my adventure & volunteer trip to Tahiti – day 10, Papeete

This post is the last in a series of 10 (one for each day) of my adventure & volunteer trip to Tahiti, where I’m reliving this amazing adventure and sharing it with you. Ever since travel has come to a grinding halt (like everything else), I’m very grateful to have had this experience and look forward to future adventures.

island adventure finale

*sigh* Today is our last day in paradise. We arrived back in Papeete yesterday back at the Royal Tahitien Hotel where we started this amazing journey. We had one last final fancy dinner here at the hotel to say our goodbyes since Leni was leaving early the next morning.

partying island style

Arii surprised us with a ride on a speed boat for one last adventure. Check out how the locals spend time together on the weekends. I loved their party houses & grills in the water. Talk about Sunday Funday!

island surprise

After cruising around for a while, we stumbled upon the most fantastic sight. As we docked the boat on a beach, we turned around to see what looked like a royal family (Royal Tahitian Family perhaps?) all dressed in colorful traditional garb. Note the close ups of their tattoos. You’ll see that a majority of Tahitians/Polynesians are sporting these. It looked as though they were being filmed for some kind of promotion. So cool that we just stumbled upon them. What a finale to an amazing trip!

nana Tahiti mauruuru 😘

Susie and I were the last ones to leave. Since our flight wasn’t until late evening, Arii so kindly let us hang out at his house. We showered and relaxed then Arii and his girlfriend made us the best dinner. So fresh and delicious, pretty typical of all the meals we had on this trip. Nothing like island hospitality!

I hope you enjoyed following along on my 10-day adventure & volunteer trip to Tahiti. It was indeed an incredible experience. From visiting different areas of the island and experiencing the traditions of the culture to helping out & volunteering with local communities. It was a fantastic opportunity to travel with old friends and to meet new lifelong friends. While the pandemic resulted in canceling a reunion in Chicago & attending a wedding in London, my heart is filled with gratitude.

And while I’m disappointed that I should have been boarding a plane for another Bamboo adventure to Costa Rica a couple of weeks ago, I look forward to my next adventure. An opportunity to learn from another culture IMHO is the best education and makes the world a better place.

If you want to read day 9 click here. And if you want to catch up from day 1 click here.

Until the next adventure, be well & stay safe, my friends!