on the left side inbound from Tahiti or Moorea |
Bora Bora Airport (BOB/NTTB), French Polynesia |
Bora Bora airport was constructed in 1943 to support the US Military during WWII |
Bora Bora's airport, built on a motu, has a runway only 1500m (4900 ft) long, so intercontinental flights must land in Tahiti |
Abeam the numbers, Runway 11, Bora Bora |
Believe it or not, they call that Runway 17, 3000 feet |
Short Final, Runway 11, Bora Bora |
Land short, get wet |
Feet dry, Bora Bora |
180 degree turn at the opposite end of the runway |
Air Tahiti ATR72 arrival, Bora Bora |
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQU), Bora Bora |
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQU), Bora Bora |
Bora Bora's watery airport |
Arrivals hall, Bora Bora |
Not a bad job, ATC at Bora Bora |
No airport in the world is actually finished |
My journey around French Polynesia continues - next leg, BOB-RGI |
Air Tahiti ATR42 (F-OIQD), Bora Bora |
Air Tahiti ATR42 (F-OIQD), Bora Bora |
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQV), Bora Bora |
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQV), Bora Bora |
Liftoff from Bora Bora - sit on the right side |
Bora Bora, French Polynesia |
Departing runway 11, Bora Bora |
Bora Bora, French Polynesia |
Boat captains in the lagoon had better watch out for the shallow reefs |
East coast of Bora Bora where my hotel was located |
East coast of Bora Bora |
Bora Bora, French Polynesia |
Goodbye Bora Bora |
Out the side window, Bora Bora |
Le Meridien and Intercontinental, Bora Bora |
Le Meridien and Intercontinental, Bora Bora |
Eastern barrier islands, Bora Bora |
Bora Bora, French Polynesia |
Le Meridien and Intercontinental, Bora Bora |
Eastern barrier islands, Bora Bora |
Bora Bora, French Polynesia |
Bora Bora, French Polynesia |
Bora Bora, French Polynesia |
Climbing away from Bora Bora |
Taha'a, French Polynesia |
Taha'a, a similar appearance to Bora Bora, but much less developed |
Taha'a, French Polynesia |
Taha'a, French Polynesia |
Taha'a, French Polynesia |
Passing over Tikehau bound for Rangiroa |
These northern islands are true atolls with no remnants of the high volcanoes remaining above the lagoon |
Tikehau, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Rangiroa's massive lagoon, 1446 square km |
A small reef inside Rangiroa's lagoon |
Rangiroa Lagoon |
Rangiroa Airport, French Polynesia (RGI/NTTG) - 2100m |
Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa |
Turning final over the Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa |
Large motu on the west side of the Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa |
Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa |
Avatoru, the main settlement on Rangiroa |
Avatoru, French Polynesia - population 700 |
Turquoise waters of Rangiroa Lagoon, French Polynesia |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
The main island of Rangiroa is actually divided into many small motus |
Landing in Rangiroa |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Collège de Avatoru, Rangiroa |
Rangiroa Airport, French Polynesia |
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQV) at RGI |
Airport Terminal, Rangiroa |
RFF - Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Departure board, Rangiroa |
Aérogare de Rangiroa |
Just across the street from Rangiroa Airport |
Passenger Terminal, Rangiroa |
Air Tahiti ATR72 (F-OIQU) at RGI |
Departing Rangiroa for Papeete via Tikehau |
Apron at Rangiroa with an Air Tahiti ATR |
Rangiroa Lagoon, French Polynesia |
The atoll of Rangiroa seems barely wide enough for the airport |
Avatoru Pass, Rangiroa |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
West side of Rangiroa Lagoon |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Rangiroa, French Polynesia |
Le Lagun Bleu, Rangiroa |
The Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa |
The Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa |
The Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa |
The Blue Lagoon, Rangiroa |
Le Lagun Bleu, Rangiroa |
Only 13 km of open ocean separates Rangiroa from the neighbouring atoll of Tikehau to the west |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau Lagoon |
Tikehau Lagoon |
Tikehau Lagoon |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Landing at Tikehau for a brief stop enroute to Papeete |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Passenger terminal at Tikehau (TIH/NTGC) |
Palm trees lining Tikehau Airport |
Tikehau Airport, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Tikehau, French Polynesia |
Makatea - Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia |
Tahiti comes back into view |
Tahiti, French Polynesia |
Point Venus with its black sand beaches, Tahiti |
North coast of mountainous Tahiti |
Matavai Bay, Tahiti |
Pīra'e, Tahiti |
'Ārue, Tahiti |
'Ārue, Tahiti |
Nearing Papeete on approach to Tahiti's Faaa Airport |
Matavai Bay, Tahiti |
Tahiti, French Polynesia |
Tahiti, French Polynesia |
Tahiti, French Polynesia |
Tahiti, French Polynesia |
Suburban Papeete, north shore of Tahiti |
Suburban Papeete, north shore of Tahiti |
Pīra'e, Tahiti |
Ta'aone Hospital, Pīra'e, Tahiti |
Ta'aone Hospital, Pīra'e, Tahiti |
Taunoa, suburban Papeete |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Port of Papeete, Tahiti |
Port of Papeete, Tahiti |
Port of Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Papeete, Tahiti |
Final Approach runway 22, Faaa Airport, Tahiti |
Faaa Airport, Tahiti |
Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 (F-OJTN) at PPT |
Air Tahiti Nui A340-300 (F-OJTN) at PPT |
Faaa Airport, Tahiti |