Planning to visit Huahine in French Polynesia? Here are my tips for planning the perfect vacation to this tropical island paradise! Don’t miss out on the many amazing things that this tropical island paradise has to offer!
Top 3 Things To Do in Huahine
1) Coral Gardens Snorkeling
We did quite a bit of snorkeling in French Polynesia, however the Coral Gardens were our absolute favorite and completely free!
On our last morning, we walked about 10 minutes south of our pension to a small public beach on the side of the road where we encountered the most amazing snorkeling that we experienced during our 10-day trip!
There were tons of mature coral and thousands of colorful fish, many of which we had not seen before. We spent about 45 minutes snorkeling in the crystal clear water before heading back to our pension.
Helpful Hint: Bring your own snorkel masks! We would have missed out on so many cool places to snorkel if we had relied on borrowing snorkel equipment or just doing the guided tours.
Read What to Pack for a Trip to French Polynesia
Read About Biking Bora Bora and Discovering a Private Snorkeling Spot
2) Avea Beach
Avea Beach is a gorgeous white sand beach with crystal clear turquois water located in downtown Fare. You can access Avea beach through the Huahine Yacht Club by walking through the restaurant and following the palm tree lined path for about 5 minutes, keeping the water to your left. You can’t miss it!
On the day we visited, there were only two other couples on the beach, so it was extremely private. We did a little snorkeling (not a ton of coral here though) and then decided to venture a little further. We walked along the path for about a mile, taking pictures and enjoying the gorgeous scenery.
Funny story, I actually stopped to help a crab that I thought was stuck on the rocks, however it turned out that what I thought was one crab, was actually two crabs and I interrupted their mating experience…whoops!
3) Motu Picnic Tour on an Outrigger Canoe
The absolutely best way to see all that Huahine has to offer is to take a Motu Picnic Tour! In fact, the Motu Picnic Tour and swimming with humpback whales in Moorea were by far, the two best tours of our entire trip!
Read all about our adventures in Moorea
Outrigger Canoe
At 9am, we boarded our outrigger canoe and set off with 12 other guests to snorkel, feed sharks, visit a pearl farm, and have lunch on a motu! There are a few companies that offer this tour, and from what we could tell, they all pretty much offered the same experience for around the same price, $90 per person.
Helpful Hint: Even though you are able to make a reservation online, many of the tours request that you pay in cash on the day of the tour. If you ask, some will also accept American Dollars and Euros.
On the way to our first stop, we were given some fresh coconut, which the Polynesians refer to as “Polynesian Crackers” along with some fresh banana right from the vine.
Shark Feeding
Our first stop was shark feeding. Although we had seen sharks during our other snorkel excursions in French Polynesia, nothing compared to this experience! We pulled up to a man sitting on a floating dock in the middle of the lagoon and were told to put our snorkel masks on and jump in the water.
What came next was terrifying but also invigorating! We were surrounded by what appeared to be over 100 sharks! The feeding lasted for about 15 minutes during which, we were able to get so close that we could touch the sharks…which of course you shouldn’t do…and we didn’t do!
As someone who has been terrified of sharks her entire life, it was an exhilarating experience which I would totally do again.
Helpful Hint: There are no dangerous animals in all of French Polynesia. The black tipped sharks don’t attack humans, so if you have a fear of sharks, like I do, it’s a great place to begin to get over your fear. There are also no poisonous bugs or snakes, so you can hike or lay on the beach without fear that something nasty might bite you.
Pearl Farm
Our next stop was a floating pearl farm where we were given a short demonstration of how the Polynesians harvest and collect Tahitian Pearls. We spent about 20 minutes at the pearl farm before heading out to our private Motu Picnic.
Lunch on the Motu
By now we were all getting a little bit hungry. The fresh banana and coconut that they gave us earlier was no longer cutting it!
Traditional Polynesian Lunch
Our guides docked the canoe on what I can only describe as a tropical paradise where we had the entire motu all to ourselves!
We were encouraged to grab a homemade rum punch or beer at the tiki bar, while the crew prepared our traditional Polynesian lunch, which consisted of; poisson cru, bbq chicken, rice, salad, and bread.
Not only was the lunch absolutely delicious but the dining area was comprised of picnic tables on the beach. While we ate, we got to submerge our toes in the crystal clear blue water while schools of small fish swam around. It was magical!
Polynesian Dance & Pareos Demonstration
After lunch, the crew led us through some traditional Polynesian dance moves and showed us all of the different ways to wear a pareos (sarong), while serving us endless rum punch and beer! They did an excellent job getting everyone to participate in the festivities which made it a really fun and interactive experience.
