Islands Visited on the Paul Gauguin Cruise Ship

Tuamotus

The island of Tuamotus is known around the world for their unique diving encounters. Scuba divers from all around the world flock to this island to experience the unpredictable adventure of swimming with the unknown. Tuamotus is a very remote island, near a calm lagoon, surrounded by extremely deep ocean waters, steep drop-offs and cliffs. Calm waters in the lagoon help with the clarity of the water leaving divers the ability to see 20-30 meters deep. Known for the unique and diverse diving experience the island offers, you will encounter a diverse array of fish species. Things to look forward to when diving include:

• Largest schools of fish anywhere on the planet
• Black tipped sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks, and gray reef sharks
• Barracuda
• Tuna
• Red Snapper
• Napoleon Fish
• Surgeon Fish
• Huge Moray Eels
• Sting Rays
• Sea Turtles
• Brightly colored and smaller tropical fish species
• Whalesharks

Rangiroa, Tuamotus: The Endless Lagoon

Off the coast of Rangiroa, you can expect to swim with one of the most favored marine species, the dolphin. Another beloved to see is the Manta Ray. Manta Rays are the largest rays in the world, and feed on plankton, which is why you typically see them hanging out in the lagoon at Rangiroa. Seeing the beloved marine animals in the wild in their natural habitats is always a trilling experience for everyone.

Fakarava, Tuamotus: The Island of Dreams

Fakarava, is an untouched world where nesting birds and marine life live in perfect harmony with the land and water. The rich ecosystem is home to rare birds, plants, and crustaceans offering explorers unbelievable opportunities for sight-seeing. The environment of the island is very pure and designated by UNESCO  Biosphere Reserve for the preservation of rare species.

(www.tahiti-tourisme.com)

Paul Gauguin Cruises

The story of Paul Gauguin Cruises began in the South Pacific. But it does not end there. Today, the distinctive island spirit of the South Seas is also charting a course for the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. Each of the Paul Gauguin ships was built to maneuver from open ocean to intimate ports as nimbly as a yacht, bringing you closer to your destination than any larger vessel can.

Your luxury experience begins the moment you step foot on board, where you’ll be enveloped in an atmosphere that is at once luxurious and relaxed. Each and every element of the newly renovated ships – from the simple, yet elegant décor of the public areas to your spacious, ocean view accommodations – has been artfully crafted to complement the natural beauty of your surroundings.

Guests aboard the cruises often speak of the outstanding hospitality and exquisite attention to detail. With one of the highest at sea crew-to-guest ratio, the dedicated crew is committed to ensuring that every guest experience aboard The Gauguin and The Moana is nothing short of first class.

Special Occasions: Whether you are celebrating an anniversary, wedding, honeymoon, birthday, or family reunion, we can arrange any of a variety of gatherings to suit your style from a cocktail party to a festive dinner or private celebration.

Master Ship Paul Gauguin ·         332 Guest Suites with a crew to guest ratio of 1:1.5 ·         Lounge & Disco ·         Zodiak for optional dive excursions ·         Pool

Master Vessel Moana ·         90 Guest Suites with a crew to guest ratio of 1:1.5 ·         Pool ·         Hot Tub

All Inclusive: Enjoy many accommodations and amenities all included in your fare aboard the Paul Gauguin and Moana. Spacious, ocean view accommodations. All shipboard meals, in your choice of venues. 24-hour room service. Beverages, including select wines and spirits, soft drinks, bottled water, and hot beverages served throughout the ship. Shipboard entertainment. Gratuities. Luxurious onboard spa. Fitness center. Piano and Pool Bars. 

Exclusive Private Retreats: Relax in the shade of a palm tree, unwind to the songs of the Gauguines, indulge in a motu massage, or float the day away in the aquamarine lagoon. When refreshments are a necessity, enjoy a cocktail from the floating bar. In Bora Bora, guests aboard The Gauguin have access to Paul Gauguin exclusive, private beach on a motu off the coast of the island. There’s nothing better than relaxing on the white-sand motu and admiring Bora Bora’s postcard-perfect scenery from across the crystal-clear turquoise lagoon.

Life Beneath the Waves: Polynesia’s translucent, turquoise lagoons are begging to be explored. The Paul Gauguin master ship provides complimentary snorkeling equipment to all guests on every departure. You are also invited to board a Zodiac for an optional scuba adventure. Scuba excursions are designed for all levels of experience, and the luxury ship in the French Polynesian islands to offer onboard refresher courses, as well as PADI certification for novices.

Continue following our blog to learn about the different locations Paul Gauguin cruises takes guests to explore.

Explorers, navigators, adventure seekers… We have found an extravagant new destination for you! Anyone looking to explore and experience the natural environment and cultural surroundings of South America is sure to love one, many, or all of the adventures Explora offers. 

