Tahiti has been the top destination we have ever been in the world. Enjoy it!
Moorea & Bora Bora Tips and Suggestions
Moorea is mostly accessible by car and it makes it easy to go out, have dinner, order outside food to your hotel and stopover at a supermarket on your way to the hotel. Arrange your transfer with http://www.toreanui.com/, you may email Fernando at enttoreanui@mail.pf and provide him your arrival & departure details and ask for a quote. (It was 3500 CPF one way when we booked in Nov, 2016)
You may not check in to your hotel before 3pm so be prepared to spend your first hours on the beach. Hilton Moorea could be a little windy, but it is great for snorkelling. The hotels will have snorkel equipments, but if you want to use your own, bring snorkel masks and use the fins the hotel provides.
Food and drinks in Moorea and Bora Bora are expensive. Our daily routine was to have a filling breakfast (omelettes, cheeses, fish, fruits) (and it is included in your rate), go easy at lunch time (bars we brought with us, a dish to share) and then a lighter dinner.
Moorea Hotel:
Hilton Moore Hotel is the best!
Click here to see the pictures and the amenities.
Bora Bora Hotel:
Moorea Hotel:
Hilton Moore Hotel is the best!
Click here to see the pictures and the amenities.
Bora Bora Hotel:
We checked most of the hotels and found out that LE MERIDIEN Hotel is the best of the best! the hotel itself has a lagoon! Unbelievable! Hotel ground is also way better than other hotels in the island. We stayed in the water bungalows, however we got a chance to stay in the lagoon house on our last day before we head out to airport and it was a great experience as well!
Click here to see the pictures and the amenities.
Click here to see the pictures and the amenities.
Moorea Dinner Options:
Learn the dinner options at the hotel. Apart from those:
Allo Pizza delivers pizza to your hotel. You will need to meet them at the front desk and pay in cash. You can call them directly or have the front desk call and place your order.
The hotel has buffet nights (2/week), these are accompanied with traditional Tahitian dance shows. Even if you don’t eat at the buffet go and watch them if there is one happening.
Rudy’s was a pretty good restaurant. On the day or the way before you want to dine there, tell the front desk to call and make a reservation for you. If you go there, try their “parrot fish”. They have free shuttles that will pick you up and drop you back to the hotel (~20 minutes ride one way). They accept credit cards.
There is also a crepe restaurant in the hotel on the eastern pier. Even if you don’t eat there, walk around the pier to see the sharks at night time.
Moorea Activity Options:
We did the ATV tour and we loved it. It costs about $130 for 2 people sharing an ATV for 2.30 hours. I suggest you book them in advance: http://www.atvmooreatours.pf/atvus/
Drinking Water:
For me this is one of the most important things to consider. Water in the hotel rooms is expensive. But there is a solution: the GYM. Bring your own water bottles, go to the gym and fill it up at the drinking fountain. Le Meridien Bora Bora gym’s fountain can do ~2 litres at a time, you need to wait 10-15 minutes before it can filter again. This saved us a lot of money, specially in Bora Bora. In Moorea, you can pack water at the supermarket on your way to the hotel (plus obviously alcohol and other drinks).
Technically, liquids > 100ml are not allowed on the inter-island planes. In Moorea you don’t go through security to board your plane (unless it has recently changed) :) And in Bora Bora you will have no access to an outside supermarket unless you’re willing to spend half a day on boat shuttles and pay a lot of money. Consider packing up wine and other drinks as you may drink in Moorea and take them to the plane with you. Be discrete about it, hide them in your backpack or carry on; if they see the bottles, they will have you remove them. But I have seen lots of people carry drinks with them on the plane.
Also note that the hotel will gift you at least a bottle of champagne (for your honeymoon) plus most likely wine (for your status).
In both hotels, most activities (snorkel, towels, kayaks, SUPs) are provided for free, so enjoy them.
Bora Bora Transfer:
When you land in Bora Bora, find the Le Meridien representative. They will give you tags for your luggages. Claim your bags, tag them, find the Le Meridien boat on the dock and give them back to the Le Meridien porter on the dock. Once everyone arrives, your boat will take you to the hotel (there is no land connection to the airport, it is on a separate island of its own). The boat ride will take around 45 minutes, you will see Four Seasons and St Regis on the way. Le Meridien bungalows will look more modest compared to them, but don’t let that turn you down, Le Meridien is an amazing resort and the room interiors are great. Note that this boat transfer is not included in your fare and will be added to your hotel bill.
You will be taken to the front desk via a golf cart and they will call your name out when you arrive to check you in in a separate area for your Platinum status. Remind them that you request late checkout. Remind them again the day before you checkout and get it confirmed. If they say your room is not available, ask them to move you to a beach bungalow to spend your last day (and they are great!)
