|
Ia
Orana ....
Just in case this is your first time tuning
in to my birthday adventure reviews....
Susan, my best friend of 30 years on the island
of Maui, and I have been traveling together
in one fashion or another for almost the whole
time we have known each other. Starting in 1976
it was hiking and camping (we had no money ),
we graduated to camper camping in the islands,
Yosemite, river rafting down the Colorado, kayaking
the Napali coast on Kauai (4 days), camping
on the Napali coast (in luxury with drop off
and pick up - a full kitchen/coolers and the
whole 9 yards), a Caribbean cruise 7 years ago
and then our first official birthday trip to
Europe in 2000. We spent almost 3 weeks laughing
our way through France and Italy.... the Orient
Express, Venice, small semi luxury inns, 4 days
at a wine spa in Bordeaux.... lost luggage,
regular gas in a diesel car (use your imagination),
I drank susan's contact lenses (silly girl put
them in a glass of water the night we had no
luggage) and the incredible number of round
abouts that we usually had to go around 3 times
in order to figure out which way to go. In the
Champagne region we stayed in a castle hotel
and took a hot air balloon to celebrate our
birthdays (we are 6 days apart). So this is
how it all really started and now we have decided
that it is a tradition. We enjoyed Fiji last
year (we altered our plans from Bali) and were
treated like queens. Vatulele, Wakaya, Namale
and the delightful eco resort Moody's Namena
(5 days of loving life and nature). Susan and
I had also enjoyed 2 other Fiji trips together.
The first 3 years ago as we did the one night
at each resort circuit. This is when we discovered
that Susan liked to site inspect. We had a blast!
Last year Susan came down to Fiji for 5 nights
to J.M. Cousteau resort to "experience"
their duo massages, facials, and the massage/
picnic on the private little island offshore,
kayak to the ocean from salt lake.... and as
much as we could cram into 5 days.
You might be asking where is my husband through
all of this? Well.... he is growing fine herbs
and micro-greens for Maui hotels and gourmet
restaurants on our 2 acres in upcountry Maui.
We travel 2-3 times a year as well. He is not
as keen on having me lug my computer around
with me or taking 1-2 hours a day writing reviews.
However, this year I am hoping to sneak some
reviews out..... We go to New Zealand every
year and keep discovering new and wonderful
aspects of this wonderful country.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy Susan's
and my 2002 Birthday Adventure in French Polynesia....
Tahiti!
Maruru Roa
Melissa
McCoy
22 Sept, 2002 ...
Happy Birthday to
Susan and I.. we made it! We flew from Hawaii
to Los Angeles to catch the Air Tahiti Nui flight
to meet our Paul Gauguin Cruise. We stayed one
night at the Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey and
would highly recommend it as a 1 or 2 night
pre/post hotel stay on your way to Tahiti, Fiji
or beyond. We stayed on the Concierge floor
(incredible food and service) and sampled the
restaurant and lounge/music. You can ride a
bike all the way down to Santa Monica, work
out in the gym or soak in the jacuzzi. The beds
are dreamy. Today, Sept 20, is Susan's Birthday.
We must have received 4 boxes of chocolates
in a 24 hour period from the hotel. I like this
hotel! I think I will have to stay here more
often!!!
Air Tahiti Nui was a very pleasant suprise.
Although the seats were quite close together,
they were comfortable. Delicious coach meals
(2 of them) and good french wine.... made the
almost 8 hour flight go by quickly.
On 21 Sept we were met at the airport for a
private transport to the ship. I arranged this
to avoid the crowds associated with the bus
arrivals. It went smoothly and we were onboard
in no time. Customs in Tahiti is a piece of
cake. They process you very efficiently and
courteously.
Our Balcony room is what I dreamed it would
be. Lots of storage and... a bathtub! I have
never been on a cruise ship that has a bathtub
in my room. After dinner (the food is outstanding)
we enjoyed the band on deck as we set sail under
a full moon. The mini
bar in our room is stocked with softdrinks and
beer. We are allowed to order 2 bottles of wine
or liquor as part of our cruise passage. Wine
is served, complimentary, with lunch and dinner.
All tips are included (except dining on shore
and tour/excursion guides). No nickel and diming
here!
| 22-27
SEPT: |
click
here for Reviews
from Paul Gauguin Cruise (Tahiti-Raiatea-Tahaa-BoraBora-Moorea-Tahiti)
|
| 28-30
SEPT: |
click
here for
Reviews from Bora Bora Lagoon Resort, Haumana
Cruise, Moana Beachcomber, Sofitel Marara,
Sofitel Motu, Le Meridien Bora Bora...
|
| 30SEPT
- 02OCT: |
click
here for Reviews from
Tahaa Pearl Beach Resort
|
| 02-04OCT: |
Reviews
from Tikehau Pearl Beach
|
| 04-05
OCT: |
click
here for
Reviews from Sheraton Moorea |
22
Sept, 2002 - Raiatea.....
