Tahiti

We’re always looking for a new destination to check out for summer vacation, and this year, we chose Tahiti.  We had absolutely no idea what to expect.  What little we knew about the Polynesian culture came from our short stays at Disney’s Polynesian Resort in Florida or singing with the birds in the Tiki Room at Disneyland- not exactly much knowledge.  We planned our adventure without the use of travel planning websites or travel packages, so we were a bit uncertain of what to expect. After all, that is our motto and the only way we travel! With this unguided research under our belts, we boarded a plane to Papeete, still unsure of what to expect from this island paradise….

Our Itinerary

We started our Tahitian adventure with a few days in Oahu, Hawaii.  From there we boarded Hawaiian Airlines flight 481 to Papeete. We landed late on Saturday evening, on the first day of winter in the Southern Hemisphere.  We couldn’t even see our surroundings as the taxi took us to Le Meridien Tahiti, where we ended up staying in a regular room for one day and two nights.  After our short, but necessary stop in Papeete, we were back at the airport, this time boarding a small Air Tahiti jet to Bora Bora.   We took two boats from the airport to the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, where we spent six days and five nights in an overwater bungalow before returning to the US on Hawaiian Airlines.

Papeete

Accommodations

Our stop in Papeete (highly recommended) kicked off our time in Tahiti.  Le Meridien offered a beautiful sanctuary in the middle of a more populous and developed area of French Polynesia. Despite its location on a busy road, Le Meridien Tahiti did a wonderful job of providing a relaxing and Polynesian-themed atmosphere for its guests. It was here that we got accustomed to just how our days would be spent in the South Pacific.  As we relaxed by the expansive pool with a sandy bottom, we were surrounded by a Polynesian architectural masterpiece with a brightly-colored exterior and a thatched roof with accents of dark wood, a row of overwater bungalows, and calm, clear ocean water. To save money for the second part of our Tahitian vacation, we stayed in a regular room at Le Meridien, which was spacious, modern, and offered magnificent views of the oasis-like pool area and beach.  

The Ultimate Instagram-Worthy Sunset

Our favorite part of our stop in Tahiti was definitely watching the sunset. We were able to find the time that the sun would set using the internet; it was early since it was winter. When people say that Tahitian sunsets are unbelievable, they aren't joking. The sky was an orange and yellow explosion looming behind Tahiti's neighboring island, Moorea, and the water was so calm that it looked like a sheet of glass. It was the most peaceful, beautiful sight, and we were excited that our Tahitian adventure had just begun.

Food

Food is half the fun while exploring a new place, right?  As we were in French Polynesia, the food was very much influenced by the French, and we were NOT complaining. 

Our desire on every vacation is to taste local cuisine, roaming away from the hotel property and restaurant chains.  Unfortunately, while we were in Tahiti, we were unable to try any of the nearby restaurants because it was Sunday and the restaurants were closed. Have no fear! Le Meridien Tahiti is conveniently located next to a shopping center with several restaurants and a grocery store. Being the resourceful travelers that we are, we discovered that the shopping center’s Supermarche Tamanu had just about everything we wanted.  We HIGHLY recommend that you at least pick up a baguette-there are bins FULL of them and they are delicious! We treated ourselves to a substantial, carbolicious breakfast complete with meat and cheese which held us over until dinner.

Le Meridien’s restaurants opened fairly late for dinner to accommodate to the mostly European crowd that stayed there, and the restaurants at the shopping center next door are closed on Sundays.  Resourceful and not hard to please, we actually went back to Supermarche Tamanu to pick up dinner.  Again we were impressed with the selection: barbecued Mahi Mahi as well as other local, fresh cuisine, and the absolutely delicious baguettes. We fell in love with the French Polynesian food!

