Words Hayley Shaw McGuinness. Photos courtesy KokohBikini
Holding onto a bucket on the back deck of a beautiful 62 ft catamaran straining my eyes to see the horizon in an attempt to steady my tummy from the 4 hours of rocking across the ocean…. this is not what a thought I was getting myself into when I signed up to a girls boat trip to Tahiti. After 18 hours at sea where almost everyone was sick captain included, I woke up in paradise. This was the only bad part of the trip and in a strange way one of the most memorable parts. We were all very close after these lengthy hours as salty sea dogs!
Dark rock formations hammered by powerful swells (like the one we encountered) misty jaggered volcano scarred peaks, pristine beaches shaded by coconut trees, vibrant reefs, electric blue water, tropical sunshine and you’re in Tahiti your in paradise…trust me on this one.
Tahiti is made up of 118 islands and atolls and is home to the most genuinely friendly people in the world, the Tahitians.
It always amazes me when I stay on a boat how quickly it feels like home and like a routine. Waking up sitting up pulling the blinds back to check the sunrise, bleary eyed to the top deck to check the surf, the smell of coffee and the smiles on your new friends faces when you all meet at the breakfast table with a view of heaven on earth.
This trip was like no other not only did we get to surf uncrowded reef breaks most days. However what made it exceptional was that Emma, from Tahiti Mana organized so many wonderful things for us to do in the afternoons. We did flower crown making classes with local ladies, learnt how to tie a pario so many different ways, had massages on the top deck of the boat, went to coconut oil making classes, wake surfing, paddling in a traditional “Va’a” canoe, swimming with the sharks and sting rays we were so lucky to have Emma with us as she has been to the Tahitian Islands 16 times and was our very own tour guide.
The trip came about as my friend Kendall who runs Kokoh Bikini was wanting to take a girls boat trip. After she lived in the Maldives last year as a surf guide she was realized that there are women who “surf” and women who SURF. She wanted girls who were not all hard core surfers to be able to be able to come too, so she needed somewhere that there were waves but also a strong feminine culture, a bit of luxury and also adventure. She looked into the Maldives and also East and West Indo but settled on Tahiti as it really did tick all of the boxes that Kendall had envisioned.
Kendall was stoked with the trip, “Low and behold, the very first day on the luxury yacht, we anchor at a hollow left hander with 4 locals guys out… I got the longest, deepest barrel of my life.” Kendall
The yacht itself was total luxury with comfortable beds and cabins, extensive selection of relaxing areas to choose from amazing and delicious food for breakfast, lunch and dinner and above and beyond service from our captain, 2nd mate and our wonderful hostess.
A magic moment for me was climbing up the mast of the boat when we were mored in Moorea and looking at the 360 degree view of the most stunning island, insanely clear water and watching my friends like little bikini ants jumping off the boat and generally loving life!
It was a trip of a lifetime and if you are ever given the opportunity to visit these amazing islands grab it with both hands as you will be captivated by this place and everything that it offers you!
x Hayles
