Aranui III Celebrates 10 Years Sailing Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia; 14-Day Journey Starts at $2346

Aranui III celebrates 10 years sailing through remote Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia (photo credit – Danee Hazama & Julien Avrial)

The new year marks the 10th anniversary of the Aranui III (www.Aranui.com) plying the waters of exotic French Polynesia with an itinerary that includes Tahiti and the remote Marquesas and Tuamotu Islands. The Aranui III is a well-appointed passenger-cargo vessel that offers 17 departures of the two-week cruise with rates starting at $2,346 per person, based on double occupancy.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary, the Aranui III will change the itinerary of its March 16 sailing by combining visits to Puamau and Atuona on Hiva-Oa to one day on March 21 and adding a stop in Bora Bora on March 28. In Puamau, travelers will visit an archeological site followed by lunch and a visit of Paul Gauguin’s grave and the village in Atuona. The visit to Bora Bora includes a picnic on the white sand beach of Motu, a private island, highlighted by roasted pig, shellfish curry and pumpkin pie, snorkeling and swimming with the sting rays.

The Aranui III departs from the Tahitian city of Papeete on a regularly scheduled 14-day journey.

Travelers can take advantage of a special 10% discount offered on select sailings throughout the year including a “Spring Discount” for the Feb. 23 sailing, a “Promotional Discount” for the April 6 itinerary, a “Pre-Summer Discount” for the June 8 sailing and a “Senior Special” for the Aug. 31 itinerary.

Travelers will board the Aranui III for a “Freighter to Paradise” complete vacation experience through 800 miles of the most spectacular and remote islands in exotic French Polynesia including Tahiti, the Tuamotu Islands and Marquesas Islands.

Travelers booking a stay aboard the Aranui III can choose from four different cabin categories – Suite, Deluxe, Standard and Class C – each providing different room configurations.

The Suites are large outside cabins (some with a balcony) featuring a queen-size bed, refrigerator and private bathroom facilities with a bathtub. Rates for a suite start at $5,331 per person.

The Deluxe rooms are large outside cabins designed with a queen-size bed, refrigerator and private bathroom facilities with a bathtub. Rates for the deluxe option start at $4,879 per person.

The Standard rooms are outside cabins with two lower berths and private bathroom facilities. Prices for the standard room start $4,018 per person.

The Class C option is described as a dormitory style room with upper and lower berths, air conditioning but without private bathroom facilities. Prices start at $2,346 per person.

All rates quoted are per person and do not include port tax, cruise tax and tourism tax, which may total up to $350 depending on stateroom category, as well as a fuel surcharge of $100 per person.

The cruise includes three meals with complimentary wine daily, guided excursions outlined in the itinerary, picnic and meals on shore. Optional excursions such as scuba diving and fishing are additional.

For more information or to book an Aranui III vacation, call 800-972-7268 or visit http://www.aranui.com.

 

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Air Tahiti Nui Offers Low Prices on Value-Season Getaways to Tahiti

Five-night packages, including round-trip airfare, start at $1949 per person, a savings of up to $280 per person for visits to the islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Huahine

Fall and winter are perfect times for value-seekers to ditch their overcoats for bikinis and escape to Tahiti. Award-winning Air Tahiti Nui, which flies daily non-stop to Tahiti from Los Angeles in just eight hours, is offering three super-value five-night vacation packages that include round-trip airfare, accommodations and some meals in first-class and deluxe hotels.

Fall and winter are perfect times for value-seekers to ditch their overcoats for bikinis and escape to Tahiti. Award-winning Air Tahiti Nui, which flies daily non-stop to Tahiti from Los Angeles in just eight hours, is offering three super-value five-night vacation packages that include round-trip airfare, accommodations and some meals in first-class and deluxe hotels on Moorea, the “magical island,” Bora Bora, the “romantic island,” and Huahine, the “Garden of Eden island.”

Air Tahiti Nui’s five-night value-season packages start at just $1949 per person, double occupancy, and represent savings of up to $280 per person. Vacations must be booked by October 31, 2012, for travel from November 1 to December 14, 2012 and January 7 to March 31, 2013. Phone 800-217-3300 to speak with a Tour Specialist and make reservations, or go to Air Tahiti Nuui.

Magical Moorea with Tahiti!

Five nights on two islands, from $1949* per person

Includes:

• Round-trip i airfare from Los Angeles to Papeete on Air Tahiti Nui
• One night in Tahiti at the InterContinental Hotel Resort Tahiti in a Standard Room
• Round-trip ferry transfers to Moorea
• Four nights in Moorea at the InterContinental Hotel Resort Moorea in a Lanai Room
• Daily breakfast for two
• Welcome flower lei, all transfers and all taxes

Hidden Paradise — Huahine with Tahiti

Discover Huahine, Tahiti’s “Garden of Eden” island, from $2299* including breakfast & dinner

Includes:

• Round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Papeete on Air Tahiti Nui
• One night in Tahiti at the InterContinental Hotel Resort Tahiti in a Standard Room
• Inter-island round-trip airfare Tahiti to Huahine on Air Tahiti
• Four nights in Huahine at the Maitai LaPita Village Huahine in a Premium Lake Bungalow
• Daily Breakfast & Dinner at the Maitai LaPita Village Huahine
• Welcome flower lei, all transfers and all taxes

Breathtaking Bora Bora + Tahiti

Five nights in Tahiti & Bora Bora with a choice of hotels, from $2739*

Includes:

• Round-trip international airfare from Los Angeles to Papeete on Air Tahiti Nui
• One night in Tahiti at the Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti in a deluxe oceanview room with Parisian Breakfast
• Inter-island round-trip airfare Tahiti to Bora Bora on Air Tahiti
• Four nights at the Sofitel Bora Bora Marara Beach Resort in a Luxury Overwater Bungalow with buffet breakfast daily
• Welcome flower lei, all transfers and all taxes

Includes:

• Round-trip international airfare from Los Angeles to Papeete on Air Tahiti Nui
• One night in Tahiti at the Manava Tahiti Resort with Continental Breakfast
• Inter-island round-trip airfare Tahiti to Bora Bora on Air Tahiti
• Four nights Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa in a Lagoon View Suite with Daily breakfast
• Welcome flower lei, all transfers and all taxes

To book by phone, call: 800 217 3300.

