The divine energy of Raiatea (which translates to “faraway heaven”) envelops you as soon as you touch down at its tiny airport, just a 45-minute flight from Tahiti. Recognized as the first Polynesian island to be populated and the final resting place for the ancestor’s spirits, Raiatea protects numerous archaeological treasures and sacred spaces, including the Taputapuatea marae, a religious site used for ceremonies, meetings, and celebrations during ancient times. Today, communities from Hawaii, New Zealand, and the Cook Islands still gather at this pilgrimage venue, which they consider to be the cradle of Polynesian culture.
For travelers, the island offers a wealth of experiences in nature—from climbing Mount Temehani to seeing the endemic tiare apetahi flower, found nowhere else in the world, to canoeing down the only navigable river in French Polynesia, once a departure point for Polynesian migrations.
Courtesy of Niu Shack
Travelers looking to connect with the island’s rich culture, meanwhile, can visit Niu Shack, a plant-forward bed-and-breakfast helmed by vegan chef Vicky Tihopu and her daughter Teuarangi Bourgeois. Nestled in a valley known as Tepuhapa (meaning “the refuge”), the family’s home provides an idyllic respite for meditations, bodywork treatments, yoga classes, riverside dips, and homemade feasts even carnivores will appreciate. Guests can spend the night or join a daytime retreat with partners like Naiki Lutz of Aroha Expérience, who shares ancestral knowledge through her tailor-made wellness treatments.
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