Vahine Private Island Resort & Spa
At Vahine Private Island Resort & Spa, gastronomy, respect of nature’s rhythm, and the use of local, organic produce are showcased. All coconut preparations come from the coconut trees of the motu. Vanilla, fish, herbs, honey and most fruits and vegetables are equally locally sourced only from Taha’a and Raiatea. At Vahine Island, the team favors short circuits for your health, for taste and for the planet. At sunset, I learned about the Te Pari Distillery and its 6 types of rum, all produced from 6 different species of endemic sugar cane all organically grown.
The famous chef Valérie Costa-Bournazel, featured in the Michelin and Gault Millau guides for her restaurant in the South of France called La Promesse and nominated the 2015 Young Talent, presides at her oven and stove creating ravishing dishes blending French truffles, Taha’a vanilla and fish from the very lagoon of Taha’a!
Being completely epicurious, I also decided that I needed to fulfill my soul with a spiritual visit to the UNESCO protected, ceremonial site called “Marae Taputapuatea“. My local “poti marara” boat sped me across the lagoon shared between Taha’a and Raiatea. I didn’t realize how much the poignant splendor of this ancestral site would affect me! With my local guide Christian from Trucky Tours, I was plunged into authentic, ancestral traditions and filled with stories that will always accompany me.