Today
we wake up to the sacred island of Raiatea.
Considered to be the "seat" of polynesian
spirituality, there is much history and culture
here. We leaped out of bed and went to the gym
for our workout and treadmill session. Gotta
keep those pounds from piling on! Then we had
breakfast delivered to our room for dining on
our balcony. They offer 24 hour limited room
service. During regular restaurant hours, you
can have anything and everything on the menus
in any of the dining rooms. In the afternoon,
we enjoyed the FaaRoa river and Taputapuatea
tour - boat and 4 wheel drive tour. It is an
afternoon tour and we enjoyed it thoroughly.
Dinner was at the fine dining room and started
out with Louis Roeder Champagne then on to white
and red french wines. It was more of a gourmet
tasting menu and was delicious. Foie Gras, Lobster
ravioli, and a couple of other courses. The
chocolate desert was too delicous. I almost
took one back to the room. The show that evening
was Michael Shapiro with the ships band as backup.
Fantastic. He is funny and .... what a broadway
voice. I get goosebumps just thinking about
his singing.... The band plays great dance music
and Susan and I enjoyed watching the couples
swoosh around the floor. This is not the best
cruise for 2 girls to go on if you're looking
for action (which we are not - both married).
No guys to ask us to dance. So.... we took over
the dance floor after the show. They kept playing
Frank Sinatra so we just danced around doing
our own thing until they turned off the music.
The moon was still pretty full and we found
the disco (it is stretching it to call it that),
the outdoor dance floor and no one else there
so.... we kept dancing. I think we got in about
1++ hours of good aerobic dancing.
 23
Sept 2002 - Island of Tahaa
Today we ate breakfast
in the fine dining room (made to order eggs
and great continental buffet) and are preparing
to go to the "motu picnic". A Motu
is a small island off of a larger island. Tahaa
is the larger island. I have been dreaming about
the Motu picnic for about 2 years . . . You
can lay on your floation
sheet and the floating bar... yes floating bar...
comes by and serves you a cocktail while you
are laying in the water. Yes, it is decedent.
Today will be the first day to sneak in some
sun. We've had a little rain (not unusual for
the tropics - just in case you did not know)
so I am fully prepared to do some baking today...
Okay... signing off...
Oh... by the way... 'Aita pe'ape'a - No worries....
To come: the
cruise continues to Bora Bora and Moorea. Melissa
and Susan spend one more week at Bora Bora Lagoon
Resort, Tahaa Pearl Resort, Tikehau Pearl Resort
and Sheraton Moorea.
24 Sept 2002
Bora Bora -
Bali Hai is calling....
My last update was just before the Motu Picnic
lunch off of Tahaa yesterday. Here is how our
wonderful time in Tahiti is progressing... The
Motu Picnic was a success! Why? Food was...
delicious. The mai tai punch they served in
large fresh green coconuts (that floated by
the way) seemed to be a hit - second to the
.... floating bar. I have never seen so many
people have so much fun while hanging out in
the water. You can kayak up to the floating
bar or walk/wade up to it. He does move around
but he is only one and you have well over 100
people tooling around. I was wrong when I thought
I could be on my floating mat. NOTE: bring your
own floating mat. They do not provide you with
this item so bring your own blow up mat. In
fact, the word is from a fellow passenger...
ANY cruise you take to a sun and fun destination
requires that you pack your own blow up raft.
Take note... I am and will bring one when I
return to go on the WindSong (sorry - I must
return and try all ships).
We had a delightful dinner
with 6 other delightful people. I love the larger
table environment, as you meet people you would
never meet otherwise. We can always dine alone...
why not get to meet some nice folks and broaden
our horizons... Susan and I had a great time...
After dinner we went to the magic show of sorts
and then retired early... 11:00pm...
Leaping out of bed at 5:30am... I put my work
out clothes on and went for a walk on the treadmill
before the line formed (a very popular exercise
venue). The deck was a little wet (it has been
raining in the evenings and early mornings).
Suz slept in, I walked and then had a cup of
coffee and read in the lounge. At 7:30 am sharp,
back at our stateroom, breakfast was served
on our veranda. Susan and I stayed on the ship
all day today. We both had a massage in the
AM. Pool time was required before a really tasty
lunch in Le Grill. Then more pool time and off
to our facials. Take a nap, feel refreshed and
time for sunset on the Pool Deck while chatting
with new friends.
One of the things I love the most about visiting
tropical destinations is being able to "sport"
my favorite tropical clothes. Sorry... it's
in the genetic pre-disposition. My mother loved
fashion and I try to follow in her footsteps.
I get to wear my favorite pareo's, tropical
print dresses and... my barefoot sandals. Once
I break out these items it is confirmed... I
AM on vacation.
