Day 2: Upwind to Huahine, the Wild Island

After a leisurely breakfast aboard, your crew points the bow east-northeast for the passage to Huahine—about twenty-five nautical miles directly into the prevailing southeasterly trades. It's the one serious upwind leg of the trip, and we do it early to set the stage for the easier downwind rhythm that defines the days ahead. The sail itself is beautiful, with Raiatea and Taha'a receding astern and Huahine's twin peaks growing on the horizon.

Huahine is often called the wild island, and the label fits. Where Bora Bora is polished and Instagram-ready, Huahine is quieter, greener, and more authentically Polynesian. Your captain will clear the pass and drop anchor in Fare Bay, a short tender ride from Fare village—a handful of low-slung shops, a boulangerie, a few waterfront roulottes for casual lunch, and the slow pace of an island that never really adopted mass tourism.

In the afternoon, the tender takes you across the bay to Faie, home of the sacred blue-eyed eels. These massive freshwater eels live in a shallow stream at the edge of the village and have been considered sacred for generations. You can feed them sardines from the bridge—locals sell them for a few francs—and watch them surface with startling, electric-blue eyes. Back aboard, cocktails on deck, a chef-prepared dinner, and a night in one of the quietest anchorages in the Societies.

Highlights of Day 2:

• Upwind passage to Huahine with Raiatea–Taha'a receding behind you.
• Anchor in Fare Bay, a short tender ride from Fare village.
• Visit the sacred blue-eyed eels at Faie.
• Quiet chef-prepared dinner at anchor with the stars out.

Day 3: Maeva Marae and a Long Afternoon at Avea Bay

Start the morning with a short tender ride to the ancient village of Maeva on Huahine's north shore—one of the most important archaeological sites in French Polynesia. More than two dozen stone marae (sacred platforms) line the shore and climb the hillside behind the village, along with the remnants of a pre-European fish trap system that's still partially in use today. A local guide can walk you through the history, and the setting alone—banyan trees, basalt stones, the lagoon behind you—is worth the stop.

After lunch aboard, your crew will sail you down Huahine's west coast to Avea Bay on the southern tip of the island. This is one of the most beautiful anchorages in the Societies—a wide, calm crescent with a white-sand bottom, excellent snorkeling along the reef edge, and almost no one else there. Break out the paddleboards, take the tender in to Chez Tara for a drink on the beach, or simply float.

As the afternoon softens, the captain will repoint the bow for tomorrow's downwind passage. Tonight's dinner is a slow, three-course affair on deck, and the anchorage is quiet enough that you'll hear the reef breathing across the bay.

Highlights of Day 3:

• Morning visit to the Maeva marae complex, one of the richest archaeological sites in Polynesia.
• Afternoon sail down Huahine's west coast to Avea Bay.
• Paddleboarding, snorkeling, or an optional beach drink at Chez Tara.
• Three-course chef-prepared dinner at a quiet anchorage.

Day 4: Downwind Reach Back to Taha'a

Today is sailing day. With the trades on your quarter, your captain will set a downwind course roughly thirty nautical miles back across open water to Taha'a, the vanilla island. Unlike the upwind beat to Huahine, this is the kind of passage that writes postcards—fast, steady, and easy enough that you can lie on the foredeck with a book and a cold drink.

Your crew will clear the Toahotu Pass on Taha'a's east side and drop anchor near Motu Mahea, a tiny palm-covered islet perched on the edge of the barrier reef. The snorkeling here is excellent—vibrant coral, reef fish in every color, and the calm water of the inside lagoon. Spend the afternoon in and out of the water, or take the tender ashore to walk the motu.

Dinner aboard tonight, often with fresh-grilled mahi-mahi and a generous pour of something white and chilled. The anchorage is exposed enough that you'll feel the trade wind on deck, but the reef knocks down the swell—ideal conditions for a night under stars.

Highlights of Day 4:

• Fast downwind passage from Huahine back to Taha'a.
• Anchor at Motu Mahea for reef snorkeling and a motu walk.
• Chef-prepared dinner with grilled local fish.
• Night at anchor on Taha'a's east side with the trade wind on deck.

