South Specific — Into Tahiti

Ritual hazing is common practice in hierarchical societies, as demonstrated in the grand traditions of the Russian army and your local high school football team. As the new kid on the blog, I can expect the mental humiliation and all-in-good-fun beatings intended to shatter my spirit in favor of the greater collective. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the good folks at Gadling have thrown me straight into the lion’s den that is modern-day Tahiti-a living hell of fruity drinks and mid-November suntans. Someone with a stopwatch has a thumb poised, just waiting for me to cry “blossom”, which is my safe word.

Let us recall that Tahiti represents the figurative tipping point of the H.M.S. Bounty (as in “m-u-t-i-n-y”)-as in, the ship of bright young traveling men who sailed to the ends of the earth on assignment, came upon these fair isles, dropped everything, quickly forgot their duty to God, Queen and Country, took unto themselves Tahitian wives, and went severely A.W.O.L. Two days in Tahiti and I’m totally sympathetic.

Until the mutiny gets official approval, I’ll be right here, blogging the best of the islands with all the sweaty moves of a Polynesian dancer. Stay tuned for good times as we dart across the South Pacific and end up in the farthest corner of the EU, which this technically still is.

The Brando eco-friendly beach resort to open in 2011

Did you know that Marlon Brando owned (and now his estate owns) an entire French Polynesian atoll 35 miles from Tahiti? Did you also know that Brando dreamed of creating an eco-friendly resort on the atoll? Well both are true, and by 2011 Brando’s dream will be a reality, thanks to Richard Bailey, CEO of Tahiti Beachcomber.

Bailey was a longtime friend of Brando’s and had been working with him on the project before Brando’s death in 2004. Bailey owns four InterContinental resorts in Tahiti and will use some of the same sustainable technology used at those resorts to make sure The Brando has as little impact on the surrounding environment as possible. One technology will use a pipe to bring cold water up from the depths of the sea and use it to provide cool air to the rooms – a practice that will have zero environmental impact.

The resort, which will be the only one on the 13-island chain of Tetiaroa that Brando bought in 1965, will feature 47 luxury villas, each with its own plunge pool, plus a spa, fitness center, and a resort pool. Activities at the resort will include snorkeling, scuba diving, and exploring the nearby islands and Tahitian culture. No word on how much a stay at the luxury eco-resort will cost, but no one ever said saving the environment didn’t come with a price.

[via ShermansTravel]

Photo of the Day (7.18.09)


If you’re traveling to Easter Island, then your visit is surely incomplete if you aren’t able to see the Moai statues with your own two eyes. These statues can be found along the coastal periphery of this special island, which is nestled conveniently between the nations of Tahiti and Chile. You can only get to the island through one of these two places too — or by boat. But what a special place and what a sight this land and these statues must be.

Did I mention the surfing here is off the chain too? Sounds like an amazingly remote paradise to me!

This photo comes to us from kjRoc. If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

Good news for a lucky bride at 30 Rock

If you think you can write about true love — your own, specifically — you have a shot at a honeymoon suite high above Manhattan. Brides magazine is looking to make a lucky couple even luckier, with the winners nabbing a night at the Top of the Rock. In 150 words or less, the mere length of a Gadling blog post, all you have to do is rattle off what makes you and your husband special.

A luxurious night in this rare destination not enough for you? Yeah, I figured. So did the folks over at Brides. Greed is rewarded with a trip to the Four Seasons Bora Bora in Tahiti. On a rate-per-word basis, you’ll never find a gig that pays like this!

Compete for the Brides Mile-High Honeymoon Suite, and take a look at what you could win!