KEY POINTS:
I'm lolling in a lagoon, colourful cocktail in hand while listening to the sounds of a ukulele and rustling palm fronds.
Beside me, at her floating bar, Evelyn is opening freshly gathered baby clams, adding a squeeze of lime juice and passing them around. On the sandy beach behind me, under the shade of coconut palms, is my beach mat and cushion, which were laid out for me when I arrived.
This is luxury Tahitian cruising, Haumana style.
Haumana, meaning "spirit of peace", is a 36m catamaran based at Rangiroa, in the Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia. The boutique motor-cruiser, with only 12 cabins, carries a maximum of 24 guests, though there are only 12 of us on this trip. Unlike larger ships that cruise all around Tahiti, the Haumana remains within this secluded atoll.
Rangiroa (rung-ee-roh-ah) is the largest atoll in French Polynesia and the second largest in the world. A 200km string of islets, it encompasses an enormous lagoon that's 75km long and 25km wide. With only a handful of other small craft, mostly congregated around the two navigable channels, it feels like we have the lagoon to ourselves.
Most passage-making is undertaken at night, which allows more time for daily adventures, including visits to remote communities and stunning geographical formations, snorkelling on pristine reefs and picnics on uninhabited motu.
Although this is a luxury cruise, the onboard atmosphere is relaxed. Fragrant tiare flowers, vases of shells and woven palm fronds add a Polynesian touch to the casual, contemporary decor. En suite cabins are a good size, with queen beds and a small sofa, though I prefer to relax on the upper deck in the sunshine and breeze.
The local staff offer genuine Polynesian hospitality, but are discreet and unobtrusive. They share their love of music and dance each evening during pre-dinner entertainment and happily offer insights into Tahitian culture.
While we don't have to dress up for dinner, the food is worthy of a fine dining restaurant and wine is included. Fresh local produce is presented with Parisian flair by the French-Tahitian chef. There's an emphasis on seafood, but there are a variety of alternatives on the daily changing menu.
We're on the four-night Pink Sands Cruise and arrive at Rangiroa airport late morning. After a welcome lunch onboard, we spend the afternoon snorkelling the Aquarium, a coral garden just inside one of the two main channels, which is teeming with tiny fish and a few larger reef sharks.
In the early evening we explore the village of Tiputa - the administrative centre of the region, with about 1000 residents, but retaining its sleepy village atmosphere.
Before dinner we're briefed on the following day's activities and shown our overnight route.
While cruising at night has its advantages, there are disadvantages too. If you're a light sleeper like me, you'll probably be woken by the anchor being raised or the motor throbbing into life, though I drift back to sleep easily enough.
During the first night, we travel to the eastern-most point of the lagoon and our first excursion is to Shells Islet. Covered in palms, this isolated stretch of sand is home to a single family that makes a living by collecting pupu, tiny shells buried 3-4m below the ground. A dirty grey when collected, the shells turn a translucent orange when washed and are sold all over Tahiti for necklaces.
We visit Pink Sand Islet, a sandbar tinged with fine particles of ground coral, where, despite the overcast sky, the floating bar makes its first appearance. For entertainment, Yves-Michel attracts a frenzy of reef sharks in the shallows with fish caught on our morning snorkel.
A trip to Birds Islet, a natural sanctuary, brings us up close and personal with hundreds of fledgling boobies, waiting patiently in outgrown nests for parents to return with their daily rations.
Evening moonlight lays a path from the Haumana to a tiny motu, where tables and chairs are set up on the sand against a backdrop of silhouetted palms. Dinner is to be under the stars, but sadly rain is heading our way, so we dine on the top deck instead.
However, we lunch on the beach at Otepipi next day, savouring a feast of barbecued crayfish and the local speciality, poisson cru, raw fish marinated in coconut milk and lime juice. After fossicking on the outer reef, we visit Otepipi's abandoned church, which is now only used a few times each year.
At Mauahatea we brave a saltwater spa, created by waves surging through the remains of a fossilised coral reef that creates an eerie landscape of sharp rock pinnacles.
Here, at Motu Fara, I've snorkelled the crystal-clear water above coral bommies littered with giant clams and worked off some calories kayaking around the islet.
I reward myself with a cocktail and offer a toast to luxury boutique cruising and Tahiti - an intoxicating combination.
Briar Jensen travelled as a guest of Tahiti Tourisme, Unique Tourism Collection and Air Tahiti Nui.
GETTING THERE: Air Tahiti Nui operates two weekly non-stop flights from Auckland to Papeete, departing each Monday and Friday afternoon, crossing the international dateline and arriving the previous evening. Flights take approximately five hours. You will need to stay overnight in Papeete. There are regular flights to Rangiroa. Visit www.airtahitinui.co.nz.
CRUISING: Haumana offers three cruise options: four-night Pink Sand Cruise, three-night Blue Lagoon Cruise and seven-night Rainbow Cruise. See www.tahiti-haumana-cruises.com.
PACKAGE: Flight Centre has a five-night package including return international and domestic flights, airport transfers, three-night Blue Lagoon Haumana Cruise and two night's stay at Hotel Le Mandarin before and after the cruise, from $6149 per person, twin share, for sales until September 30. Call Flight Centre on 0800 35 44 48.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Visit www.tahiti-tourisme.co.nz.
