Our French Polynesia and New Zealand HM Review!

We had such a great time on our honeymoon!!! First, we took a week of total relaxation (we literally did nothing) in French Polynesia, then a week of running around and taking in the stunning scenery of New Zealand. There were definitely some early flights and long drives, but absolutely totally unquestionably worth it. Thanks so much to everyone for all their travel recommendations – I hope this review will help others planning their honeymoons or just great trips! Feel free to email me at [email protected] or page me on the NYC board if you have questions (but don’t be surprised if I take a bit to get back to you).

Travel Agent

Carrie from moonrings.com A/A+
Carrie is terrific. She’s got a great personality and is extremely knowledgeable about the area. The service that Moonrings provides is also great – we had some baggage issues, and Carrie was making phone calls and sending faxes to the other side of the world during our trip. There were a couple of timing mixups, and a few teeny tiny pieces of info that we wished we had, but we fully intend to use Carrie for future travel – she did an amazing job planning our very complicated honeymoon, and we loved working with her. Moonrings isn’t cheap (at least, for the kind of trip we were planning), but Carrie more than paid for the service with the great airfare deal alone. I highly recommend booking through Moonrings.

French Polynesia

Le Tahaa A+
Our first stop was Le Tahaa, which we would have to say is a must-do for any French Polynesia honeymooners. It was the perfect place to relax and be absolutely pampered after wedding and travel. We loved it, and would go back in a minute. Our beach bungalow was stupendous – probably bigger than our NYC apartment, with a private pool, gorgeous bathroom, and surprise yummy snacks that showed up every afternoon (roasted vanilla pineapple, champagne, cookies – if you hang out by the pool they’ll also give you snacks)! We were in bungalow #50, which was the second to last on the beach – very private! The staff was terrific – extremely helpful and nice. The breakfasts were especially delicious – look out for the kiwi jam in particular. We had an amazing dinner at Ohiri, Le Tahaa’s “gastronomique” restaurant – we were the only ones in the restaurant and really enjoyed the great food and service.

Notes on Le Tahaa:
Drinks (including water) are not included in the meal plan.
We purchased the meal plan for all our meals at Le Tahaa; in retrospect, I think it would have been more cost-efficient to have paid for breakfast only, in part because the menu indicates a surcharge for meal planners going a la carte.
Ohiri isn’t open every day, so plan accordingly.
If possible (and if you care), find out if there are any ‘theme’ nights that you’d rather miss (you can make arrangements to go to Chez Louise, a restaurant on Tahaa proper)
Bring extra bug spray if you’re in the beach bungalows.
Don’t miss the gorgeous sunsets on the beach just past the fence by bungalow #49.

Bora Bora Nui B+
We stayed in OWB #106 (#107 seems to be the primo spot, but it looked larger and therefore perhaps in another category), which had a great view of the cool mountains on the main island. We liked the Nui a lot, but after the luxury and pampering of Le Tahaa, it seemed much less personal and there were a number of small errors (they forgot to make our wakeup call, we were missing a robe, incorrect meal orders, no goodbye letter telling us what time the boat would take us to the airport) that were surprising given how expensive the Nui is. We found that the staff’s English was relatively poor (especially compared to Le Tahaa), which could account for some of these errors (although I speak enough French to get around, so it was a bit surprising). We very much enjoyed our stay at the Nui, but if I were to do it again, I’d stay at another place in Bora Bora – perhaps the Sofitel on the motu (staying on a motu is definitely something to go for). We had dinner at the Hotel Bora Bora and the service there was closer to the level of Le Tahaa, although the resort itself wasn’t as nice as the Nui, partly because it’s right off the road. The location of the Pearl Beach made me think that one could hear a fair amount of air traffic; the location of the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort made me think that there would be a lot of boat traffic.

Notes on Bora Bora and the Nui:
You can only see the sunset from certain bungalows (not ours).
There were bees or hornet-like insects that hung around our deck, which was really annoying, but the hotel did get us some insecticide pretty quickly.
Dinners at Iritai (the Nui’s Italian restaurant) were very good.
Wear sunblock on the boat ride from the airport to hotel – my husband almost got burned on the 10 minute ride!
If you care about snorkeling and have poor eyesight, think about getting prescription goggles – I kind of wish I had done this.
No dinner before 7 pm.
Pearl shopping in Vaitape:
Sibani & Paradise Pearls (2 separate shops) – seemed kind of lame – like shops you would find in the local mall.
Nycos – good selection and staff, but tried to rip us off when they saw my engagement ring (they offered a higher price than Mikimoto in NYC)
Robert Wan – our choice – GIA certified, prices preset, but no mounting of loose pearls.

Tahiti Beachcomber Intercontinental:
Just fine for what it was – a transit stop. They were very nice and upgraded us to a junior OWB suite – we were on the lagoon side – the motu side is probably better because there’s not as much boat traffic.

On to New Zealand!

Side note: We flew Air New Zealand from LAX to Papeete to Auckland, and back from Auckland to LA. Overall, the airline was fine, but we did encounter three problems that, when put together, got to be fairly annoying. First, the check-in agent in LAX misread my passport and scared me into thinking that I wouldn’t be able to go on the honeymoon. You need a passport valid for at least three months from your date of entry – mine expires in July, but he thought it said June, then wouldn’t admit his mistake, just kept giving us a hard time. Not a good way to start! Second, Air NZ lost my bag somewhere between LAX and Papeete (it ended up in Honolulu) – I did get it back a few days later. Third, they lost my husband’s bag somewhere between Auckland and Queenstown. The turnaround time for returning the bag was quicker, but it was still annoying to have to deal with. Ultimately, the biggest problem we had was that we felt that they didn’t handle the situation properly – after all these inconveniences, we felt pretty strongly that they should offer to compensate us in some way, but all they did was give us passes for their frequent flier lounges (which we ended up not using). Given a choice, we probably wouldn’t fly them again.

Also, for anyone flying Air NZ from Papeete to Auckland, be advised that the stop in the Cook Islands is on the long side – 1+ hours – which basically sucks. Further, customs in New Zealand is very serious; they are extremely concerned about the health of their livestock in particular, and you have to declare any food (we had granola bars) or hiking/camping equipment (which you’ll almost definitely have – at least boots!), so make sure it’s all kosher before getting on the plane.

We arrived (sans one bag) in Queenstown just fine. We picked up our rental car with no problem, but had a little trouble driving at first. You drive on the left side of the road in New Zealand, and there is a roundabout just as you exit the airport – confusing! Roundabouts in NZ go clockwise, not counterclockwise, a lesson we learned the hard way (fortunately, it’s not very crowded, so no harm done). Interestingly, roundabouts are more common than stop lights in NZ. A few other notes on driving in NZ: for the most part, you’re on 2 lane roads, but the center is a white dotted line (as opposed to solid yellow), which could be confusing for Americans. Most of the towns are extremely small, but there are places to stop, often with public facilities. We drove from Queenstown to Te Anau on the first day – a beautiful drive, but a little stressful for your first day until you get past Lake Wakatipu.

Fiordland Lodge (2 nights): A
This was a great place to stay. It was actually the least expensive place we stayed (we really splurged on our honeymoon!), but we would definitely stay there again. When you walk in, you can’t help but be stunned by the view. The chef is excellent, and the staff is very warm. My one regret was that we had to leave dinner early one night to get to one of our excursions and couldn’t finish the yummy chocolate cake!

Hike to Key Summit with Chris from Trips n’ Tramps: A+
The hike itself was lovely – although it didn’t seem too different from hikes we’d taken in the US until you get to the top, and then – well – wow! An amazing 360 view of mountains, lakes – we even saw a rockslide in the distance. Chris, our guide, was a true gem. He loves to chat, totally nice guy – told us all about the geography, flora, fauna, culture – gave us pointers on where to get lunch, the best way to handle driving in NZ, souvenirs to buy, etc. A very genuine and warm person – we highly recommend him to anyone headed to the area.

Glow Worm Caves with Real Journeys: B+
If you’re in Te Anau, you’ve got to visit the glow worm caves. The caves themselves are very cool – a bit wet, so bring a hat. Real Journeys is pretty business like, though – almost the ‘Disney’ of South Island – so they have everything down pat, and the guides seem a bit like they’re going through the motions. That said, they have a monopoly on the glow worm caves, so.... In some ways, for us the best part of the trip was the boat ride back from the caves – it was a clear night and the stars were absolutely stunning. One of the guides was pointing out the Southern Cross on the upper deck, which was very helpful – we had been looking in absolutely the wrong part of the sky!

Overnight cruise on Milford Sound on the Milford Mariner (Real Journeys): B
Milford Sound is beautiful, and a must-do if you are on South Island. The main benefit to the overnight cruise is that you get to see a ton of waterfalls in the morning. Other than that, though, compared to our other excursions it was kind of lame. You only go out for about an hour, and then the boat anchors and you can kayak for a bit if you want. We did go out to Abel Tasman Sea for a few minutes in the morning, at which point we realized that we’re both prone to seasickness, so we immediately went downstairs to lie down. Also, there were a lot (two tour groups) of septegenarians on the ship – the other overnight cruise ship, the Wanderer, had less comfortable accommodations, but a much younger-looking crowd. Knowing what we know now, though, we would have done it differently. It would have been better to drive from Te Anau to Milford with Chris (of Trips n Tramps fame, see above), take a day (2 hours or so) cruise and then drive back to Te Anau and have another night at Fiordland Lodge.

