One month in FP - Any suggestions for us?

My wife and I are travelling for 5 ½ months starting in mid September. Our first stop is 1 month in FP. We are in our late fifties but young at heart and love to be around younger folks. In pretty good shape. We have traveled extensively using hostels and inexpensive hotels. We are not adverse to going to a shared bathroom.

I realize it's going to be expensive and we are not youngsters who can carry a backpack and pitch a tent. But neither do we want to just plant ourselves in some resort and drink. We like adventure, going to waterfalls, the beach, good food (not into cooking our own meals), snorkeling. We don't need fancy rooms, just some places comfortable without tons of mosquitos buzzing around our tent (we did that in the jungles of Belize :-). Seems like maybe nice pensions would fit the bill.

My questions are several:

1. What islands and for how long on each for a month stay for a first time traveller to FP? Any suggestions on places to stay?
2. Club Med on Bora Bora has a special going: $1952 US for a week for two people all inclusive. Is this a good deal? Would a week at Club Med be too long based on all the things to see in FP?
3. Which islands have the best beaches with reasonable accommodations? Are all the best beaches taken by $300+ resorts or are there less travelled but equally beautiful beaches and motus? Recommendations?
4. Would you get a Air Tahiti air pass or travel by boat/ferry?
5. We love tropical fruit. Any places in FP we shouldn't miss?

We would appreciate any suggestions you have.

David and Claire

1. Suggest that you read a guidebook and select the ones that sound best to you. How long depends on you. I personally would spend at least 4 nights per island.
   
   2. Great deal! The Club Med picnic area on the motu is in an incredibly beautiful location with the most gorgeous water and an unbelievable view back to the main island of Bora Bora. I would and have happily spent a week on BB but a different choice may be best for you.
   
   3. Suggest you read up a bit on FP. Take a look at the accomodations on Tahiti Guide and The Tahiti Traveler You don't have to stay in an expensive resort. Check out the Tahiti Explorer forums too.
   
   4. An airpass. The only ferry currently operating is between Tahiti-Moorea. There are cargo boats but they take effort in arranging and the schedules are not conducive to island hopping

Thanks so much for your prompt reply.

I have been looking at the guidebooks; that's why I posted (because I'd like your opinion). When you say spend at least 4 nights per island, what do you mean? Aren't there many many islands? Which ones would you recommend?

We did something similar last August but only had 2 weeks in FP. All the islands sounded great so we ended up going to Huahine, Raitea, Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti. We used a Tahiti airpass which I booked online at their website. Except for Raitea(2 nights) we had 3 nights on each island. We should have skipped Raitea (although it was beautiful, 2 days were not enough) and Tahiti and stayed on only three. A week on Bora Bora at Club Med sounds like a great deal we would go for. The best beaches tend to be on the motus, but all islands have several great beaches. Camping is possible on all the main islands - we stayed in self catering places - mosquitos were not too bad in August. We found Jan Prince's book to be really useful. As mentioned, the forum at www.tahiti-explorer was an excellent source of information. Good luck with your plans. FP is a beautiful place; you should really enjoy it. Would love to know where else you plan on going!

After FP we're going to OZ for 2 ½ months (a return trip - went in 2000 for 2 months) and then to NZ for 2 months (1st trip).

Although the trip is still in the planning stages, I need to book Club Med by 4/14 to get the 1/2 off second person deal.

David

I just need to expand on what I wrote in #1 about ferries. There is the Maupiti Express between Bora Bora and Maupiti and there are ferries between Raiatea and Tahaa but there are no ferries from Tahiti to the Society Islands currently except for the Moorea ferry.

Depending on you, a week on each island is a good start. SOme might get bored sooner. I just begin to get the feel of a place at that pace, and would prefer a month each.

Ed

Hi there! Well lucky you to be able to go to FP for a month! Do you have an extended visa?
At any rate, yes the Club Med in Bora Bora always has great specials. The resort itself is quite old though and really needs some attention. The accomodation is quite basic and run down. The beach is at the end of Matira Beach. The water can be alittle cloudy here at times but they do take you out to the motu for snorkeling. It is also close to the Tiare market for snacks and a few small restuarants. The Sofitel Bora Bora is next door as are a couple of other properties. It is in a good location on the island.

