We had the opportunity to spend a week in Tahiti, on the island of Moorea, several years ago. It was a delightful time and our experience may be of interest for those of you who may have thought of visiting or are planning a trip.

Our opportunity came about as part of Jeff’s work and so we went with a group of about 20 of his co-workers and their guests. Consequently, we didn’t have to plan the trip but rather went along for the ride. While we appreciated every aspect of the trip and were impressed with our accommodations, having been there, there are some things we would do differently the next time we go. We’ll point out those suggestions as we go along.

Our trip began at Los Angeles International Airport where we boarded Delta Airlines for our flight to Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia. The flight takes about 8 ½ hours and Tahiti is three hours behind Pacific Standard Time. We left late in the evening, flew through the night and arrived early in the morning. After a short nap at the Sheraton hotel in Papeete, we left for the harbor to board the high speed ferry over to the sister island of Moorea. The ferry trip takes about 30 minutes during which you enjoy sweeping views of both Tahiti and Moorea as you travel between the two islands.

Upon arrival at the harbor village of Farehau on Moorea, we were transported by bus to the Club Med Resort on the western side of the island.  In general, the best way to get from the harbor to any hotel on the island is to arrange the transportation with the hotel.  There are some other options available but they are few and may or may not be available when you arrive. 

As Club Med is on the opposite side of the island, the trip by bus is about 30 minutes from the harbor.  Upon arrival we were quickly checked in and shown to our bungalows.  Ours was located in a cluster of bungalows near the beach.  The courtyard created by the grouping of bungalows offered a great place for us to get together and throw a Frisbee around and was just a few yards from the beach.  This also made for easy access for morning snorkeling adventures in the lagoon.  More on this later.

Food and Accommodations

The bungalows are typical South Seas quaint; thatched roofs, ceiling fans, flowers outside and floral fabrics inside.   They are designed to make use of the evening breezes off the Pacific and are not air conditioned.  Nor did we find it was needed during our stay in May of that year.  And this was before the current age of ubiquitous electronic access.  There were no phones, televisions, cell service or WiFi.  This may have changed but we found it refreshing to disconnect for a week.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Club Med concept, it’s an all inclusive resort.  Everything is included except drinks in the lounge, which can be expensive.  Most activities are included but there are extra costs for some things like equipment rentals.  It’s also designed around the group concept.  There are group activities going on almost all the time and everywhere.  Volleyball, tug-of-war, tennis, exercise and talent shows are just some of the many activities put together by the energetic staff.  In fact, it could sometimes be difficult to avoid being recruited to join in something while sitting around the beach area or just walking through the main lodge building.  All of this is designed to get everyone involved and meeting other guests. 

The dining experience is also structured around this concept.  All meals were served in a large building separate from the main lodge.  There were large buffets set up for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Most of the guests ate their meals here and when you had made your selections and were ready to sit down, a friendly staff member directed you to a table.  The food was delicious and the variety was almost mind boggling.  But everything was clearly labeled so it was easy to make informed choices about what you wanted to enjoy.

One of the unique aspects of the dining hall was the older man who greeted you as you entered the dining hall.  He was dressed in native garb and was seated in such a location that you had no choice but to walk past him and return his greeting.  As he was speaking Polynesian, we weren’t sure what he was saying.  But he always smiled and we returned the greeting.  There was also a small older lady who was always rushing around giving orders to the other staff in French.  We later learned that the two of them were husband and wife.  He was a local chief and the resort was built on land acquired from his tribe or group.   When the resort was built, they hired the chief and his wife to work in the resort. At least that was the local legend.  We don’t know if it was true but it made for interesting conversation around the dinner table.

While we always enjoy meeting new people, we were traveling with friends and preferred to spend our time with them.  On the second day there, we discovered that there was another restaurant where we could make reservations and eat dinner with a group of our friends.  The menu was ala carte’ and the cost was not included in the package.  But the atmosphere was wonderful, the service excellent and the food delicious.  Our group of 6 ate there every evening and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

A word about the food at Club Med in both the communal dining hall as well as the restaurant.  It’s delicious and mostly familiar.  As you might expect, there is a French or Polynesian twist to most of the dishes.  Like bordelaise sauce on the beef or fruit compote on the fish.  The locally grown fruit was plentiful and, of course, fresh that morning.  The bread is also mostly baguettes and was baked that morning.  So it’s an interesting mix and varied enough to suit any palette. 

