UPDATED TO FIX PICS: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

***I fixed the pictures - hopefully everyone can see them now!!!***

I liked the layout of Jess’s (CaMacho’s) review so I hope she doesn’t mind but I am using the same layout. I also have to give a big shout out and thank you to Jess (CaMacho) and Angela (Angnick)…they both honeymooned in French Polynesia before me and I had a ton of questions for both of them. At the time of my booking I bombarded Jess with so many questions on her thoughts on the different itineraries I was interested in. Jess and Angela were both so knowledgeable and helpful with all things FP related…so I really just want to thank them both for their reviews and tips and pix!

Our Itinerary:
1 night Tahiti
4 nights Moorea
5 nights Bora Bora
3 nights Tahaa

Our Resorts:
Tahiti Intercontinental Resort
-garden view room #305
Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa
-garden bungalow w/ plunge pool #229
Bora Bora Intercontinental Resort & Thalasso Spa
-Emerald overwater bungalow #206
Le Taha’a Private Island & Spa (a Pearl Resort)
-Bora Bora View overwater bungalow #7

Transportation:
Air Tahiti Nui – 12 hours non-stop from NY
Aremeti Ferry – Tahiti to Moorea (25 mins)
Air Tahiti – Moorea to Bora Bora, then Raiatea back to Tahiti (boat transfer from Tahaa to Raiatea)
Helicopter – Bora Bora to Tahaa

Activities:
Couples Massage – Moorea
Rented bikes - Moorea
4x4 Jeep Tour – Moorea
Shark & Ray Feeding – Bora Bora
Massage – Bora Bora

Restaurants:
Alfredo’s – Moorea (dinner)
Blue Pineapple – Moorea (lunch)
Le Mahogany – Moorea (dinner)
Te Hono Iti – Moorea (dinner)
Hotel Bora Bora BBQ – Bora Bora (dinner)
Bloody Mary’s – Bora Bora (dinner)
Ben’s Pizza – Bora Bora (lunch)
Villa Mahana – Bora Bora (dinner)


DAY 1 – Friday, March 2nd
*Air Tahiti Nui flight from NY
*Tahiti Intercontinental Resort

We got married over Thanksgiving weekend in November. Due to a death in the family we chose to postpone our honeymoon. Thank god for trip insurance…take it from me, even if you don’t think you need it – GET IT! We never in a million years thought we’d have any reason to cancel our honeymoon when we originally booked it. DH’s dad was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer about 5 months after we booked our honeymoon…he died 5 months later, which was only 8 days before our wedding (having to bury your dad/father-in-law and get married all in one week is not something I wish on my worst enemy!!!). We were obviously in no emotional state to be taking off half way around the world for 2 weeks, so we cancelled the trip about 5 days before we were due to leave. Luckily we were able to re-book it for just a few months later in March. We both were really in need of this honeymoon and vacation! The timing was perfect…we had spent a lot of time with family the months following our wedding and his dad’s death. It was great knowing we had this amazing honeymoon to look forward to. We did go on what we called a half-moon up to Vermont for 4 nights immediately following our wedding. We just needed to get away for a bit and be alone together. We stayed at the Castle Hill Resort & Spa – FM me with any questions. It was lovely but not much to do at all nearby. Would recommend for just 2 or 3 nights.

OK back to Tahiti…
We left NY on a Friday. Check in at JFK was a breeze although we were charged $50 for overweight luggage. We were going for 2 full weeks and really didn’t overpack at all. I can’t see how we could have done it any differently – the weight restrictions are a pain! Be careful and be sure to pack an empty duffel bag in case you are over – you can always move stuff to the duffel & not get charged!

Here is a picture of our overweight luggage...just 1 bag per person!


Be sure to eat before you board because the food on the flight is just ok. It’s edible but nothing great. I don’t remember what exactly we ate I just know we got dinner right away and then many hours later another meal of pasta. I packed granola bars and some other snacks, which were good to have. If you have room in your carry on – be sure to do the same!
We were really nervous about the long flight but it was totally fine. We both slept a lot and we each watched 1 movie. We couldn’t believe how fast the 12 hours went. We were so excited when we finally landed in Tahiti! It was 1am Tahiti time – about 6am NY time (and it was now officially my birthday NY and Tahiti time!)

Air Tahiti Nui plane


DH making note of it being officially my birthday NY time...as I lay sound asleep on the plane!


