First South Pacific Vacation: need feedback.

My wife and I (late 40's) wish to visit the South Pacific for the first
time.
After a little research, we are almost decided to visit the French
Polinesya,spending maybe 3 days in Tahiti, 3 or 4 in Moorea and 3 or
4 in Bora Bora.Papeete is a non stop flight from Los Angeles. We read
that Moorea and Bora Bora are very beautiful. It seems that May is a
good time of the year as it is not as rainy as Nov-April.
Of course all of these may change if we get new information ( we've been to
many
beaches and of the Caribbean we prefer Aruba or quiet part of Cancun).
Our questions a

It seems that this area is targeting honeymooners, and although we like it
quiet, we'd
like to be able to choose a restaurant at night, move around, visit shops,
not stay all
the time at the hotel.

Is there anything outside the hotels that can be visited?
Do you need a car to move around?
Is it safe?

No doubt these islands are very beautiful, but we have not been able to see
any
pictures besides the over-water bungalows (we prefer the hotel building,
ocean view).
We do not want to stay on a cruise ship.

We will really appreciate if anyone can give us their feedback, suggestions
on how to
improve our vacation, best hotels to stay, or anything at all that may
help.
Thanks in advance
Charles.

On Sun, 7 Mar 2004 14:35:05 -0800, "Charles"
. wrote:

After a little research, we are almost decided to visit the French
Polinesya,spending maybe 3 days in Tahiti, 3 or 4 in Moorea and 3 or
4 in Bora Bora.Papeete is a non stop flight from Los Angeles. We read
that Moorea and Bora Bora are very beautiful. It seems that May is a
good time of the year as it is not as rainy as Nov-April.
Of course all of these may change if we get new information ( we've been to
many
beaches and of the Caribbean we prefer Aruba or quiet part of Cancun).
Our questions a

It seems that this area is targeting honeymooners, and although we like it
quiet, we'd
like to be able to choose a restaurant at night, move around, visit shops,
not stay all
the time at the hotel.

Is there anything outside the hotels that can be visited?
Do you need a car to move around?
Is it safe?

It's been 20 years since I was there. So, taking that into
consideration...
You DON'T want a rental car. Public transport (le Truck) is good.

Bora Bora _is_ incredibly beautiful. It's also small and you can
bicycle around it in a few hours. There aren't many places to go or
see, but the beaches and snorkeling/diving is excellent. Three days
there would be easy, and you'd _almost_ get used to a tropical pace of
living.

Moorea is much larger, with more to do and see, and is almost as
beautiful. It's also just a short ferry ride from Tahiti, so if you
want to cut expenses, cutting Bora Bora is an option.

Tahiti is great, but also crowded, compared to the other islands.
Don't miss the Gauguin museum - There aren't many originals there, but
the museum is very nice. There are several great festivals that have
lots of fun music, dance and other culture. (Traditional tattooists,
etc.) I'd urge you to see one. A hike up the river into the interior
is a good trip, as is a hike _up_ the mountain. (For some reason,
polynesians have never heard of switchbacks. The trails just go
_straight_ up.)

When I went, I was on a budget, and spent much of my time camping in
people's back yards, sleeping in a hammock. It was much nicer than it
sounds, when you consider that those back yards were facing some of
the most beautiful beaches in the world, with some of the most frindly
locals. There was a truck that went around the island every day
selling all the essentials, so a trip to the market was seldom
neccessary.

The optiions for shopping, restaurants, etc, get much scarcer on the
outer islands.

Turby the Turbosurfer

Hello,
We recently went to Tahiti on our honeymoon. It was an amazing vacation.
We used the following website for a wealth of information.
http://www.airtahiti.com/ Under FAQ/Advice they have a greart message board
with trip reviews. We stayed at the Int. Beachcomber in Moorea and the
Sofitel Motu in Bora Bora. Both places were very nice. We rented a car in
Moorea just to drive around the islan but it isn't a requirement of the
vacation. There were several honeymooners there but the islands are NOT
crowded. Probably due to the cost. We had no trouble with last minute
reservations at nice restaurants. Taxi service is good and there are more
excursions to go on than you will have time for.
Hope this helps,
Josh

Josh,

thank you for your response and the info and the airtahiti link.
We like the hotel you suggested, but Frommer's Guide says there is sometimes
"murky water in the lagoon"?
It suggests it may be the best hotel on not the best beach.
Did you stay at the bungalows or the main building? Any comments?
Thanks again, there so many options we are evaluating to have the best
vacation.

