maggi

My husband and I have determined that our next "big" trip will be to French Polynesia. I am voraciously reading and saving everyone's comments and am in the planning stages. I need to know the best time of year to visit this area. Since we want to stay overwater and not cooped up in an air-conditioned hotel room, will we be bothered by insects and extreme temperatures more at one time of year than another? We appreciate your comments.

Gigi

The year round temperature in Tahiti is about 80 degrees F. The climate is divided into two seasons. Their summer - November through March is more humid and when most of the rain falls. Their winter - April through October is drier and has less humidity. Because the area is tropical, there will be insects, but don't let that deter you. Use insect repellent and you should not have a problem. I found that air-conditioning was necessary in the more humid months....mostly used in the evening to sleep more comfortably. Have fun planning your trip. Tahiti is fantastic.

maggi

Gigi, <BR>Thanks for the reply. Sounds like you've spent some time there. Lucky you!

June

Maggi, where did you stay that had air conditioning? This was the reason we did not go last year!

maggi

June, <BR>It was Gigi that mentioned the air conditioning. I, too, would like to have air if it's very hot and humid. Is this hard to find there? Also, what time of year is it necessary?

gigi

Air-conditioning varies depending where you stay. The Te Tiare Beach Resort on Huahine is fully air-conditioned in all categories of bungalow (overwater, beach & garden). Many Tahiti hotels are air-conditioned, however the overwater bungalows may not be air-conditioned. During Tahiti's winter months (Apr-Aug), leave the windows open...the cross breezes are sufficient. For myself, I really appreciated the air-conditioning during Tahiti's summer months (Nov-Mar). I believe the Pearl Beach Resort on Bora Bora is air-conditioned in the sleeping area of the overwater bungalows. <BR>

Jackie

Hi Maggi - <BR>I, too, have been completely possessed with the idea of visiting French Polynesia! After about a year of listening to me beg, my husband finally gave in and offered to take me to Tahiti - then the fun really began! I was faced with the same questions you are now confronting. I spent countless hours on the internet researching any information I could find about Tahiti! There were so many options and they were all so expensive...it costs $ 800 per day and up to stay over water, which is my preference as well. I also wanted to visit more than one island while in French Polynesia, especially Moorea and Bora Bora. By the time I calculated the cost of my desired vacation, it was no longer feasible! When taking all of this into account, our solution was very simple...we booked a 10-day cruise/tour with Renaissance Cruises which includes EVERYTHING my heart desires. I won't be over water, but I will be in a suite with a private balcony (guess you could consider this over water!) For one price we'll receive airfare on a chartered plane from LAX, all food, etc. for the duration of the trip in four open-seating restaurants (no assigned times or locations), no smoking and no children. The best part is that my over water "bungalow" will travel with me so I don't have to pack and unpack my "stuff" every day, and best of all, I'll never have to worry about whether there is going to be air conditioning in my room! You should consider "cruising the islands"! It has proven to be a great alternative for my husband and I - best of luck <BR>Jackie

gigi

While cruises are fun and offer a lot (yes it's nice not to pack and unpack), it doesn't replace spending time on an island and exploring it personally. The islands have more to offer than just a quick visit to the village or taking an excursion or two. It certainly depends on what you want, but for the more adventurous traveler, visiting an island or two is the way to go.

maggi

Hi Jackie, <BR>I agree that the Renaissance offer is so reasonable as to be almost irresistable. But I also feel, like Gigi, that I would be frustrated to be onboard, when I really want to absorb the feeling of the islands. I'm torn. Could you please report after your cruise as to your opinion on the above? In October we took our first cruise ever with Renaissance to the Mediterranean. I must say it was fantastic in every way. But it was difficult to orient yourself in a short amount of time to visit the "day trip" sites. You feel a certain amount of anxiety about getting back to the ship on time. Our cruise included a three night say in luxury Athens and Istanbul hotels, which gave us a chance to fully explore. I wish they would do that with Tahiti and Bora Bora. Bon voyage!

maggi

Oops! I meant to say three night "stay", not "say", sorry!

Jackie

I'll definitely do a post after we return from the cruise/tour. I agree with all of the comments above..these were also concerns of mine, but again, I was happy to compromise due to the price savings with Renaissance. On our ten day cruise/tour, we will be spending two full days at each of five islands, so while we may not be able to experience exploring "on our own", we'll have a pretty good shot at it! We can either sign up for the numerous shore excursions offered by Renaissance or do our own investigating. I love options, and to me, this just seems like an affordable way to accomplish a life-long dream of visiting French Polynesia at a price we can afford. I'll let you know how it goes! <BR>

Shane

Skip the cruise!!! <BR> <BR>My wife and I visited in August and the weather was great. <BR>Perhaps our best memory was sleeping on the island. I can't imagine sleeping on a ship while there. <BR> <BR>We split our trip up spending just 2 nights in an overwater bungalow. It was great but 2 nights was enough to get a feel without breaking the bank. You can find for much less than $800.00. Try the Bali Hai??? on Moorea. <BR> <BR>Spend as much time as possible on Moorea-It is much better than more well known Bora Bora. <BR> <BR>I would not bother with air conditioning. It would actually take away from the experience. <BR> <BR>We slept with the windows open all the time. It was amazing to feel the breezes and here the water. <BR> <BR>We stayed at both budget and high end hotels and did not find much of a difference. Check the Moorea Lagoon. A very clean small hotel. We had a room on the beach that was amazing for a very resonable cost. <BR>Consider the food plans. <BR>Take all your film with you!It is very , very expensive. <BR> <BR>Moorea, Moorea, Moorea! <BR> <BR>Bugs were not a problem. <BR> <BR>Try the shoulder seasons-- good airfare on Quantas or Kiwi. <BR>

clay

<BR>My wife and I are talking about ur first trip to Tahiti and enviorns. Would anyone offer us their advice for this trip? Specifically, Cruise or land based travel. We like medium to high-end accomodations, good food, car travel and the like. We also know there is alot to see down there, hense the question about te cruise option? <BR> <BR>Thanks <BR> <BR>Clay <BR>

