Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

The view of Taioha'e Bay seen from Nuku Hiva, the largest island of the Marquesas, French Polynesia.

Taioha’e Bay as seen from Nuku Hiva, the largest island of the Marquesas. Photo: Anne Hall

I’ve wanted to travel to the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific since I first heard the Crosby, Stills & Nash song Southern Cross. To do so, my husband and I contacted WOW Lister Kleon Howe for advice. Kleon set us up on the Aranui 5, a hybrid cargo and passenger ship that sails to the six inhabited Marquesas Islands twice a month. The Aranui has less than 200 passengers of all nationalities, has some of the amenities of a cruise ship but was an experience beyond—three-course lunch and dinner with wine, all-passenger trips ashore to wander the islands, Marquesan meals in secluded areas of the islands, access to cultural dancing and art and music, and several opportunities to experience the Marquesans’ quest to return to their language, traditions, and culture. We went to the village where Herman Melville jumped ship (and wrote about it in his book Typee), to the island where Paul Gaugin painted, and to the island where Thor Heyerdahl developed his theory of Pacific Ocean migration. The staff was made up of people who are natives of the Marquesas. They were delightful, solicitous about the needs of the passengers, and so friendly. It felt like there was no divide between crew and passengers.

Kleon suggested we spend a week afterward on Vahine Island, a very small resort on a small island several miles to the south of Bora Bora. We flew from Papeete to Raiatea, where the resort boatsman picked us up for the 45-minute trip to the island. We stayed in one of 6 bungalows along the lagoon where black-tip reef sharks and rays swim every day. The food (we had 1/2 board of breakfast and dinner) was luscious. We couldn’t be more sincere in describing the staff as warm, kind, and generous. We urge everyone interested in the most idyllic place in the world to go to Vahine Island.

Our hats are off to Kleon. He knows the South Pacific very, very, very well. He guided us in the best, most gentle way to devise a trip that we would enjoy. Certainly this trip was one of our top ten experiences of a lifetime. Thank you, Kleon.

My husband and I have just returned from four weeks of travel that Kleon planned for us (February 25 to March 23, 2024). I asked for a trip with very few planned excursions since my husband and I are in our late 70s with some post-surgery issues. Our trip began in Kauai for a week, then moved to French Polynesia, visiting Moorea, Vahine Island, and Bora Bora. I’m sure the locations of our rooms were no accident. They were exactly what I would have chosen had I had the knowledge he has. It was obvious he listened when we told him what we liked. Since we didn’t want to pre-book activities, he gave us lots of information on options and let us choose while we were at each location. The resorts he chose were fantastic. Great locations with amazing staff. Kleon was one step ahead of us the whole trip (well wishes and treats on every arrival!). It was great knowing he was watching over us the whole trip. We recommend him without hesitation.

We returned recently from a bucket-list trip to French Polynesia and Australia, planned with great care by Kleon Howe. We initially began to plan the trip in 2020 but ended up having several false starts, due first to the pandemic and then a couple of health issues. Each time we said we had to pause our planning, Kleon was endlessly patient and understanding, which we greatly appreciated.

During the planning process, he listened very carefully to what we said we wanted in a hotel and he was unerring in choosing accommodations that matched our taste and budget. Our first stop was Vahine Island Resort in French Polynesia, a small hotel of only 9 rooms located on its own little island. It was as close to paradise as we’ll probably ever get.

The next hotel was on Moorea, and getting there required a couple boat rides and a short flight on an inter-island airplane. But Kleon had arranged for someone to greet us whenever we got off a plane or a ferry and escort us to our next stop, so that it felt as if we were just floating from one venue to the next.

Kleon had strongly suggested that we take a food tour while staying on Moorea, and this turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Our charming guide was fascinatingly informative as he drove us to a variety of small restaurants and food stands that the locals frequent, where we had an opportunity to taste the unique foods that Tahitians eat on a daily basis. We would highly recommend this Moorea Food Adventures tour for anyone visiting that island.

After 8 blissful days in Polynesia, we flew to Australia. Our plan was to spend 3 days in Sydney at the beginning of our time there and 4 days in Melbourne at the end, and to take a week driving between the two cities, so that we could get off the beaten track and stay in small towns along the way. During our drive we were always on the lookout for native wildlife and were eventually successful in seeing scores of kangaroos whose preferred habitat was a golf course, a family of kookaburras that lived on the grounds of a charming B&B, lots of colorful parrots and cockatoos and, finally, one elusive koala sleeping way up in a eucalyptus tree.

We took fascinating walking tours of the downtown areas of both Sydney and Melbourne, spent a memorable day driving along the Great Ocean Road with a wonderfully informative guide, watched the surfers at Bondi Beach near Sydney, and marveled at Melbourne’s amazing skyline.

We are both in our late 70s, so It was affirming to learn that we are still able, with the guidance and support of an expert travel planner such as Kleon, to take a three+ week trip halfway around the world with ease.

Our family of 6 adult children and a 4-year-old grandchild recently returned from a trip to Tahiti from December 29 to January 12 organized by Kleon. Kleon did such a good job getting quotes for various options, from chartering a boat to picking out the best resort for our family for the week stay. The Conrad Nui Nui in Bora Bora was perfect for this holiday adventure with the entire family. My husband and I added a 5-night stay at The Brando, which was an incredible resort especially for the privacy, the beautiful units, and numerous activities offered there. The most unique travel experience was observing 80 or more baby turtles being released twice during our stay at The Brando.

The WOW List: Best Local Travel Fixers Worldwide

by Wendy Perrin | January 30, 2024

How to Get an Extraordinary Trip: Wendy’s WOW Approach

by Wendy Perrin | January 1, 2023

Wendy Wants To Amp Up Your Trip!

by WendyPerrin.com | January 1, 2023

Where and When to Travel in 2024

by WendyPerrin.com | January 31, 2024

How to Get More For Your Miles and Points in 2023

by WendyPerrin.com | January 31, 2023

10 Top Dream Trips for 2023

by Brook Wilkinson | February 1, 2023

Our Latest Newsletters