The best way to capture Tahiti’s riot of colors may be with a paintbrush.

Professional artist Carol Duchamp has been leading Art Trek Tahiti for the past 20 years, a watercolor workshop where the islands themselves are the studios. Virtuosos and amateurs alike are welcome—the only prerequisite is a love for painting and Tahiti’s outdoors.

The majority of the ten-day trip is spent on Huahine, one of the Society Islands west of Tahiti, where you’ll stay at Te Tiare Beach, an Outrigger Resort. Duchamp leads classes in the morning, instructing participants in the “wet into wet” watercolor technique, in which colors are mixed on a pre-moistened canvas. This abstract style allows painters to capture the atmosphere and emotion of the island’s gardens, wildlife, and waterfront. Afternoons are free for one-on-one instruction or just relaxing on the resort’s grounds.

And while Duchamp has explored much of Tahiti (she discovered the islands some twenty years ago on a hiking expedition to the Marquesas), Huahine is her island of choice, for its serene setting and welcoming accommodations. “The [Te Tiare] staff mostly comes from the nearby village, and I’ve known them for years,” she says. “There’s something about the combination of comfort, beauty, and authenticity that gives such a spirit to the place.” Duchamp encourages each participant to produce 4-6 paintings, which are displayed at a reception attended by hotel staff.

Art Trek Tahiti takes place August 2-11. The $2,850 fee includes instruction, lodging, some meals, some excursions, and local transportation; international airfare not included. A “Christmas in Tahiti” package is also available, December 21-31. Call (888) 522-2652 or (415) 868-9558 for more details, e-mail: carol@arttreks.com.

To get to the pharmacy on Tahiti, just walk into the forest. The leaves, fruits, and seeds of the island’s vegetation keep powerful remedies within their tissues that the ancient Polynesians knew how to unlock. But even as the islands have assimilated into Western culture, the Tahitians have continued to use nature’s formulary, featuring such elixirs as monoi oil and tamanu oil.

One of the most popular fruits is the noni, a greenish-yellow, oversized-pine-cone-looking thing that Tahitian Noni International has turned into a tourist attraction and big business. While the Tahitians have been tapping into the knobby fruit’s restorative qualities for centuries, cleanse-happy Americans are just starting to discover the secrets to Noni International’s success. Noni boosts the immune system by destroying free radicals, the bad atoms in your cells. It’s most commonly taken as juice, although other products such as lip balm and candy chews deliver the payoff without having to stomach the juice’s strong (and some say unpleasant) taste. And it’s truly a patriotic enterprise for the Tahitians, with 1,000 families from 80 different islands sending their harvest to the main factory in Mataiea, on Tahiti’s south coast.

Travelers can now see what all the buzz is about by touring the factory. Available on Fridays by appointment only, a factory guide demonstrates how the different parts of the noni tree are used to produce a wide range of healing products. Plant products like noni are so important to the Tahitian economy that the islands are hosting the Fourth International Conference on Aromatic and Medicinal Plants in French Overseas Regions this July at the University of French Polynesia.

For more on Tahitian Noni International, call 011-689-80-37-50, or arrange the tour through your hotel.

The first great chief of Bora Bora, Firiamata O Vavau, had some unusual parents. According to Polynesian lore, he was born when a possessed volcanic boulder named Ofai Honu got frisky with Mount Pahia, one of the island’s tallest peaks. Such legends are the soul of Bora Bora, which stood as its own kingdom in the centuries before Europeans arrived.

Although the rocks may be less promiscuous these days, the stories live on with such locals as Patrick Tairua, whose father was the last chief of Bora Bora. Tairua owns his own business, Patrick’s Activities, in which he leads visitors on Jeep tours of the island’s hidden parts and spins fantastic tales of gods, warriors, and princesses. He takes you into the jungle to discover ancient archaeological sites called marae, stone structures that were used for sacred ceremonies. You’ll trek through centuries of history, with Tairua providing a constant stream of factoids and anecdotes gleaned from hours spent with the island’s two remaining haerepo, the elders who guard the island’s stories and secrets. On the tour, you’ll also see ammunition bunkers, barracks, and eight cannons left over from an American military base during World War II, where 5,000 troops were stationed. A museum dedicated to the base is under construction, slated to be finished in May 2007.