While our accommodations at Club Med were just fine, when we go again, we’ll choose one of the hotels that offer bungalows built out over the lagoon.  There are two or three hotels on Moorea that offer over water bungalows and they’re mostly on the higher end of the price spectrum.  But they offer room service, unobstructed views of the lagoon and instant access to the water. 

Activities

There are a host of things to do on the islands of Tahiti and Moorea.  Any travel guide can fill you in on the current availability and costs.  We’ll share some of what we did during out time there.

On our first day, we went on what is called a “Motu Picnic”.  A Motu is a small island within the lagoon.  There are three near Moorea.  The Motu Picnic is basically a boat trip from the main island to one of the Motu within the lagoon with a meal prepared upon arrival.  Our guides picked us up at our hotel dock just before lunch for a pleasant trip to our Motu site just across the lagoon.  We rode in what are essentially two large canoes bridged by a large deck with an enclosure in the center.  The bows each had large upswept stems as did the sterns.  Our craft was motorized rather than paddled and moved swiftly through the crystal clear water fast enough to attract the attention of a pod of dolphins.  They kept easy pace with the boat just ahead of the bows, almost within reach of our outstretched arms. 

We arrived at Fareohe and Tiahura, two Motu separated by a narrow channel, and our guides set about preparing our picnic.  While some of them prepared lunch, the lead guide, a native Polynesian by the name of Maku, shared with us some local lore and legends.

The first piece of information that he shared with us was how to wear the pareu.  The pareu is a colorful square of cotton fabric that is worn by both sexes.  The men tie it into shorts that can be worn anytime, including swimming.  If tied properly, they’ll stay put, he assured us, even in the surf.  The ladies wear them as skirts or full dresses.  After his demonstration, we all tried our hands at tying them around ourselves.  It was a comedic affair but some of us got it in the end and included them in our island wardrobe for the rest of the week.  They come in various sizes and would be a great souvenir to pick up when you first arrive.

Maku and one of his fellow guides also showed us how to retrieve and husk a coconut.   This is a fairly simple process but requires both strength and know how.  None of us got the hang of it but all of the attempts yielded some wonderful fresh coconut. 

The narrow channel was also perfect for snorkeling and after lunch, several of us went exploring the lagoon.  Maku was careful to explain the currents and areas to stay away from so we could all enjoy our explorations safely.  Other members of the group enjoyed the quiet beaches for a walk or a nap.  A Motu picnic is a great way to enjoy an afternoon on Moorea.

Speaking of snorkeling, we mentioned earlier that our bungalow was located very close to the beach.  This made it very convenient to walk down to the water and go for a swim or get in a little snorkeling.  The waters in the lagoon are calm, warm and so clear it’s as though it isn’t even there.  And the variety of sea life is astounding.  I can’t and won’t begin to describe all the fish, crustaceans, corals and other living things there were to see.  But it’s like watching the Discovery Channel® live.  We used a disposable underwater camera to take the underwater photos you see here and recommend taking one along with you.  As with any ocean waters, the currents and tides will pull you along in directions you may not necessarily want to go.  So get some local guidance before heading into the water.  And never go alone.

One of the things we’ve learned in our travels is to talk to the locals.  Get to know them, ask them questions, and find out where they’re from and what they do.  You will learn more about a place from someone who’s lived there than from any brochure or travel guide.  And you’ll find out about things to do and see that aren’t well known but spectacular just the same.

It was from our long conversation with Maku over lunch that we learned that he also offered guided shark feeding trips.  He gave us his card and later in the week, after polling some of our companions, we put together a group to go out with him to “feed the sharks”.  He took us out to a spot in the lagoon in a long motorized canoe with one outrigger.  When we arrived, he had us put on our masks and snorkels and get into the water between the boat and the outrigger.  Maku stood on a coral head several feet away and waved the bag of chum he’d brought along through the water. Within just a few minutes, black tip sharks arrived to check out the menu.

