Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Tahiti/French Polynesia.. VS.. *gasp*.. Boracay/Palawan Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Tahiti & French Polynesia
tigerbeer 21:27 UTC 08 Jul 2007 | French Polynesia and Tahiti definetely look GORGEOUS! But so does Boracay/El Nido (in Palawan).. Can anyone do a comparison thing? I've never been to FP (so no clue - although I can't help but think they must be even more gorgeous). But Palawan has resorts with the bungalows above the ocean.. many gorgeous white-sand beaches and pure clear water you can see the bottom as well. Maybe this is a curiousity to responses thread.. and FP seems like another league unto itself.. yet I'm still curious as to what people might respond in this comparison thread. |
islandboi321 05:18 UTC 09 Jul 2007 | The only observation I can make is that after being on the beaches of SEA (Thailand and Malaysia) and comparing them to the South pacific ones.... Well, there is NO comparison!! SP wins hands down. I have no idea about the beaches in the Phillipines, but from what I have seen from friends' photos and on the web, they certainly look better than those on mainland Asia. | 1
mandja 06:59 UTC 09 Jul 2007 | I have been to a number of places in the Pacific and twice to Boracay. Boracay is still gorgeous, but is in grave danger of being overdeveloped. The whole beachfront of the main "White Beach" is covered in hotels and restaurants/bars. The Pacific is still , by comparison very UNdeveloped. Certainly the Pacific is much more relaxed and laid back. That said, I love both. | 2
mandja 07:00 UTC 09 Jul 2007 | BTW, Ishopuldve said that I HAVENT been to Tahiti/FP, though have been to Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. | 3
sirenna 19:20 UTC 12 Jul 2007 | <blockquote>Quote <hr>The whole beachfront of the main "White Beach" is covered in hotels and restaurants/bars.<hr></blockquote> Yes, that's true. But thankfully no high-rise monstrosities yet. | 4
halval8 06:29 UTC 13 Jul 2007 | I've been to both FP (Tahiti and Moorea in '03) and El Nido/Palawan (Miniloc Island '99). Haven't been to Boracay, though family members have gone in the past couple of years and still enjoy it, though from what they said they agree with Mandja above about the vast development. It can get crowded. If you're looking for secluded, peaceful beach time in the Philippines, then I suggest one of the El Nido resorts if they are in your price range - they are quite small, on tiny rock islands - only the beach area is really accessible, so not crowded at all and the staff can take you to many of the surrounding uninhabited islands on day trips (some with caves, ultra private/small beaches, etc.) We flew to Manila, then took a small plane to Palawan then a boat to Miniloc. As everything in FP is quite expensive, I'm guessing Boracay would be a deal in comparison. (The El Nido resorts might also be a deal compared to FP at this point.) I believe there are less expensive accommodations in the actual town of El Nido and elsewhere on Palawan. Note that unless you get to the other side of Tahiti, it's a very busy city, not really a tropical paradise - you'd need to get to some of the other islands. (See other posts on Tahiti.) Moorea seemed very "suburban" to us when we arrived - very manicured, etc. But then, we'd just come from the Cook Islands - much more laid back, uncrowded, and lovely! The lagoons are great - especially around Aitutaki...but I digress! Two more things: 1) if you're looking for nightlife, I think you'd prefer Boracay or Tahiti to the El Nido area; 2) if going to Palawan, check the State Dept info or Philippine news on current conditions - every once in awhile I've heard of trouble in the area. Good luck with your decision and have fun wherever you go. The South Pacific is stunning, no question. That said, there's something magical about boating/kayaking through the many limestone islands surrounding the El Nido area. | 5