French Polynesia!

[slg47]

I know many of you PSers have traveled to FP...tell me about your experiences/where you stayed/was it worth it/etc!

 

[calibali]

I went to FP for my wedding/honeymoon less than a month ago and it was amaaaazing. We stayed at the Four Seasons Bora Bora and without question it was the best hotel I've ever stayed at (and we usually stay with the Four Seasons or St. Regis). The service was incredible (we joked that the staff would carry us from our bungalow to the resort if we asked), the view was to die for, and the room was ridiculously nice. We never even went to the main beach since we didn't want to leave our bungalow. After the trip was over, we were so glad we spent the most time in Bora Bora (7 days).

After Bora Bora, we then went to Moorea and stayed at the Hilton (5 days). While it was still a nice resort, it was no where near the level of the Four Seasons and it was something of a letdown. We were also in an overwater bungalow at the Hilton, which is an absolute must because the garden rooms did not look appealing, but it just didn't feel very special. The food on Moorea was probably the worst I've ever had on vacation, but there are definitely more activity options on Moorea than Bora Bora if that is important to you. I will note that I am probably being overly critical of Moorea - I would say it's on par with St. John and the British Virgin Islands - but in my mind it doesn't even compare to Bora Bora.

When we were in Tahiti waiting to catch our flight home, we decided that we would definitely go back to the Four Seasons Bora Bora on our 10 year wedding anniversary but that we would try Tahiti instead of going back to Moorea again.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask since it's all still so fresh in my mind.

 

[slg47]

calibali I was hoping you would chime in How did you book your trip? I really would like to go to Bora Bora for our honeymoon...the pictures just look amazing.

 

[Clairitek]

That area of the world is extremely gorgeous!

I haven't been to French Polynesia, but I did honeymoon in the Cook Islands (was attending a family wedding that happened to be after our wedding). Rarotonga is a great affordable alternative to those wanting to see that part of the world but not pay the premium of Bora Bora, Tahiti, etc. The people are lovely and the island is really gorgeous. You can visit other Cook Islands, too. There are a few higher end resorts and then plenty of places to stay with to-die-for views but are pretty basic (this was the kind of accomodation we stayed in, less than 100 USD a night but we sat up in bed and had a view of the lagoon, had our own hut with kitchen). We managed a two week stay with air tickets from LA for less than $3750. The air tickets were by far the most expensive part of the trip.

 

[slg47]

That area of the world is extremely gorgeous!

I haven't been to French Polynesia, but I did honeymoon in the Cook Islands (was attending a family wedding that happened to be after our wedding). Rarotonga is a great affordable alternative to those wanting to see that part of the world but not pay the premium of Bora Bora, Tahiti, etc. The people are lovely and the island is really gorgeous. You can visit other Cook Islands, too. There are a few higher end resorts and then plenty of places to stay with to-die-for views but are pretty basic (this was the kind of accomodation we stayed in, less than 100 USD a night but we sat up in bed and had a view of the lagoon, had our own hut with kitchen). We managed a two week stay with air tickets from LA for less than $3750. The air tickets were by far the most expensive part of the trip.

Clairitek that looks lovely! And they have a non-stop flight from LAX FI doesn't want to spend too much time traveling but I am trying to convince him for our honeymoon that it is worth it

 

[calibali]

calibali I was hoping you would chime in How did you book your trip? I really would like to go to Bora Bora for our honeymoon...the pictures just look amazing.

Slg, if you can go to Bora Bora ABSOLUTELY do it! All of our friends commented that our pictures (wedding and vacation) look fake because no place could possibly be that beautiful. And to be honest, our first day in Moorea we were relaxing on the deck and I just burst into tears because I was so sad that we weren't in Bora Bora anymore. I still miss that dang place...

The way I booked our trip was probably a little different than most. I remember in BIW that a couple people mentioned they found airfare and hotel packages, but I did it all individually since I was able to get us free business class seats on Air Tahiti Nui. However, the Four Seasons was booked through a travel agency since they were able to get us a package with a free night, free breakfast, and a gift certificate for the spa at the same price that we would have paid the Four Seasons just for a room. The Hilton reservation was made directly with them. If you are interested in the name of the travel agency I used, I would be happy to give it to you.

My H has all the really good pictures on his computer, but here's a decent one that shows just how peaceful it is. Perfect for a honeymoon!

 

[centralsquare]

Oh, I want to make that photo my desktop photo!!

 

[Imdanny]

I live in P but haven't traveled to FP! I think I'm missing out!

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

Well...we're honeymooning in moorea. Hope it's not THAT bad. From the movie couple's retreat, bora bora looks amazing!!

 

[slg47]

Well...we're honeymooning in moorea. Hope it's not THAT bad. From the movie couple's retreat, bora bora looks amazing!!

BBO how did you decide on moorea? and where are you staying?
also as a follow-up I went with Barbara's Brides! thanks so much...I think your post was what I needed to prompt me to call


Calibali if you wouldn't mind sharing the name of your travel agent that would be awesome!

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

That's awesome! I'm glad if I was able to help! . Good luck with the rest of the planning

Honestly, we got a really great deal kinda like a Groupon deal for a premium overwater bungalow. We're staying at Pearl Resorts. I am a little nervous cause I do think we are going in blind and hearing things like in this post but, it's far from here, not too typical and I'm sure will be special regardless.

We wanted to go somewhere with an overwater bungalow and not spend a crazy amount. Paying full price for them would not have allowed it, so we went for it.

We also plan to stay in San Francisco for a few days on the way back.

 

[ForteKitty]

BleedBurntOrange, Moorea's hotels are all 4*, so it might be a tad unfair to see it compared to the Four Seasons. Don't worry, You'll have a great time!

