Belated Review: HM in French Polynesia (6/12/06 – 6/25/06 13 Days/12 Nights) – Tahiti – Moorea – Bora Bora – Tikehau

Just wanted to share some pics of my HM in French Polynesia... I'm not very good at writing reviews so, it’s more of a summary/diary and with more pictures in my album.. link provided in the end . However, I didn’t have many nice pictures to share because Air Tahiti Nui lost one of our two check-in luggage which, it contained the camera charger and underwater camera case. The missing luggage never arrived in French Polynesia so, we didn’t have the most important piece of luggage throughout the entire honeymoon for nearly 2 weeks. Everything we needed (except clothes) were in the missing luggage… brand new snorkeling gear (masks, vests, snorkels, etc.), contact lenses/solution/cases, facial cleanser/lotion, make-up, shampoo, prescription drug, prescription glasses, bottles of sun block, bottles of insect repellant, etc. After two days into our honeymoon, our digital camera ran out of battery. The disposable cameras that we picked up were in bad quality (maybe, they sat in the heat for too long before we purchased them) so, the pictures came out blurry and most pictures developed with red spots.

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Itinerary/Resorts:
Tahiti – Sheraton Hotel Tahiti - Lagoon View Room (1 night)
Moorea – Sheraton Moorea – Superior Garden Bungalow #30 (3 nights)
Bora Bora – InterContinental Resort & Thalasso Spa – Diamond Overwater Villa #111 (6 nights) – daily Breakfast & Dinner included
Tikehau – Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort – Overwater Bungalow #3 (2 nights)

Excursions:
Shark & Ray Feeding / Motu Picnic (Group) - Moorea
Jeep Safari – Moorea
Tiki Village – Moorea
Pirojue (Traditional Tahitian Catamaran – free activity at IC Thalasso) – Bora Bora
Lagoonarium – Bora Bora
Funny Cat – Bora Bora
Jeep Safari / Pearl Farm – Bora Bora
Spa (Volcanic stone massage for couple) – Bora Bora
Sunset Cruise (Sailing on a catamaran) – Bora Bora – cancelled due to rain
Birds Island – Tikehau
Spa (Manea massage for couple) – Tikehau
Motu Picnic (Private) - Tikehau

Restaurants:
Le Mahogany - Moorea
La Bounty – Bora Bora
La Villa Mahana – Bora Bora
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DAY 1 (Monday, June 12, 2006) – Departure from NY – JFK to Tahiti - PPT
Air Tahiti Nui recently added direct flights from New York-JFK to Tahiti-PPT; a 12-hour direct flight. ATN made Tahiti easier to get to for the Tahiti lovers on the East Coast.

It was a full flight and that made it hard for me to sleep. I’m not going to lie, the flight was long and felt longer because I couldn’t fully rest. We arrived at Papeete (PPT) Airport at around 12AM local time and the airport is open-air without any air conditioning. The air was warm and humid and I got bitten by mosquito while waiting to clear Custom. We realized that our luggage didn’t make it and filed for missing luggage report. We knew that our honeymoon package and vouchers were with a local travel agent(s) waiting outside so, to be on the safe side, my husband went outside to notify the agent that we were taking longer to come out; the agent waited for us.

There were bulletin boards with travel agencies and visitors’ names. We approached ours and the agent greeted us with fresh leis and reviewed the itinerary & vouchers with us. Then, we got on the shuttle van to Sheraton Hotel Tahiti. We slept for only a few hours and saw very little of the hotel. The lagoon view room had a high ceiling and was spacious. Basically, we checked in at around 2am, washed up, napped, and checked out at around 7am on next morning for our ~9:30am flight to Moorea.

By the way, we were told that our missing luggage went to Cairo, Egypt because it was scheduled for the same departure time as ATN.

DAY 2 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006) – Departure from Tahiti to Moorea
We got on Air Moorea; it was a small and cute plane; open seating (approx. 10-minute flight about 15 passenger-seats).

Upon arrival at Moorea Airport, we were picked up by the Sheraton Moorea Shuttle to the resort. As we checked in, we were greeted with pineapple juices and fresh leis. We got upgraded to the Superior Garden Bungalow #30. However, the bungalow was not ready so, the Guest Services called a cab for us to replace some items from the missing luggage. We went to town and exchanged USD for XPF. Then, we got local food for lunch and purchased contact lens cases & solution, sun block, facial cleanser & lotion, etc. at an Optical, supermarket, and pharmacy.

