It’s a Saturday afternoon in July and I’m sharing plates of tangy green papaya salad and tuna Crudo, washed down with the local Hinano beer, at Fish & Blue (facebook. com/fishandblueraiatea), which feels more like a quirky boutique in Bridgehampton, with its distressed whitewashed furniture, outdoor chandelier, and giant Buddha head, than a tables-in-the-sand restaurant on the island of Raiatea. Opposite me is Tahiarii Pariente, who’s wearing a pareo, the traditional Polynesian skirt, and a bright white V-neck. “All the young kids are obsessed with America, dressing in Nike, listening to Bad Bunny,” he’s telling me. “I’m like, ‘Come on, own your own culture! Westerners are all trying to be like us, getting tattoos and surfing!’”
With arms inked in elaborate designs and two enormous boar’s tusks hanging from a green cord around his neck, Tahi is, it appears, fully owning his culture. He jumps easily between chatting about traditional celestial navigation, which he studied, along with Polynesian linguistics and where to eat in Los Angeles. As a self-described cultural life coach who founded his own adventure-tourism outfit, Polynesian Escape (polynesianescape.com), he’s on speed dial for intrepid guests who want to hike up Bora Bora’s Mount Otemanu or learn how to spearfish. He is emblematic of a new generation that is both globally aware and deeply committed to the islands’ heritage, and keen to share it in deeper, more nuanced ways.
French Polynesia, a peppering of volcanic islands across two million square miles of the South Pacific Ocean, occupies a certain place in our collective imagination and has long served as a sort of Edenic foil to our modernizing, mechanizing world. It’s a reverie induced by a sea that alchemizes from barely-there cyan to an incandescent
This story is from the February - March 2020 edition of Condé Nast Traveller India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February - March 2020 edition of Condé Nast Traveller India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
TOP RESTAURANT AWARDS 2023
The ranking of India's 50 most exciting restaurants was revealed at a glittering ceremony at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai. Returning after a three-year hiatus, the event was a true celebration of the industry and the brightest stars of the fraternity showed up to support and cheer each other on!
ON THE GO
Our pick of the most stylish finds and travel related news
TANGIER RISING
THE CREATIVE VISIONARIES OF MOROCCO'S OFT-ROMANTICISED PORT CITY ARE TELLING A NEW STORY.
BRUSHES WITH NATURE
On the snowy Japanese island of Hokkaido, a rich seam of creativity and craftsmanship is deeply rooted in the physical world-and in a sacred Ainu tradition that has survived here for centuries
KOLKATA: A WINDOW TO THE FUTURE
In a city filled with colonial nostalgia, a a new restoration story and fresh approaches are changing the narrative, one building at a time.
VICTORIA BECKHAM
From Paris to Portofino via Los Angeles, the fashion designer shares the places and personal stories that have inspired her first fragrance collection
SHOPPING IN SEOUL
South Korea's capital may have grown into a pop-culture powerhouse, but its artisans are keeping ancient craft traditions alive.
POSTCARD FROM COLOGNE
Rimowa's Emelie De Vitis on her favourite places for espressos, botanical cocktails, relaxed dinners, art, architecture, and history in the German city that she and the cult luggage brand call home
DEEP DIVE DUBAI
Residents know there's more to this diverse emirate than meets the eye. The ones who shaped it share their favourite spots.
Winter Wanderlust
Embrace the best of the season with these standout winter experiences.