Sue

Jackie, <BR> <BR>I think you will find the Renaissance cruise a wonderful experience. My husband and I have gone to Tahiti two times - once staying on Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, and in Papeete and the second time (Dec 1999) on Renaissance's 15 day cruise. French Polynesia is fabulous either way, but we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise experience..nothing like sailing into Bora Bora with the sun coming up. You'll enjoy either way you go..

lisa

We stayed in an overwater in Moorea this past May. We put on the fan and found that to be sufficient (and my husband likes very cold rooms). however, since it is tropical, you WILL need a lot of bug spray. the bugs aren't so bad on your overwater bungalow. but, on the beach and walking around the gardens you will get bitten, especially at dusk.

mms

Maggi, <BR>We were in Tahiti (Sheraton),Moorea (Bali Hai) and Bora Bora (Sofitel Motu) in May. We only used airconditioning at the Sheraton on Tahiti (typical but lovely hotel room). We did not need air conditioning AT ALL in our beach bungalow at the Bali Hai. The Garden bungalows, however, did need (and had) air conditioning. The sea breeze right off the water was all that was needed to keep the beach bungalow cool. At the Bali Hai we did use some bug spray, however, bugs really weren't a problem. <BR> <BR>At the Sofite Motu (ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!) we had air conditioning available - but we NEVER used it. The sea breeze and the sounds of the frogs, etc. was just to pleasant to drone out with an air conditioning motor. We did use the ceiling fan, opened the glass windows out to our overwater deck and enjoyed!!! At the Sofitel Motu our room had some sort of sonic bug repellent machine by the bed - very small, not noisy or anything - and we never did see a bug. Fabulous!!! Have a WONDERFUL time!!!

marilyn

My husband and I spent our anniversary two years ago on Moorea and can't wait to go back. We stayed 7 days at the Bali Hai Hotel (not Bali Hai Club) in a garden bungalow. The walls were thin, but it was very nice. It had a stepdown bathroom with shower that felt like part of the outdoor garden while provided privacy. We spent most of our days on the beach and taking excursions on the island. They offer a tour around the island which includes a pineapple plantation, a history of the island, and a drive to the top of the mountains where you can look out over Cook's Bay. Beautiful scenery. You can rent mopeds and spend the day riding around the island, stopping to see the sights. We hiked up one of the mountains to a great waterfall. One of the large resorts on the island offers activities such as swimming with dolphins in their special pool, motorized water sports, etc. for a fee. I signed up to swim with the dolphins on our last day there, but had to cancel because it didn't leave us time to catch the ferry back to the main island for our flight home. Our most memorable day was taking a tour on a small boat with 10 other tourists. Our guide was a local and very funny. We were taken to a spot in the ocean where we could swim with sharks (not man-eating) while the guides fed them, another spot where we got in the water with manta rays (a great experience), then on to an island where the guides cooked us an authentic island meal while we relaxed in the water. On the trip back to our hotel we had dolphins swimming along side the boat. It was a day we will not forget. Our hotel provided outrigger canoes free of charge that we could take out and we saw whales beyond the reefs and the snorkeling was fantastic. If you can afford a bungalow over the water I would rent one, if not, the garden and pool-side bungalows are fine. For meals we walked to a small cafe down the road every morning for breakfast. It was French and we had wonderful crepes and fresh fruit. For dinner we chose a different restaraunt every evening and usually the restaraunt will send a driver to pick you up and take you back to the hotel. It was a romantic and fabulous vacation and we can't wait to go back. Have a great trip.

marilyn

Forgot to add the time of year to my post. We went the end of Sept. and the weather was great. It would drizzle a bit in the afternoon and then clear up. <BR>I can't remember having problems with bugs but would probably take bug spray. <BR>It was a bit chilly late evening so a sweater would be good. Also, forgot to tell you about a great evening of island dance our hotel provided. There were local men and women in costume dancing, beating drums, and putting on a wonderful show. They also had guests dancing with them, made head leis for some women and woven palm baskets for others. The flowers on the property and around the island are fabulous in their fragrance and beauty and the islanders are very friendly. Does it sound like I love this place???? I do!

Debi

We went to FP in January/February timeframe (we were there for Valentine's day - Very romantic). The advice I got from a Tahitian travel agent is - do not use the weather as a factor. It's all good. We took ton's of bug spray - never used it at all. We had airconditioning at Le Meridien - used it at night sometimes. The fans/breezes were fine. I think the way to go is to stay on the islands. They are just so beautiful. The only time it rained while we were there (we were there for 2.5 weeks) was 1) during the Super Bowl (now you tell me how THAT happened!!!) and one night while we were in bed. We loved it - it's the most amazing place!!!