Travel Tips For Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora

Posted by Miss Bonnified on March 23, 2012 · 2 Comments 

The last post talked about how to get ready for your trip. This post will act as a very bare bones guide to how to make your money last in Tahiti as well tips on what to do (or not to do….)! As beautiful as this place is, it does gobbles your money very quickly!

BUGS!!

There are various biting insects in Tahiti. There are mosquitos and something called a “no see um” because you don’t see them. They bite. I react horrifically to bug bites. I’m also irresistible to any and all biting bugs. They love me. It’s a one way street. I swell and have fevers from mosquito bites. I hate biting bugs.

I bought insect repellent with DEET but I do not like using it. What worked great for me is Avon’s Skin So Soft bath oil in it’s original scent. Added bonus? It really keeps my skin super soft. The fragrance is something that’s a hit or miss. Either you love it or you hate it. Clyde doesn’t really care for it. He says it makes me smell like an old lady.

I bought the spray from Amazon. I love Amazon Prime.

Old lady smell or not, I used it every night AFTER getting bit twice in 5 minutes our first night. After that? No more bites. Clyde initially scoffed at my Avon product but after the bugs reluctantly started feasting on him, he came to the dark side and let me slather him with it every night. No more bites for either of us after that!

The bugs usually start biting around dusk and stop during when the sun’s out. You don’t have to get Avon Skin So Soft insect repellent or whatever other variations they have. This is the one I got. No, I’m not an Avon lady but if you know one, tell them you want this product if you’re going to Tahiti.

Papeete, Tahiti

We stayed at the Sofitel in Papeete. DO NOT SLIDE THE BALCONEY DOORS SHUT BEHIND YOU WHEN YOU’RE ON THE BALCONEY!! I locked us out that way. Luckily for us, there was a very nice couple staying next to us. I think I freaked out the girl when I leaned across the glass lanai partition and started knocking on her side.

I’m so glad they were awake….and were willing to help us. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I saw a strange, disembodied woman on my side of the lanai waving maniacally at me IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT and asking me to open my sliding door so that she could talk to me.

To the beautiful blond angel and her husband, thank you so much for rescuing us!!

I don’t know about all the other hotels but I know the Sofitel’s doors automatically lock behind you. There’s a small sticker warning you about it posted on the door but it’s small and I didn’t see it in my excitement. Consider yourself warned!

I wouldn’t recommend staying on the main island of Tahiti. It’s super busy and crowded with cars.

We got a pretty good deal on water at one of the markets by the ferry dock. We bought 4 1.5L bottles of water. I forgot which store. Sorry!

Our deal with Costco included meals. We ate a HUGE breakfast. On a side note, I don’t know why we almost always skipped lunch. We just weren’t hungry. I think it might’ve been because it was so hot and we drank so much water in our effort to keep ourselves hydrated.

We also snacked on the goodies we brought during our entire trip during the afternoon. I think that’s how we managed to not eat lunch 95% of the time.

Moorea

I think Moorea is an island that is the most fun. The activities available here are more exciting than what’s offered in Bora Bora. You can swim with dolphins here. Bora Bora has a lagoon excursion but Moorea’s excursion includes being able to swim with black tip reef sharks and rays! We went with Albert’s for the lagoon tour. Our guide’s name was Siki. He was hilarious. We had such a great time. Their prices was 500 XFC less than the other company Sofitel prefers. The transfer to and from is included in the price and it’s priced per person.

The Sofitel in Moorea is beautiful. They really have the best lagoon in the entire island. Their room service is also super tasty.

If you can, rent a car and drive around the island. I think it’ll only take you 2 hours to drive around the entire island. It will also give you an opportunity to explore the black pearl shops outside the hotel and you can also BUY WATER!!

Now that I’ve stayed in both OTW bungalows and a beach front bungalow, I think I would rather stay in the beach front bungalows. They’re better insulated, retain the AC better and quieter than the OTW bungalows. They’re also much more affordable. Our beach front bungalows at the Sofitel in Moorea was absolutely amazing. I want to go back.

Bora Bora

We stayed at the Sofitel in one of their over-the-water bungalows on their private motu (island).

While it’s super cool to say “We stayed at on a private island”, it’s not as convenient. Granted, their free boat that took us to and back the main island was very nice and prompt, I think we’d rather stay on the main island next time.

We stayed in bungalow 114 which is also the one used in the move “XXX”. No, it’s not a porno movie. It was the Vin Diesel movie. It felt like it was swaying in the sea. It was also super hot at night because the AC escaped from the bungalow and we kept all the windows shut tight. There is no insulation. The view, however, is spectacular.

There is a market called Tiare Market literally down the block from the Sofitel Bora Bora. It’s a 5 minute walk. The water is very affordable (195 XFC per 1.5L bottel of water during the time we went) and they also sell things like PRINGLES, DORITOS, instant noodles, cereals and everything else you can find at a general store.

Stock up on wine here if you like. It’s pretty affordable.

By the 6th day of eating French food, I was dying for some good, ol’ fashion American food. If you missed American food (or just want to try American food with a Tahitian twist), go to Bloody Mary’s. Their food is pretty tasty and the price is remarkably affordable by Tahiti standards.

Their bathrooms are also pretty interesting. 🙂

Filed under Adventures In Wedding Planning, Wedding Insanity · Tagged with Avon Skin So Soft, Bora Bora, bugs, honeymoon, Moorea, Sofitel, tahiti, travel tips