Day 5: Coral Garden, Vanilla, and Black Pearls on Taha'a

This is the signature Taha'a day, and it deserves the full treatment. Your crew will move the yacht around to the northwest corner of the island, anchoring near Motu Tau Tau for the Coral Garden drift snorkel—arguably the single best in-water experience anywhere in the Societies. You drop into a shallow channel between two motus, let the current carry you over a field of branching coral teeming with tropical fish, and finish on a white-sand beach at the other end. Thirty minutes of pure unplanned magic.

After the drift, the tender will take you to one of Taha'a's vanilla plantations. French Polynesia produces some of the best vanilla in the world, and walking through the orchids—hand-pollinated, one flower at a time—is the kind of quiet, tactile experience the island does well. Most plantations sell fresh beans and extract by the gram; buy the good stuff while you're here.

In the afternoon, your captain will move the yacht into Haamene Bay, one of the longest and deepest inlets in the Societies. A short tender ride up the bay reaches a black pearl farm, where a quick tour explains the two-year grafting process and ends in a showroom where you can buy loose pearls straight from the oyster. Back aboard, sundowners on deck, another chef-prepared dinner, and a night in water so glassy you can see the reef below.

Highlights of Day 5:

• Coral Garden drift snorkel at Motu Tau Tau—the Societies' single best snorkel.
• Vanilla plantation tour and tasting.
• Black pearl farm visit on Haamene Bay.
• Sundowners and dinner at one of the calmest anchorages in the Societies.

Day 6: Short Downwind Hop to Bora Bora

After breakfast, your crew will clear the Papai Pass on Taha'a's west side and set a downwind course for Bora Bora—only about fifteen nautical miles, but it's fifteen of the most scenic miles of sailing anywhere in the Pacific. Mount Otemanu grows steadily on the horizon until it fills the sky in front of you, a basalt tower so distinctive it's been the backdrop of a thousand honeymoon photos for a reason.

Your captain will bring the yacht through the Teavanui Pass—the only navigable entrance to Bora Bora's lagoon, and one of the great sailing gateways in the world. Anchor at Motu Topua, just across the lagoon from the main village of Vaitape, with Otemanu rising directly behind the yacht. Spend the afternoon in the water, on a paddleboard, or simply sitting on the aft deck with the mountain in the windscreen.

Tonight, the tender takes you ashore to Bloody Mary's—the island's most famous restaurant, sand floors, open-air dining room, the day's catch laid out on ice at the entrance. It's touristy in the best possible way, and worth the visit at least once. Back aboard late, a nightcap on deck, and the lights of the overwater bungalows shimmering across the lagoon.

Highlights of Day 6:

• Downwind sail from Taha'a's Papai Pass into Bora Bora via the Teavanui Pass.
• Anchor at Motu Topua directly under Mount Otemanu.
• Dinner ashore at Bloody Mary's.
• Nightcap on deck with the lagoon lit up around you.

Day 7: Anau Mantas and Matira Beach

Start the day early with a short motor to Anau Point on Bora Bora's east side, one of the most reliable manta ray cleaning stations in the lagoon. The rays—often two-meter wingspans, sometimes bigger—hover in shallow water while cleaner wrasses work over their skin. Slip into the water quietly, keep your distance, and let them come to you. A good morning here is the kind of encounter you'll talk about for years.

After lunch aboard, the captain circles the yacht down to the southern end of the island and anchors off Matira Beach, the only public beach on Bora Bora and consistently ranked among the most beautiful in the world. The water is shallow for a long way out, easy to wade, and the light in the late afternoon is exactly what the photographs suggest. Take the tender in for a long walk on the sand or stay aboard and float.

As the sun sets behind Otemanu, sundowners on the aft deck. Your chef will have been to the Vaitape market earlier in the day for fresh poisson cru—raw tuna marinated in coconut milk and lime, the signature dish of French Polynesia—and tonight's dinner leans into the island's flavors.

Highlights of Day 7:

• Early-morning snorkel with manta rays at Anau Point.
• Afternoon at Matira Beach, Bora Bora's only public beach.
• Sundowners on deck with Mount Otemanu behind you.
• Chef-prepared dinner featuring fresh poisson cru.

Day 8: Maupiti—Weather Permitting

Today is the weather-check day, and your captain makes the call at first light. Maupiti is the quiet jewel of the Leewards—a smaller, unrushed version of Bora Bora with no resorts, no overwater bungalows, and an absolute ring of white-sand motus around a turquoise lagoon. The catch is the Onoiau Pass on the south side, the only way in or out. It's narrow, shallow in spots, and completely exposed to southerly swell. In calm conditions with slack water and good overhead light, it's straightforward. In anything else, it's a no-go.