It is sweltering hot in all the airports in French Polynesia – they are partly outdoors and have no air conditioning. We couldn’t believe how hot it was even at 1am. I was glad I packed a change of clothes in my carry on which I changed into right before we landed. DH was sweating in his long pants. I changed into a light skirt and tank and was glad I did!
We found our tour operator right away b/c they all have signs up with your names on them. They greet you with leis and send you on your way to your hotel.


Check in at Tahiti Intercontinental was quick. Our room was nothing special but we didn’t need much since we were spending less than 12 hours there. We crashed right away and woke up pretty early since we had slept so much on the long flight from NY. We were definitely a little jet lagged the first few days – takes a while to adjust to the time difference. Something you can do to help adjust easier is set your watch to the time of the destination you are traveling to as soon as you board the plane. We didn’t do this but I have heard this helps a lot!

Room at Intercontinental Tahiti


DAY 2 – Saturday, March 3rd (my birthday!)
*Aremeti Ferry from Tahiti to Moorea
*Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa

We walked around the resort in the morning, had breakfast and took a dip in the beautiful pool. Breakfast buffet was good – it’s around $30 per person but expect that at any hotel in FP for a breakfast buffet.
We even had a celebrity sighting our first morning there…he’s really just a NY celebrity but I was excited anyway. Dave Price from CBS’s The Early Show was there filming a segment for the show. I used to watch him do the weather all the time when he was on Fox’s Good Day NY. We said hello and he was glad to see some fellow New Yorkers. He was real nice and friendly. The segment was about trips of a lifetime – they gave some couple a trip of a lifetime to Tahiti! Dave was about to hop on a canoe to bring this couple breakfast via canoe to their OWB. We didn’t get to see the segment on TV because it aired the next day back in NY.

Dave Price


Tahiti Intercontinental Resort Pics




We were on the noon ferry from Tahiti to Moorea. Nice ferry and we realized all the locals must go over to Moorea for the day – we were 2 of about only 10 tourists on the ferry. Maybe all the tourists take the flight over – not sure. It was a good 30 to 40 minute ride. It was actually very choppy/rough and I started to feel seasick so I just put my head back and went to sleep. We started out wanting to sit outside so we were on the top deck. That lasted for about 5 minutes because it is just SO sweltering hot there in March. We quickly moved inside to the air conditioning!
They sell food and snacks if you need any. We were still full from breakfast though.



Check in at the Pearl was a breeze – Nita checked us in and was really nice. She showed us around the resort and walked us to our room. She told us we had one of the 2 biggest plunge pools at the hotel. I had seen pictures from other LIW girls who had the plunge pool rooms so I knew what they looked like. When I saw our pool I knew Nita wasn’t kidding – ours was double the size of all the others. Email ahead and request room 228 or 229 if you are booking in a room with plunge pool. We loved the location of our room too – it was close enough to the pool and situated right behind the premium beach bungalows. I was very torn about whether we should go with the plunge pool room or a beach bungalow and I have to say I am glad we stayed with the plunge pool. We loved it and were in it every day!

Our room and plunge pool at Moorea Pearl






We just hung around the resort since it was our first day here. Went in the main pool as well as our own pool. It was really nice having our own little pool to dip in whenever we wanted. Someone did a demonstration by the main pool on how to make the signature Tahitian dish of Poisson Cru…I was so excited to finally taste this stuff I read so much about. It was DELISH! If you like sushi you’ll love it! Raw tuna marinated in lime juice and coconut milk with some raw veggies. It was great!
Pool at Moorea Pearl

Poisson Cru demonstration


You have to try it!


Did I mention our first day in Moorea was my birthday? It was and DH was really sweet and packed balloons and streamers and a Happy Birthday sign. I sort of knew he was up to something when he talked me into taking a long shower before dinner (he usually hates it when I take really long showers). So I did and when I got out the room was decorated with lots of streamers and balloons and stuff. It was really cute – I was shocked that he packed this stuff without my knowing and blew up all the balloons while I was in the shower!



