Sticker Shock - True or False??

We're considering Tahiti, Bora-Bora and Moorea for a 10-14 day honeymoon and have heard some people tell horror stories about $30USD burgers and $15 beers. Yet others tell us that if you are willing to step outside your resort that prices aren't too bad. We can see on-line the prices of flights and accommodations, but are getting very mixed signals on everything else (food, drinks, activities, excursions, etc.).

So, what's the real deal?? Super high pricing on food, drinks, and activities - or, really not too bad?

I don't mind spending $800 on an over-water bungalow since I know that pricing ahead of time. But if we are expecting meals and fun for a certain price, and end up spending 5-10 times more, that would bug me.

Thanks in advance for any real world pricing experiences from there.

Cheers,

Joshua

I don't know where you're from Joshua but I'm willing to bet that I can find $30 burgers and $15 beers at the best hotels where I live (Los Angeles) though I've never spent that here or there.

Outside the resorts you can get a hamburger and fries for about $10.50. Here's a real menu from a pizzeria in Papeete, it's more expensive in Moorea and Bora Bora (there's a currency converter on my blog, see link below). I must note that I've never seen the small versions of the pizzas anywhere else. Here's a menu from a restaurant in pricier Bora Bora. Let me note that one "odd" thing that I've seen them do in FP is have a soda such as Coke listed on the menu at 750 which comes out to over $8 but it's the big 2 liter bottle and it's meant to be drunk family style, 4 people, 2 drinks each, that comes out to $1 per soda.

In Papeete and the Tiare market in Bora Bora you can get a foot long sandwich for under $3. Coffee, often instant, is a pricey almost $3.

Here's a link to a tour company in Bora Bora. Note the prices on the page that I've linked and then take a look at their $770 honeymoon special. Tours on Moorea are cheaper. A rough estimate would be $85 for a tour (jet-ski tours are considerably pricier).

A tip is to take a good soft sided cooler along with you. Fill it up with ice and use it to store the beer and snacks you've purchased from the local supermarket. The most delicious bread in the world, their baguettes are 50 cents. They have fabulous cheeses and pates for less than in the States. You can pick-up croissants and yogurts for breakfast.

We've been to FP twice in 2001 and 2006 -

Agree about buying stuff in the local markets - the marche in papiette has good fruits and veg plus the fantastic (and subsidized by the French government thus cheaper) Baguettes . Some good locally made handicrafts ( beware many of the titkis, etc are made in indonesia however - place upstairs has the 'real deal' from the Marqueses)
a couple of other tips
1) try 'les roulettes' - this are licenced, mobile restaurants that set up in the evening by the Papiette visitors center / cruise ship port . You can get a good meal for CFP 1000 - 1200. bring your own drinks. There is locally made poisson cru ( Marinated fish in coconut milk), curries, chinese food and a couple of pizza/burger places. People watching is also very good. We've seen roulettes in other towns on Tahiti and Moorea usualy on the weekends

2) a brewpub called Trois Brasseurs (3 brewers) across the street from the moorea ferry. Great pizza - locally brewed beer and good sunset viewing on the patio

3) a family run breakfast place ( can't remember the name) just east from the Hotel Bora Bora ( we walked on the beach to get there). great breakfasts and views.

cheers

After 14 trips to the South Pacific I'll give you my take on the food issue. Figure about double from USA prices. That means if you go to Carl's Jr. and oder a combo you spent $5-$6. In the villages in FP double that. If you order the same thing from a resort multiply it by 3.5 from USA prices. As some others have said you can buy "stand" food cheap. $3 bucks for a deli sandwich.

As far as the booze price figure double the price in the FP market and 3.5 times as much in a resort.

I normally bring my own bottle of hard stuff and buy local fruit juice for my mix. Cheap ..............

As the other answers indicate it is possible to visit FP without having to pay outlandish prices for food all the time. If you have not already done so, I would suggest you check out the message board at tahiti-explorer.com. There are a number of locals and frequent visitors who are willing to answer all your questions; or just browse through the archieves as there have been a number of people who have asked about the same thing. Good luck with your planning.

A burger at the Hotel Bora Bora might be US$15, $20 with fries. At the little place in the main village it might be US$8, 12 with fries.

Just don't eat at the resorts. Then again, if you can afford US$800/night for accommodation what's the difference if food is an extra US$30/day??

This sticker shock on food is common almost everywhere if you buy your food in touristy resorts.Certainly the same is the accusation of tourists going to New Caledonia. I know that these high food prices are what big hotels and resorts charge in Australia and that prices a fraction of that is available elsewhere.

I'm wondering why anyone would want to eat a burger and fries in the South Pacific?

Ozzie,

Simple answer. In the States we can only eat fries that are fried with the healthy oil. In the South Pacific it's fried with the "good" stuff and it taste so much better ................

Ozzie--It's better than Vegemite or Marmite!

I'll stick to crayfish pulled fresh from the lagoon, with the occasional chicken or pork meal.

When I've stayed at Tahiti or the society islands its expensive to eat out in restaurants but grocery shops and supermarkets can cut the price drastically, I think I usually buy 500ml bottles of beer for about US$1.5 which is reasonable, if you can cook your own food your home and dry on a low budget.

Self catering or kitchen facilities are a god send, on the half a dozen times I've stayed on RTW trips Tahiti has not been the that expensive at all, but then again I use camp sites as much as possible which might not be everyones cup of tea! (or glass of beer)

It a pity Air NZ dont go there any more, otherwise I would be visiting later this year instead of passing it by.

I did it like Silvanocat did. Used a cooler and bought at town markets. My almost total lack of French didn't matter at all, as long as I could read the cash register.

It is more expensive than most of the pacific, but not drastically so. The real issue is the enormous differences between stuff meant for the locals and stuff meant for the tourists. Think local and you'll do fine. Just as true in Mexico or Greece for that matter.

Ed

Ham and cheese, and a bagueete, is a cheap lunch in Tahiti, or Paris.