Tips

• If you can, spend a few days in Hawaii before (see our blog post on our Oahu adventure, coming soon!). This will get you accustomed to the time change, a nice base tan, and will give you the option of flying the short five-hour flight from Honolulu to Papeete (only eight from LAX!)
• We found a great deal on airfare with Hawaiian Airlines.The service was excellent, and they are the only American airline that serves free meals to passengers sitting in coach. Also, each passenger is allowed to check two free bags on international flights. They fly to Tahiti on Saturdays from Honolulu International Airport (HNL). Air Tahiti Nui also flies to Papeete, Tahiti from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) daily. 
• Stay one full day in Papeete. It will help you become acclimated to the time zone and Tahitian lifestyle and you will not feel rushed to retrieve your luggage and to change terminals before hopping on inter-island flights, as your flight to PPT will likely arrive late at night. 
• We would definitely recommend staying at Le Meridien Tahiti. In short, the property was clean and peaceful, had spacious and modern rooms, was close to the airport and shopping centers, and displayed the Polynesian culture. 
• Find out what time the sun sets. It was the most beautiful sunset we have ever seen. You won't want to miss it! 
• Leave for the airport early, whether you are traveling internationally or domestically. Most of the hotels are on a two-lane road, and traffic can be hectic. 
• Most places accept U.S. Dollars. Everyone whom we encountered verified the USD-Polynesian Franc exchange rate. We kept a small amount of Polynesian Francs in our pockets to buy souvenirs and bottled water. Oh, and the money was very brightly colored and had cool designs on it!
• Bring bug spray!! Along with the unique sea life that Tahiti offers come unique insects, and you don’t want to come home with bug bites to complement your tan.

Bora Bora

Just when we thought that our Tahitian adventure could not get any better, we found ourselves on the island of Bora Bora. We took a forty-five minute flight on Air Tahiti from Papeete, Tahiti and landed on a narrow landing strip surrounded by beautiful, turquoise water and glistening white sand. We were speechless. 

          At the airport's exit, most of Bora Bora's resorts had booths for guests to inquire about transportation. We found the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa's booth and were given colorful flower leis. 

          We had two options of getting to the resort: taking the Hilton's private boat (more like a yacht) directly to the resort or taking Air Tahiti's boat to a small village called Vaitape, then transferring to one of the Hilton's boats to the resort. We chose the latter because it was significantly cheaper than the direct boat. Two added bonuses to this: we met a fascinating fellow in Vaitape who was sailing from his hometown of Valparaiso, Chile to Australia, and we arrived at the hotel before the Hilton's boat. 

          Here's what our adventure in Bora Bora looked like! 

Accommodations

Our choice to stay at the Hilton in Bora Bora may have been partially influenced by the Kardashian family’s vacation there in 2011. In order to get the most out of our Tahitian experience, we decided to splurge and stay in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora. It was definitely worth every penny! The amount of privacy between our bungalow and our neighbors’ made it feel like our own private beach house. It was huge and modern inside, with a giant bed, couch that was quickly made into another bed, and a bathroom that was larger than our college dorm rooms. Outside were two decks, an upper one with a table, chairs, lounge chairs, and ample shade and sunshine, and a lower deck off of which we could jump into the crystal clear Tahitian water. It was very nice to be able to lounge in the sun in the comfort of our own bungalow and to jump in the refreshing water as needed. Too sunburned to go outside, but still want to experience the water? The bungalows have glass tiles on the floor through which you can see the water below, day and night!  Bora Bora’s bug population does not inhabit overwater structures nearly as much as they do on the shore (if you REALLY find a problem with them the resort provides a bottle of Raid in all the rooms). Depending on how much you enjoy walking (we personally love it), the bungalows connected to land by long docks could be a trek for some, but hey, you're in Tahiti and you have these magnificent views to accompany your strolls.

Another great feature about the Hilton is the friendliness and hospitality shown by the staff. We were always greeted with "Ia Orana" ("Hello" in Tahitian) by every staff member, even the groundskeepers! In particular, the hotel manager, Jean Guillaumot, always talked to guests at meal times and asked about their vacation. Also, the concierge team was always very helpful with coordinating dinner reservations and off-property activities. The housekeepers seemed to always clean our room when we went to breakfast, and we were always welcomed with fresh, native flowers on our bathroom counters when we returned.

Activities

At the Hilton, we took full advantage of everything the hotel offered.  Most days we stayed at our bungalow.  There we could tan, swim, and snorkel.  We picked up our complementary towels, snorkels, and fins daily from the pool shack, and brought them back for a day full of fun at the bungalow.  Our villa was in the perfect location- there was plenty of space to swim and over coral teeming with fish.  The water was so clear you didn't even have to get in to see them! We also purchased fish food from the pool shack, which helped attract a wide variety of fish.  The hotel also offers ocean kayak and stand up paddle board rentals (also complementary) for a little active fun in the sun.  