We had planned to go out to dinner to celebrate my birthday but it poured rain all night. From the time we left the main pool till we were showered, dressed and ready to go out. It wasn’t just a drizzle…it was a torrential downpour. So we just decided to stay in and order room service. Besides I wanted to enjoy my birthday decorations. We actually tried ordering Allo Pizza (from CaMacho’s review) but the concierge told us they were closed for the month. This wasn’t true though because we passed by there other days and they were totally open. I wonder if this was their way of getting us to eat their food instead…?
I do NOT recommend room service from Moorea Pearl. The food was disgusting – what a let down for my birthday dinner! We got a pizza, a Caesar salad and something else. It was all just barely even edible. And this food came from the restaurant menu so we made it a point to eat every other meal out. I had heard the food at Moorea Pearl wasn’t great and I agree! There are so many great restaurants nearby and they all pick you up – definitely eat out every night! It’s worth it!


DAY 3 – Sunday, March 4th
*Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa
*Couples Massage at Manea Spa
*Alfredo’s Restaurant

We didn’t pay to have the breakfast buffet included in our stay here because I had heard that Carmeline’s just down the street was better and really cheap. But somehow they had us down when we checked in for free breakfast included and also a free couple’s massage. They said it was part of our package but nowhere on our travel docs did it mention this and our travel agent knew nothing about it either…but we certainly didn’t complain! So we did end up eating at the breakfast buffet each morning since it was free. The food was fine – your typical breakfast buffet. We were actually glad it ended up being included b/c it was SO hot out that we figured we probably wouldn’t have wanted to walk the 10 minute walk each morning just to get breakfast at Carmeline’s. That probably makes us sound so lazy but when I tell you we were dripping with sweat just walking 5 feet you’ll understand. It really is extremely hot in March – if we ever get to go back we’d try to go in May or June for better/slightly lower temperatures!

We just hung around the hotel again this day at the pool. We were still tired and not used to the time difference yet so it was nice to just relax by the pool. We did our free couple’s massage that afternoon at Manea Spa. It was a nice spa and the massages were great!

We were excited for our first night out to dinner on our honeymoon – especially since our room service the night before was so bad! We went to Alfredo’s and it was good. They had a live singer (Ron) that night…he was ok, not great but he was fun. Sang all American songs so it’s enjoyable. He called people up to sing with him if they wanted. The food was ok here – DH liked it better than I did. Service is definitely slow pretty much everywhere you go so just have a very relaxed attitude at dinners and you’ll be fine! I don’t even remember what we ate…all I know is I got Poisson Cru to start and it was fantastic! They pick you up and drop you back at your hotel whenever you are ready to go. We were there in low season (sorry I keep saying that) so they didn’t make us wait for other people from our hotel to finish eating before they took us back. But I have heard when the restaurants are more crowded they will do that. I was glad we didn’t have to wait on others – we just left when we were ready.

DAY 4 – Monday, March 5th
*Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa
*Rented bikes
*Blue Pineapple - lunch
*Le Mahogany Restaurant

Got up, had breakfast and hung out by the pool. When we started to get hungry for some lunch we decided to rent some bikes and ride somewhere we could grab lunch. We rented the bikes right from the hotel – cheap but they are REALLY old bikes. Was a little nervous riding them because they were so old. Stopped along the way for some nice pictures. We really didn’t go too far because like I’ve been saying – the heat was killing me! It was just so hot. I had heard from friends and read online that Blue Pineapple has really great breakfast and lunch food – it’s the restaurant at the Club Bali Hai hotel. Hotel is not the prettiest on the island but the food at Blue Pineapple was great. We just had burgers and fries and a few Hinanos but we really enjoyed it. It’s under a thatched roof right on the water so there was a nice breeze. We hung out for a bit and just enjoyed the nice view. Highly recommend this place. Here is a link for it with pics (there is also info on other restaurants in Moorea on this website – see top of page):

http://www.clubbalihai.com/blue_pineapple_in_cooks_bay_moorea.html

On the deck at Blue Pineapple after lunch


On the ride back to our hotel we stopped for some ice cream at Carmeline’s. It was really good ice cream and really hit the spot since the sun was so strong and beaming on us.

When we got back from our bike ride we decided to sit out on the beach area by the lagoon and go swimming there. Then headed back to our room to go in our own pool before getting ready for dinner!






We went to Le Mahogany for dinner and loved it. This was our favorite restaurant on Moorea. They actually have Chinese food here as well as seafood and French. I had Mahi Mahi in Vanilla Sauce and DH had a low mein dish that he said was really good. We highly recommend this place. They too will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel free of charge.