 After there were about 6 or 8 sharks swimming around him, he took out a tuna carcass and waved it in front of him.  It didn’t take long for one of the sharks to grab the carcass.  While the shark was trying to take a bite out of the carcass, it looked like Maku was having a tug of war with the family dog.  This went on for some time with first one and then another of the sharks coming in for their turn.  Some of us took photos and others got back in the boat.  Even though the sharks are only 3 or 4 feet long, you don’t want them to mistake your hand for part of the menu.  And Maku was very specific in telling us to keep our hands on the outrigger and our feet up near the boat.

 However, Jeff doesn’t always do well with instructions.  And seeing some very colorful fish that he hadn’t seen before off to his right, he left the outrigger and went down a few feet to get closer photos of these brightly striped fish.  One of the sharks apparently also noticed these fish and decided to join Jeff in giving them a closer look.  And here it is in the photo below.

It didn’t take the fish or Jeff long to leave the scene.  Once back at the outrigger, Maku repeated his instructions in a good natured but firm voice.  Jeff stayed put after that.

A good time was had by all of us and while these trips are readily available, we would not have known about it without taking an interest in Maku while we were on our picnic.  He also pointed us in the direction of our next adventure. 

Maku told us that there was a beautiful waterfall and pool located on the east side of the island.  He gave us general directions and mentioned that it would be a short hike to get there from the end of the road.  So the next day we rented a “Mokie” to take us around the island.  A “Mokie” is a cross between a golf cart and a dune buggy.  It holds four people fairly comfortably and is great fun to get around in.  Fortunately for Jeff, the top comes off and the weather is usually perfect for it.

We started our trip around the island in search of some adult beverages for the trip.  We found a spot just up the road called Tubbs Pub.  While it didn’t look like much of a going concern, it did advertise cheeseburgers in paradise and, we assumed, some cold beer.  We bought the only six pack they had and headed off.  I don’t want to suggest that drinking and driving are a good idea or even legal on Moorea (we don’t know and fortunately didn’t find out the hard way), but a cold beer, tropical breezes and our little car made for a great tour around the island with one of our friends. 

We mostly just enjoyed the scenery and searched for the way into the waterfall.  We found a road that looked likely at the little village of Afareaitu and wound our way to the end of the road.  There was a building with a small sign that mentioned the waterfall and suggested the amount of the “admission”.  The two fellows sitting outside confirmed our directions and we headed off to the pool.  It’s about half a mile over slightly inclined terrain.  It’s a fairly easy walk but the ground is broken lava rocks and boulders.  So we’d suggest tennis shoes over flip flops.  More about the waterfall later on.

 We saw in our travels that one of the other hotels on the island offered a chance to swim with dolphins.  It was called Dolphin Quest and it offers an educational and exciting opportunity to get up close and personal with a small group of well trained dolphins.  We had great fun and learned much about these intelligent creatures.  It is no longer affiliated with Dolphin Quest® but the Intercontinental Hotel still offers a dolphin experience.  If you have the chance, take advantage of it.

 Again, by just talking to some of the local residents, we learned that there was a traditional Polynesian show and dinner at of the hotels just down the road.  So we took off on foot and spent a little while enjoying the native music and dance, more demonstrations of coconut husking and some great traditional food.  The local delicacies included poi and pit roasted pork.  These were delicious, although we found that too much poi can get to be pretty filling.  But a little is wonderful and no trip to the South Pacific would be complete without trying some.  The pig was roasted in a pit in the traditional way, covered with banana leaves and hot rocks.  And as always, there was plenty of fresh fruit.

We’ve had some our best adventures based on the information we’ve received from the friendly and helpful folks we’ve met along the way.

Sporting events are always a part of these trips.  The tennis tournament was held at the facilities at Club Med.  And we usually have a golf tournament.  But there wasn’t as much interest in golf this time around so only a few of us made the early morning journey to the ferry dock to catch the first ferry of the day back to Tahiti.

At the time of our visit to Tahiti, there were no golf courses on Moorea.  So we made the 90 minute trip back to Tahiti to play on a course there.  It’s fairly rustic compared to some of the more well known courses you will find in Hawaii.  But it’s challenging and as scenic as you would expect.  Also, it looks like the golf situation has improved over the last few years so there will be more convenient options for you.

The course we played also came with built in refreshments.  After we’d played several holes, we were getting fairly warm and hadn’t brought water with us.  But one of our foursome noticed that the trees lining the fairway seemed to have large citrus fruits.  On closer examination, we couldn’t tell if they were green grapefruit or very large limes.  But we picked a few and cut into them with a small pocket knife we had with us. 