Well.. I have to go now... It's time to dress
for dinner. It is Pareo night.... and I have
a drawer of my favorites to choose from. Mmmmmm...
what shall I wear?
Tomorrow... Susan and Melissa's great adventure
is a Waverunner excursion (I get to drive first)
all the way around the island. Birthday countdown...
2 days to go... Until tomorrow we remain...
tan and happy.
'Aita pe'ape'a (no worries)
Melissa McCoy
and side kick Susan
26 Sept 2002
Happy Birthday to
Melissa! My husband
had sent us 2 bottles
of fine french champagne which we had in the
in room refrigerator.
In the
Susan/Melissa birthday tradition... we ordered
room service and proceeded
to enjoy our champagne
as we sat on our balcony - traveling
to the island of Moorea.
It was another perfect day - the deep blue sea
wild with white caps as
the tropical wind
picked up velocity. I could not help
but giggle inside - I
was sitting on a balcony
room on a ship in the south pacific.
Sometimes you just
have to giggle! As we approched Moorea we were
awestruck at its beauty.
I had been to Moorea
a couple of years before with my husband
and thought it was beautiful
then but this.... was stunning. The jagged
peaks jutting out from
behind sculpted mountains...
The two bays here cut deep
into this side of the
island and add to
the overall dramatic setting. On deck,
it was the Mai Tai party
to celebrate our arrival to this inviting island.
We put on our bathing
suits and enjoyed
our cruise mates and tahitian music and
dance on deck.
Our schedule
today included... lunch in Le Grill (the food
is so fresh, varied and
delicous .. I SWEAR I have been eating 92 1/2
% healthy!), a 1 1/2
hour massage, kayaking
off of the "platform" off the back
of the boat and a
nap. That's it.. We
did not leave the boat. The ship is moored
in Cook's Bay and
it has to be, beyond
a shadow of a doubt, one of the most
gorgeous settings in
the South Pacific.
I am pretty much a land lubber and
the thought of an overwater
bungalow fits my personality type to a "t"....
But this ship, the
casual elegant pampering
floating hotel called the Paul
Gauguin, has so much to
offer... I can see
why 2 sets of passengers are on the
ship for the second week
in a row. Just to add to this... EVERYONE we
talk to that are cruisers
say that this is one
of the best if not the best cruise
that they have ever been
on... (I just had to get in a quick commerical).
The evening meal was
in the main dining room and we met
more new people that we
thoroughly enjoyed.
The nightly show was a couple performing
a couple different
acts... one which required audience participation.
Yes, you guessed it...
they picked me! And wouldn't you know.. they
adorned me with a tahitian
dance outfit - head lei, coconut bra and grass
skirt. It was a mime
skit and I found myself
having to dance the hula and then
be swept off my feet
(yes - literally).
I became the star of the show when
my coconut bra slipped
down to my waist!!!
I had my clothes on but still...
you would have had to
been there! It
was so much fun... I didn't mind looking like
a fool. We
took a stroll on deck to count the stars, feel
the sweet balmy air
.. was counting our
blessings. It had been a beautiful day.
Today is Friday and
I have already been to the gym. Susan
and I will have a hearty
breakfast and then we are off to rent a car
and do some shopping
and circle the island.
I hope you won't mind if I tell you
that it is absolutely
beautiful outside
and we are going to enjoy it. (just
a note: I am in the Card
Room which is where the 2 computers are housed
for customers to send
email. They only send
emails at night - so don't think
that you can "communicate"
in real time. You CANNOT access the internet
so you cannot pickup
your personal email from hotmail or yahoo or...
There are 2 big picture
windows here - so
I am being reminded that I have to get going.
To make a phone call
from the ship costs $15 a minute (ouch!). I
have bought phone
cards (about 7 minutes
for $10) and will attempt to use them
today on shore. I tried
it on Bora Bora but
it did not work. No doubt... telephone
operator error on
my part!
We are going to stop
at the Moorea
Beachcomber
to see... if we can
make reservations
to do the Shallow Water Dolphin Experience
when we return to Moorea
in a few days. We will then go to the Sheraton
to pick up a Spa Menu
and a ... Pillow Menu.
We will be staying at the Sheraton
our last night in
Tahiti. You might
be wondering what a Pillow Menu is....
Hold that thought...
Until we meet again...
Melissa
27 Sept 2002
It is bright and early
on the morning after my birthday.
We've had a couple
fun and relaxing days.
I am so relaxed I am wondering
if I can remember when
one day ended and
the next began...
Wednesday found us
sleeping in until... 7am! The beds
on the ship are very
comfortable and the
curtains in our balcony room close
to keep out the light.
We decided to have
our breakfast in Le Veranda - the ships
fine dining room. It
is full of light and delicious items on the
buffet (for lunch
too!). At 10:30 they
started taking people over to the Motu (small
island) for a swim in
turquoise waters.