Dinner at Le Mahogany


DAY 5 – Tuesday, March 6th
*Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa
*4x4 Jeep Tour
*Te Hono Iti Restaurant

Got up early to have breakfast because we were doing the 4x4 Jeep tour in the morning. I think we got picked up at 8am and it went until noon. Loved this tour and would highly recommend it. As I’ve been saying a lot though – the heat was almost unbearable. It was also very humid in March so I think that’s what made it so uncomfortable. Takes you up in the mountains to see some good lookout points…gorgeous views. Took us to a waterfall and the fruit juice distillery. We booked this thru our hotel and it was with Moorea Explorer. I know Albert’s does this too and heard they are great but Pearl uses Moorea Explorer. Pack water to drink and your sunscreen! Wear a bathing suit so you can go in the waterfall – not many people did. I was the only one who went in!


Pineapple fields










Had lunch at the Pearl when we got back to the hotel and then hung out by the pool all day. We were tired from being up so early and from hiking the mountains of Moorea. We just relaxed until it was time to get ready for dinner at Te Hono Iti. Food was really good there. It’s right on the water and stingrays swim up so you can feed them. It was really fun. We recommend this restaurant as well. Pickup and drop off is free.



Dinner

Curry Shrimp

Mahi Mahi in Vanilla Sauce


Packed after dinner because we were leaving bright and early the next morning for Bora Bora. We were so excited we could barely sleep! We got up early to take some sunrise pics...



DAY 6 – Wednesday, March 7th
*Air Tahiti from Moorea to Bora Bora
*Bora Bora Intercontinental Thalasso Resort & Spa
*Hotel Bora Bora BBQ Buffet and Polynesian fire show

Woke up early to have breakfast before our ride to the airport arrived. We were sad to be leaving Moorea and the beautiful Pearl Resort but also so excited to be going to Bora Bora.
Check in at the Moorea airport was quick but we were once again charged for overweight luggage. Not a lot at all – I think US$20 maybe. We got there really early and had a good 40 minutes to kill before we boarded. We just sat and read our books – it was way too hot in the airport to do anything else. The flight to Bora Bora was fairly quick, around 40 minutes. Sit on the left side of the plane and have your camera out. I loved taking pictures of our hotel on Bora Bora from the air. We also flew right over our hotel on Tahaa so I got pictures of that too.

Inside Moorea Airport


Inside the small plane from Moorea to Bora Bora


Our hotel on Bora Bora - IC Thalasso



St. Regis OWB's - where Nicole Kidman stayed on her honeymoon!



Bora Bora Airport

Once you arrive at the Bora Bora Airport you walk over to your hotel’s counter. The airport is tiny and is on a motu so the only way out is by boat. Each hotel has a counter at the airport to help you with your luggage and send you on your way to your hotel.
We were absolutely amazed by the gorgeous color of the water on Bora Bora. You’ve seen pictures so you think you are prepared for the beauty of it but there are no words to describe it. It is definitely the most beautiful place we’ve ever been and what we imagine to be the most beautiful place on earth! The boat ride to the Thalasso is about 20 minutes. You pass the St. Regis and Le Meridian on the way. St. Regis looks amazing and their OWB’s are huge! We were happy we chose the Thalasso though! It was absolutely stunning and just perfect for us!



Someone from the front desk is waiting for you on the dock to take you to your room for what they call “in-room check in”. This was really nice – saves a little time and just makes you feel important. They stop by the front desk just to show you around and someone walks out with wet cloths & these green drinks so you can cool off. That was a nice touch! Then they drive you around and give you a tour of the entire resort…then off to your room where they check you in.


On our way to our new home for the next 6 days!




I had emailed the hotel ahead of time to request a certain room number. If you look at the resort map you can get a feel for where you want to stay. Looking at the rooms from where the pool area is – they are set up in 2 U shapes. We wanted the left side of the U because the one on the right is very close to the Le Meridian hotel OWB’s. There is nothing but clear blue water off the left U – you look out at nothing. If you’re on the right U – you’d be looking out at the Le Meridian rooms. We booked an Emerald category room so if you look on the map you can see why I requested #206. Just look and you’ll see why – it’s the only Emerald room that is next to a Diamond room! It was extremely private – we couldn’t see the decks of either room to our sides – I love the way our room was situated!

There it is...Room 206!!!
(Notice there is nothing to the left of it...and the OWB to the right of it is actually a supply closet for the cleaning ladies - so it's the most private Emerald Category room!)


