The Islands of Tahiti Honor 250th Anniversary of Western Navigator Expeditions with Special Events and Offers

April 26, 2018 in Experience
Los Angeles, CA – April 26, 2018 – The era between 1760 and 1770 were momentous years for European explorers, as they got their very first glimpse of the paradisal islands that are The Islands of Tahiti. The first European expedition to set eyes on The Islands of Tahiti was led by Captain Samuel Wallis (1767), followed by Captain Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1768) and then Captain James Cook (1769).The Islands of Tahiti and their tour operator partners are offering special 250th anniversary packages and experiences for visitors to retrace the expeditions that connected and expanded the Old World with these remarkable islands, such as the following:
  • Tahitian Explorer Discovery by Tahiti Legends – Explore the authentic side of The Islands of Tahitiwith a 12-day vacation through the islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea and Huahine. This vacation itinerary is filled with adventures and opportunities to explore the lesser-known areas of each island. Packages start at $4,290 per person and include roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui, roundtrip inter-island flights on Air Tahiti, accommodations with daily breakfast for two, Circle Island Tour of Tahiti with a stop at Point Venus, zipline and aerial adventure at Tiki Parc in Moorea, motu picnic in Huahine with a visit to a pearl farm, and more
  • In The Footsteps of Historic Explorers by e-Tahiti Travel – Explore the diversity and hospitality ofThe Islands of Tahiti in your own multihulled sailboat in a 6-day catamaran voyage. Visit the island of Raiatea, home to one of Polynesia’s most sacred sites and recently classified UNESCO World Heritage site, Taputapuatea. From there, island hop to Huahine to discover archeological sites, fish traps, vanilla plantations and sacred eels. Finally, end your expedition in Bora Bora with a visit to a pearl farm and a Tahitian barbecue on a private island. Packages start at $4,088 per person and include roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui, roundtrip inter-island flights on Air Tahiti, accommodations pre and post sailing, six nights catamaran cruise to Raiatea, Huahine, Taha’a and Bora Bora with full board and more
  • Navy Ship Le Bougainville Celebration On May 17th, the French Navy ship, Le Bougainville will join the Fa’afaite, a traditional Polynesian canoe in the Bay of Hitia’a for a ceremony in the presence of one of Captain Bougainville’s descendants
To book these special deals click the hyperlinks above, or to create your own custom escape to The Islands of Tahiti, go to http://www.tahititourisme.com/.

Further to the timeline of Europe’s first encounters with The Islands of Tahiti, Capitan Bougainville anchored off Hitiaa O Te Ra and was welcomed by its chief, Reti. Captain Bougainville called the island Nouvelle-Cythère, named after the mythical island of Aphrodite due to the hospitable welcome the crew received, and later referred to the islands as a “sailor’s paradise.”

Captain Bougainville declared his crew were the first European explorers to set foot upon The Islands of Tahiti.  However, upon returning to France, Bougainville learned he was six months too late, as British Captain Samuel Wallis aboard the HMS Dolphin was the first documented western explorer to arrive in Tahiti at Matavai Bay.

Almost year to the date after Bougainville’s exploration of Tahiti, Captain James Cook arrived by orders of the Royal Society to help determine longitude by observing the transit of the planet Venus across the sun that would only be visible from a point, now known as Point Venus, in Matavai Bay, Tahiti on June 3, 1769. 2019 will mark the 250th anniversary for Captain Cook’s arrival, who left behind a legacy of scientific and geographical knowledge, including some of the first detailed maps of The Islands of Tahiti.