It is a stunning beach - the ideal
setting for sand between
your toes and to practice
up on your floating skills! Susan
and I did our "laps"
on the beach and then returned to the ship to
prepare for our Waverunner
Circle Island Tour.
It was a perfectly perfect day on
Bora Bora. A soft breeze
swept over the ship as palms on shore sparkled
with sunbeams dancing
on wind
tossed fronds... It's hard to get off the ship
as the views of the
whole bay
are stunning. The Staff take care of your every
whim. It is a floating
6 star
hotel. So... off to my first try on a waveski...
After a 5 minute lesson
we (2 Waverunners and our guide) took off across
the blue lagoon to circumnavigate
the island. We stopped a couple of times
to stand in knee high
water, lather up a
little more with sunscreen and shake
out the initial tightness
in the muscles. Then off to a Motu (there are
only about 30+ of them
around Bora Bora) where our guide husked coconuts
for us, offer the milk
and then proceeded
to shred the meat for us to taste. I
did not know... that
there are male and female coconuts! He might
have been pulling
our legs...
The male coconut sprouts from the side. The
female from the top
of the coconut and
is... surprise.. sweeter to the taste. Of
course us girls thought
that was appropriate.
We continued our journey completely
around the island and
now... I know where every resort is on the island
and her Motu's. I
must return
and try out a couple other resorts here. The
Le Meridien and the
Sofitel Coralia Motu
look especially interesting.
Susan and I will return
here on the 28th and stay 2 nights at the Bora
Bora Lagoon
(an Orient Express Hotel).
We ate dinner in Le
Grill - on deck. A little night life
and we were ready to
hit the hay!
28-30
Sept 2002
Ia Orana from Paradise....
Sadly, our Paul Gauguin
Cruise has ended and we disembarked at 8am
on 28Sept. We met some really nice people and
I even learned how
to say thank you very much in Ilicano (a Filipino
dialect)... Malaming
Salamat. The Filipino
staff were awesome on the ship. Friendly,
attentive and really sweet. As Susan and I embark
on the land portion
of our "program"... we cannot help
but compare food,
service and a variety of other details with
the resorts we are
staying at.
We were driven to the Papeete
airport where we struggled with the
ATM machine. Susan's debit card did not work
and I had forgotten
my PIN. Ah.... do not forget your PIN. You can
tell that I do not
use my ATM card too much. I usually save it
for international
vacations so I can get the local currency, instead
of standing in line
at the bank. I'm really not sure at this moment
if the rate of exchange is better or worse if
you use your ATM (mine
is attached to my credit card) or exchange US
$$. What I have found
in the past is that US currency is better than
travelers checks (for
exchange purposes). We all know the benefits
of travelers checks
in case of $ being lost or stolen. Always make
sure that you keep your travelers checks # list
separate from your
travelers checks. While I am at it (here is
the travel agent in
me) ... make sure that you make copies of your
airline tickets and
passport - keep one in a separate place in your
luggage (from the
real thing) and keep one at home with someone
who you could contact
if you needed copies NOW.
Tip #2.... for your
ship experiences and resort experiences ....
pack an inflatable
floatation device and water shoes/tivas. This
goes for the South
Pacific or.... anywhere you might find yourself
enjoying warm weather, beaches, reefs, etc.
Okay off we go flying to
Magical Bora Bora. Our plane made a U turn over
glistening turquoise waters to make a perfect
landing on the tiny airstrip on a "motu".
A "motu" is a small sand island. Boats
are lined up at the airport's dock to take the
passengers to either their hotel or to the main
dock in Vaitape, Bora Bora's main town. Our
first hotel is the Bora
Bora Lagoon Resort.
We arrived at the resort to
a warm welcome, fresh juice and a cool towelette.
The grounds of the hotel are beautifully landscaped
and the common areas were huge areas made of
mostly natural woods, bamboo and reed. We were
in our overwater bungalow by 10am. We unpacked
and made it down the ladder to take a swim in
the inviting water below. We were in a shallow
overwater bungalow. Our bungalow had a bathtub
and glass shower, 2 sinks and an enclosed toilet
closet. Our large king bed was kindly made into
twins, we had a glass top table you could slide
back and feed the fish, a lounging couch, TV
(not sure what you can get on it), telephone
(calls to the US were about $3 a minute), coffee/tea
making facilities, a safe (which I actually
used), a writing desk and two lounges on our
overwater deck. (NOTE:
At the end of our ON LOCATION Reviews, I will
give some insight about the fact that.... all
overwater bungalows are not created equal. Also
a little dissertation on Meal Plan versus no
Meal Plan.) Susan and I ordered room service....
champagne and a cheese platter. We got hooked
on cheese while on the Paul Gauguin (we were
also hooked on cheese during our trip to France
2 years ago), so we wanted to continue the tradition.