Bora Bora Dining:
They’ll then give you a tour of the property. It is a good time to explore different restaurant options and learn where the concierge is. Every restaurant has different themes and they rotate daily. Learn about your options. 2/4 nights we were there, we dined at the Teave Restaurant and found that to be pretty good in terms of taste and price/performance.
We followed the same dining strategy as in Moorea, we occasionally had lunch in the pool bar.
During our stay, St. Regis was closed for a private wedding. But there are shuttle boats between St. Regis and Le Meridien. Learn about dining options at St. Regis and you may plan on going there one night. Make sure you provide your SPG number to earn points if you dine there :)
I do not recommend going to the town center of Bora Bora to dine. It takes ~1 hour boat ride one way, 20~30 minutes of shuttle ride afterwards to get to the restaurant. Plus you need to pay for the shuttle boat (~$25/person). Enjoy the hotel grounds, relax instead. Le Meridien also does Tahitian dance shows, learn the schedule from the concierge.
Bora Bora Activities:
Learn where the Turtle Sanctuary is. Every morning at 10am they do a turtle feeding after a talk about how they take care of turtles on site. Plan to attend them once during your stay.
I also suggest booking a day snorkel trip with Manta Rays (and possibly with baby sharks). We used this company and booked in advance: http://www.puresnorkeling.com/ If you book yourself, remember to print or have an email confirmation with you on the day and time they tell you to meet at the hotel’s dock.
In Tahiti:
On your last night, when you arrive in Tahiti, claim your bags and find the check in line for your flight to LA. Check in may not open before 8pm. After you check in, you may get on a cab (ask the price first) and tell them to take you to Roulettes (food trucks) in Place Vaiete. Make sure you have CPF cash with you enough to cover your food and taxi back. Learn where you need to find a taxi to get back to the airport. There is an airport lounge that accepts Priority Pass.
What to Bring to Tahiti?
| Item | Notes | Necessity 1-10 | Link | |
| Deet | Zika kapmamak icin disari ciktiginizda surunmeniz lazim. biraz yagli gibi kaliyor, ellemeyin cok. :) | 8 | https://www.amazon.com/Repel-Insect-Repellent-Single-Bottle/dp/B004H89KFC/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1496635530&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=repel+100+bug+spray | |
| Mosquito Repellent Bracelets - waterproof | bunu yeni buldum, waterproof hem de. | 8 | https://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Repellent-Bracelets-Protection-Waterproof/dp/B017G1051Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1496636386&sr=8-3&keywords=Mosquito+Repellent+Bracelet | |
| Mosquito Repellent Bracelets | biz bunu almistik. denize girerken cikartiyoduk. | 8 | https://www.amazon.com/Green-Mojo-Mosquito-Repellent-Bracelet/dp/B01GHTKM0K/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1496636386&sr=8-12&keywords=Mosquito+Repellent+Bracelet | |
| Sun Screen | spf60 hem cok kolay suruluyor hem de suda cikmiyor. cok guzel bu krem. | 9 | https://www.amazon.com/Roche-Posay-Anthelios-Sunscreen-Lotion-Antioxidants/dp/B002CML1VG/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1496635653&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=La+Roche+spf50 | |
| Games - Chess | Cok zamaniniz olucak yaniniza bir kac kucuk oyun alin :) | 4 | https://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Mountain-Imports-Magnetic-Mini-Set/dp/B0019F3DN6/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1496635896&sr=8-13&keywords=small+games | |
| Games - Amiral Batti | Cok zamaniniz olucak yaniniza bir kac kucuk oyun alin :) | 4 | https://www.amazon.com/Battleship-Grab-and-Go-Game/dp/B00N4ONUBA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496635986&sr=8-1&keywords=Battleship+Travel+Game | |
| Su Sisesi | Oteldeki gymden su doldurabiliyorsunuz. bu hafif siselerden alip, otelde sulari doldurabilirsiniz. | 9 | https://www.amazon.com/Nalgene-Tritan-BPA-Free-Bottle-32-Ounces/dp/B004H8BIKW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1496636042&sr=8-3&keywords=plastic%2Bwater%2Bbottle&th=1&psc=1 | |
| Foldable cooler bag | Foldable cooler bag - cok isinize yaricak birsey. doldurdugunuz sulari icine koyup soguk kalmasini saglayabilirsiniz. | 8 | https://www.amazon.com/MIER-30Cans-Collapsible-Insulated-Leakproof/dp/B06X9GM79W/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1496636134&sr=8-17&keywords=cooler+travel+bag | |