Along with these amenities come a long list of free activities offered by the staff.  We made reservations to ride on a Hobie Cat catamaran. Bora Bora and its lagoons are surrounded by a barrier coral reef, and the water depths in between the barrier and the island varied. As we sailed through the lagoon we initially floated past deep, dark blue water, but closer to the barrier, the water became lighter and more shallow, and we were able to see some huge stingrays.  

For a taste of the Tahitian culture (and because we're obsessed with food), we signed up for the Tahitian cooking class. The instructor gave us some raw red tuna, and we added lemon juice, coconut milk, salt, pepper, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and peppers. It was delicious, not too fishy, and easy to prepare!  

The resort also offered a Tahitian language class, cocktail-making class, and a history of the coconut class. We were lazily lounging around for most of the day, so we didn't quite make them- though we’re sure we would’ve loved all of those too!

Along with all the free offerings came some that were a little extra-but completely worth it!  The hotel offers an hourly boat to and from Vaitape, the main village on Bora Bora.  Vaitape is your opportunity to shop ‘til you drop, eat ‘til you can’t move, and wish you could dance like a native Tahitian. We hopped on the boat one day to do some souvenir shopping. There was one main street with boutiques and markets on either side. There were plenty of options from pearl stores to shops with Polynesian wraps and hand-made wooden crafts. The shopkeepers were very nice and did not push anyone to buy anything.  Bloody Mary’s, a famous and highly recommended restaurant, is just a cab ride away from Vaitape (we didn’t go, but from everyone we talked to, it is worth the trip!). 

During June and July, the Bora Bora Heiva takes place twice a week.  The hotel provides guests an Heiva experience, coordinating a boat ride to and from the show in Vaitape and ensuring that everyone gets back on the boat-a testament to the Hilton’s fabulous customer service.  What is the Heiva, you ask? An Heiva is a Polynesian cultural display of dancing and singing.  The Tahitians are very passionate and proud of their culture, which really made the show special. This is an event you MUST attend! 

A final gem of this lovely resort is the walk (or maybe hike) up to the spa. The spa is on top of a big hill, and they call it the "Million Dollar View" for a reason. We were able to see panoramic views of the island and the ocean beyond. We could also see the neighboring islands of Raiatea and Tahaa to the southeast and the sunset to the west. Unfortunately, the cloud cover prevented us from seeing another Tahitian sunset, but the views made the visit worth it! 

 After the sun had set, the sky would continue to display amazing sights when the stars came out. It was so clear, and we could see so many stars, that we could have sworn that we were looking at the Milky Way. 

Food

We started off everyday on a high note, enjoying our most important meal at the breakfast buffet.  Though the options were the same from day to day, there was such a large selection that we could have eaten something wildly different everyday. The variety of the was comparable to that of a cruise ship's buffet, and they offered a mix of Asian, French, and Polynesian foods. If that wasn’t enough, accompanying the massive buffet is an à la carte menu.  

On our first day, we reached the Hilton right at lunch time, and after getting acquainted and eating the welcome gift of macarons and madeleine cookies in our bungalow, we made our way for Tamure, the poolside restaurant, for lunch.  We enjoyed (more) delicious bread with our sandwiches and salads, and we were surprised at how quickly our food came out of the kitchen.  You can actually see the entire kitchen from every table in the house, and as soon as our food was finished, it was promptly brought to our table, fresh! We ate lunch here again before heading to the airport on our last day (it’s amazing we were still remotely hungry by that point!).  For the other days, that breakfast buffet usually kept us pretty satisfied.  We brought our own protein shakes and bars from the US with us, which was more than enough, and complemented our lazy, stay by the bungalow lifestyle.

For dinner on our first night we returned to Tamure, as it is the one restaurant on the property where a dinner reservation is not necessary.  Again we enjoyed their french bread, fresh catch of the day with vanilla sauce, and pizza.  The best part of our dinner was our crème brûlée, made with famous Tahitian vanilla-definitely the best crème brûlée we've ever tasted!  One of our favorite touches of this restaurant was that the waitstaff did not wear shoes or wore flip flops because the restaurant sat on the beach.

On our four remaining nights at the Hilton, we chose to stay on property, thoroughly impressed with the cuisine.  On our second night, we ate at the Polynesian-themed buffet.  Like the breakfast buffet, there was quite a variety, including the longest table of desserts that we have ever seen.  For sweet tooths like Katie, you’re definitely going to want to save room to try everything!  Before you reach dessert, however, you must try as much as you can on the main course part of the buffet.  From a salad bar to a large meat selection, to even a whole red tuna (yes we’re talking an entire tuna), everyone will find something they enjoy.  The staff was constantly replacing everything, ensuring that every bite of food was fresh and up to the high culinary standard of the resort.  

