My husband and I are planning a trip to FP sometime in the next year. We won a 5 night stay at the St. Regis in Bora Bora, so that's a definite. We'd like to stay an extra 5 to 7 nights, some or all of which on Moorea, but we're also considering Vahine Island for a bit. I would love any and all feedback on your favorite hotels/restaurants/activities/must-sees, etc., as well as your favorite time of year to go. We're coming from Austin, TX, and would like to keep the budget around $10K if possible.Thanks in advance for your advice!
French Polynesia island/hotel advice
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Did you mean Huahine?
Also, you didn't say what you were looking for:
good beach, snorkeling off beach, scuba diving, lagoon setting, luxury or small and simple, accommodation close to shops and restaurants, prefer to be around other tourists or in a more Polynesian environment?
No, I meant Vahine Island (http://www.vahine-island.com/eng/index.htm), which is in Tahaa.
We would definitely snorkel and hike (if possible). We prefer smaller, boutique hotel settings and in previous travels, like to explore outside of traditional touristy areas. We are not into loud or kitschy areas. It would be nice to be within walking distance of a few shops/restaurants, but not necessary. We generally like to try local food for lunch and then go out for nice dinners.
If it helps, two of our favorite trips have been to Cap Juluca on Anguilla and Laluna on Grenada. We loved Cap for its service, location on a beautiful private beach, and Anguilla for its restaurants. Laluna was small and we loved the rustic style, and Grenada's mountains and waterfalls were amazing to explore. One of our best memories is jumping down the Seven Sisters waterfalls, just the two of us.
Thanks for your help!
Moorea is a very beautiful island (lush and green with a mountainous profile) and you can easily get there from Papeete on the fast ferry, but you will likely hear more English than either French or Tahitian. The snorkeling was okay, but you will find better or comparable snorkeling elsewhere.
I have not been to Tahaa or Vahine, but, after looking at their website, I would go there in a heartbeat--it looks like paradise, idyllic. Lucky you! Go there!
In Moorea I would highly recommend the Pearl resort. The staff is above and beyond friendly and it is in the most convenient location on the island within walking distance of shops and restaurants. Still it is small and intimate. Restaurants on Moorea I can recommend are Aito's, Mahogany and Honu Iti all of them will pick you up from your resort and take you back free of charge.
Sunny Regards
Uschi
Great thread. kmb1116 definitely sounds like s/he has similar tastes to ours about travel. we're planning a similar trip - Moorea, Taha'a, Bora Bora. Some questions: the Moorea Pearl sounds lovely but we live in mountains and don't want an accommodation w/out sea view. Hilton and Pearl sound lovely but their beach accommodations are very few or view is blocked by their OTW bungalows, so we're looking at the InterContinental Moorea - busier than we prefer but has some nice beach bungalows it seems. Have ruled out the Sofitel as too isolated and the Club Bali Hai we're told isn't up to the same standard as the three we've considered. Any advice on that, Uschi? On Bora Bora, some recommended the Sofitel OTW bungalows on their private island (motu) but another said these are now "dated" and not as good as other properties including Sofitel's on the main island. Again, any advice, insights, would be appreciated. Thank you so much. barrya