Tahiti Travel Forum

Hello everyone!

I´m from Spain and I´m planning my honeymoon and my dream is going to Tahiti for a week. What is the best place? I´ve heard of Bora Bora and Moorea... does anyone know of any great hotel? of course, with overwater bungalows? when is the best time to go there? thank you so much!!!!!!

1. If you plan to go to French polynesia, I hope ypou know (a) the prices are sky high there ; 9b) you don't get a lot of value out of these [prices, irregarding to the fact they they are really high. If this is OK for you < I mean, you rae not sensitive a lot about budget, then go ahead, otherwise think at least twice do you really need to go there.

2. Tahiti Is. itself virtaully nothing exciting, so it is normally serves just as transit point between internation flight and interilsnad flights.

Bora Bora has nice lagoon, but a s all French Polynesia lacks beaches, at bleats what we usually means with beach in Europe. It looks that you almost never can enter water from the shore because it very shallow and a lot of sharp corall pioeces - you can wlak in only in reef shoes. So to swim you have to do that either from pier or from over the water bungalow or a boat.

The levl of srevice which you get is variosu, but no way to enjoy constant high level service, at any hotels they are slow, unatatentive etc. - but this mixes with some better member of staff.

Over the water bungalows (OWB) at Bora Bora costs starting from 700-800 EUR/per night up to 1250 EUR/EUr still per double or higher if suite or for more people. This not always includes breakfast, and taxes. Airport pick up comes on top, As well all hotels at Bora Bora are very strict with check in/check out times.

Main activity in Boar bOra is one day lagoon cruise which include snorkelling session, shark feeding, swimming with rays, motu picnic and circling around Bora Bora. After you've dobe that actually most what can be done at Bora Baora is complted:) Alternative activities includes various land activitie son teh island itself, but surely it is not as much exciting as lagoon cruise.

There is point of view, that teh ebst loaction of the hotel is on small islands near Bora Boar , as this is the way you can have the best perspective, and teh bets one are those which look o Ottemanu Mt. This includes St. regis, Le Meridien, Interconinental Thalasa ( do&#326;'t mix with IC Le Moana on the island itself), budget Eden hotel(no OWB), Sofitel Motu and coming Four seasons.

I liekd more Sofitel Motu as this is the smallest hotel among teh mentioned, just ca. 20 rooms, other have more than 100 or 150. The best interior is of the IC Thalassa, it is the newest one.I liekd it, but all staff is from US, and you do not feel much liek to be in Grench Polynesia, but the design is good masterpiece, no doubts.

In respect of the time of the year when to go... Hm, I learnt there is actullay no season with stable good weather; November -April raining, especially pouring around NY; May-October - windy and cold, I 've been in Septmeber, the sea wasso rough so you can't go even with cayak around the motu, not beiang to swim/snorkel as well because of the strong current. As well it was pretty cool above the as it was too windy- you don't see this on advertisement pics, as blow of wind is not reflected there!

2. Moorea - it is as twice as cheaper than Bora Bora, but I didn't went there as to my opinuion it is overcrowded ( Bora Bora side around Matira point is actually overdeveloped now as well - hotels are side by side, and the road on some occasion just go in teh middle of the hotel, partioning it into two parts as this ahs been built like that before). As Bora Bora didn't have good service and all motus are infested with coskraiches 9 because of the humid and warm cliamate) , the only quetsion to which extent - in Sofitel Motu you don't see them , but in Le Meridien they are always in the food in buffet,

so Moorea to my information is really infested wth cockraches,somtimes there are schools of them just on the ceeiling of your OWB and management don't acre about that. And in morea service is much more ignorant as tehy used to constant flow of visitors, who wil probably arrive anyway, whether they serve good or bad.

3. If you are OK with that, and are areday to live with some inconveninces, while apying high price, then just chose the hotel you like- first to make choice do you wnat hotel on motu or at the island.

I didn't wish to make really negative presetnation, but I feel that you have to be informed about where you are going to go! ;)

Dear Sergeyu... thank you soooo much for your answer and the great info. You were great! I can see you know a lot about this part of the world... thank you! I realise I need to really think about it and be sure!

gracias!

Thanks Vikika! :) I am glad if that was useful... If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to contact me - may be I will be able to help you with that ;)

If you finally decide to go there, think of Huahine, less "famous" but as beautiful as the others (if not more).

Hola, soy de Argentina y estuve hace algunos años en Polinesia. Thaiti y Moorea.. hermosos lugares. Cualquiera de las islas que vayas está buena, son muy similares Moorea, Huahine, Bora Bora, Rangiroa. Desde Thaiti la mas cercana es Moorea que apenas son 7 minutos en una avioneta(muy pequeña) que sale desde Papeete que es la capital. Hasta Bora Bora son 45 minutos.
En Thaiti no pierdas tiempo en ir a la Feria de Papeete que es algo que lo recomiendan como un destino imperdible... es una feria grande donde venden pescado, verduras, pareos, adornos de caracol (para mi que vivo en una ciudad de playa aqui...nada nuevo)y ademas es bastante sucio. No tenes un lugar donde sentarte a comer algo.
La gente es calida, cordial, todos son amables. Datos útiles: En la Polinesia no se aceptan propinas pues se la considera contraria a la idea de hospitalidad del tahitiano, lo mejor es una sonrisa y amabilidad. Esta bueno viajar en los "trucks" son como los taxis.. es como un pequeño camión con caja de madera atras, el chofer pone musica bien alta..y abonás al bajar..está bueno para dar un paseo por Thaiti.