I would also suggest that you check out the Les Tipaniers or the Hotel Hibiscus in Moorea. Both are very inexpensive by Tahiti standards and are on nice beaches. The Les Tipaniers is alittle nicer. They also have a few bungalows with kitchens which is hard to find in Tahiti.

The other destinations such as Maupiti would be a pension stay with absolutely no tourism.

You may also wish to consider going to one of the Tuamotus like Rangiroa. There are quite a few small pensions here. Also the Novotel has good rates. The Kia Ora is the nicest place on the island and is right next to the Novotel. The snorkeling on this tuamotu is incredible! The Tiputa Pass is also home to those dolphins at sunset! Incredible to watch them in the surf. There is a pension right there called Relais de Josephine that has fantastic food and small bungalows right on the pass...no swimming because of the surf but it's an incredible place. Hope this has been somewhat helpful to you!

sunny regards,
shully

Ejpiii: When you say a week on each island, which islands? Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine and ?

Shully: We are arriving on 9/19 and leaving 10/18 (30 days), so I don't think I need a visa (from the US). From your description, maybe the Club Med isn't such a great deal afterall. I mean the price seems good with 1/2 off the second person (total is about $1950 for 2 people for the week), but I have to stay a week which is a long time since I'm considering going to some of the Tuamotus.

Do you think a better travel experience would be 7 islands at 4 days each? I could do such a trip with the Air Tahiti Bora Bora Tuamotu pass. If so, which islands would you recommend for a varied experience. Any of the islands on the Air Tahiti Bora Bora Tuamotu pass you would skip because they're pretty much the same?

Or would you spend a week on 4 islands? Traveling around too much gets to be a hassle as a day is wasted each time you travel.

Anyone, please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks.
David and Claire

FP will be great - but expensive, are you aiming to base somewhere or travel throughout the islands?
I aim to be there end June - July - sailing through Tuamotus and Society Islands on Tallship Soren Larsen (based from NZ) on an adventure cruise.

Have been there years ago - and I'd say try and stay at the smaller islands or rather the less commericalised (ie not Bora Bora) - I'm looking forward to Marquesas and Tuamotus which I haven't been to before..

hi,

We went to FP last year for 3 weeks and on a relative budget so I have a few recommendations for you.

In Bora Bora if you decide against Club Med, I cannot recommend Chez Nono highly enough. It is a gorgeous place, you can either have a bungalow with private facilities or a room with shared bathroom. It is on Matira Point - so on the beach and is VERY reasonably priced (we paid $200 AUD for a round bungalow for 3 last year. The beach there was truly lovely. The bungalows were literally about 5 metres from the shore. Take the Teremoana Tour out to a motu - it was one of the highlights of our trip. It is run through Chez Nono.

Be careful with the ferry out to Maupiti. We did this and I have rarely been as terrified as I was on that journey. Judging by the number of people clutching buckets, I was not the only one.

I also recommend Huahine - it is very unspoilt. We stayed at the Pension Mauaraii - it was truly beautiful. Like staying in a tree house. Also very reasonably priced.

The actual island of Tahiti is not to be ignored either. The interior of the island is stunning. We stayed at the Royal Tahitien not far out of Papeete. The grounds had to be seen to be believed.

Moorea is visually spectacular so worth a visit.

I have not been but when we return, we would like to go to Rangiroa and Tikehau, both of which are supposed to be incredible.

Invest in Jan Prince's guide to FP. It's worth every penny. I bought 3 guidebooks before I went to FP and the only one I ended up using over there was Jan Prince's.

Tropicgirl:

Thank you SO MUCH. Your recommendations are invaluable. Based on everything I've heard, I think we will skip Club Med (even though it's a fantasic bargain). I think we'd rather stay at places where our stay isn't quite so structured. And for a month in FP, I think a week in Bora Bora may be too long. We also want to see the Tuamotus.

Any other suggestions by anyone are greatly appreciated.

David and Claire

You will definitely want to get an airpass from Air Tahiti if you are going to visit several island. Check out www.airtahiti.com for choices and prices.