Our chins literally hit the floor when we walked into our room. It was 2 times the size of our NYC apartment! It was just absolutely stunning. Everything is brand new and just ultra luxurious. I could go on and on about the room but you’ll just have to see for yourself! The view from the bed is incredible! And we really liked the fact that the water is very clear and does not have a lot of fish. When I want to dip in the water during the day just to cool off and relax – I don’t want or need a million fishes swimming around me. We saw a ton under our coffee table at night – but not 1 fish during the day, which was good for us but obviously not for everyone. Some people want an OWB for that experience alone. We had our fill of fish when we did the snorkel tour.


Tops slides open so you can feed the fish!



View from our bed








Once we were unpacked and settled in, we hung out on our OWB deck for a bit, went swimming there and then headed over to the main pool. The pool was empty every day – anytime we were there we were the only ones there. Being it was low season the resort was only 50% full. We actually felt like it was less than that because we felt like the only ones there at times, which was a nice feeling for a honeymoon! The staff was really wonderful here – everyone was so nice. My husband called the front desk right away because he couldn’t figure out something with the TV and someone was there in less than 5 minutes to fix it. The concierge called us several times throughout our stay just to make sure we were doing ok and didn’t need anything. We felt very pampered here! Oh and we received lots of stuff upon arrival for our honeymoon…a t-shirt and pareo, fruit and champagne! It was nice!




We had a reservation for dinner that night on the main island at the Hotel Bora Bora. Every Wednesday night they have a traditional Polynesian fire and dance show with BBQ Buffet. The food was amazing. Lots of fish and meats – all bbq’d – all you can eat for around US$85 per person. Drinks were not included. The fire/dance show was amazing. We only did this one so I have nothing to compare it to – but I’ve read and heard that it is the best show in all of FP! We really had a great time! Great way to spend our first night in Bora Bora!

Fire show at Hotel Bora Bora



DAY 7 – Thursday, March 8th
*Bora Bora Intercontinental Thalasso Resort & Spa
*Shark/Ray Feeding
*Bloody Mary’s

Got up and had breakfast early because we were heading out for the morning Shark/Ray Feeding tour. The boat picked us up at that Thalasso dock at around 9am. It was only us and 2 other couples on the tour. Not sure who the tour operator was but our guide had the word FREEDOM tattooed across his back. He was a great guide. I was so scared of the shark feeding but it was really great. They take you to this area and there is a rope set up in the water. They tell you to stay on one side of the rope and the sharks are on the other side. It’s amazing that they stay there and don’t cross over towards you. I just kept going down and looking at them. I’d see all these sharks in front of me and would come up a little scared knowing there were all these sharks down there. It was really cool though – a once in a lifetime thing. We’re definitely glad we did it.
After the sharks we went to feed the stingrays. Then after that we went to the coral gardens where we saw some of the most beautiful fish! We spent the most time there. After that stop they took us to this very shallow area in the beautiful lagoon where we just sat in the water and they served us fresh fruit, which was really delicious. We hung out there for a while and then headed back to our hotel. I think they had us back to the hotel by noon or 1pm.

My DH the photog getting some sunrise shots!


On the boat for the shark/ray feeding - the water is really that blue!

SHARKS

RAYS

Coral Gardens


Got some lunch by the pool and hung out there with one of the couples we met on the shark feeding. After that we went back to our bungalow to hang out on our deck before getting ready for dinner at Bloody Mary’s.

Pool



I was so excited to go to Bloody Mary’s because it’s such a famous restaurant. It was pretty empty when we got there and then started to fill up by the time we got our meals. The floor is all sand so take off your shoes and just relax! There is no menu...when you walk in they show you a table full of the food that is available for that night...all the fresh catch of the day! I thought the food was fantastic which was a nice surprise because most people say it is just a tourist trap with bad food. I had the tuna steak and DH had the mahi mahi in vanilla sauce. For an appetizer I had a delicious calamari cutlet and DH had salad. The Bloody Mary’s are delish – figured I shouldn’t drink anything but a bloody mary there!
Go check out the men’s room as everyone says – it’s funny!

On the boat ride to dinner


This is the 'menu'

We had a blast at Bloody Mary's!