Atacama: The Desert - Alive

Take in the striking views around you as you experience luxury, tranquility, and relaxation while staying at the Hotel de Larache. You will need your rest to be able to explore everything Atacama has to offer. With high and vibrant volcanoes, salt flats, lagoons and ravines perfect for exploration, tourists coming to discover Atacama can take in the sights by horseback, bicycle, or foot. Explora accommodates everyone offering the perfect adventure … providing explorations that are gentle and last only a couple hours to the more physically demanding which last a full day. 

Patagonia: The Most Southern Tip of the World

Located in the heart of the Torres del Paine National Park, the Hotel Salto Chico, affords you with the most bizarre scenery as you relax and let the landforms and wildlife encompass you. A stay at one of the least populated areas of the world creates an experience unlike any other. You are surrounded by the natural environment gazing at mountains, glaciers, lakes and rivers like you have never witnessed before. If you are trying to get away from the “hustle and bustle” of everyday life, Patagonia is the unspoiled location to find tranquility perfect for clearing the mind and understanding the natural beauty of our earth. 

Rapa Nui – In the Middle of the Pacific

Not your typical island vacation, the Pacific island of Rapa Nui is approximately five hours by plane from the coast of Chile or the island of Tahiti. Home to various marine wildlife, plant species and a rich cultural environment, the island is overflowing with diversity! Come and experience the unique island as you discover the various forms of originality expressed through cuisine, sports, dance, music, ceremonies, craft work, and the native language. Afterwards, dive in to the deluxe accommodations provided for those on the explora tour of Rapa Nui. The resort Posada de Mike Rapu offers a serene setting to unwind and relax from an eventful day of exploration.

British Virgin Islands

British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands remains an undeveloped haven of natural treasures. No high-rise hotels, casinos, or large crowds, the quaint British Virgin Islands, nestled between the deep Atlantic and the glittering Caribbean Sea, are able to give every visitor the perfect island get-a-way experience! This is the place to come, unwind and relax with the blue waters below and the sun shining above you are sure to forget all your worries! Offering multiple stunning islands, the destination lures adventurers, romantics and escapists with verdant hillsides, pristine beaches, Technicolor tides, colorful aquarium of diverse sea life and extensive coral reefs and the renowned wrecks they've claimed.

The sailing capital of the world is a title the British Virgin Islands are glad to represent. Fair weather and constant winds make nautical travel between the numerous islands a breeze! Day trips to surrounding islands by ferry boats can add the right amount of adventure to any trip allowing you to explore the natural attractions.

While there is plenty on land to explore, beneath the sea offers a whole other world to discover. The secluded coves of the BVI provide outstanding underwater visibility and a wide variety of exotic dive sites. Among the many underwater secrets include countless reefs, towering coral pinnacles, underwater caves, canyons, and more than 100 dive sites. Whether you are a novice snorkeler or skilled scuba diver, the treasures beneath the sea will provide an extraordinary experience.

Breaking the world record with catches like the Atlantic Blue Marlin, the islands are known for outstanding fishing. Secret fishing holes tucked into shallow crevices to renowned deep water spots, the British Virgin Islands provides fishermen fruitful waters to catch the various species of fish swimming below!

Tortola:

• Vibrant center of activity
• Surfing in the northern Apple and Josiah's Bay
• Sailing adventures in the south from Nanny Cay and Road Harbour

Virgin Gorda:

• Mysterious large boulders scattered along the island
• Savannah Bay, Mountain Point and Long Bay know for curving stretches of secluded beaches
• The Baths is a natural wonder beyond belief

Jost Van Dyke:

• Known for the New Year's Party, the Soggy Dollar Bar and the abundance of bars only steps away from the water
• The beach is the main road on the island
• One of the most popular day excursions in the BVI

Anegada:

• Located north with 23 miles of untouched, uninterrupted beaches
• Succulent lobster feasts
• Offers a remote feel providing a dream-like location perfect for relaxation

Primland

Open your eyes to the simple pleasure of a mountain getaway at this refined East Coast vacation resort. The staff at Primland will show you the subtleties of nature and reacquaint you with the restorative powers of silence. Your server will remember just how you take your drink, your children’s names and that you like a freshly baked cookie after lunch. You will sense the love your wilderness guide has for the mountain and all its creatures, and the depth of his expertise. You will always find a kind word, authentic humor and an open heart.

Primland’s founder, Didier Primat, wanted to create a place of immense beauty that offers his guests a return to simple human pleasures.  He developed Primland in an eco-conscious and thoughtful manner, as the ultimate retreat for world-class golf, refined dining and outdoor activities. Our love of the land is expressed in our extensive efforts to minimize our impact on nature, the freshness of our food, the many organic, sustainable ingredients we source locally or grow in our organic garden and the care with which we look after our guests.