The champagne, Landon, was not
bad at all. It was the least expensive (and
things ARE expensive in Tahiti and we were having
sticker shock after getting off the ship and
NOW having to pay for everything.. even water).
Our room service waiter was very friendly. There
was a little communication problem (but this
happened often in our travels here) and the
staff's friendliness paled in comparison to
the Paul Gauguin. The music in the lounge was
french karioke.... a gentleman playing pre-recorded
background music and playing sax or singing
to it. The Bora
Bora Lagoon Resort
has 80 bungalows total including 36 Overwater,
14 Pontoon Overwater (premium). Many of the
beachfront bungalows should be reclassified
as Garden as they sit back too far from the
ocean. Especially those on the left of the pier
when you arrive. There is one pool suite that
is beachfront that is really sweet and I would
recommend.
The
next day Susan and I rented a put put car (similar
to Disneyland's Utopia
cars) and circumnavigated the island (about
40 minutes total drive
time) and site inspected several hotels. This
IS supposed to be a vacation!!! Susan loves
to site inspect hotels
with me - it's fun and informative and she tells
her clients about
everything she learns (she is a skin care specialist).
Our first exploration
is the Haumana
Cruise,
which just happens to
be at dock. I am not sure if my office has ever
sold the Haumana but
it has always made me curious. I am now committed
to enjoying her 7
day itinerary before another 6 months are up.
With 19 cabins this
luxury power catamaran offers unique options
daily between Bora
Bora, Tahaa and Huahine. Most of the cabins
are outside (but not
all) and have big picture windows. The common
area is laid out very nicely with big couches.
This IS the best way
to get to know this area and the tahitian culture.
It is an intimate
way to get to know this area of Tahiti and her
people. The menu looked
fantastic too. They are bringing in 2 other
luxury small ships that will go into service
in April.
We
hopped in our car and continued to the Moana
Beachcomber Hotel
at Matira Bay. This is a huge lagoon area with
the Hotel Bora Bora
on the other side of the point. We were very
pleasantly suprised.
The property has a total of 64 Bungalows. All
Bungalows have A/C. All Overwater Bungalows
were actually Junior
Suites - recently renovated to a very high standard.
In the bathroom you
will enjoy live vanilla vines draped overhead.
It is a nice touch
and adds a sense of the outdoors. There are
2 TV's in the bedroom
and sitting room. 2 Suites hold a maximum of
8 people. The hotel
offers 3 shows a week, Tues, Thurs and Sat with
buffets or special
menus. The water is perfectly turquoise and
all non-motorized
ocean sports are free. They even have water
lounge mats to use
(a great feature we have discovered). The hotel
offers a once a day complimentary shuttle to
the main town area -
which is about 10-15 minutes away. In 2003 they
are putting a Spa
and Gym that will be open 24 hours a day. They
are also installing
DVD/CDs in all Bungalows in 2003. It seemed
like a great property
with a fantastic location and lots to do.
Sofitel
Marara
- common area site inspection only (no rooms
available to see). Susan and I were not particularly
impressed too much
with the Sofitel Marara. The overwater were
all very close to
shore and close to the road behind it. The road
on Bora Bora is fairly
busy in French Polynesia terms. Especially with
scooters and put put cars that sound like lawn
mowers. We did not
see the interiors - although the brochures make
them look lovely. The
outdoor dining looks very nice. The beach was
not powder white sand
(which is not as uncommon here as you might
think). This property
has a total of 64 Bungalows, 21 overwater, 11
beach bungalows, 32
garden bungalows. All bungalows have air conditioning.
Bungalow #62 looked like it was the deepest
and had it's own little
covered overwater gazebo. None of the overwater
bungalows looked inviting
to get into the water from your overwater deck.
This is an observation
since we were not able to go into any of the
bungalows. If you
stay at the Sofitel Marara you can go over and
use the facilities, snorkeling and beach on
the Motu.
Sofitel
Motu -
Common area site inspection only as no rooms
were available. You
get to Sofitel Motu by coming through the lobby
from the Sofitel Marara.
It is a short 7 minute ride to the Motu. As
we approached, it
looked very inviting. We climbed the stairs
up to reception area
to be very warmly greeted by Hostess. The reception
and dining area was
a warmly decorated round building with a great
view. The patio at the entrance had a small
waterfall and water
area with water lillies. There are about 3 little
beaches on the Motu.
The sand was white and the lagoon blue as far
as the eye could see.
The overwater had a sunning deck just off of
the main outdoor deck
(which I thought was brilliant). There are 20
overwater bungalows
which all look inviting to me. It appeared to
us, without going
inside, that Bungalows 128, 129 and 130 had
the most privacy and
view of Bora Bora. #129 looked the absolute
best. There are also
10 Deluxe Bungalows on the hillside (I had heard
that they were treehouses
but they are not.... but have stunning views
through the trees).