Nowadays, the stingrays are the most rambunctious residents of the island, but after a day spent with Tairua, you’ll know the real story of Bora Bora.

Most hotel activity desks can arrange tours with Patrick. His direct phone number is 011-689-67-69-94, e-mail: Patrick.bora@mail.pf

New InterContinental Resort in Bora Bora

Think Bora Bora’s luxury maxed out with the overwater bungalow? Try an entire resort of them, thanks to the new InterContinental Resort and Thalasso Spa Bora Bora. Eighty of the prized “huts on stilts” curl into Bora Bora’s azure lagoon—at more than 330 square feet apiece, there’s plenty of room to do cartwheels. Located on a motu (islet) east of the main island, the InterContinental faces the stunning peak of Mt. Otemanu and includes a wedding chapel, helicopter landing pad, tennis court, and, of course, a blindingly white-sand beach.

Ensconced in one of the world’s most pristine environments, the resort is intent on preserving the natural beauty through such features as ocean-powered air conditioning. The hotel pumps near-freezing water from great ocean depths to provide its air conditioning, saving more than 90% of the electrical power usually required for air conditioning. None other than the late Marlon Brando, who owned his own atoll near Tahiti, was the visionary behind the unorthodox method. Brando’s legacy will keep you cool while you unwind in spacious villas decorated with both modern-chic and Polynesian touches, such as kohu wood. And in the evenings, sidle up to one of the two bars to slake your thirst after a long day under the Tahitian sun.

For more on the InterContinental Resort & Thalasso Spa Bora Bora, see www.boraboraspa.interconti.com.

InterContinental Le Moana Reopens

Times are flying high for InterContinental Resorts on Bora Bora. On June 1, a month after the InterContinental Resort & Thalasso Spa Bora Bora opens, the InterContinental Le Moana Resort Bora Bora reopens its doors. Located on the southern tip of the main island of Bora Bora, Le Moana has undergone extensive renovations since being damaged by a storm swell last fall. The overwater bungalows, swimming pool, restaurant, and bar have all been renovated. Final construction of bungalows will continue through June; guests staying that month will be given a discount because of the construction noise.

For more information on the InterContinental Le Moana Resort Bora Bora, see www.lemoana.interconti.com.

Sofitel Marara Bora Bora Returns

The Sofitel Marara Bora Bora returned in grand style on May 4, reopening after a substantial renovation. In addition to refurbishment of all the bungalows, the resort has built an infinity pool, a spa, and new restaurants and bars, including a Japanese restaurant called Sakura Bora Bora. The reopening is occurring in a couple of stages; the process will be complete in July.

For more information on the Sofitel Marara Bora Bora, see www.sofitel.com.

For more recent industry news, see our Partner Update archive at:
http://tahiti-tourisme.com/partners/newslist.asp

Perfect Pearls, from $1,689

Heard of Tahiti’s Black Pearls? The little ebony orbs fetch a pretty penny on the market and make for a nice accoutrement to your evening ensemble. With Islands in the Sun’s new “Perfect Pearls” package, you’ll get your own black pearl pendant and stay for 5 nights at the Moorea Pearl Resort and Spa. While on Moorea, you can snorkel, explore jagged volcanic peaks, or just do a whole lot of nothing on the beach.

Package is 6 nights total and includes airfare from Los Angeles and all transfers. $1,689 per person, based on double occupancy, valid through December 26, 2006.

Tahiti/Huahine, from $2,126

If Tahiti is heaven, then Huahine is its Garden of Eden. The island’s lush greenery and sparkling lagoon lured the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue team to shoot part of the issue there last fall. Happy Vacations serves up 2 nights in Tahiti at the Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti and 5 nights at Te Tiare Beach, an Outrigger Resort on Huahine, including air from Los Angeles and all transfers. Trek to ancient restored marae, the sacred meeting sites of the native Tahitians, and seek out the blue eyed eels of Faie village, then relax back at the hotel.

$2,126 per person, based on double occupancy, valid through December 15, 2006.

For more promotional offers, see our website: www.Tahiti-Tourisme.com