TOURIST TIME – Tahiti Edition

After living the life of a local (eating too many croissants – healthy ones of course – and pretending we understand French, the travel bug bit hard. So we decided it was time to explore more of this paradise and take a little road trip to the legendary Teahupo’o. Try saying that after two glasses of champagne… or even just one if you’re over 30.

Teahupo’o sits on a little tag-along island called Tahiti iti (yes, that’s Tahiti’s cuter, smaller sibling), and it’s famous for hosting the Olympic surfing competition last year—because apparently, death-defying waves make for great TV. You can take a boat to see the waves up close, but as someone who likes their limbs in their original position, I opted to observe from a safe and sensible 400 metres away. Even from there, those waves looked like they could swallow a small country.

BTW if you closely through the black olympic ring (this is an adult version of playschools round window) you can see the 3 metre waves breaking in the distance. No really you can!

Now, after a two-hour drive filled with stunning scenery and questionable playlists, we finally arrived in Teahupo’o… and, well – there was nothing there. Unless you’re a surfer or a big fan of Olympic memorabilia, there’s really only one thing to do: take a photo with the Olympic rings that sit proudly on the otherwise completely empty shoreline. (Note to self: Next time, stick with the obligatory Eiffel Tower photo. At least there you can get a crepe afterward.)

On the way back, we swung by Tuatira Beach, on the opposite side of Tahiti iti. Apparently, it’s an “Instagram hotspot,” which is code for “it’s pretty but there’s still no toilet.” We grabbed some pain au chocolat from a local supermarket (because one must snack like a champion), and this place actually lived up to the hype. Still no shops, no people, and no signal—but the kind of beauty that makes you want to drop everything and move into a beach hut. Five stars. Would recommend.

Last stop: Grottes de Mara’a. These roadside caves are kind of like Italy’s Blue Grotto… if the Blue Grotto was smaller, on a highway, and banned swimming. But hey—still cute, very lush, and a nice place to stop and pretend you’re in Jurassic Park.

And just like that, our mini tourist detour came to an end—fuelled by sugar, sunshine, and a mild fear of rogue waves. While Teahupo’o didn’t exactly blow our thongs off (that’s the type that are on our feet), it’s all part of the ride. Next up, we’re swapping beaches for mountains (or possibly just more beaches – we’re not ready to give up on coconut trees just yet).

Wherever the road takes us, it’s bound to be unexpected, unfiltered, and full of pain au chocolat – not clean living I hear you say!  Remember the sweat from all the exercise we are enduring here!  Stay tuned!