My husband and I spend between 4 and 6 weeks in FP every July-August for the last ten years, and have found it cheaper to get a budget bungalow at a monthly rate (often MUCH less than a daily or weekly rate x 30 days), and use that as a "home base." Moorea is by far our favorite island. We arrive, set up our "home," and then make short 3-4 days trips to other islands, maybe one or two visits over the course of a month. This actually works out to be less expensive, believe it or not, and it's nice being about to take a 4-day trip with only a small carry-on instead of lugging your big luggage all over the place, packing and repacking every visit. On Moorea, we have stayed at Moorea Village (now closed), Fare Manuia, Fare Matotea, and Moe Moea (a private gated community where you can rent a fully furnished and equipped bungalow from a private resident). All of these have equipped kitchens with stoves and refrigerators, making meals much less expensive than eating out on a daily basis. I also have a photo album of other mid-range and budget places on Moorea with kitchens, including Les Tipanies, Hotel Hibiscus, and Linareva. Let me know if you'd like me to send it to you.

Please see my current post on Fare Moorea Miti, a newly-opened pension, located on a portion of the former Moorea Village property, which has kitchen bungalows available on a beautiful beach with killer sunset views, convenient walking distance to grocery store, shops and restaurants, and reasonable rates. They also offer discounts on stays longer than 2 weeks, and you can negotiate a monthly rate with the owners if you are interested in going that route. My Trip Advisor report on this pension will be posted in the next day or two, or you could email me for those photos as well. BarbiJKM@aol.com

If you want to spend more time on other islands, I would recommend no more that 4 islands total, between 4 days and a week at each. Any more than that, and you will exhaust yourself packing and unpacking, transferring back and forth between hotels and airports, and not really "unwinding" enough to get a feel for each island. We find, during our one-month stay, that two other islands is almost too much to truly relax and settle in to the Tahitian way of life. It also costs a bundle and takes up time to move around a lot, with airfare and ground transfer costs. From Moorea, you can make easy and cheap ($10 ferry) day trips into Papeete (to see the city or to take day tours of Tahiti island) without incurring hotel expense there. Huahine is also a lovely island to visit, and most people want to see Bora Bora on their first visit, though I think you might find it overrated. Chez Nono has been HIGHLY recommended by friends as an affordable pension in a lovely location on Bora Bora, and I can direct you to traveler photos of that as well. I have been to Maupiti, and found it very isolated. There are NO resorts on Maupiti, you must stay at a family pension with meals included, and if you DO go there, definitely fly from another island (flights are available from Papeete and Moorea), and do NOT take the Maupiti ferry from Bora Bora (also called by locals "The Vomit Express")! Fakarava has received rave reviews over the past two years, with the pension called "Raimiti" being the clear favorite! Do a search on tahiti-explorer for some great trip reports!

Hope this helps! Please contact me if you'd like some photos!

Barbi:

Sorry it took so long to respond. Out of town for the day. Thanks so much for your detailed response. 4-6 weeks in FP for the last ten years WOW!

Since this will be our first (and probably last trip to FP), we want to see a representative sample of what the islands have to offer. I would prefer to not go to islands that are basically the same. I also don't want to stay in expensive resorts as this is a 5 1/2 month trip and, although we could afford it, it's just not my style. We want some places that are comfortable and beautiful without all the fruefrue. I can carry my own bags and don't mind sharing a bathroom etc. As far as doing our own cooking, well maybe some. But we won't have a car for shopping and since I'm the cook at home, it would be nice to have someone else cook for a change, especially dinner.

Since my wife and I are retired and basically relax most of the year, when we travel we like to see new things. So I'd really like to spend maybe 4-5 days on 5-6 islands. But only if the islands are different enough. O/W we would stay longer in one place. Obviously you love Moorea and Huahine. And a maybe for Bora Bora and Maupiti. Fakarava has Raimiti but it's too expensive in my mind. Based on the above and your experiences.

Based on your experiences, do you have suggestions for islands and atolls?