Members of the A Way To Go Travel staff had the opportunity to experience first hand this beautiful, luxurious resort.  While only a little over an hour from Greensboro in Meadows of Dan VA, you feel that you are miles away.  We began our adventure riding ATV's over this 12,000 acre resort stopping from time to time to take in the beauty of the mountains.  After a 2 1/2 hour ride, we each took a "shot" at sporting clays.  We have a couple of good shots here at A Way To Go Travel! 

When we checked in at the Lodge, we were met with a very attentive staff that helped us with our luggage, parked our vehicle and showed us to our suites.  The suites at Primland are quite large as are the mountain rooms.  Showered and ready for our evening activities, we met downstairs in the beautiful open lobby for drinks.  Not wanting to miss a chance to be outdoors, we took a seat on the deck around the fire pit.  Dinner that evening was at Elements, the fine dining restaurant and yes, our server not only knew our names but remembered every little detail throughout the evening.  After dinner we went upstairs in the Observatory to view the stars.  In spite of the clouds, the astronomer was able to find a few stars for us to look at. 

The next morning we woke to a wonderful made to order breakfast at Elements then down to the spa for a massage.  The Spa at Primland offers an extensive menu of services each maintining a Native American influence.  Once we were fully relaxed, we were given the opportunity to tour the Fairway Cottages located on the golf course, the Mountain Homes, located amidst the beautiful trees and the Tree House Suite built on the side of the mountain wrapped around a tree.  Lunch that day was at Par 19...the pub.  The food was wonderful...right down to the pig candy (maple cured bacon with a kick), the homemade vinegar chips and the sweet tea!

Want To Walk 40 miles in JESUS' Steps?

CAPERNAUM, Israel (AP) — A new trail across northern Israel offers travelers the chance to walk — or trot — through New Testament sites in the footsteps of Jesus.


The newly opened Gospel Trail winds for 39 miles, heading from Nazareth, across gentle green hills, through Jewish and Arab towns and to Capernaum, the fishing town where Jesus is said to have established his home base. The Tourism Ministry believes the new trail may attract up to 200,000 Christian pilgrims to northern Israel over the coming year.

Christians are a rapidly growing segment of Israeli tourism, comprising about two-thirds of the 3.45 million people who visited in 2010.

On the Gospel Trail, tourists can ride toward the Sea of Galilee on horseback, accompanied by escorts from a nearby ranch wearing jeans, big belt buckles and embroidered cowboy boots with spurs. The scene feels more Texas than Gospel, especially because according to the New Testament, Jesus' mount of choice was a donkey. Horses were considered vehicles of war.

But as the horses canter to Capernaum, past the occasional grazing cow in a grassy pasture, with the sun setting over the distant hills of the Golan Heights, visitors can imagine for a moment that they have returned to the Holy Land of two millennia past.

The Gospel Trail, planned and researched for more than a decade, cost about $800,000. The government paid for two-thirds of it, the Jewish National Fund the rest. Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov said the trail is one element of a branding strategy to sell Israel's abundant religious sites to visitors.

Despite the large numbers of Christian tourists, for years little comprehensive information was available to those hoping to hike alone through the Galilee. Walking trails were marked but maps were in Hebrew, Israel's national language.

This began to change when two entrepreneurs developed a path they called the "Jesus Trail" in 2008, following a slightly different route from Nazareth to Capernaum. Founders David Landis and Maoz Inon offer guided hiking tours and a colorful tour book for the region, the best resource available for trekking in the steps of Jesus. Inon also founded a backpacking hostel in Nazareth.

The new Gospel Trail, by contrast, is a government project. It heads south out of Nazareth, beginning at Mount Precipice, where a mob nearly threw Jesus off a cliff after a sermon he made in a local synagogue. The summit provides sweeping views across the Galilee, from ancient Nazareth and down through the Jezreel Valley, today considered Israel's agricultural heartland. From there, the path goes to Mount Tabor, said to be the site of the Transfiguration, when Jesus spoke to Moses and Elijah and became radiant, and God called him his son. Today, priests celebrate Mass in a Franciscan church with soaring ceilings and pristine white marble floors.

From there, the trail winds north, passing, in springtime, through a carpet of anemones and cyclamens. A side path, also marked, heads to Kfar Kana, where Jesus is said to have turned water into wine. Then the Gospel Trail passes double extinct volcanos known as the Horns of Hattin — famous as the site where Saladin's Muslim army defeated the Crusaders in 1187. Today a lone mosque stands as one of the few remainders of an abandoned Arab village on the site.