On to Glenorchy/Queenstown!

The drive is gorgeous – but it’s a long (at least 5 hours) one from Milford (another reason to do the day cruise and stay overnight in Te Anau). Switch to 2nd (or even 1st) gear when going downhill), stop for lunch in Te Anau, and don’t forget that there are public facilities in the teeny tiny towns you’ll pass!

Blanket Bay: A+
South Island’s premier (and priciest!) lodge – totally deserves its reputation. It’s a large lodge with very few rooms, and it’s just fabulous. We would have loved to stay longer – in fact, we wish we had scheduled more time to just hang out in the lodge. One thing we didn’t count on was how tired we’d be (from hiking, driving, etc.) – we were in bed by 10pm every night, and I’m sure that the delicious 5 course meals and wine at the lodge helped put us right to sleep! Also, because Blanket Bay has so few guests at any one time, the norm is that guests interact with each other at least a little, but everyone was pretty forgiving of us being honeymooners and hiding out in our room. It’s really one of the prettiest spots you’ll ever see; we saw full rainbows every morning we were there. My advice for those staying at Blanket Bay would be to let the folks at the lodge arrange excursions for you (we didn’t do this, but wished we had), especially given that they can set up many of the excursions so that they leave right from Blanket Bay. Doing it that way would also give you more time at the lodge.

Lord of the Rings land tour with Nomad Safaris: B
This was OK, but not great. We didn’t get all that close to a lot of the sites, and it took us some time to warm up to our guide. In retrospect, it would have been better to have Blanket Bay arrange a trip with the Dart River Safaris boat company – they can pick you up right from Blanket Bay’s dock.

Helicopter Ride with Southern Glacier Lakes Helicopter: A/A+
Not to be missed. We managed to get enough good weather (the flight had to be postponed a few times) to land on a glacier. Landing was very cool, but the flight itself is incredible. Our pilot swooped right off the glacier and around others, showing us the very cool facets of numerous glaciers in the area. The one downside: they never told us where the ‘sick bags’ were, which was a problem for the guy sitting behind us (and therefore a problem for us – fortunately our hotel had a laundry machine!).

Eichardt’s Private Hotel: A/A+
This part of the trip was bittersweet because it was the last night of our honeymoon (not counting the 24 hours it took to get home!). The hotel, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group, is terrific. Again, very small, great service – the manager Carolyn was extremely nice and helpful. We really enjoyed staying in Queenstown – it’s a very nice little place – good restaurants, some good art galleries and souvenir shopping as well if you don’t feel like going bungee jumping or jet boating. The only reason I’m not giving it a straight A+ is because it’s not quite at the level of Le Tahaa or Blanket Bay, but we would definitely stay there again.

New Zealand souvenirs: Greenstone/jade – but make sure it’s Penamu (sp?) – i.e., actually from NZ; Icebreakers – a brand of outdoor sweater manufactured in NZ; Lanoline or Manuka honey lotion; Sweaters; Photography books by Craig Potton; art – especially anything by Tim Wilson – stunning work, but out of our price range!; wine.

One final piece of advice: If you do decide to splurge on your honeymoon, keep in mind that 4 and 5 star hotels generally provide amazing service. They’ll do a lot for you, from getting your bags to booking excursions, to probably lots of other things I’m not thinking of. So relax and let yourself be pampered!

Re: Our French Polynesia and New Zealand HM Review!

Congrats Wedding Triplet....BUT HOW WAS YOUR WEDDING???? I was thinking of you that week and that day!!

Re: Our French Polynesia and New Zealand HM Review!

Congrats on your wedding.

Re: Our French Polynesia and New Zealand HM Review!

awesome! i can't wait to go back to bora bora!

Re: Our French Polynesia and New Zealand HM Review!

Congrats! I'm also going to Le Tahaa - thanks for the great review!

Re: Our French Polynesia and New Zealand HM Review!

You trip sounded amazing!! Please Post PIctures! Congratulations!

Re: Our French Polynesia and New Zealand HM Review!

Congrats..

Re: Our French Polynesia and New Zealand HM Review!

I was in NZ for 3 weeks and it was the best trip I ever had!
It's far but everything is soo gorgeous and worth it!!
Glad you had fun - sounds amazing!!

Re: Our French Polynesia and New Zealand HM Review!

Congrats!!! Sounds like you had an amazing time!
I did NZ several years ago- what an incredible place!!! I was so happy to see you went to the Gloworm caves & the helicopter/glacier ride-Thanks for bringing back some great memories for me!!!