TravelQuest Tours

Arrive Tahiti

Upon arrival in Tahiti (airport code PPT), you will be met and transferred to the Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti. Featuring lush surroundings and beautiful ocean views, the oceanfront Radisson on Lafayette Beach is the ideal location for our French Polynesian Transit of Venus trip. The Radisson offers an infinity swimming pool, an on-site spa, and ocean-view restaurant. All guest rooms at the Radisson feature ocean views and large balconies.

The balance of your day and evening is free to explore the resort‘s black-sand beach, pool, and beautiful restaurant. Tropical cocktails can be enjoyed in Lafayette Bar, which showcases spectacular sunset views of Matavai Bay. The resort also features a full-service spa with a wide range of body treatments and free access to the sauna, steam room, and workout facilities, as well as a local crafts area, free daily cultural programs, and free shuttle service to the town of Papeete. If you‘re up to it, please join us on the hotel grounds just before midnight for a special observing session to watch a partial eclipse of the Moon (from moments before midnight until just after 2:00 am).

Overnight: Radisson Plaza Resort, Deluxe Ocean view rooms (4 nights)

Tahiti's Tropical Treasures

After breakfast, join us for a full-day tour of Tahiti. During our excursion we will see all the beautiful sights this Polynesian paradise has to offer, including stunning waterfalls, the Arohoho Blow Hole, tours of both the Paul Gauguin and Tahiti and Her Islands museums, and a special visit to Point Venus — where Captain Cook viewed the Transit of Venus in 1769. Lunch will be at Vaipahi Gardens. After sunset, join us for a lecture on the historical and scientific significance of the Transit of Venus, how to photograph it, and what to look for during tomorrow‘s 5+ hour event. Dinner this evening is on your own.

Transit of Venus

After breakfast you have two options for observing the Transit of Venus. One is to view and photograph the transit from the grounds at the Radisson Resort, offering clear views of the transit through sunset. The other is to observe and image the event from Point Venus, the site where James Cook viewed the transit in 1769.

Although Venus’ interior and exterior egress (the end of the transit) will not be visible from Tahiti, watching the Sun set into the Pacific, with the black disk of Venus still embedded on the solar face, will be a unique experience.

TAHITI TRANSIT OF VENUS WEATHER
By Meteorologist Jay Anderson

It might be midwinter in the Southern Hemisphere, but June comes with pleasant weather and excellent observing prospects for Tahiti and Point Venus. June is in the middle of Tahiti‘s dry season, which brings a high frequency of sunny skies and only a few days of precipitation. Sunshine statistics collected at the Faaa airport at Papeete show a 67% frequency of sunshine hours in June. In confirmation of the sunny conditions, cloud-cover statistics show that during the hours of the transit, skies are clear or have only scattered cloud more than 70% of the time. Overcast skies — the only kind that would prevent seeing any part of the transit — have a frequency of less than 5%. Putting all of the statistics together, it is almost certain that at least part of the transit, and likely most of it, will be visible in Tahiti.

EVENT	LOCAL CONTACT TIME	SUN’S ALTITUDE
Exterior Ingress (first contact)	12h 12m 42s 50o	50°
Interior Ingress (all the way on the disk)	12h 30m 25s 49o	49°
Mid-transit	15h 26m 47s 25o	25°
Sunset (one hour before egress)	17h 30m 0o	0°

The table shows some climate statistics for Tahiti. Cloud cover data is for the time of mid-transit. Clear skies are very rare events in the tropics, but the next two categories (few and scattered) would allow nearly continuous observation of the transit. Broken cloudiness would interrupt the observations and the transit would be seen through breaks in the cloud. Cloud cover in the tropics is always higher over land than over water, so the site at Point Venus, which is exposed to the ocean winds and faces north over the ocean to the Sun, will probably see better conditions — perhaps by quite a bit — than these statistics indicate.

Tahiti As You Please

Today is yours to experience Tahiti as you wish. Prior to your arrival in Tahiti, you will be furnished with a menu of optional activities to choose from including a dolphin encounter, surfing lessons, and jet skiing. Alternately, you may wish to shop for Tahiti‘s famous black pearls, enjoy a spa treatment, or simply relax beside the pool soaking up the pleasures of French Polynesia.

Goodbye Tahiti, Hello Moorea!

After check out this morning we will transfer to the pier for our ferry crossing to Moorea. The unspoiled beauty of this lush paradise, also known as the “Island of Love”, was the inspiration for many works by the French Impressionist Paul Gauguin.

Nestled between two bays and just a 17-kilometer, 30-minute ferry ride across the Sea of Moons from Tahiti, the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort is set against a stunning mountain backdrop that melts into a crystal clear lagoon. Featuring contemporary Polynesian design, the Hilton Moorea’s luxurious bungalows are set amidst exotic flower gardens.

The balance of the day and evening is yours to explore your new home away from home.

NOTE: Based on availability, you may upgrade your Garden Bungalow accommodation at the Hilton Moorea to an overwater suite bungalow, for an additional $400 per person, based on two people in a room, and $800 for one person in a room. When completing your trip Reservation Form let us know if you wish to request this upgrade. Space is limited.

Overnight: Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort, Garden Bungalows with private pool (3 nights)

Moorea's Scenic Wonders

This morning, join us for a guided 1/2-day Moorea Island Circle tour, which includes a stop at the famous Belvedere Overlook for a magnificent Polynesian view. The balance of the day and evening is yours to explore Moorea on your own.

Moorea As You Please

Today is yours to experience Moorea as you wish. Prior to the start of this tour, you will be furnished with a menu of optional activities including a Lagoon snorkeling cruise, a swim with stingrays, and a dolphin encounter. Or you may choose to simply relax at the hotel.

Moorea – Onward

After check out we will transfer to the Moorea airport for our 40-minute flight to the magical island of Bora Bora for three nights in overwater villa accommodations at the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort.

During your stay, delight in the Hilton Bora Bora’s Polynesian inspired decor, complemented by the rich mahogany furnishings in these luxurious overwater suites. You can enjoy unobstructed views of the reef lagoon from your private waterside balcony, or relax in your canopy bed and watch Bora Bora’s exotic marine life float past the glass-floor viewing panels. Rooms include Italian marble bathroom and a separate seating area with satellite TV and wireless Internet access. The resort features two restaurants and a fitness center.

Overnight: Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort, overwater villa (3 nights)

Experiencing Bora-Bora

These two days are yours to experience Bora Bora as you wish. Prior to this tour, you will be furnished with a menu of optional activities including Lagoon snorkeling, a backcountry-mountains Jeep tour, and a swim with stingrays.

Bora Bora Home

You will check out today and fly back to Tahiti for your onward flight home.

Trip Cost

$2,250 USD per person, based on double occupancy. $3,450 USD for single occupancy. No deposit is required to secure your space on this add-on package. Final payment is due February 3, 2012.

Trip Includes:

• Scheduled flight from Moorea to Bora Bora
• Arrival/departure transfers in Bora Bora
• 3-nights overwater villa accommodations with daily island breakfast at Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort
• Scheduled flight from Bora Bora to Tahiti