Delicious tuna steak…


DAY 8 – Friday, March 9th
*Bora Bora Intercontinental Thalasso Resort & Spa
*Ben’s Pizza

We thought we’d be adventurous this day and head over to the main island and walk around and just eat at one of the little places along the road that all the travel books rave about. We wanted to walk to the market to get bottle water for our room but there are signs and I read in the travel books to beware of wild dogs on Bora Bora. When we got over to the Thalasso’s sister resort where the boat drops you off…we started to walk a bit and saw several of these wild dogs. I was a little freaked out by them because they were coming towards us and just looked very dirty. I was afraid of them! We managed to find a place to stop and eat – we were doing late lunch, early dinner. We stopped at this place called Ben’s Pizza that you can read about in the travel books. They say the food is great and so is the company…the owner is a Tahitian man and his American wife. Well Ben barely spoke English and his American wife wasn’t there. There were cats and dogs walking all around us – it was very buggy. We were pretty miserable. The food was ok but I was so grossed out I just wanted to get out of there. I felt like such a snobby American but it just was gross. We thought we’d one night not go out to a fancy restaurant and spend a fortune…figured we’d do a real early dinner and then just hang out on our deck all night and drink. We never even made it to the store for drinks because I was so freaked out by these wild dogs. I hear it was just a 10 minute walk from where the Thalasso boat drops you off…we just didn’t make it. We went 10 minutes in the other direction to eat – the market was the other way.

Rooster at Ben’s Pizza…one of the many animals walking around!


We were so happy to arrive back at our beautiful hotel. It was still early and I was still hungry since I barely ate at Ben’s Pizza so we ordered some room service and just hung out on our deck all night which was so much fun! We brought our small ipod speaker dock so we had our own music playing out on the deck all night.

DAY 9 – Saturday, March 10th
*Bora Bora Intercontinental Thalasso Resort & Spa
*Villa Mahana

We had thought about maybe doing a 4x4 Jeep Tour on Bora Bora as well because we heard the views of the lagoon from up in the mountains was so beautiful. We just loved our hotel and OWB so much that we never wanted to leave during the day. So the Shark/Ray Feeding was the only thing we did on Bora Bora. Every other day we just split our time between chilling out on our deck and in the lagoon and some time at the pool.



DH is under the OWB – I took this of him from inside thru the coffee table:



All day we were so looking forward to our dinner at Villa Mahana. If you are heading to French Polynesia and have done your research – I’m sure you’ve heard of it. There are only 6 or 7 tables…one seating each night so they don’t rush you in and out and they book up months in advance. I emailed months in advance to get the reservation and to request the best table which is the top table. When you walk into the restaurant there are about 4 or 5 tables on the main level. Then you walk up a few stairs and there is another table…walk up some more stairs and there is the top table overlooking the entire restaurant. It’s very romantic and private up there. It was funny because I kept joking around with my husband that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban sat at that very same table on their honeymoon and while we were up there – some couple at one of the tables down below kept looking up and staring at us. At one point they even took out their camera and aimed it up at us…DH said they probably wanted to use their zoom to see if we were anybody famous. It was funny. If you can’t get the top table, not to worry. Still go – it’s such a beautiful little restaurant and the food is really amazing…definitely the best meal we had the entire trip! I had a filet mignon in some delicious sauce. A small serving of gnocchi came with it. DH had a lobster and shrimp risotto. Both dishes were amazing. We also had some really good wine with it. We drink different wine so we didn’t get a bottle…we each had 2 glasses. We also each got a salad to start and shared a dessert…a hot chocolate cake where the center oozes out – it was to die for! Our bill came to around $285. I was expecting it to be a lot more from what I had read about the place. It’s definitely worth every penny in our opinion! Go and enjoy! Oh and the chef himself comes out to take your order…he’s a very young and handsome French guy!
Sitting at our top table…

Down the stairs behind me is the rest of the restaurant…the other 6 tables:

Resting before dessert comes:

Dinner…lobster shrimp risotto

Filet mignon with side of gnocchi

Dessert – one of those delicious hot little chocolate cakes with the oozing chocolate center…and vanilla ice cream!


Feeding the fish when we got home that night




DAY 10 – Sunday, March 11th
*Bora Bora Intercontinental Thalasso Resort & Spa
*Massage

We were so sad it was our last day/night in Bora Bora at the IC Thalasso. We still had Tahaa to look forward to but we did not want to leave the Thalasso. I had a sad face on all day and was so upset we were leaving the next morning. Our time there went so fast – we were in Moorea 1 night less and our time there felt longer. I guess time flies when you’re having fun. Bora Bora just flew by for some reason.