The juices almost exploded out of what turned out to be the sweetest grapefruit we’d ever tasted.  As there were no players behind us, we took a break and consumed our fill of fresh grapefruit juice.  We also managed to get it all over our hands and it took some time to get our hands clean enough that our golf clubs didn’t stick in our hands.  It remains one of our most memorable golfing experiences.

Getting Around

We like to move around and explore.  So we were excited to find a rental agency just across the road from our hotel.  They offered bicycles to Jeeps and everything in between.  During the course of our trip, we rented scooters, the Mokie you’ve seen and a Jeep to get around.  They were all affordable and in good working condition.

We used the scooters to go back to the waterfall with a group of friends who wanted to see it for themselves after we’d related the story of our find.  Each couple took a scooter and rode tandem, following us to the location we’d been to a few days before.  We paid our “admission” and proceeded up the trail on our scooters.  While our Mokie couldn’t go any further than the building, the scooters could take us almost half way up the trail.

 We walked the rest of the way and found the pool as we had the first time.  There was no one there, the air was cool and we had come prepared with our swimsuits on.  After riding around the island with helmets on and the short hike, we were ready to jump in and cool off.  And it was wonderful.  We took the required “bathing beauty under the waterfall” photos, lounged around and cooled off. 

While we were swimming in the pool, some of the ladies said they felt something brush up against their leg. Since all the guys were accounted for, we thought that it must have been something living in the pool. But it was more or less land locked, small and fairly shallow. What could have been living there? We didn’t know and couldn’t see into the water. So we shrugged it off and set off for the burger shack back at the main road for some lunch.

We later commented on the eels swimming in the artificial pond in front of the hotel. One of the staff pointed out that the eels were native to the island and could be found in any body of fresh water. The girls cringed and weren’t happy to hear this. But they’d survived and it turned into a good story to relate to the rest of the group over dinner.

On one afternoon, we wanted to explore deeper into the interior of the island. We consulted our friendly rental agent who we were getting to know pretty well. He suggested the Jeep to get around some of the primitive roads and steep grades. So off we went with a map and some suggestions on sights to see. We found plantations of pineapples and breadfruit and several Marae.

Marae are open air stone structures used in ancient Polynesian culture for worship, celebrations and to seal treaties. They’re large flat areas built up of local stone. In the Opunohu Valley, there are about 7 old Marae that you can get to by trail or just by the side of the main road. While they are not particularly interesting from an architectural standpoint, they’re usually built into the side of the mountain so they offer spectacular views of the surrounding island and the lagoon and sea beyond.

We also saw several small settlements of just a few homes here and there. Most of the commercial activity is located on the perimeter road that rings the island. But here and there we’d run across a small stand selling snacks and soft drinks and the ever present pareu.

From the highest point we were able to achieve in the Jeep on Mt. Rotui, we had an incredible view of Cooks Bay and Opunohu Bay. Cooks Bay is named after the fabled Captain Cook who visited Tahiti in 1769 and sent a party to explore on nearby Moorea. He returned in 1777 and anchored for a week in Opunohu bay but not in the bay now named for him.

On one afternoon, we rented a small runabout and motor at a neighboring hotel for a reasonable price and used it for a spin around the lagoon.  It was interesting to see the island from the water and a great way to observe the sea life without getting in the water.  Whatever method you prefer, by all means get out and explore the surroundings. 

Final Notes

Since there’s not as much commercial or tourist development, there isn’t as much shopping as in other locations.  But Polynesia is known for pearls, particularly black pearls.  And there are a number of shops offering a variety of styles and prices.  Again, convenience is a powerful draw and we found the shop located across from Club Med to have a great selection of pearl jewelry.  It’s a great souvenir or gift to bring back.

We would repeat any of the activities we enjoyed during our stay.  And there were a few things that we’d like to do next time.  We never really explored the island of Tahiti as we were there for only a small amount of time going to and from our flights and during our golf outing.   

Neither of the islands was overly developed at the time of our visit.  For some perspective, during the year we visited, there were about 600,000 visitors to Tahiti.  There are over 6 million visitors to Hawaii every year.  But if you enjoy exploring beautiful places without a crowd, and quiet, un-crowded beaches, then Tahiti, and Moorea in particular, are a little slice of paradise.