Sorry.. I wrote before in spanish because is more easy for me, but now Im thinking is not right for the other people that only speak in english..so.. SORRY TO EVERYONE and I will try to do my best !!! lol.. Ok.. I will continue telling you about Polinesia.
All depend of how much you want pay for be there. Here in Argentina travel agency offer only 5 start..and really is expensive, at least for me.. and they tell that you can not EAT except you do in 5 star hotel..so.. I was thinking: How is possible that if people there is not millionarie ?? where people local eat?? I started to look for others possibilitys and I found a (cadena de hoteles) 3 star. I went to "MOOREA BEACH CLUB" is a nice hotel, you go out of the rooms and the recepcion is on the beach, the beach is nice and beside that hotel you have Club Med..so.. the beach is the same for everybody.
In Thaiti I went to "Thaiti country club" is 3 star hotel, very nice, very confortable, with swimming pool bar in there, shows, etc. Is not on the beach, is around 300 metros, but when you go to the beach you share the same beach with people that is in 5 star hotel, because beach is public.
If you want go to 5 star hotel I tell you some places nice:
Tahiti Beachcomber and Sofitel Maeva Beach: they have rooms on the water.
In Moorea: Sofitel Ia Ora, Beachcomber PArk Royal,with "pilotes" on the water.
Ok..I hope you can enjoy your trip.. whatever you stay there you will have a wonderfull time..everything is nice there and the people is very kind. bye bye

I would go for Bora Bora. You can consider staying at the Bora Bora Pearl Beach resort and spa. It has the overwater bungalows you've been hoping for. The next two months are actually the best time to go there as the weather is still sunny. Normally, the hurricane months along the French Polynesia usually begin by june or late part of may.

Bora Bora is the best, even movie stars go there. Don't go during high season (june-August) airplane tickets are 2 times expensive than a regular season

hope this help

manurere2000

Bora Bora vs. Moorea:
"+"for Moorea
1. Bora Bora is X2 more expensive for the similar accomodation, but quality of BBora accomodation ius just slightly better.
2. Moorea has better snorekelling opportunities- fish&rays swim everywhere and near the shore.
"+"for BBora
1. Lagoon on BBora is nicer, but as mentioend just water and almost no fish easy to find ( unless you get into coral garden)
2. There is accomodations not on BBora Is. but on motus around that provide better view over the window- Moorea lagoon is much smaller, reef is rather close to the shore.

I just came back from last trip to the region, and my choice about attractions and activities is Moorea is., while accomodation would be abit nicer on BBora. Actually the only activity on those island is goind on day trip on lagoon tour that will routinely includes shark feeding, swimming with rays, poicnic on teh motu and snorekelling over coral garden. such day trip is great thing to do, bu except that, unless you are willing to hile a hill, there is not so much to do. If you stay on motu, like us ( at Intercontinetal BBora Thalasso), tehn you finally feel to be confined to the over-the-water bungalow,as it is nowhere to walk ar stroll on (don't forget, French polynesia is not a beach destination, as there is almost no beavches, it is lagoon destination), hotel's motu is so small and restricted , so that there is no hotel territory, except road to the resataurant - soon our 3rd night it became not only boring, but rather uincomfortable to spend whole day on a bungalow deck, leaving that to go swimming/kayaking and to the restaurant. No island in FPolynesia provide complete satisfayable experince, while e.g. accomodfation is better on one island, another one has better lagoon or view or provide sense of belonging by staying on the island where , yes, some movie stars goes ( but you shoudl know, that they go to the their image supporting places = rather expensive, which, like Bora Bora, not always provide good absolute or relative value :) ).
In respect of the season to visit you should be very careful. Yes, the high season and top prices are in July-August, but it happens not without reason: the rainy season is October-apriol, therefore May and Sepetember are shoulder season, when the raisn stops. This time we arrived on 1st of May to Bora Bora, but we were very lucky - teh continuus raining stopped just a pervios day ( however this could well continues more for a week) , and we experinced on BBora and other island no rains, except some small morning/evening outpours, and no heavy wind. When I was there last year September, it was quite different picture: yes, still no rain, but how windy and therefore freezy and uncomfortable it was! Even slightest wind amke you feel too cold, as in general it is not very hoit there - 30C or a bit below. Stronger wind make you impossible to be on the beach, cretaes strong underwater current = no kayaking, as well as waves, thus making swimming more difiicult or restricted , or even impossibl;e. If you go May or Septmebr, you could be luck as us in terms of weather, but you should aware it is a risky issue- a rain can goes on in May or alreday start in September, but you surely will win on prices.There is no so much difference in hotel/flight prices high/low season, especially if you book in advance, 10-30%, but surely not 100% like mentioned. I do not think they will be able to charge high season supplemement in full this year, as in 2008 the first time number of tourists into Fp declined , reflecting, obviosuly,reasonable assesment of whether FP is worth to visit in terms of value for the price.