Nearby is the town of Migdal, named for the ancient town of Magdala, said to be home to Mary Magdalene. Farther north, at Tabgha, the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes commemorates when Jesus fed a multitude with only a handful of food. And finally, travelers pass by the Mount of Beatitudes before heading to Capernaum, where a charming pink-domed white church gives a European look to the lush green surroundings.

The Gospel Trail includes suggestions to take a boat across the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus is said to have walked on water. The boats run between Capernaum and Kibbutz Ginosar, where marine archaeologists found and preserved a 2,000-year-old ancient fishing boat. Another boat route runs to Tiberias, a town dating back to 20 A.D.

All along the way, gas stations, quiet farming towns and luxurious guest houses offer places to recharge. The trail wends through picturesque Biblical landscapes and long stretches of neatly planted vegetables. It also runs alongside less attractive water distillation plants and rock quarries. Ministry spokespeople say they hope the trail will provide an incentive to entrepreneurs to open hotels and restaurants along the way.

A variety of options already exist for travelers, from the Fauzi Azar Inn tucked into Nazareth's Old City, to the luxurious Scots Hotel in Tiberias. There are also country cottages outside Jewish towns, simple beds on farms and homestays in Arab villages. Camping is also easy in the many parks along the trail.

Jose Leonardo, a chemical supervisor from Houston, walked the trail at Tel Kinrot, a hill filled with archaeological finds that looks over the Sea of Galilee. He hiked with a group of Christian pilgrims visiting Nazareth for the day as part of a week-long trip to Israel. Leonardo said he was especially moved by a visit to Mount Tabor. "It's great to walk where Christ actually walked and just to know that so much history is here," Leonardo said. "I think every Christian should come out here and actually experience that walk to get closer to God and know his land and his people."

Contact A Way To Go Travel to set up your journey to Israel in 2012!!!!!!

Ten Places To Travel For Happiness

Maine
With it long coastline and beautiful scenery. The great trip is to just go up Route 1, ideally late spring or early fall. You can drive from Boston to Portland and then just keep going along, Freeport, Brunswick, Rockland, up past Camden, then Bar Harbor. It goes all the way to Canada.

Orkney Islands, UK
Hard to get to but worth the trip, these mostly uninhabited 70 islands off the coast of Scotland. Visit Skara Brae, a Neolithic settlement and UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the lovely harbor at Kirkwall, the largest town. People have been living there since prehistoric times and they have produced a lot of poets, writers, and musicians. Lots of fresh fish available for seafood lovers.

Bali
Long a fantasy vacation destination, then give Bali a try. It has grace and aesthetic appeal. The colors, the artistic sense of the Balinese. Weaving, carving, dancing, play instruments, and singing are some of the talents of the Balinese. The houses are beautiful, the clothes are beautiful, the temples, and the wonderful dances and ceremonies. Many travelers head to Bali's beaches but traditional crafts and ceremonies can best be seen inland around the town of Ubud.

Costa Rica
Guanacaste on the northwest Pacific coast. It has many resorts, is on the Pan American Highway and is easily accessible by air from the USA. Happiness here is related to simplicity.

Egypt
It has one of the oldest cultures on Earth, plus a friendly populace and welcoming feel. Egypt has the world's treasures, thousands of years of accumulation of Egyptian culture, the Pharaonic culture, not just the Pyramids, but temples all along the Nile, from Alexandria on the Mediterranean to Aswan and on to Abu Simbel. Numerous tour operators offer river cruises and guided excursions along the Nile.

Thailand
Thailand is both famously foreigner-friendly and inexpensive, making it attractive to expats in retirement. The welcome, the food, the educated populace and the weather, but also the immense variety of travel opportunities. There is coastal Thailand, jungle Thailand, mountainous Thailand, and if you're there you can easily visit Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, or India.

Malawi
Small villages are self-contained societies that take care of their own. Take a visit to Lake Malawi, a very big, deep lake, with hotels all along the lake shore. The game parks in the north where you can see elephants and giraffes and other animals.

Hawaii
First-timers should make sure to visit multiple islands, as they're all different. Each island has its own character, its own sense of pride. If you're not happy on one island, just find another.

Sicily, Italy
The food in Sicily, the wine, the weather, the crops they grow, all are wonderful things. It's a very hospitable place, and Palermo is one of the great cities of Italy and of Europe too. Because of its proximity to North Africa, it's different from the rest of Italy. To get there via ferry from Sardinia, train from Naples, or on a cruise ship.

Trobriand Islands
Also known as the Kiriwina Islands, complex Pacific society off the coast of New Guinea. This is a place where people feel welcome. The people of Trobriand Islands are perfectly content with what they have. It is far offshore and a hard place to get to, but worth it.