More Snorkeling
After the picnic, we visited one more snorkeling spot where we saw a bunch of colorful fish and coral before heading back to Fare. This was truly one of the best experiences of our entire 10-day trip and is definitely an experience that you shouldn’t miss if you plan to visit Huahine.
Where to Stay in Huahine
Wondering where you should stay when you visit Huahine? When compared to the more popular islands of Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora, Huahine is much more remote, with many fewer tourists. However, that is part of what makes it such a fantastic place to visit!
Pensions
Other than camping, pensions (guest houses) are the cheapest way to stay in Huahine. Almost all of the lodging options in Huahine are pensions that can be found in or near the main town of Fare.
Pension Fare Ara Huahine
During our 3 days in Huahine, we chose to stay at Pension Fare Ara Huahine, which was about a 15 minute walk to downtown Fare. We spent Friday and Saturday night at the pension at a cost of $89 per night, including tax. The pension offered complimentary transportation to/from the Huahine airport. After picking us up from the airport, the pension owner gave us a quick tour of all of the local points of interest around town before bringing us back to the pension, which was incredibly helpful.
The room was pretty basic, but it had a stove, fridge, and a nice sized porch where we sat and had breakfast each morning. I also have to mention that the owner made one of the best pitchers of lemonade that I’ve ever had! I have no idea what she made it with, but it had a hint of vanilla and was truly delicious! She also brought us a complimentary fresh baguette each morning along with fresh butter. The bed was very comfortable and we were within walking distance of everything, including one of the best snorkel spots that we encountered during our 10-day trip!
Resorts
When we were planning our trip, we debated whether we should book accommodation at a pension or spend more money to stay at one of the two resorts on the island. I’m very happy that we chose to stay at the pension.
Huahine has two, three-star resorts on the island; Royal Huahine and Maitai Lapita Village Huahine. Given its more remote location, the resorts in Huahine are much more rustic than the resorts on the more populated islands, however they also come with a much lower price tag.
Royal Huahine
During our visit, we met a few couples that were staying at Royal Huahine and were very unhappy. They explained to us that the resort was very dated and much more rustic than they had anticipated. They also explained that it can only be accessed by boat and that the resort only offers a few shuttles each day to take you into town. The last shuttle leaves at 3:30pm, so you are pretty much trapped at the resort in the evenings. The dinners are expensive and they also charge for roundtrip transportation to/from the airport, which many of the other pensions offer free of charge.
Maitai Lapita Village
We did not meet anyone that stayed at Maitai Lapita Village, so I can’t comment on the quality of that resort, other than to say that it is about 3-4 times the price of staying at one of the pensions. We decided that we would rather save on accommodation in Huahine and splurge a little more on the other islands.
Read all about how we scored a great deal on an over water bungalow.
Where to Eat in Huahine
Eating and drinking in French Polynesia is expensive. During our 10-day trip, we saved money by buying most of our breakfasts and lunches from the local grocery store. This allowed us to have enough money to splurge a little on dinner. The good news is that Huahine is much more affordable than many of the other Society Islands.
Huahine Yacht Club
One of the best places to eat on the island is the Huahine Yacht Club. The meals here are much more affordable than many other places in French Polynesia. Dinner here ranges from about $10 for a pizza or burger to $15-$25 for fish or steak and the Yacht Club will pick you up and bring you back to most of the pensions near Fare for free. The shuttles leave every hour from 6-8 pm. Be sure to tell them when you arrive that you need transportation back to your pension as the shuttle does fill up.
Also, not to be missed is the yacht club happy hour from 5 – 6 pm! They have great drink specials to include pitchers of beer. And on Friday evenings they also have live music. It’s also the perfect place to watch the sun set!
Roulettes in Downtown Fare
Eating at the roulettes in downtown Fare is another great option. You can get poisson cru, fried fish, pizza, burgers, hotdogs, and a bunch of other “fast food.” I will warn you, that most of the food is made to order, so even though the Polynesians call it “fast food,” it will most likely take 10-15 minutes to make. We made the mistake of thinking it would be fully prepared and ran a little late for our airport shuttle!
So…Should You Visit Huahine When Planning a Trip to French Polynesia?
Absolutely! If you are short on time, I would say that 2 nights in Huahine is enough to see most of what the island has to offer. You will need at least 1 full day for the Motu Picnic Tour, which is something that shouldn’t be missed! And Huahine is a lot less expensive than the other Society Islands so it’s a great way to make your money last a little longer while still getting to enjoy those gorgeous white sand beaches and crystal clear waters that are 50 shades of blue!
Related Posts:
French Polynesia: 11 Adventures That You Shouldn’t Miss When Planning Your Trip
What to Pack for a Trip to French Polynesia
How to Score a Great Deal on an Over Water Bungalow in French Polynesia
Itinerary for Biking Around Bora Bora
How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia
