Authors: Marti and Miano
Rangiroa: the atoll of our dreams
August 2000 – Travel Diary
When I flew over Rangiroa Atoll, I truly believed I had arrived in paradise! Holding my breath, I gazed in awe at everything around me, unsure if it was a dream or reality! I had never seen anything like it in my entire life, and I truly believed I would never see it. But it happened, just when I least expected it! My greatest dream, my fondest wish, coming true, and I couldn't believe it... but in that moment I saw it with my own eyes, from high in the sky.
And there it was, just 500 feet below me, Rangiroa, the marvelous RanRan, the largest atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago of French Polynesia and the second largest in the world. A ring of white coral just 300 meters wide and 80 km long, overlooking 20 km of pristine blue lagoon. The island's only two villages, Avatoru and Tiputa, are located on two different motus (islets) north of the island, and from above I could clearly distinguish them. In a few moments we landed, and a whirlwind of emotions filled my heart. I'm right here, I made it, and now I want to savor every single moment I spend on this spectacular island... Even the airport is special, located in the village of Avatoru, and as your plane lands, you feel like you're landing in the middle of the sea, given that the runway is a thin strip of land just a few hundred meters long surrounded by the sea. Rangiroa's beaches aren't sandy, but rather made up of countless shells and countless pieces of white and pink coral that have detached from the reef over time. The sea, completely pristine, is inhabited by myriads of colorful fish, the marvelous and astonishing manta rays, the enormous and sleepy Napoleon wrasse, and the small and harmless blacktip reef sharks.
A really important tip: you absolutely must see the Blue Lagoon. It's a truly dreamlike place, inhabited by gigantic manta rays, sea turtles, and many other fish species. To stay on the island for a few days, I recommend Rangiroa Lodge in Avatoru (tel. (689)968213). It's a very nice and welcoming family guesthouse with rooms on the beach; it's quite affordable! If you prefer, there are also dormitories, like backpackers, which are much cheaper! The kitchen is, of course, shared, with use of gas, refrigerator, water, pots and pans, dishes, etc. The owners are a hilarious couple: Jack and Rofina, he's Chinese and she's Polynesian!! They're super friendly and not at all intrusive.
For diving, I recommend the diving center "The Six Passengers," founded by an Italian (who really understood life!). You'll experience incredible experiences in Rangiroa, and I hope I've managed to explain at least some of mine! I highly recommend you give it a try, and remember that if you plan your own vacation, it's not as expensive as it seems! Airfare isn't exactly cheap, but if you plan ahead, I think anyone can do it! At the time, the cheapest airline was Corse Air, which organized charter flights from Paris with a stopover in San Francisco, and tickets could be purchased at Nouvelle Frontiere.
Marti and Miano – http://scubacqueando.blogspot.com
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