Regards

Charles




"josh plumlee" wrote in message
...
Hello,
We recently went to Tahiti on our honeymoon. It was an amazing vacation.
We used the following website for a wealth of information.
http://www.airtahiti.com/ Under FAQ/Advice they have a greart message
board
with trip reviews. We stayed at the Int. Beachcomber in Moorea and the
Sofitel Motu in Bora Bora. Both places were very nice. We rented a car
in
Moorea just to drive around the islan but it isn't a requirement of the
vacation. There were several honeymooners there but the islands are NOT
crowded. Probably due to the cost. We had no trouble with last minute
reservations at nice restaurants. Taxi service is good and there are more
excursions to go on than you will have time for.
Hope this helps,
Josh

"Turby" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 7 Mar 2004 14:35:05 -0800, "Charles"
. wrote:

After a little research, we are almost decided to visit the French
Polinesya,spending maybe 3 days in Tahiti, 3 or 4 in Moorea and 3 or
4 in Bora Bora.Papeete is a non stop flight from Los Angeles. We read
that Moorea and Bora Bora are very beautiful. It seems that May is a
good time of the year as it is not as rainy as Nov-April.
Of course all of these may change if we get new information ( we've been
to
many
beaches and of the Caribbean we prefer Aruba or quiet part of Cancun).
Our questions a

It seems that this area is targeting honeymooners, and although we like
it
quiet, we'd
like to be able to choose a restaurant at night, move around, visit
shops,
not stay all
the time at the hotel.

Is there anything outside the hotels that can be visited?
Do you need a car to move around?
Is it safe?

It's been 20 years since I was there. So, taking that into
consideration...
You DON'T want a rental car. Public transport (le Truck) is good.

Bora Bora _is_ incredibly beautiful. It's also small and you can
bicycle around it in a few hours. There aren't many places to go or
see, but the beaches and snorkeling/diving is excellent. Three days
there would be easy, and you'd _almost_ get used to a tropical pace of
living.

Moorea is much larger, with more to do and see, and is almost as
beautiful. It's also just a short ferry ride from Tahiti, so if you
want to cut expenses, cutting Bora Bora is an option.

Tahiti is great, but also crowded, compared to the other islands.
Don't miss the Gauguin museum - There aren't many originals there, but
the museum is very nice. There are several great festivals that have
lots of fun music, dance and other culture. (Traditional tattooists,
etc.) I'd urge you to see one. A hike up the river into the interior
is a good trip, as is a hike _up_ the mountain. (For some reason,
polynesians have never heard of switchbacks. The trails just go
_straight_ up.)

When I went, I was on a budget, and spent much of my time camping in
people's back yards, sleeping in a hammock. It was much nicer than it
sounds, when you consider that those back yards were facing some of
the most beautiful beaches in the world, with some of the most frindly
locals. There was a truck that went around the island every day
selling all the essentials, so a trip to the market was seldom
neccessary.

The optiions for shopping, restaurants, etc, get much scarcer on the
outer islands.

Turby the Turbosurfer



Thanks for your reply, Turby the Turbosurfer and the info you share.
There are so many options to evaluate, it is hard to try to make the right
choices to have the best vacation.

Thanks again and regards

Charles

Hello,
We stayed in a beach bungalow at the IC in Moorea. The water was nice but
nothing near the experience we had at the Sofitel Motu in Bora Bora. I also
read reviews of murky water at the IC in Moorea but we found it to be nice
and clear. We spent more time in Moorea on tours that took us away from the
hotel to better snorkeling and water experiences. There are only 3 main
hotels in Moorea. The InterContinental, the Sheraton, and the Pearl. None
have beautiful waters. I think Moorea is known for the landscape, Bora Bora
for the reefs and excellent snorkeling. I recommend the beach bungalow at
the IC in Moorea and take tours that will take you out to better snorkeling
water. Our bungalow was about 45 feet from the water and very private,
large, and very well appointed. Try to stay in an over the water bungalow
if you are in Bora Bora. IT was a great experience. Just a little FYI, if
you order breakfast from the hotel order for one, they are very large. Hope
this helps.
Josh





"Charles" . wrote in message
...
Josh,

thank you for your response and the info and the airtahiti link.
We like the hotel you suggested, but Frommer's Guide says there is
sometimes
"murky water in the lagoon"?
It suggests it may be the best hotel on not the best beach.
Did you stay at the bungalows or the main building? Any comments?
Thanks again, there so many options we are evaluating to have the best
vacation.

Regards

Charles




"josh plumlee" wrote in message
...
Hello,
We recently went to Tahiti on our honeymoon. It was an amazing
vacation.
We used the following website for a wealth of information.
http://www.airtahiti.com/ Under FAQ/Advice they have a greart message
board
with trip reviews. We stayed at the Int. Beachcomber in Moorea and the
Sofitel Motu in Bora Bora. Both places were very nice. We rented a car
in
Moorea just to drive around the islan but it isn't a requirement of the
vacation. There were several honeymooners there but the islands are NOT
crowded. Probably due to the cost. We had no trouble with last minute
reservations at nice restaurants. Taxi service is good and there are
more
excursions to go on than you will have time for.
Hope this helps,
Josh