Moorea Travel Forum

Ciambella,
Your postings are very informative and enjoyable to read. My fiance and I want to go to French Polynesia for our honeymoon but would like to avoid the expense of Bora Bora and the hustle of Tahiti. I have researched quite a bit and Moorea sounds wonderful. Have you any advice on either the Moorea Pearl Resort of the Sheraton Moorea?? Also, Tikehau in the Tuamotus looks lovely for a few days' getaway. Any tips you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and happy holidays, Cammarie

Hi Camille and welcome to vt! Well hubby and I reckon Moorea is the place the go! Tahiti is Tahiti, Bora Bora is gorgeous but very expensive,...so Moorea is the best. Just off the main island Tahiti, Moorea is exotic and a tropical paradise. We stayed in the Moorea Lagoon Resort which has been taken over my Sheridan. Obviously more expensive now, but I would still recommend it because of the location! Anyway, have a wonderful time! and don't forget to come back and share your holiday memories and pix with us here on vt!
Cheers, Ann :o)

I agree with Ann (G'day Ann, Seasons Greetings). I don't know the Pearl but the Sheraton is in a great location and has everything you'll need. Moorea is only a short flight or ferry trip from Tahiti so is very convenient and it's a fabulous island.

We stayed at the Sheraton Moorea last year about this time. The Sheraton was great, but we were in a large group with stuff planned all the time, so we never tried their restaurants, except the breakfast bar in the middle of the OWBs (overwater bungalows). Sheraton is not really close to any restaurants or markets, so if you like to get around a lot but won't have a car, you could get a bit of resort fever.

The rooms were nice, but 5-star in FP is different than 5-star in the US - you're there for more than just a room, so adjust your expectations NOW. They weren't shabby, just different than US rooms.

If you look at reviews on other sites, you'll see them running hot or cold on service. You will be in a foreign country with a different culture - again, adjust your expectations, learn please and thank you in Tahitian and French, and you'll do fine. The whiners are "princess and the pea" types, in my opinion.

If you don't plan to stay in an OWB, then you might check out some of the less costly alternatives to the Sheraton or the Pearl. In my opinion, the OWBs are the only reason to pay the price of staying at a resort.