If you ever go to Rangiroa, that means you love diving or fishing (or beautiful beaches)! The island with a huge lagoon in the middle lives in a slow rhythm. We stayed at a guesthouse/camping called Rangiroa Beach. We wake up, go diving, come back home, have a small siesta, eat fish, go to sleep. And next morning, everything again from the beginning.
Getting Our PADI Certificates
We finally validated our PADI certificates and were diving every day. The underwater world is impressive here — especially the Tiputa Pass, a famous spot. It's no surprise that French Polynesia's diving spots are known around the world.
We had an amazing opportunity to dive up to 29 meters deep, play with dolphins, and swim with sharks (apparently not all sharks are interested in eating people). And we don't even need to mention the incredible diversity of fish and corals.
We're not making publicity, but the Rangiroa Diving Center is great! The guys are amazing at their job and you feel like part of a family. Big thank you again to Arnaud and Jean Louis!
The Fishing Adventures
William tried fishing too! One morning he left with our neighbor fishermen at 4 o'clock and came back with a huge red tuna of 60kg. Huge thanks to this fisherman for the sharing experience!
The Swordfish was even bigger — 170kg! Watching the local fishermen work is always impressive.
A Michelin-Star Dinner Under the Stars
We also met Gwen, a stubborn chef from Brittany who had been working as a cook at Lucky House restaurant in Bora Bora. He happened to place his hammock near our tent. So we had amazing million-Michelin-star dinners every evening!
A local traditional meal is raw red tuna with coconut milk sauce. I wish everyone could try it!
Hitchhiking Record
And something we could not believe before — we hit our hitchhiking record. We managed to stop a passing car when there were five of us. Imagine: four not-so-little guys and one girl, walking along an unlit road in the late evening. I would NEVER EVER stop my car. But there we were — in the car of an amazing lady who was driving from church with her kid. Fifty more points for Polynesian hospitality!
In this slow rhythm, we're finishing our stay in Rangiroa (we loved this place). This afternoon we're leaving for Fakarava, which is also famous for its diving spots. Apparently, we should see a wall of sharks there!
January 6–10, 2018