We went to Moorea last year because they had a super deal, and had a great time. Lots of activities to do! There are a lot of great little restaurants if you know which ones are good, and they all have free pickup/drop service. Just sign up w/ your hotel concierge. Try Rudy's (crab stuffed parrotfish), Le Mayflower (lobster ravioli and home made passionfruit sherbert), and La Mahogany (get the savory pastry puff thing, it's amazing). If you have any food left over, bring it back, and you can "fish" off your balcony. We had about 3 sharks circling our deck at one point because i tied over steak on a thread. (think there are pics of my trip on PS somewhere...) There's also a fantastic crepe shop really close to your hotel, can't remember the name tho. We almost never eat at hotels because we prefer local cuisine.

eta: i just realized le mayflower doesn't offer pickup/drop off service, so if you plan on renting a car one day, that would be the day to go. Or if you meet other couples, you can all share a cab! cabs were ridiculously expensive from what i remember..

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

BleedBurntOrange, Moorea's hotels are all 4*, so it might be a tad unfair to see it compared to the Four Seasons. Don't worry, You'll have a great time!

We went to Moorea last year because they had a super deal, and had a great time. Lots of activities to do! There are a lot of great little restaurants if you know which ones are good, and they all have free pickup/drop service. Just sign up w/ your hotel concierge. Try Rudy's (crab stuffed parrotfish), Le Mayflower (lobster ravioli and home made passionfruit sherbert), and La Mahogany (get the savory pastry puff thing, it's amazing). If you have any food left over, bring it back, and you can "fish" off your balcony. We had about 3 sharks circling our deck at one point because i tied over steak on a thread. (think there are pics of my trip on PS somewhere...) There's also a fantastic crepe shop really close to your hotel, can't remember the name tho. We almost never eat at hotels because we prefer local cuisine.

eta: i just realized le mayflower doesn't offer pickup/drop off service, so if you plan on renting a car one day, that would be the day to go. Or if you meet other couples, you can all share a cab! cabs were ridiculously expensive from what i remember..

Thanks!! I'm really happy to hear this. I am looking forward to some of the activities I've read about and hope to do! Glad to hear and hope it helps slg more too.

 

[calibali]

BBO - In no way did I mean to imply that Moorea was a bad place. Previously, the BVI were our favorite island destination and I think Moorea ranks right up there with them. It was just unfortunate that we went to Bora Bora first and were ridiculously spoiled there. I'm positive that you will have an amazing time in Moorea and you definitely will not regret the trip. We did the ATV tour there and rented some bikes for a 13 mile jaunt, but you will also want to do the shark and ray feeding (we did it in Bora Bora). It's really fun!

ForteKitty - we 100% copied you and got some fish from a local store for fishing off of our deck (using the sewing kit per your suggestion). My H had a shark and a ray swarming him, and the ray actually put the bait in his mouth. H was trying to pull him up but he let go, which was probably for the best...

Slg - The travel agency we used was Sterling Brownell. I just popped over to their site and unfortunately the agent we used doesn't work there anymore, but I'm sure if you sent them a general inquiry they would be able to find someone to help you.

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

BBO - In no way did I mean to imply that Moorea was a bad place. Previously, the BVI were our favorite island destination and I think Moorea ranks right up there with them. It was just unfortunate that we went to Bora Bora first and were ridiculously spoiled there. I'm positive that you will have an amazing time in Moorea and you definitely will not regret the trip. We did the ATV tour there and rented some bikes for a 13 mile jaunt, but you will also want to do the shark and ray feeding (we did it in Bora Bora). It's really fun!

ForteKitty - we 100% copied you and got some fish from a local store for fishing off of our deck (using the sewing kit per your suggestion). My H had a shark and a ray swarming him, and the ray actually put the bait in his mouth. H was trying to pull him up but he let go, which was probably for the best...

Slg - The travel agency we used was Sterling Brownell. I just popped over to their site and unfortunately the agent we used doesn't work there anymore, but I'm sure if you sent them a general inquiry they would be able to find someone to help you.

Excellent. Thanks for the reassurance. I believe you that after Bora Bora other places might seem less...and that's just from pictures and stuff (your picture above included). The ATV tour is definitely one of the things we'll DEFINITELY do. "Fishing" off the room sounds like fun...I love the idea of seeing animals in their natural habitat, so if I can entice them to come around, that'll be cool. Thanks again.

 

[ForteKitty]

Dont forget the shark and ray snorkeling tour! We booked w/ Alberts and couldn't be happier w/ their guides. it included a yummy bbq lunch and tahiti punch (alcoholic). so much fun!

 

[kama_s]

Moorea is great for activities. We did lots of snorkeling, went on an ATV tour, jet-skied, shopped. We stayed at the Sofitel on a beach bungalow and loved it.

Bora Bora was beautiful to relax. Here we splurged on an over water bungalow and did nothing but swam, ate, read and relaxed. Meals were fun because we would take a little motor boat to different restaurants.

I posted a thread with more information and pictures somewhere on BWW....let me try digging it up.

Most definitely worth it. You'll have an absolute blast!

 

[Sundial]

My husband and I celebrated an anniversary on the Paul Gauguin small cruise ship a few years back and it was amazing. We sailed from Papeete, Tahiti and visited several islands including Bora Bora and Moorea. We loved the food and service on the ship and had a ball at all of the ports parasailing, jet skiing, taking jeep and canoe tours, snorkeling, and even renting a car to explore. There were a number of honeymooners and anniversary couples onboard and they held special receptions with a Tahitian blessing ceremony for each couple.