It actually looks like only 7 are completed.
#101-103 have sunset
views (facing west) and #104-#107 face the sunrise.
All bungalows have
air conditioning. There is no pool on the Motu
but you can use the
one at the Sofitel Marara.
Le
Meridien Bora Bora...
The boat ride to the resort takes
about 20 minutes from the Bora Bora airport.
It is a stunning location
with powder white sand. There are 85 overwater
bungalows .. several
of which are Premium overwater - at the end
of the walkway and
most private. The 15 Beach bungalows are situated
around a perfect lagoon.
There is no air conditioning in the overwater
bungalows (it is coming in 2003). The Beach
bungalows DO have air
conditioning. When you walk into the overwater
bungalows you walk
onto a glass floor about 8ft x 6ft. This is
really taking the glass
top table to the next degree. The interior
design was warm woods with many native touches.
The bathroom had elevated
sinks (european style) and 2 suspended mirrors
framed with drift
wood. The deep bathtub was right next to the
large louvered window,
looking out over the bay. The outdoor deck offered
stunning views of turquoise and aqua lagoons
with inviting waters
beckoning you to climb down the stairs and immerse
yourself in the picture
perfect water. Yes.... I would like to come
back and stay here.
The resort has a turtle rescue program. In the
Resort's lagoon, you can snorkel with the turtles.
They offer some excellent
marine education and appear to have the most
comprehensive eco-sensitive resort in Bora Bora.
The view from the
resort is stunning. It is the largest resort
in Bora Bora but not
by much. They have more room than any other
resort we visited so
spreading out is easy. You do not feel cramped
(as we experienced at
other properties).
FUTURE: Word has it the
the Beachcomber is going to build a resort
next to the Le Meridien. It is supposed to be
completed in 2005.
Hotel
Bora Bora
- On Matira Lagoon and the most famous and elegant
of the Bora Bora resorts (do I sound like a
commercial), we were
fortunate enough to enjoy lunch at this fine
property and site
inspect a Beach Villa. Right off the bat we
were impressed with
the Boutique. It has gotten to be one of our
first stops at all
resorts in search of the perfect pareo or other
items we cannot live
without. Most of the boutiques have not captured
our attention but
this high quality store almost sent us out of
the resort with reduced
assets. Lunch was
delicious and well presented in their tropical
elegant open air dining
area. Below our dining venue there existed what
would have been one
of our hang outs if we were staying here...
the beach bar. It
is a picture perfect setting and, at the moment,
THE sunset beach resort.
With only 54 Bungalows, it is not only elegant
but private. There
are only 15 overwater bungalows, 5 of these
are deep water with
2 tier sundecks leading directly into the lagoon.
Overwater bungalows
have 4 poster king beds. All rooms feature old
fashioned type ball-and-claw bathtubs. There
are 8 villas, Beach and
Garden, that come with private swimming pools.
30
Sept - 02 Oct 2002 - In
love with Tahaa
Pearl Beach Resort
Ia Orana and
greetings from the most beautiful resort we
have found so far in
our journeys in Tahiti.. We got up early today,
Sept 30, at our resort on Bora Bora... overwater
bungalow at the Bora
Bora Lagoon Resort.
After breakfast, we
enjoyed massages in our Fare before
packing and heading off to the
airport, by boat. A short 10 minute flight from
Bora Bora... we arrived
on Raiatea, Tahiti's
cultural and spiritual Island.
As I gaze at the "vanilla
isle" from our motu resort
- surely one of the wonders
of the south pacific... the Tahaa
Pearl Beach Resort.
This resort sits on
a motu... a small island that sits off
of the main island of
Tahaa. Let me see
if I can give you
an accurate account. To get here you
fly to Raiatea. A 3 minute drive to the small
boat harbor (where the
Moorings boats are) and you are ready to head
off to the Motu off
of Tahaa. While we
waited for our boat to leave for the
resort (oh those unexpected delays), I fell
in love with the little
restaurant there at
the Raiatea small boat harbor. It is very french
with 2 big great danes to pet
and talk to (if you miss your animals).... The
menu looked "fabulous"
and the Poisson Cru was the Chinese
variety (we have learned) which has garlic and
ginger in it. Oh yes...
the boat ride to our little motu is a bit rough...
and about 20 minutes
+. Is it worth it all? If I could shout
YES from French Polynesia
you would hear it across the globe.
Okay... here is the
scene.... I am sitting on our
deck (Susan is in the
hammock on the beach)... This deck, on our Tahaa
View overwater bungalow,
is to die for. This place is
for lovers .... honeymooners.... romantics looking
for ambiance of the
south pacific kind. We arrived last evening
in the dark and walked
the long walkway to our Fare.... Sweet beyond
compare so far in our
travels... There is a huge picture window in
front of the king
size bed.. the side
sliding glass window opens to a huge
panoramic view to the
left of the bed. The long glass table at the
end of the bed opens
to feed the little fishes - that are drawn to
the light. There is
a CD player, a bathtub that has a mirror that
lets you see the view
through the Fare... a natural stone/slate shower,
2 elevated sinks...
polynesian petroglyph type carvings in the
wood.... The HUGE
picture window in front of the bed.... (did
I say that twice).