For the third night, we made reservations at the Iriatai restaurant, the French restaurant on property.  Before dinner, we enjoyed the manager’s reception, with free drinks and light appetizers.  At the restaurant, we were offered several kinds of bread, and with olive oil and vinegar, we were transported to the Mediterranean.  Our risotto, tagliatelle, and chicken cordon bleu were incredible (pretty sure we licked the plates).  We ended our meal with more Tahitian vanilla, this time a trio with a vanilla macaron, crème brûlée, and a thin Madeleine cookie with vanilla ice cream.  Our waitress also gave us a couple of complementary items to try: fried shrimp and a lemon-lime ice to cleanse our palate before dessert. Our dinner was absolutely incredible, and we were impressed with the fresh food and perfectly portioned dishes. 

On the fourth night, we had reservations at Upa Upa, the Polynesian themed restaurant.  Before our Asian-style main courses, we were treated to sweet Hawaiian rolls the size of our faces!  We enjoyed giant bowls of fried rice, lemon chicken, and chow mein.  We learned one thing for sure- the Pacific Islanders LOVE their food!  

Our trip was capped off with the Mediterranean buffet on our final night.  The giant red tuna was out in full force again, along with chicken, pasta, pizza, and the giant salad bar again.  With it was the long table of desserts, different this time, but just as delicious as the first night!  

The bars around the resort had half price drinks during Happy Hour, making you AND your wallet happy! We would sit at Upa Upa bar and enjoy some refreshments, including Hinano, the local Tahitian beer, while admiring the model outrigger canoe on the counter and shell-covered chandeliers on the ceiling. 

         

Tips

• If you choose to stay at the Hilton, book a shower appointment before you leave for the airport- you can sign up for a time of your choice to shower in a room stocked with toiletries and towels- free of charge!
• If you're looking to save on some money somewhere along your vacation in Bora Bora and you decide to stay at the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa, take Air Tahiti's boat from the airport to Vaitape, then transfer to one of Hilton's boats, which go to and from Vaitape just about every hour. It will save you some cash. Hey, maybe you can buy that Tahitian Black Pearl that you've always wanted!
• Give plenty of time to get to the airports.  This may sound like a no brainer, but despite the small size of the towns and airports, it is often difficult to reach them.  In Papeete, a two lane road is the only way to reach the airport, and in Bora Bora, you must take at least one boat.  Run into any problems and you risk getting stuck on a remote tropical island, which wouldn’t be that bad because it is pure paradise; however, your bank account might not agree! 
• If you can, request a bungalow near #113.  From what we saw, it had the most space to swim.  There is a buoy line surrounding the resort that you can’t cross, and we had a pretty good sized area to swim/snorkel before we got close to the buoys. If you're looking for plenty of space to swim and snorkel and a short walk to the lobby and resort’s restaurants, then the 100s are ideal for you. The bungalows in the 200s are an even shorter walk to the main part of the resort, and most people seemed to take the water sport rentals near these bungalows. If you’re looking for unobstructed views of the sunset from the comfort of your own balcony and deep water without much coral, then you should look into requesting a bungalow in the 300s range. We would’ve been perfectly happy with any bungalow (how many people can say they’ve stayed in one, anyway?).
• Invest in a waterproof camera.  Whether it be disposable, a digital, or a GoPro, BRING ONE! We guarantee you will spend most of your time in the ocean, and you’re going to want to capture those memories! You’re going to be amazed at all the sea life swimming around the reefs and you’ll regret not having pictures to show your family and friends!
• Get all your essentials before leaving the US.  Whether this be food or snacks, or VERY important products (ladies, you know what we mean), you could be at a disadvantage because unlike America, there isn't a Duane Reade on every corner.  Also, whatever essentials your hotel offers will be very expensive.  So save yourself the hassle-make sure you come to the South Pacific prepared!
• We traveled to Bora Bora during the Southern Hemisphere's winter and the Northern Hemisphere's summer. The weather was not too hot or muggy, just a comfortable 80 degrees. It's worth the peak season price to go during their winter.