David

David,

To see a representative sample, you should visit both volcanic islands and atolls. I definitely would not miss Moorea for its beautiful white beaches and many activities; you probably want to see Bora Bora because everyone going to FP for the first time should see and experience it, and Huahine, though also geographically similar to Moorea as a "high" island, is very laid back and represents more authentic local Tahitian life because it's still relatively untouched by BIG tourism. So those three islands, not to mention a day or two on Tahiti to visit the marketplace and maybe take a drive around the whole island, would be a MUST for me (and those actually were the islands we visited our second trip to FP, after falling in love with Moorea on our first trip! I really don't highly recommend Maupiti, mostly because of the expense in getting there and the lack of anything to do except veg out (which is okay, but Maupiti is REALLY quiet!). There are only small family-owned pensions on Maupiti and its motus, and it's hit-and-miss as to quality of the experience there, with little alternative once you are there are checked in. We had a terrible time there last year... Maybe someone else has had a good experience on Maupiti and can recommend a nice pension?

You should probably see an atoll! Rangiroa comes to mind, as well as Manihi. If you don't already have Jan Prince's guide book, "Tahiti & French Polynesia Guide" (4th ed.), make sure and get it -- a lot of us repeat travelers consider it the "Bible" of FP travel. I haven't been to the Tuamotos (yet), so can't give you much advice about that.

I'd recommend Moorea Fare Miti on Moorea, Chez Nono on Bora Bora, and perhaps Chez Guynette on Huahine, if you like the pension experience and want to keep expenses down, yet still have a good location and a clean safe pleasant place to stay, near shops and restaurants.

hi there, sorry to get back to you so late................I personally wouldn't move every four days~! I'd do a week in each spot minimum.
Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine and one of the Tuamotus............my pick. Bora Bora is also quite expensive so you may wish to see the beautiful waters in the Tuamotus longer and save some $$$... The island of Huahine is my personal favorite if you want to see the real tahiti, real natives, real villages, real untouched beaches and gorgeous views. Most all the archeological sites of the Society Islands are also on Huahine, lots of culture here if you need a hit of that! Moorea for the island itself, so so beautiful! And the tuamotus for water activities.

sunny regards,
shully

Dear Sully and Barbi:

Well I think I'M GETTING THERE. Will probably follow both your suggestions but might not spend a week in any one place. Since we're retired we can sit around all the time. So we want to see more things than you veterans w/o feeling like we're packing and unpacking all the time. Moorea, Huahine, Tahiti for 2-3 days, Tuamotus (probably 2 atolls) and Bora Bora for 2-3 days.

Thank you all for your great ideas. I have been studying all the tourbooks since before I came on this thread, but it really helps to talk to real people who have done this. Will let you know when final plans are confirmed.

David

Sorry, I've been on the road a lot lately and it took awhile to see this.

I can back up Barb here. See a few of each type of island and see each of them deeper. A week on Maupiti, tiny though it is, made me want to live there forever. Of course I want to see the rest of the world-which requires much money-so I have to stay here and work. But Maupiti is one of those places. So were Tahaa and Raiatea. Even Tahiti itself was charming, and Papeete very livable for a city of its size. Bora Bora is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen in my life.

The atolls are spectacular in a different way. I stayed on Fakarava (Silvanocat did too, on a different part of it) and loved it. It is as isolated as people can get. There were a total of maybe 20 people living within 45 miles of where I was. The atolls are all about the sea. Snorkelling, swimming, fishing, lounging on the beach, shelling etc. Snorkelling or scuba diving in with the tide through one of the passes is a once in a lifetime experience.

Its all beautiful, and the people among the most friendly on earth.

Ed

Thanks for an amazingly informative thread.
I was headed for the Cooks until I found Raro had sold S-L;-(
I love Les Tipaniers, but haven't strayed beyond Moorea so this thread is a lifesaver.
thanks again!
Carib

Sorry, Janice!
It's still a good place, from what I hear, although now they are taking kids, and it's called Muri Beach Resort. But still great location, and decent rates. But you still need to bring peanut butter crunch etc.!
Raro

I've been to Club Med Bora Bora a bunch of times, every time for a week and I still haven't gotten tired of it! In fact I stayed at the old Club Med on the other side of the island my first time, now that old! Club Med is still the best bang for the buck in Bora bora. It's easy for 2 people to spend $2K USD on meals, drink and a few tours so think of it as getting a free air conditioned room for the week with a lagoon view! Yes the old girl is showing a little age and yes it's not "resort" style but it is the bargain. That's how my wife and I go every year, the bargain it is .............