Warmth and sharing « Ia Ora Na » « Maeva » and « Manava » are the first three words you hear when you arrive in Polynesia, where the welcome is deemed to be one of the warmest in the world. Welcoming the visitors is a part of the Polynesian traditions and begins when you…

Heiva Tu’aro Ma’ohi Every year, the Heiva Polynésian festival holds a traditional sports contest. This event gathers numerous Polynesian athletes. For the 131st Heiva, the sport of Polynesian javelin throwing is one of the main events. This traditional sport uses good accuracy and agility. It is referred to as the patia fa in the Maori…

The turtle sanctuary The unique turtle protection center of French Polynesia is located in the private lagoon of Le Méridien Bora Bora resort. It is sometimes called the “sanctuary” by its administrators.  Its story began in year 2000 when a guest of the hotel found and brought an injured turtle to the resort reception desk. The…

The power of words The orero is a person that symbolized the guardian of Polynesian culture. A person of real importance in the ancient Polynesian society, he was considered the cultural messenger of the people. He conveyed the ancestral knowledge from island to island and from generation to generation. The orero related various topics that…

A race with the wind in its sails The Tahiti Pearl Regatta is an ocean race open to any sailing ship without size limitation (monohull, catamaran, trimaran etc). This regatta takes place in the Leeward Islands. This is the most important regatta organized in the Pacific Islands region.  The race lasts 4 days from 07th…

A blazing choreography The dance of fire is practiced by many civilizations around the world. This is a rite deeply embedded in the Polynesian culture. In the past, the fire dance was executed by adepts as messages addressed to divinities – a request or thanks. According to other ancient ma’ohi beliefs, the fire dance also…