| Floats - Pineapple | eger isterseniz cok keyifli oluyor :) bir de yaninda ip alip goturmeniz gerekiyor. | 3 | https://www.amazon.com/Jasonwell-Pineapple-Swimming-Inflatable-Decorations/dp/B01N7KS80U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496635735&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=pool+floats&psc=1 | |
| Floats - Flamingo | eger isterseniz cok keyifli oluyor :) bir de yaninda ip alip goturmeniz gerekiyor. | 3 | https://www.amazon.com/GoFloats-Flamingo-PartyTube-Inflatable-Adults/dp/B01A0FEPFU/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1496635735&sr=8-8&keywords=pool+floats | |
| Floats - Donut | eger isterseniz cok keyifli oluyor :) bir de yaninda ip alip goturmeniz gerekiyor. | 3 | https://www.amazon.com/Inflatables-Giant-Donut-Pool-Float/dp/B01EG9M9MC/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1496635735&sr=8-15&keywords=pool+floats | |
| Snorkeling Mask | deniz mukemmel, baliklara bakmak icin boyle bir mask yeterli olacaktir. | 4 | https://www.amazon.com/ProDive-Tempered-Watertight-Anti-Fog-Waterproof/dp/B0130UWUQ8/ref=sr_1_12?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1496636985&sr=1-12&keywords=snorkeling+mask | |
| Hat - women | 3 | |||
| Hat - men | 3 | https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Bucket-Fisherman-Hunting-Brimmed/dp/B01NAM1652/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1496637069&sr=1-3&keywords=brimmed+hats | ||
| Waterproof Cell Phone Case | eger isterseniz boyle bir opsiyonunuz olabilir. kumda falan kirlenmesin diye bu cantayo tasiyabilirsiniz | 3 | https://www.amazon.com/Kobert-Waterproof-Cell-Phone-Deluxe/dp/B00QRYGRGE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496636852&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=dry+bag+pouch+phone&psc=1 | |
| windbreaker | Bende bundan var. cok ince ve yagmurluk ruzgarlik gibi kullaniyorum, katlaninca bidamlacik oluyor. yagmur yagabiliyor abudik gubudik saatlerde ve ruzgar olabiliyro, boyle birsey kazak goturmenizden daha mantikli. | 8 | https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women-pocketable-parka-190719.html?dwvar_190719_color=COL02&cgid=#q=light%2Bparka&lang=default&start=3 | |
| Food - Bars - Kind Bars | ogle yemegi yerine biz bar yiyoduk sonra aksam yemegi yiyorduk. | 6 | https://www.amazon.com/KIND-Chocolate-Gluten-Ounce-Count/dp/B007PE7ANY/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1496638462&sr=8-4&keywords=bars&th=1 | |
| Food - Bars - Think Thin Bars | ogle yemegi yerine biz bar yiyoduk sonra aksam yemegi yiyorduk. | 6 | https://www.amazon.com/thinkThin-Protein-Chunky-Peanut-Butter/dp/B000CRHQN0/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1496638554&sr=8-2&keywords=think+thin+protein+bars | |
| Spor ayakkabi | eger ATV falan yaparsaniz spor ayakkabi / corap sart. | 8 | ||
| Clothing - day | Pack breathable, natural fabrics and plenty of shorts. Swimwear is ideal for lounging around the resort, while casual shirts and shorts provide the most comfort during excursions. | 10 | ||
| Clothing - night | For dinner, casual slacks and sport shirts are the best choice for men, and stylish sundresses are appropriate for women | 10 | ||
| Cameras | Gopro nuz varsa mukemmel - yoksa mutlaka su gecirmez kamera alin. worst senario: walgreensden suda kullanilan film kamerasi. Make sure you have plenty of batteries, memory cards and/or film. | 9 | ||
| sunglasses | 10 | |||
| Swimsuits | 10 | |||
| Flip Flops / Sandals | 10 | |||
| reef shoes | eger gerektigini dusunuyorsaniz.. | 2 | ||
| Plastic bags/ ziplocs | dondugunuz gun de denize giriceksiniz, mayonuzu koymak icin plastik torba veya buyuk ziploc goturmeyi unutmayin | 8 | ||
| Plugs | Avrupa pluglari yani Turkiye'de kullandiginiz plug'i goturmeniz yeticektir. | 10 | Electricity: Electrical power in French Polynesia is 220Volts - 60Hz. Electric outlets are the same as in Continental Europe with two round holes. Most hotels have 110 Volts outlets for electrical shavers and adapters for US plugs with flat jacks. If your appliances work only with 110V, they will need a transformer. | |
| Here are few key words in the local Tahitian dialect for fun :) They do speak english better than us though :) | ||||
| hello, good day, friendly greeting – ia orana. | good! – maita’i | yes – e, oia | ||
| goodbye – nana | to your health, toast – manuia | no – aita | ||
| welcome – maeva | man – tane | small – iti | ||
| thank you – mauru’uru | woman – vahine | big/large – nui | ||
| how are you? – eaha te huru | child – tamarii | |||
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