Our Honeymoon

Our idea of a perfect honeymoon was a private hut near the water on a secluded island...and we found just that! After spending our wedding night at the Soho Grand, on Monday we flew to Los Angeles for the first leg of our trip. Since flights to Tahiti only run Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday, we had to wait for Tuesday night to leave for paradise. Upon arriving in LA, we rented a car and drove down to the Ritz Carlton at Laguna Nigel. Although it is a beautiful resort, it was much cooler than expected and after his and her massages on Tuesday morning, we had to check out with nothing to do until midnight. We roamed Laguna Nigel, walked the beach, took a nap in the car, then changed in the spa for dinner. By the time we got back to LAX, we were running out of steam. Of course, even first class on AOM airlines isn't the most comfortable so we didn't get a lot of rest before arriving on Tahiti on Wednesday morning. After a short layover, we caught our flight to Huahine, a remote island in French Polynesia, where our true honeymoon began.

Te Tiere, Huahine

Upon arriving on Huahine we were shuttled by boat to our resort, the Te Tiere. Due to a reservation mix-up, our first night was spent in a shallow over-water bungalow but the next night we switched to a deep over-water bungalow, where we had an uninterrupted view of the amazing sunsets and spent hours snorkeling and feeding fish from our own deck.

The Te Tiere was perfect. A small resort of only 30 bungalows, the only sounds were the lapping of waves and the distant crowing of the rooster. Although Tamara wasn't a fan of Polynesian cuisine, we enjoyed the Polynesian culture, dancing, and show. Most of all, we loved the French influence on breakfast...and ate our fill of pan au chocolat every day! In fact, one morning we were lucky enough to have a full breakfast delivered to our bungalow via outrigger canoe. What an experience!

While we mostly relaxed on Huahine, Glenn did fit in some diving and we also went on a private waverunner tour around the island. This was a truly unique and unforgettable experience that took our breath away. The majesty of the cliffs jutting from the water and the lushness of the greenery were just indescribable.

After too short a stay, it was time to leave for Bora Bora, the jewel of French Polynesia.

Hotel Bora Bora, Bora Bora

After a short flight to Bora Bora, we once again boarded a boat for our destination, Hotel Bora Bora. The trip across the water to the hotel was amazing. Bora Bora is so beautiful. Here we decided to stay in a spacious beach bungalow where we had our own deck, beachfront, and hammock. The food at Hotel Bora Bora was exceptional, especially the good old-fashioned hamburger and fries.

On Bora Bora, we decided to get a little more active. Glenn got in some more diving but then we also went on a 4x4 Jeep Safari around the island. What an adventure! We were really impressed by what a Range Rover can climb and a little nervous a few times that we'd flip over backwards. Altogether we caught some awesome views and, outside of a sore butt, had a terrific time exploring the island.

The next day, we were even more adventurous on an all-day shark and ray feeding excursion. After some trepidation, Tamara even got in the water to snorkel and watch the reef sharks and stingrays be fed by our tour guides. Not sure if she'll do it again, Tamara is still glad that she took the opportunity for this unique experience. After our brush with danger, we were off for a picnic on a motu, then a boat tour around the island.

We were sad to leave Bora Bora but hope to go back someday. As the weather began to change to rain, we were off to our last stop, Moorea.

Beachcomber Resort, Moorea

Moorea is the closest island to Tahiti, and therefore the most built up. While a beautiful island, we didn't get to enjoy it to its fullest because it rained for the majority of the three days we spent there. After arriving on the island, we quickly checked into our hotel, the Moorea Beachcomber Resort. This was the biggest hotel we'd stayed at and a little out-of-date and too busy for our taste. We still got to do some fun things like snorkel with the dolphins at the Dolphin Quest center, which we passed each time and watched the dolphins on our way to our over-water bungalow. Glenn also did some more diving and developed an interest in diving with sharks. I'm not sure how much Tamara likes that!

One night we also went to a Tiki Village for dinner and a show. The smells coming from the roasted pig and banana leaves almost put Tamara over the edge but overall the show was fun and it was nice to take in the local culture. Overall, we were very sad to leave paradise and head back to the United States.

Back to the US

After flying back to Los Angeles, we spent one night at the Ritz Carlton adjusting our clocks and getting back to reality. Actually, we caught our first episode of the first Survivor so we really did catch up on "reality TV." The next day we returned to New York to begin married life together in our apartment on East 62nd Street, where we would spend the next two + years.