Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Advice on Tahiti/Moorea

Hi there. I'm a newbie on this site and think it's a great useful site. My fiancee and I are wanting to honeymoon in the French Polynesian Islands and came across a good deal on skyauction.com. Has anyone purchased travel through this site? Any comments?

The hotel in Tahiti is the Sofitel Maeva Beach and the Sofitel Ia Ora in Moorea. Does anyone have any experience with either of these hotels? We're hoping to reserve an over the water bungalow in Moorea and wanted to know if it's worth it.

Any advice is welcome!

Thanks!
Ron

Have not been to Moorea, but spent two weeks in French Polynesia (Bora Bora, Tahaa) in November and it was fabulous. I can't imagine you can go wrong anywhere (unless Papetee I guess) as long as the hotel looks decent.

we spent one week on a cruise with www.boraboracruises.com - it was amazing.

The Sofitel Moorea is very good according to reviews at www.tripadvisor.com (as long as you don't reserve the day before!) whereas the reviews of the Papeete Sofitel are a very mixed bag.

I have had no experience with skyauction.com

Regards

David

Sky Auction for the most part ROCKS. We bought hotel packages to Belize and Cozumel and LOVED both of them. We've looked at the Tahiti auctions but haven't bid...yet. One thing, READ THE FINE PRINT. It's all there on the Sky Auction page...but read it carefully. Everything from extra fees to blackout dates, and departure city add-ons...there WILL be extra fees to tack on,...but after you do the math...you may still have a superb bargain. We did!!

The only hitch we ever had was after successfully bidding on a hotel in Thailand...we weren't able to get the dates we wanted (hotel's choice), and Sky Auction had to refund our money. Disappointing, but we got our money back so really no problem. As it turned out, we went to Thailand anyway, stayed in 5 different hotels...loved every one of them...still got superb deals NOT using Sky Auction. It's all a matter of doing your homework.

I stayed at both Sofitels. The one on Papeete is nothing to write home about, but is fine for a night when you get to Tahiti. The Sofitel on Moorea was excellent. I wouldn't spring for the overwater bungalows, but that's just my opinion - they are much more expensive, and you can't really sit outside your bungalow because there are constantly people snorkeling, boating, swimming, etc. right up to your room! I got the beachfront bungalow, and thought it was fantastic.

Of course, Bora Bora makes Moorea look downright crappy - do spend at least a few days there if you have the chance! Congratulations on your honeymoon!

Do they still have the Crepe vans on the waterfront in Papeete? Great place for a cheap snack or desert after dinner!

Yes - was there in November and we had a 10hr layover in PPT between our flight from BoraBora - PPT and our PPT - LAX flight so we went into town on the "bus" - i think they call it Le Truck or something (was an experience in itself) and ate at a few of the food trucks. Was an interesting down-to-earth experience after spending time in the fantasy island that Bora Bora and surrounding islands are.

Tahiti c'est trop cher. Too expansive. :td:

You can have an equally nice time in the Cook Islands for a lot less money and you will see less tourists also. :) :) :)

Don't stay on Tahiti proper except as necessary to facilitate connecting to an onward flight.

My wife and I honeymooned on Bora Bora (Bora Bora Lagoon Resort) and Moorea (Sheraton Moorea). We personally preferred Moorea, although its hard to complain about either.

Enjoy your honeymoon.

Don't stay on the island Tahiti for long - if you need a place before departure, the Tahiti Country Club (it isn't a country club, but... is decent, clean and very close to PPT airport. You can go into town to the quay, and every evening at 18:00 / 6PM they set up "Les Roulottes" - vans, trucks, etc. metamorphose into a plethora of restaurants, with Chinese, French, you name it. You can eat at one, or move around course by course - it's the freshest and perhaps most reasonable eating in town, and the locals fill the venue every night.

Moorea is beautiful, easily accessible from Papeete by high speed ferry, and you can rent a car at the Moorea end (Europcar, at the Vaiare ferry terminal - you can rent on line.) Do not accept the pricey airplane ride - it is eleven minutes all in in a "skyflea," and they will limit your baggage.

The Sofitel Ia Ora on Moorea is, well, considerably aged, shall we say. I'd pass.

Another place to check on Moorea is very local, frendly and on the n.w. side of the island, not far from the old (now closed) Club Med, with a modest mall with ATM, restaurants, auto hire, diving, crafts adn art shops... Les Tipaniers (http://www.lestipaniers.com/cadres36.htm). Frommers says this (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/moorea/H28455.html), and they have a good restaurant that won't gore you like a mad ox. They also offer scuba diving - and Moorea is known for safe and exciting shark encounters (localized, and not a problem to swimmers and snorkellers.)

Do not accept the pricey airplane ride - it is eleven minutes all in in a "skyflea," and they will limit your baggage.

Hmm . . .

For me, one of my coolest flights ever. Sat in the front row with the cockpit door of the Twin Otter open all flight. Never climbed above 700 feet. Incredible birds' eye views of a turquoise see.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

They also offer scuba diving - and Moorea is known for safe and exciting shark encounters (localized, and not a problem to swimmers and snorkellers.)

On this point, I agree. The shark diving (mostly black tips and lemons) is excellent on Moorea. As is diving with the mantas on Bora Bora. And though I haven't done it but would love to do so, the drift diving on Rangiroa is supposed to be top shelf.

If you planning to stay In Tahiti, The best choice Will be the Intercontinental (beachcomber) If you lucky you might even get to watch The Grand Ballet there (i think on Saturday night)
Overwater bungalow is great if you plan to stay in. othewise a beach Front is good.

Frenchy

I stayed at both Sofitels. The one on Papeete is nothing to write home about, but is fine for a night when you get to Tahiti. The Sofitel on Moorea was excellent. I wouldn't spring for the overwater bungalows, but that's just my opinion - they are much more expensive, and you can't really sit outside your bungalow because there are constantly people snorkeling, boating, swimming, etc. right up to your room! I got the beachfront bungalow, and thought it was fantastic.

Of course, Bora Bora makes Moorea look downright crappy - do spend at least a few days there if you have the chance! Congratulations on your honeymoon!

Gotta second the advice here!

Also Huahine is interesting. Very low-key.

For Tahiti questions the place to check out is the forum over at www.tahiti-explorer.com

For Tahiti questions the place to check out is the forum over at www.tahiti-explorer.com

Thanks for the link to that FP forum. Great find.