After breakfast (I haven’t mentioned yet but the breakfast buffet was great here each morning) I got a massage. If you are going to Bora Bora and staying at the Thalasso you MUST, I repeat MUST get a spa treatment there. My massage was great and it’s in an OWB with a glass bottom floor so you get to see a ton of fish swimming underneath while you are having your massage. That was just a fun little touch. You get free access to the spa area for the entire day of your treatment – it is like a mini water park there. There are all these fun showers you can go in where you push different buttons to pick a different scent and different types of “rain” water pressure you want. They have all these plunge pools out back that you can go in. There was a hot tub with buttons to push for these really strong jets to come on…my therapist took me out there and told me to use that and let it hit my shoulder area because she said I had a lot of knots there. It was just amazing – I could have stayed there all day! The treatments are very expensive though so I only got one. But if you can spring it – I’d get one every day if I could. Jerome the concierge told us there are people who he calls “Spa junkies” because they just go to the spa every single day. I actually saw one couple every morning at breakfast and I never saw them around the pool or near the OWB’s – anytime I saw them besides breakfast they were either entering or leaving the spa. I think they got treatments every single day!!! It was really great!

We decided to finally stay at our hotel for dinner since it was our last night. I know Thalasso offers a meal plan and a lot of people we met at the hotel were all on it. So they were eating dinner at the hotel every single night and they all said they grew very tired of the menu. You can go over to the sister resort Le Moana on the main island for a change but I heard the food there was just ok. For some reason only 1 restaurant was open at Thalasso while we were there. I saw 2 other restaurants but they were both closed during our entire stay – maybe because we were there in low season? Not sure. But we were so happy we didn’t do the meal plan. We really enjoyed taking the boat over to the main island each night and trying something new. There are so many good restaurants on the main island to choose from. It seemed a lot of people who were on the meal plan had no idea that the restaurants come pick you up from the boat dock. They all thought they were stuck eating at Thalasso because how would you get to these restaurants on the main island. We were so glad we got out and tried other places. Other places I wanted to try but didn’t make it to were Kaina Hut and Top Dive. I heard both were fabulous.

The food at the restaurant at Thalasso was really good. We both agreed we were glad we didn’t eat there every night but it was good for our last night since we had to pack and get up early the next morning.

Here are some random shots taken around the Thalasso resort...












DAY 11 – Monday, March 12th
*Helicopter transfer from Bora Bora to Tahaa
*Le Taha’a Private Island Resort & Spa

We had a 10am helicopter flight from the Bora Bora airport over to Le Taha’a Private Resort and Spa. Which meant we had to get up early to eat breakfast and get the boat over to the airport from the Thalasso (Thalasso has a helicopter pad it’s just not ready yet – some of you future brides heading from Thalasso to Tahaa may get lucky and be able to leave directly from the Thalasso property). The people at the Thalasso were SO helpful to us in our worries about overweight luggage for the helicopter flight. We had asked them what would happen if our luggage was overweight on the helicopter and they explained to us that they can’t just charge you a fee. If it’s overweight one bag would have to be on a plane over from the Bora Bora airport to the Raiatea airport – then Le Taha’a would pick it up for us at the Raiatea airport and it would basically be brought over by boat to us at Le Taha’a. This worried me for some reason that some stranger would be waiting to pick up my bag. So Thalasso had us pack our bags early the night before we were leaving for Tahaa and they took them from us and weighed them. They let us know exactly what they weighed and yes they were overweight. We lightened one up and made sure we had everything we’d need for our 1st day in Tahaa in there so that one could make it on the helicopter with us. The staff at Thalasso was just really great in helping us with this because if we didn’t know any of this until we got to the airport – we would have probably had to send both bags over by plane and then by boat. I just wanted to point out that they went very out of their way to help us out and make us feel better about this issue that I was very concerned about.

Like I’ve been saying we were so sad to be leaving Bora Bora and more so the Thalasso! I just can’t say enough good things about this resort – it was really perfect in every way. We were excited for our stay at Le Taha’a though because I had heard from many travel agents and just from reading online that it was THE most luxurious hotel in all of French Polynesia.

Waiting on the dock for our boat ride to the airport...