What a view - straight
on... to the turquoise lagoon
that surrounds this idyllic
motu...
I have taken a zillion
pictures of the horizon
pool, hammocks that are waiting to have us relax
on them... the swim
up bar.. the lagoon calling us to swim, swim,
swim.... Don't get
me wrong, this is
not heaven... it is just the next best
thing to heaven! I
kid you not.... The
day begins with eyes opened wide at about 5am...
The moon is glistening
on the water - stars twinkling... I had
to go out and relax in
the most incredibly comfortable lounges ever
enjoyed by a human
body. You can bring
up your knees, adjust your head....
and Susan meandered
out to join me with blankets in hand and we
watched the Paul Gauguin
quietly move past our sweet delightful perfectly
orchestrated resort
in the soft pastel hours of early am... in French
Polynesia. Soft moon
beams... stars glistening... the lavishly
beautiful green island
of Tahaa in view. As the sun rose the sky turned
pink.... and sure
enough... it was time to take a dip. Brrrrrr....
not the warm bathtub
water of summer but refreshing and.. well...
refreshing.... Susan
and I then put in about 30 minutes
of power walking so
we "keep in shape" in paradise.
About 7:30 am our canoe breakfast arrived -
continental with luscious
fruits, french breads, fresh
juice... All decorated
with the most deliciously colored hibiscus
- our outdoor table looked
like a festive occasion... That brings me
to the deck.... The
deck is huge... room for 2 lounges with lots
of room to spare.
One of the features
that we love about our deck
is the covered little
breakfast nook... And... it has a fan
to use during the
summer months when it is a bit warmer. Very
insightful... as are
so many things we are seeing here at the Tahaa
Pearl Beach Resort.
04-05
Oct 2002 - Sheraton
Moorea Lagoon...
Incredibly gorgeous - we are in a OW Sunset
view Bungalow
Ia
Orana and welcome to our last day in paradise....
At this moment.. I am face
to face with the Onehuo Bay framed by
Moorea's sculptured mountains as I sit on our
overwater bungalow
deck. The sky is pink with hues of sunrise,
rays of light are
dancing on the water's surface and I could not
pick a more incredibly
beautiful place to spend our final morning in
these scented isles. Writing
about all of this crystallizes it in my mind...
the color, the beauty,
the fragrant flowers.
When we left Tikehau yesterday,
it was a rainy day with flat ocean
surrounding our motu in the Atoll of Tikehau.
There were many departures
and we filled the tiny little airport to overflowing
once we all arrived
by boat and van. In a short 3 days we have made
several friends that we enjoyed chatting with
at the airport. For
some reason, they like to get you to the airport
well over an hour in
advance. We were thinking that 30 minutes would
be more than adequate.
No worries.... it gave us time to say our farewells,
exchange email addresses and cards and watch
the video we had taken. The
band boys at Tikehau were incredible with Ukulele
that sounded like
a mandolin with the fastest fingers in the South
Pacific (the review
of Tikehau will be posted after this one). The
Band Boys were also
the airport baggage assistants so we talked
in sign language (neither
knew the other's language) and they bestowed
upon us many more
shell leis. In Tahiti, it is traditional to
receive a flower lei
on arrival... and a shell lei on departure.
In the culture here,
the goal is to weigh you down with shell leis
when you depart. Susan
and I were not weighed down but we had about
8 shell leis each. In
comparison to Hawaii.... sad farewells can find
someone buried to
their eyeballs with flower leis. It has been
a delightful experience
for Susan and I to compare our own islands of
Hawaii and their culture
to these beautiful french polynesian islets
and their culture.
Our flight was on Air Tahiti
(I love their planes) with very nice
flight attendants and cabin service (on flights
over 30 minutes). I
hadn't had a coke for days so I purchased one
.... with ice! As we
moved away from the Tuamotu island group, the
skies cleared and the
slick calm ocean below gave a hint of things
to come. Just a few
minutes from Papeete, Tahiti... I noticed a
very inviting Atoll. Upon
landing and checking in to Air Moorea to fly
to our final destination
of the day, Moorea, I found out that the inviting
Atoll was none other
than Tetiaroa, Marlon Brando's island. In my
normal travel agent
way.... I picked the woman's brain for pricing,
how do you get there,
is there air conditioning (ha!) and... is there
electricity. It looks like a real unique polynesian
experience with no
creature comforts.... perfect perfect perfect
white powder sand
and nature (au sauvage). Our
puddle jumper to Moorea lasted all of 6 minutes
and we were greeted
by Winston.... who speaks all languages but
English (we have run
into much of this). It turns out they really
know enough english
to understand and relay important information.