If the captain calls a go, you'll make the twenty-eight-mile downwind run west from Bora Bora in the morning, clear the pass at slack, and spend the afternoon in one of the most beautiful anchorages in French Polynesia. Options on the island include a short, steep hike to the summit of Mount Teurafaatiu for a panoramic view that genuinely rivals anything in the Pacific, a bicycle ride around the coastal road, and a quiet afternoon in the village of Vaiea.

If the captain calls a no-go, you stay in Bora Bora and make the most of a second day on the island. The fallback is a visit to the Lagoonarium—a protected section of reef where you can snorkel with reef sharks, sting rays, and sea turtles in shallow water—followed by a motu picnic on one of the outer islets. Either way, the day is a highlight; we just let the weather decide which highlight you get.

Highlights of Day 8 (if Maupiti is a go):

• Downwind passage to Maupiti and Onoiau Pass entry at slack water.
• Hike to the top of Mount Teurafaatiu for the view of the trip.
• Quiet afternoon in Vaiea village, far from the tourist track.

Highlights of Day 8 (if the pass is a no-go):

• Snorkel with reef sharks and rays at the Bora Bora Lagoonarium.
• Motu picnic on one of the outer islets.
• Second full day to slow down on Bora Bora.

Day 9: Bora Bora—Lagoon, Yacht Club, Farewell

If yesterday was Maupiti, today is the return—an easy upwind leg back through the Teavanui Pass and into the Bora Bora lagoon by mid-afternoon. If yesterday was the Lagoonarium, today picks up whatever you didn't get to: a long paddleboard session across the lagoon, a drift snorkel along the inside of the barrier reef, or a slow afternoon on one of the motus with a picnic.

By late afternoon, the yacht will be moored at the Bora Bora Yacht Club for your last night on the island. The club is relaxed, unpretentious, and has a long history with visiting cruisers—a good place to have a drink at the bar, watch the sun drop behind Otemanu, and trade stories with the captains of the other yachts in the anchorage.

Tonight's dinner is aboard, a three-course farewell prepared by your chef, and something worth lingering over. The lights of the lagoon, the silhouette of the mountain, and the knowledge that tomorrow is the long run home make this the kind of night that earns the word "unforgettable."

Highlights of Day 9:

• Slow morning on whichever side of the Maupiti call you landed on.
• Paddleboard or drift snorkel inside the Bora Bora lagoon.
• Sunset drinks at the Bora Bora Yacht Club.
• Farewell chef-prepared dinner aboard under Mount Otemanu.

Day 10: Return to Raiatea via Motu MiriMiri

Your last full day begins with an early breakfast and the passage back from Bora Bora to Raiatea—about twenty-five nautical miles on a close reach, manageable in the typical trade, and with Taha'a to the north as a visual marker the whole way. Your captain will time the approach to clear the Rautoanui Pass into the shared Raiatea–Taha'a lagoon by midday.

The rest of the day is yours. A strong option is the Faaroa River—the only navigable river in French Polynesia—a slow dinghy or kayak trip up a jungle-lined waterway that cuts into the center of Raiatea. It's quiet, cool under the canopy, and unlike anything else on the trip. Serious history buffs should make time for Marae Taputapuatea, the UNESCO World Heritage site on the east coast that served as the spiritual and political center of Polynesia for a thousand years.

For the final night, your crew will anchor at Motu MiriMiri, a small islet on the south side of the lagoon with exceptional snorkeling and the best sunset view on Raiatea. One last swim, one last sundowner, one last chef-prepared dinner aboard, and the sound of the reef closing out the trip.

Highlights of Day 10:

• Close-reach passage from Bora Bora back to Raiatea.
• Dinghy or kayak trip up the Faaroa River, the only navigable river in French Polynesia.
• Optional visit to Marae Taputapuatea, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Final sunset, snorkel, and dinner at Motu MiriMiri.

Day 11: Farewell to Paradise

Enjoy a final slow breakfast aboard, a last swim if you're up for it, and a short sail back to Marina Apooiti for your mid-morning departure. Your crew will handle every logistic—transfer to Raiatea Airport, onward flights to Papeete, a last photo with the yacht in the background. Step off with saltwater in your hair and the sort of memories that tend to pull people back.