Nicole and I travel a lot — or at least we used to. While some people consider themselves to be sports fans, concert goers, or afficionados of musical theater, Nicole and I are travelers. It’s who we are and what we do. So when sports came to a halt, concerts were canceled, and broadway shut down, people were understandably upset. Yet, over time, substitutes became available. Sports resumed in a bubble to empty stadiums. Taylor Swift recorded and released a new album while in quarantine. Hamilton came to Disney+. They are not 100% replacements for the “real” thing, but they are . . .something. When it comes to travel, it’s a bit of a challenge to find a substitute. While certain websites have made videos where you can “virtually visit” a place, I don’t find them to be particularly gratifying. Did I blog during my virtual hike in Zion National Park? No, because that would be kind of bizarre. “Well it’s day 3 here in Zion. Exact same weather as yesterday. Also, we have the same guide again. Same jokes as the other day! Also, didn’t wear pants for the hike today. Nobody seemed to notice.” Point being — there’s no replacement for getting yelled at by TSA, getting a leg cramp for eight hours, and arriving at your destination delirious and constipated.
Since this began, we have constantly heard the pundits argue back and forth about the value of human life versus the value of commerce and business. Tahiti proved through proper risk management that you can have it both ways. Of course, Tahiti also beat the virus by having a strict ban on flights — even between islands. But after being shut down for months, some hotels began reopening. Our original booking at the Hilton Mo’orea was canceled because the hotel wasn’t ready to reopen, thus fatefully leading us to Bora Bora. Many others are still closed, and before you think about the lost revenue and worry that they will shutter for good, I refer you to my receipts.
Before this pandemic, a place like Bora Bora was not even an option to us. Even with flight benefits and hotel discounts, Bora Bora was absolutely unobtainable financially. The cheapest hotel room was somewhere in excess of $700, and that’s not for an overwater bungalow, which would previously go for at least $1200 per night. That doesn’t include the inter-island airfare which was easily in excess of $500 for a 45 minute flight. For these reasons, we had all but written it off. So while I emphasize that things were A LOT cheaper for us during our stay, they weren’t what a reasonable person would call . . .cheap.
But rather than focus on the costs of a vacation in paradise, it is worth noting the way the government of Tahiti made this trip possible. The 72-hour negative covid test prior to boarding the flight as well as proof of health insurance abroad, and an electronic file of our general whereabouts were required upon check-in. This should serve as an example to other countries seeking to reinvigorate their tourism industry. It is possible to manage risk and reopen responsibly. There are, of course, other countries open to Americans at this time, but not all have the same requirements. Brazil, for example, opened its borders last week. There are no restrictions on entry. It would perhaps not be the wisest place to visit right now. Other destinations such as Dubai are using the negative test method. And with any bit of luck, transatlantic travel could resume if the airlines have their way. They’ve been petitioning the leaders on both sides of the Atlantic to consider a testing requirement to board planes. It makes sense, which is why it’s presumably doomed to fail.
Tahiti, is of course, not a one-size-fits-all solution to the world’s covid travel problems. It has a few advantages. They are islands, and it’s quite easy to social distance as a whole. While at La Pirogue Api, each of us represented 25% of the island’s population. And with a reduction in travelers, even the sprawling Conrad Bora Bora Nui seemed like it had just 10 guests. But perhaps the most important takeaway is that people were trying. Staff wore masks at all times. Flight attendants sprayed everyone’s hand with sanitizer while boarding. And they didn’t do these things while grumbling about constitutional rights, but rather with a smile and a friendly, “Ia Orana!”
Attitude goes a long way in one’s perceptions of a place. You can say that the tourism and hospitality industry is, by its very nature, required to be friendly and welcoming, but that surprisingly isn’t true. Turks and Caicos is another overpriced and upscale tropical destination, but I have no desire to ever go back there. The people were so miserable, rude, and condescending to us that it is forever tainted with negativity. So whether it was in a training video or not, the effort to at least pretend to be friendly is worth something to me.
With the exception of our day on the main island of Bora Bora, our vacation was really just spent in seclusion. In many ways, this was an unusual trip for us. We are often on the go, rarely spending more than two nights at any hotel. Furthermore, we would rarely stay at a resort or a major chain hotel, favoring much smaller boutique-style hotels or locally owned establishments. And despite all these differences from our norm, I think it was perhaps the type of vacation we needed at this time in the world.
It was certainly less immersive. We can’t say we really mingled with the people unless you include the simultaneously comical and awkward Frenglish banter at La Pirogue Api. But given the circumstances of our daily life back home of dodging people, leering at people with their noses hanging out of their masks, and constantly feeling this heightened sense of anxiety, “immersion” would likely not have been the most relaxing way to spend a holiday.
And to that end, I can’t offer any pearls of wisdom or revealing truths about French Polynesia other than a suggestion to save up your credit card points if you ever want to visit. The majority of my photographs are of a hotel property or a view from a hotel property. Now, to be fair, these were no ordinary hotels, but more the type of iconic images you see plastered on the glossy pages of Travel & Leisure. But for two people feeling a bit anxious and stressed as of late, isolating ourselves on an overwater bungalow or a tiny private island was the perfect trip for this very imperfect moment in time.
passports & pepto bismol 