Moorea, Tahiti

Our ten-year anniversary trip that we had saved for and dreamt about since our honeymoon finally arrived!  Moorea absolutely did not disappoint.

Details:

We arrived into Papeete via Air Tahiti early in the morning then took a ferry over to the smaller island of Moorea.  After researching several islands in French Polynesia, we chose Moorea because (1) it is an easy ferry ride away verses another flight and (2) it has beautiful, lush inland with mountains, waterfalls, and hiking along with the ocean that French Polynesia is famous for.

The Hilton Moorea was amazing and so accommodating!  We have to admit a pet peeve of ours is when you stay at a very nice, expensive hotel and then feel nickel and dimed the entire stay.  This was NOT the case here.  The staff at the Hilton Moorea was happy to help us with anything we needed and answered any questions we had.  When we arrived and before we departed at the end of our stay, they offered us a bungalow to shower, change, and freshen up.  Throughout our stay, they replenished a complimentary mini-fridge in our room daily.  They were happy to give recommendations and make reservations for off-site dinners, excursions, and transportation.  We loved checking out their snorkel equipment, paddleboards, and kayaks.

We scheduled a good mix of activities and down days to relax.  Snorkeling at the resort was a highlight, and the Hilton definitely had by far the best private area for this.  The jet skis were probably our favorite, because it was a very small group.  We were even upgraded to a much longer tour since we were willing to take an earlier tour in the day!  Jon hit some HUGE waves when we went outside the reef… with Ashley screaming and clinging on!  We were able to visit the sandbar with stingrays and black tipped sharks on both ocean tours and loved getting to interact with these amazing animals.

Each resort has several dining options to choose from, but they are also happy to reserve dining at off-site restaurants as well.  Each restaurant will pick you up and bring you back for free.  The off-site restaurants were similar in price to the on-site dining.  Our favorite meal was definitely the overwater Toatea Crêperie & Bar at the Hilton Moorea.  We probably enjoyed the savory crepe even more than the sweet which is quite a statement for a couple that lives for an amazing dessert!

Notes and tips:

• Everything on the island is pretty pricy but when you budget accordingly and you know what to expect, you can enjoy the dining and activities without sticker shock.
• The ATM at the airport worked fine (We had read conflicting reports on getting money), and the cheapest way to get local currency is always going to be using an ATM.  However, USD$ were accepted at most places.

Gear:

• You will want a pair of reef shoes that you can find on Amazon here, these were very comfortable and perfect for ATV’s, jet-skiing, and everything in between.
• Since our phone cases are not waterproof, we bought two of these waterproof cases and they worked perfectly!  Some pictures we shot through the pouch turned out great, but I definitely wouldn’t rely on it for shots you really care about.

Accommodations:
Deluxe Garden Pool Bungalow
Panoramic Overwater Bungalow

Activities:
Jet Skis, ATVs, and Catamaran Lagoon tour all booked as part of our vacation package with Albert’s Tours
Honeyed Dreams couples spa treatment included in our package

Restaurants:
Hilton Moorea restaurants
Moorea Beach Café
Le Mayflower
Le Mahogany

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Let us know what’s on your bucket list for French Polynesia!