Our helicopter ride was really cool and only about 15 minutes long. I thought I’d be a little nervous but it was fine. There was 1 other couple on the flight – somehow I got lucky enough to sit up front with the pilot. My husband and I were snapping both cameras like crazy – we got some amazing shots from up there! We flew right over the St. Regis on Bora Bora and it looks really nice. It’s supposed to be even better than Thalasso which I can’t even imagine – the Thalasso is that good!


St. Regis Resort

St. Regis OWB’s – they have pools on their decks!

If by chance they are from Kodak Gallery, I heard those do not post on here (you can see them, but not anyone else).

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

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Posted by MrsQ-in2007

Can't see any of the pictures!

If by chance they are from Kodak Gallery, I heard those do not post on here (you can see them, but not anyone else).

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OH NO - don't even tell me that!!!
I think I might shoot myself.....I can see them all!!! Bummer!

OK it could take me weeks to fix this problem...so hope you just enjoy the review - sorry about the no pics!!!

If anyone can see them - let me know!

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

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Posted by KandE917

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Posted by MrsQ-in2007

Can't see any of the pictures!

If by chance they are from Kodak Gallery, I heard those do not post on here (you can see them, but not anyone else).

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OH NO - don't even tell me that!!!
I think I might shoot myself.....I can see them all!!! Bummer!

OK it could take me weeks to fix this problem...so hope you just enjoy the review - sorry about the no pics!!!

If anyone can see them - let me know!

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I just read your review - it sounds amazing!!! I was really thinking to skip Villa Mahana b/c we have the meal plan, but now I think we should just go for it!

I'm so sorry about your pics!!! I heard about that Kodak Gallery problem a few times on here so I knew not to try to post any of my pics from there. To save myself the headache, now I just upload my pics to my LIW album and add them to my posts from there.

I do hope you get a chance to fix the pics because it would be great to re read the review with the pics in them!

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

I will definitely get around to fixing it...stay tuned...hopefully next week I'll have it fixed WITH PICS!

Sorry girls!

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

Yeah i get lil boxes for pics! I wanna see them!

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

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Posted by smplynluv

Yeah i get lil boxes for pics! I wanna see them!

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me too.. can't see pics

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

Me neither.........but your review is great!

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

thank you!great review! i see the pics!

im so happy we are going to Le ta haa.. the pics look great!can wait!

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

Kerri what an awesome review!!!! Thank you so much!

Can't wait to see the pictures!

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

Kerri its a great review!

I cant wait to see the pics.

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

Awesome review... reading it makes me relive our honeymoon!!!!!! I can't wait to see your pics!

I'm so glad I could help you plan your dream honeymoon! Don't you want to go back already??! It's been almost one year since we're there and we can still remember every single detail of the islands... I don't think the memories from FP will ever fade.

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

What an amazing review!

I'm sure I speak for all of the future FP honeymooners when I say that your amazingly detailed review is soooo appreciated! Thanks for sharing.... I'm definitely notebooking this one!

Can't wait to see the pics!

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

I CAN SEE THE PICS from my laptop at home!!!! They're awesome!!!! How weird that I can see them from here, but not from my work computer.

Anyway, LOVE the pics. I'd probably still post them from somewhere other than KodakGallery so that *everyone* can see how great they are!

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

i want to see the pics toooo

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

Re: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

Great review keri. I didnt need pics- i envisioned most of what you were writing. and i was welling up while reading it.

i cannot wait to go back.
!

Re: UPDATED TO FIX PICS: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

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Posted by hayleyandsteve

What an amazing review!

I'm sure I speak for all of the future FP honeymooners when I say that your amazingly detailed review is soooo appreciated! Thanks for sharing.... I'm definitely notebooking this one!

Can't wait to see the pics!

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Thanks! I wanted to make it as detailed as possible b/c I loved CaMacho's review...it was like my bible for my trip so I figured I would do the same for all future Tahiti HMers! Glad you enjoyed it!
I can't wait for you to come back and post a review with pics

Re: UPDATED TO FIX PICS: Our March 2007 FRENCH POLYNESIAN Honeymoon Review: 14 days/13 nights: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahaa... WITH PICTURES! (VERY long and detailed)

Such a great review!!!!

Looking at your pics makes me want to go back That trip was the best we've ever taken. I think March is the end of low season. We went from March 31 - April 16 and ran into tons of honeymooners.

I have to admit that when I first scrolled down to see the pics I thought you married Dave Price