Sheraton Moorea - Superior Garden Bungalow Bathroom


It was Asian Buffet and Tahitian Show (fire and dance) Night at the resort restaurant. The buffet was great (many selection) and the show was really entertaining.

DAY 3 (Wednesday, June 14, 2006) – Shark and Ray Feeding / Group Motu Picnic Excursion (Moorea Explorer)
The boat pulled up to the usual shark feeding spot and the sharks congregated around the boat. Our captain/tour operators started feeding the sharks as they tied the boat with a rope to a buoy. We jumped in and held on to the rope to see sharks and fishes underwater. The tour provided snorkels and masks and wished I had mine which, were in the missing luggage. I felt a bit rushed because there were just too many of us on this tour… anyway, it was fun and I was excited to see sharks. Our next stop was ray feeding in shallow water where the water comes up to waist high. I thought that the rays were too friendly because they’d brush up against people and the rays had a distinct kind of smell.

Sharks congregating around the boat..


Shark & Ray Feeding Boat


For lunch, we pulled up to an island for BBQ/picnic. As we relaxed around the beach, the tour operators BBQ’d chicken and prepared a traditional Tahitian dish called Poisson Cru (raw tuna salad with onions and coconut milk). Then the tour operators performed a coconut show.

Motu (Group) Picnic


Cats on the island...


Tiki Village (Dinner & Show) -
The Tiki Village was educational for us because we learned about the Tahitian way of life before becoming modernized. Part of our dinner was cooked in Tahitian’s traditional underground oven. In the Village, there were guided tours to explain the history, art, culture, and shops (pearl shop, souvenir shop, and shops that sell traditional Tahitian items).

Tahitian underground oven..


Tiki Village (one of the shops)..


Tiki Village (performers)..


The dinner was okay and show was really entertaining. The performers had numerous outfits and the theme was a Tahitian traditional wedding.

DAY 4 (Thursday, June 15, 2006) – Jeep Safari / Flower Garden / Plantation Excursion (Moorea Explorer)
We had only two couples in this excursion and the other couple was also from the U.S.

The tour guide stopped at the Black Sand Beach and told a historic fact… this beach was where the Tahitians used to get bitten by the fish and if the injured didn’t get treated immediately, then the injured won’t survive after couple of days.

We went up to the Belvedere to see the two bays, Opunohu Bay and Cook Bay.

We also stopped at the Flower Garden to see different Tahitian flowers, Pineapple Plantation, and Vanilla Farm.

Another stop, Tahitian Temple and we found a little waterfall.

Dinner at Le Mahogany. Basically, restaurants on Moorea provide pick up/drop off services between resorts and restaurants. Anyway, the food here was great. We ordered three entrees and finished all except for the clam curry that I wasn’t used to.

Overall we were very happy with our choice of hotel/resort. It was truly the best on Moorea in terms of its location and service.

DAY 5 (Friday, June 16, 2006) – Departure from Moorea to Bora Bora
Before we landed at Bora Bora, I took the last photo of Bora Bora on the plane with our digital camera. Then the camera ran out of battery so, for the island of Bora Bora… we had a mix of photos taken with disposal cameras (mostly blurry shots) and digital camera (borrowed a charger from a nice NY couple on the fifth night at IC Thalasso)….

Upon arrival at Bora Bora, we were greeted with fresh leis and boarded the InterContinental Thalasso Spa & Resort shuttle boat… it was just the two of us!

We requested for OWB#111 because it’s one of the four outer most Diamond Overwater Villas that are located at the tip of the two forks. There was no other villa blocking our view of the mountain… yeah!

IC Thalasoo - Pathway to Diamond Water Villas


DAY 6 (Saturday, June 17, 2006) – A relaxing day at the resort
Allen and I spent a few hours handling our lost luggage incident with ATN. We were frustrated by it and I was really upset. The concierge, Vatea was concerned about us and he recommended a free activity provided by the resort, Pirojue. It’s a Traditional Tahitian Catamaran, the only one on Bora Bora that’s motor-less. Allen took a picture of me on Pirojue with a muffin-top looking mosquito bite swelled up on my thigh. Our OWB is right behind me!

