Tahiti Treats

Spa treatments, encounters with sharks, friendly locals and a crash course on pearls help one writer tap into the power of mana, the spirit of French Polynesia.

BY CHRIS RYALL

Vai, my Tahitian massage therapist, slides her oilcovered hands over my body, kneading and releasing the web of knots I have from head to toe. As I lay motionless on the massage table in the middle of a mangrove forest, I hear the faint, distant sound of waves rolling into shore. This idyllic setting allows me to fully embrace the concept and power of mana, the life force and spirit of Tahiti.

Mention Tahiti to anyone and they immediately think of honeymooners, luxurious over-the-water bungalows, crystal clear azure waters, swaying coconut palms and white sand beaches. But it is so much more than that. Each of the 118 islands that make up French Polynesia has its own distinct character, landscape and charm. The island of Tahiti is the largest island with almost 200,000 residents.

Moorea is one ofthe most scenicallystriking islands inFrench Polynesia

© Tahiti Fly Shoot

Peering out the airplane window on the final leg of my journey from Los Angeles to Papeete, the island’s verdant valleys and lush rainforest trigger an unexpected and spiritual response from me. It’s my first experience with the mana I will understand more about during my stay.

I feel it again with a taste of poisson cru, the Tahitian national dish. Featured on almost every menu whether it’s an upscale restaurant or a food truck, it usually consists of raw tuna (marinated in lime juice) swimming in coconut milk with cucumber, tomato, bell peppers and onion. Surprisingly sweet and refreshing, my taste buds approve heartily.

The calm water is ideal for paddleboarding while admiring the beautiful landscape

© Grégoire Le Bacon

Heimata Hall, owner of Tahiti Food Tours, is my dinner companion on the island of Moorea. He followed his foodie passion and started the company a few years ago. Tahitian cuisine, he says, is a blend of Tahitian, Chinese and French influences. In French Polynesia, seafood such as mahi mahi and tuna are staples along with the breadfruit plant (uru), coconut, bananas, pineapples, lime and root vegetables like taro. Hall, like myself, has a fondness for street food and roulettes (food trucks) and prefers taking visitors to these spots rather than high-end restaurants.

Enjoying a taste of poisson cru, Tahiti's national dish

© Stéphane Mailion Photography

I savour the robust flavours of suckling pig, chicken, local fruit pastilles and vegetables while observing a cooking demo of a traditional ahima’a (a Polynesian oven) at Chez Tara on the island of Huahine. Volcanic stones placed at the bottom of a large hole and a layer of wood and coconut husks over the food allows it to cook covered for hours. The staff methodically unwrap and release the enticing aromas of this exquisite smorgasbord.

I gravitate to anything water-based. On another day, I was thrilled to go on a fishing adventure with Moorea Maori Tours. Owner Sam, whose muscular body is covered in culturally significant tattoos, introduces me to his other muscle-bound assistants, Manu and Coco. We paddle out to sea in a traditional va’a and set out the 20-metre wide net and hope for the best.

Sam, my tour guide during the fishing expedition

© Chris Ryall

After some time exposing my pale Canadian skin to the Tahitian rays of sun, we check the nets. Success – a fisherman’s dozen is caught with a mix of colourful parrotfish and surgeonfish. Manu is happy and we paddle closer to shore to clean the fish in the water. A family of hungry stingrays brush by my legs en route to the tiny morsels.

We go back to Sam’s home and his wife, Sylvie, cooks up a fish feast with the ubiquitous poisson cru as a side dish.

A group of travellers embracing the mana lifestyle

© Hélène Havard

On the island of Rangiroa, the world’s second largest atoll at a length of 80 kilometres, I join a few tourists for a day-long cruise excursion. Snorkelling amongst coral gardens, feasting on fresh fish and fruits and downing it all with a few Tahiti brewed Hinano beers make a perfect day. Oh, and not to forget – swimming and snorkelling with a shiver of sharks. Blacktip sharks, ranging from one metre to 2.5 metres long circled me.

Gauguin’s Pearl is just one of many notable pearl farms located in French Polynesia. It’s a fascinating experience even for non-jewellery lovers like me. It can take up to five years for an oyster to generate a single cultured pearl. I observed the grafting and harvesting process where only one in 10,000 wild oysters will yield a natural pearl.

Moorea has very unique sites to meet stingrays and reef sharks

© Grégory Lecoeur

Then I put my olfactory skills to the test touring the internationally renowned Monoï Factory Laboratoire de Cosmétologie du Pacifique Sud. Visitors have the opportunity to create their own skincare oil. While I gave it my best shot, I don’t think my mix will be a big seller.

There are big thrills available, too, on Tahiti. For the ultimate adrenalin rush, motor on up by ATV to the top of Moorea’s Magic Mountain or catch a huge wave surfing in Teahupoo, the site of the surfing competition set for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Local man carrying fruit

© Tim McKenna

Tahiti ticks all boxes for scenery, culture, cuisine and adventure. But it goes beyond that. It affects my mind and body on a deeper, more spiritual level. The power of mana was my compass and companion. I have truly found paradise, or “la vie heureuse” as locals say, the happy life.