We hijacked Winston
to take us shopping at the "White House"
which is the coolest
little shop on Moorea if you like curios, and
an incredible array of
pareos. Susan and I have been on this Pareo
thing for the last few
days. The materials here are so colorful and
vibrant that we have been
envisioning ourselves remaking our wardrobe....
in essence... transforming
ourselves into polynesian beauties! Well...
we can dream about
it anyway! We both love clothes with "MOI"
winning the prize
for diversity in purchasing.
Upon arrival yesterday, at the Sheraton
Moorea Lagoon Resort,
we enjoyed cool damp towelettes, pineapple juice,
a nice fresh flower lei (delivered
by a very tattooed gentleman). We were taken
to our Overwater Bungalow
#95 with sunset view. After a brief review of
the room amenities,
we headed off to get acclimated to the hotel.
The Boutique visit
was exciting as we saw some good options for
fashion consumption
today. Te Mana from Tahiti and TAV from the
Cook Islands. Susan
and I are already the proud owner of many TAV
dresses and pareo but
you can never get too much of a good thing (I
think!). We enjoyed a
cocktail at the bar that lives out on the boardwalk
that leads to all overwater
bungalows. We thought this was an extremely
insightful fine touch
not only because of the convenience but ....
it is the only one we
have seen in all of our travels here. We then
went to Mandara Spa to
arrange for the services we would enjoy today.
Susan is going to enjoy
The Exotic Island Facial and Natural Aromatic
Hair Bath. I am going
to die and go to heaven with The Moorea Indulgence
which is 2 1/2 hours
of the ultimate pampering. It begins with a
Moana footbath, followed
by a vanilla body wash and exotic coconut body
scrub. Then I will
relax in an aromatic Jacuzzi bath while I am
served ginger tea and fresh
fruit. The experience will end with a full 1
hour body massage and
mini facial. I have asked them to throw in a
little Heaven and Earth
(why not) which is called Ra'i e Fenua, a combination
of reflexology that
focuses on the head and feet. We will enjoy
these today before
we have a quick bite to eat and head off to
the airport for our
8:30pm flight. The red eye back to Hawaii.
The Sunset was enjoyed
on our overwater deck with fresh pineapple daiquiris.
I could not resist a quick dip off of our deck.
The water is not deep
enough to dive and has a fair amount of coral
which can be a bit
challenging for a good swim. My version of "a
swim" is the breast stoke
and floating on my back so it all worked out
okay. The colors of
the sunset were the best we had seen so far
on the trip and the scene was
delightful with the mountains coming alive with
sunset hues. We went
up to the bar to listen to the band boys (they
have such incredible musicians
here) and met 14 year old Gertrude who played
the one string base
and sang in the band (her brother is the band
leader). Cute beyond
words, she came over to introduce herself and
giggled continuously
as she asked us 1,000 questions and exclaimed
how much she loved
to speak english. What a doll! Dinner was served
with tropical flair...
the presentation and flavors fantastic. The
menu at dinner was
inviting and the deserts that kept coming by
our table made us
change our minds ever few minutes about how
we were going to end our last
dinner in Tahiti. We decided on the trio of
creme brulee.... pineapple,
vanilla and coconut. Mmmmmm yum!
Let me explain our
room to you. The fabric used in the interior
is ordinary (they
did not consult me before they did their buying!)
but there are some
other fine touches that are unique and very
very enjoyable. There
is no glass table top - only a 2X6 piece of
glass on the floor
with the most magnificent fish viewing. There
is a lot of live coral
here and fishes that are varied, colorful and
the best we have seen
in the whole 2 weeks we have been in Tahiti.
The king bed is very
comfortable but the pillows leave some room
for improvement. I would
most definitely order the goose down pillows
from the "pillow menu".
You can order pillows for no additional cost.
There are all sorts
of pillows for neck and back "issues"
so if you have special pillow
needs... you HAVE found your island in the sun...
Okay, the bathroom.
There are wooden blinds that open so the bathroom
and bedroom almost
become one. The claw foot tub has YOUR name
on it (at least it
did ours) and Susan and I have both taken our
turns lavishing in
the bathroom tub ambiance. There are a lot of
dark woods and you almost
feel like you are on a ship (luxury yacht of
course!). Behind the
sink is a little glass shelf you can see the
lagoon below and open
to view or feed fish. There are also louvres
you can open for even
more lagoon viewing - while you brush your teeth.
You are equipped with
snorkel gear in the room (although beach towels
must be obtained at
the beach shack). All rooms have Air conditioning.
We have not site inspected the other rooms but
we did site inspect
the CANOE BREAKFAST. It is a perfect setting
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