DAY 7 (Sunday, June 18, 2006) -
Jeep Safari / Pearl Farm / Island Tour Excursion
The tour guide picked up his customers from various hotels/resorts and he drove the jeep up on a rough trail (pretty fun and rugged). The tour had three stops looking at different outlook points on Mt. Otemanu to view the lagoon of Bora Bora. There was a little history about cannons (one of the tour spots) on the Mt. Otemanu that almost every visitor took a picture with; the cannons were brought by the Americans during WWII, however, they were used in WWI and didn’t have much distance because they were too old. These cannons were meant for attacking the Japanese battleships, however, the Japanese never went to Bora Bora instead, they went to Pearl Harbor. During that time, Americans also helped the locals built airport, roads, schools, etc.

The Jeep Safari tour also included a circle island tour and Bora Bora Peral Farm… we saw churches, main town (Vaitape), Tahitian Temple, etc. One quick note, the town was mostly closed on Sundays; therefore, it was pretty quiet.

Lunch at La Bounty -
Surprisingly, La Bounty was open. My husband and I had lunch there. Allen had crepes and I had pizza (not typical NY pizza… just different). I wanted to try their pasta but, we were too full… the food tasted alright and the prices were fair.

Dinner at La Villa Mahana -
We loved everything about the restaurant! We loved the décor and the food was amazing. Allen and I ordered the Discovery and Royale set-menu. It was awesome! It was the best and most romantic we’ve had.

We sat at one of the six tables in the restaurant. Our table was on the second level of the villa; outdoor. We were looking right into the kitchen while the chef/owner prepared our dishes. It rained right before we had our dessert then, we moved indoor and had our yummy desserts.

The owner and chef, Damien took a picture with us… he’s very nice and really talented. Too bad the picture was taken with the disposable camera… so, the lighting was bad and blurred.

DAY 8 (Monday, June 19, 2006) -
Funny Cat (tour around the main island) & Snorkeling
The Funny Cat is motor-operated… it can go as fast as jet skis. There was a tour guide showing us the way around the island and we had a blast driving it… we sat next to each other and enjoyed every view of the main island and the surrounding motus. The Funny Cat’s got two stick shifts… one controlled the speed (drive & reverse) and the other one controlled direction (straight, left, or right). We stopped for snorkeling in the Coral Garden and saw lots of fish and moray eel; we also stopped for a break and enjoyed pineapples & coconuts.

Bora Bora Lagoonarium -
We did an afternoon lagoonarium tour which, skipped the day tour of shark and ray feeding. The boat picked us up directly from IC Thalasso Marina. At the Lagoonarium, we saw Tahitian turtles (secluded), different kinds of fish in an enclosed beach, then swam with sharks. We also had a break to enjoy fruits.

DAY 9 (Tuesday, June 20, 2006)
Again, we were handling the lost luggage incident and wasted an afternoon. We went to the local market on the main island to shop for water and more post cards. We wanted to rent a car, Axiam but, there wasn’t any available (this model was no longer available to rent; all sold to the locals as private vehicles). By this time, we knew where everything is on the island… we walked and enjoyed ourselves by checking out other hotels/resorts. We also walked to the Matira Beach and took a few pictures.

DAY 10 (Wednesday, June 21, 2006)
It was a rainy last day on Bora Bora. We charged up our digital camera and took pictures everywhere. We wanted to make up for the pictures taken with disposable cameras but, the island and resort looked completely different in the rain and after the rain.

After the rain..


DAY 11 (Thursday, June 22, 2006) - Departure from Bora Bora to Tikehau
This was a truly remarkable experience. After we arrived at Tikehau airport, we were picked up by a shuttle van to the pier. Then, the shuttle boat took all guests to Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort on a beautiful motu. After check-in, we had lunch at the restaurant (loved the food but, there were a lot of flies).

There were many guests at the resort but, all scattered on the property. The entire island was just quiet and tranquil. We had another couple massage (did one at IC Thalasso) and we signed up for excursions for the next day. It was really relaxing... everything’s at your own pace. The resort had a free pareo demonstration by the gift shop and the manager tried the pareos on all guests.

Tiare Flower


DAY 12 (Friday, June 23, 2006)
Bird Island Tour – It was a long boat ride to the Bird Island. Anyway, we circled the island by foot; and saw many kinds of bird. We also got to snorkel off of the corals.

A bird on Bird Island


A baby bird on Bird Island…


Private Motu Picnic – This was the most relaxing, romantic excursion. My husband and I ordered lunch from the resort t dropped off by a boat on a private motu with our lunch and a cooler. We set a time for pick up and we just simply enjoyed ourselves on “our” motu. There was no one else on this motu and the motus next to ours. We enjoyed our lunch, relaxed, snorkeled, walked on the beach, and watched sunset.

