The flight to Rangiroa is about an hour and 20 minutes, over deep blue Pacific water. As we approach the island, we're shocked at its size. Located 350 km northeast of Tahiti, it is 75km long and 25km wide. Rangiroa is the 2nd largest atoll on the planet, with the majority of the population living in the villages of Avatoru and Tiputa. Most of the motus strigning the island are uninhabited. Click the pictures to enlarge.

We arrive at the Kia Ora Village near the town of Tiputa. For more info, check them out online. Our bungalow faces the beach, and have a much better jacuzzi than the Pearl Beach on Bora Bora. We also have a hammock out front, and the bathroom comes equipped with baby palm trees. Click the pictures to enlarge.

The bar has large glass panels built into the floor, so you're watching fish and the occasional reef shark glide past beneath you.

We spend a lot of time buying groceries, because making sandwiches is one way to offset the enormous cost of restaurant food. A hamburger at the hotel will run about US 18 dollars, while a sandwich made from store-bought items costs around 2. We end up eating out for about half of our meals, however, since ham & cheese sanwiches lose their allure after around the 9th one.