The volcano that was once at the center of Tikihau is long gone. What remains are a collection of tiny coral islets (cays) that form a ring around a 178 square mile lagoon. I stayed in an eco resort on one of the cays. The image at the top of this post was painted as the sun rose over a neighboring cay.
Tikehau is postcard beautiful place with swaying palms and water with every shade of blue and green imaginable. For me the most memorable experience was the time I spent in the water checking out manta rays (and being checked out by them). Pure magic.
The bungalows at the Ninamu Resort are each crafted from local materials and look like they were designed by a collaboration between Robinson Crusoe and the Hobbit. Our view through palm trees of the lagoon led me to paint this scene. My attempt to try to capture the many colors of the water. Purple, intense turquoise and so many other nuanced hues.
A leisurely walk around this small islet takes about 20 minutes. I’m not really sure though because each time I walked it I stopped to paint or take photos. This view is of the palms and pink sands of the far site.
The airport serving Tikehau is on larger neighbor island. This boat “Hi There” was docked at the marina as we passed through en route to take our flight. I’ve long had a thing for yellow boats so very happy to paint it.