This place actually DOES exist.

It is just as surreal and dreamy in person as it is in Desktop Backgrounds and photos.

You find yourself pinching yourself regularly to remind yourself that you are both alive and there.

The service, as expected is phenomenal. They truly treat you like a King and Queen.

When you arrive at the airport you take a private boat to your hotel – how cool?!

 

The color of the water still baffles me, it is unlike anything you’ve seen.

You are greeted like royalty at the hotel dock (we stayed at the Intercontinental Thalasso), and taken from place to place on a personal golf caddy.

It was like a Travel Magazine Dream come true!

The only thing we really “did” was an excursion where we took a boat ride out to swim with sting rays, manta rays, sharks and other fish!

This was actually included with our package from our travel agent and it was amazing!

I remember seeing Manta Rays on TV and at the Aquarium at Atlantis. Never did I think I would actually get to swim near them in the wild.

They were so massive, calming and swam like birds flying in slow motion.

 

I’ve never been so afraid of anything in my life, but it was so exhilarating haha I don’t know if I was more afraid of being hit with a Sting Ray barb or getting bit by a shark! I’ll never forget our tour guide who simply said, “stay behind the rope, you’ll be fine – the sharks know to stay behind it.” We were like uhhhhhhhhhh…. and you better believe I stayed behind that damn rope!

We took advantage of doing nothing and honestly just took it all in. We are “on the go” people who usually find something to do everyday on vacation, but not here. There really wasn’t much to do anyways.

There was plenty of paddle boarding, canon balls and lazy days on the deck.

At night the stars are brighter then you’ve ever seen.

I will always miss hearing the “La Orana,” which is the Tahitian greeting.

This is for sure a bucket list destination, so my #1 piece of advice is to simply GO, if it’s what you want. Find a way and just go! You won’t regret it XOXO