DAY 13 (Saturday, June 24, 2006 - toured Tahiti) - Departure from Tikehau to Tahiti
We got to Tahiti in the morning and had several hours before our international flight going back home. So, we stored our luggage at the airport and took a public bus (Le Truck) to main town. We had lunch and shopped in a local market (with many tourists and locals shopped there, too); walked around and bought more souvenirs; then, we hung out by the pier and waited until the Roulottes showed up (it’s a mobile night market with carnival-like food stands).

View more of my HM pictures at
My HM06 Album

Re: Belated HM Review in French Polynesia (6/12/06 – 6/25/06 13 Days/12 Nights) – Tahiti – Moorea – Bora Bora – Tikehau

Wow...Everything looked great!! Thanks so much

Re: Belated HM Review in French Polynesia (6/12/06 – 6/25/06 13 Days/12 Nights) – Tahiti – Moorea – Bora Bora – Tikehau

Great review!!! My FH and I will also be staying at the Sheraton Moorea, so thanks for sharing - wish you had more pics of the resort. We're staying at the Thalasso's sister resort - Le Moana - on Bora Bora, but will definitely head over to see the gorgeous Thalasso!

Re: Belated HM Review in French Polynesia (6/12/06 – 6/25/06 13 Days/12 Nights) – Tahiti – Moorea – Bora Bora – Tikehau

Thank you!

I would like to share some logistical information with you that my travel agent shared with me:

1 - A place to leave your luggage:
In front of the international terminal in the parking lot, there is a building where you may leave your luggage. It is a secured room and I believe the fee is approximately $9.00/piece/day. Check-in for your departing international flight begins 2 hours
before departure.

2 - Bugs & Sun
Humans are not the only ones who love paradise! We do have mosquitos. Most all of the large resorts spray daily for mosquitos but the smaller pensions do not. They will however provide a mosquito coil and or net for your bed. Be sure to bring some mosquito repellant AND sunscreen !

3 - Dress
Dress here is very casual. Even in the nicest hotels/restaurants you can wear shorts and a t-shirt. We do get intermittent rain so keep that in mind.

4 - Tipping
It is not expected, however it will not insult. If someone has provided you particularly good service, please feel free to tip as a show of gratitude. They may or may not accept it.

5 - Money
The currency here is the Pacific Franc (xpf). However, most hotels and restaurants accept Visa & Mastercard. Several people and establishments will also accept the USD and the Euro.

6 - Baggage Limits
6a - Air Tahiti Nui (international)
Allowed 2 pieces at 32 kilos each (70lbs). In excess of this will have to pay $100 usd per piece
6b - Air Tahiti (inter-island)
While traveling within the islands international divers may now benefit from a supplemental baggage waiver. Normally when flying Air Tahiti, passengers are allowed baggage up to 20 kilos (44 lbs). Now however, divers may bring 25 kilos (55 lbs). To qualify you must present your dive certification card and international ticket at the check-in counter.

7 - Seating
On all inter-island flights try to sit on the left side of the airplane for the best view (except when flying to Tahiti from the society islands, sit on the right). There is no assigned seating.

8 - Entry Requirements
Nationals of the USA and Canada are allowed to stay one month without a visa. Members of the European Union are allwed to stay three months without a visa. You must have a passport VALID FOR SIX MONTHS FROM TRAVEL DATE and a return OR CONTINUING ticket.

Re: Belated Review: HM in French Polynesia (6/12/06 – 6/25/06 13 Days/12 Nights) – Tahiti – Moorea – Bora Bora – Tikehau

Ahhhh.... memories

Re: Belated Review: HM in French Polynesia (6/12/06 – 6/25/06 13 Days/12 Nights) – Tahiti – Moorea – Bora Bora – Tikehau

great review!

Re: Belated Review: HM in French Polynesia (6/12/06 – 6/25/06 13 Days/12 Nights) – Tahiti – Moorea – Bora Bora – Tikehau

beautiful pics !!! thanks for the reveiw.

Re: Belated Review: HM in French Polynesia (6/12/06 – 6/25/06 13 Days/12 Nights) – Tahiti – Moorea – Bora Bora – Tikehau

thanks for sharing!

Re: Belated Review: HM in French Polynesia (6/12/06 – 6/25/06 13 Days/12 Nights) – Tahiti – Moorea – Bora Bora – Tikehau

How exciting. Thanks for sharing