 Air Tahiti Nui links the South Pacific with four continents as the leading carrier to French Polynesia, with daily non-stop service to Tahiti from Los Angeles, and is one of only two airlines to offer a selection of non-stop flights connecting Los Angeles and Paris. Air Tahiti Nui has been named one of the “World’s Best” international airlines by Travel +Leisure in 2011, 2010 and 2008. The airline has headquarters in Papeete and operates from Faa’a International Airport on the island of Tahiti. Air Tahiti Nui was founded in 1996 and commenced flight operations in 1998. By 2013, a full cabin upgrade, while lowering fuel usage and surcharges, is set to enter service. www.airtahitinui.com

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Aranui III Offers Early Booking Discounts for First Four Sailings of 2013

Fatu Hiva is regarded as one of the most picturesque islands in the Marquesas (photo credit: Alain Marcouli)

The Aranui III “Freighter to Paradise” has released dates for its first four departures for 2013 – Jan. 12, Feb. 2, Feb. 23 and March 16, and offering travelers who book this exotic one of a kind journey through the French Polynesian Marquesas Islands by Dec. 31, 2011 a 10% discount on the published cruise fare (excluding taxes) for suites, deluxe and standard cabins.

The well-appointed passenger-cargo vessel provides a complete vacation experience following in the footsteps of famous figures such as Treasure Island-author Robert Louis Stevenson. Guests journey through 800 miles of the most spectacular and remote islands in exotic French Polynesia including Tahiti, the Tuamotu Islands and Marquesas Islands.

Highlights include Nuka Hiva, where 23-year-old Herman Melville jumped a whaling ship for an adventure which ultimately inspired highly regarded literary works such as Typee and Moby Dick, and Hiva Oa, where artist Paul Gauguin’s search for an unspoiled paradise came to an end. The ship also visits the Marquesan islands of Tahuata, Ua Pou, Ua Huka and Fatu Hiva, as well as Fakarava and Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Islands.

Prices start at $3,827 per person, based on double occupancy, for a standard cabin. Suites start at 4,982 per person. Rates do not include port tax, cruise tax and tourism tax, which may total up to $350 depending on stateroom category, and an $80 fuel surcharge. Rates are based on 2012 pricing and are subject to change at any time.

The cruise includes three meals with complimentary wine daily, guided excursions outlined in the itinerary, picnic and meals on shore. Optional excursions such as scuba diving, horseback riding, fishing and helicopter tours are additional.

Aranui III

The Aranui III is a mixed passenger-cargo vessel operating between Tahiti and the Marquesas, offering comfortable, air-conditioned accommodations for about two hundred passengers. The ship features 63 tastefully designed standard cabins, nine deluxe staterooms and 14 elegantly appointed private balcony suites.

Featuring a crew primarily composed of local inhabitants from French Polynesia and the Marquesas Islands, the Aranui III combines world class hospitality with top-notch amenities and mesmerizing scenery for an unforgettable sailing experience.

The cruise departs from the Tahitian island of Papeete, visiting the seldomly explored lush, tropical islands of Tahuata, Nuku Hiva, Ua Pou, Hiva Oa, Ua Huka and Fatu Hiva, as well as Fakarava and Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Islands, before returning to Papeete.

The on-shore experiences include awe-inspiring hikes past majestic waterfalls and translucent lagoons, jungle ruins and sacred ritual sites with enigmatic petroglyphs, and encounters with local artisans.

For more information, contact Aranui at 800-972-7268 or visit www.aranui.com.

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Mabul Island in Sabah, Malaysia, Named One of the World’s ‘Best Secret Islands’

Travel + Leisure searched the world to compile a list of the Best Secret Islands. Mabul Island in Sabah was featured as one of the best islands in the world with that is not teeming with fish instead of tourists. The travel magazine stated, “Diving enthusiasts should opt instead for the secret island of Mabul, off the northeastern coast of Malaysia, where the marine life is on a par with the Galapagos.” The magazine adds, “Even better, the native sea moths, bobtail squids, and elusive paintpot cuttlefish are some of the only inhabitants.”

Diving is a year round activity on this island, with more than eight popular dive sites. It takes approximately 15 minutes or less to reach any of the Mabul dive sites by boat. Most of the diving in Mabul is very shallow with depths from 10 – 60 feet. Marine life that can be seen include fire gobies, crocodile fish, pipefish, cuttlefish, snake eels, sea horses, exotic starfish, and much more.

Mabul Island is reputed to be one of the best destinations for underwater macro-photography in the world. Located in the clear waters of the Celebes Sea off the mainland of Sabah, it is surrounded by gentle sloping reefs. It is considerably larger than the nearby world-renowned Sipadan Island, covering approximately 51 acres
(21 hectares).

Three resorts cater to scuba divers; two are on the island itself while one is on a converted oil rig platform about 1,600 feet offshore. All of the resorts provide day trips for their guests to the nearby Sipadan and Kapalai Islands.

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