The volcanic and coral islands and atolls of French Polynesia are full of abundant wild life and breathtaking scenery. From snorkeling with sharks and whales, to feeding blue-eyed eels, here are the top 11 adventures that you shouldn’t miss when planning your visit to French Polynesia.

Shark Feeding Snorkeling Experience

As someone who has been terrified of sharks her entire life, swimming with sharks in French Polynesia was both terrifying and exhilarating! During our shark feeding experience in Huahine, we were surrounded by over 100 Blacktip Reef Sharks!  The feeding lasted about 15 minutes and the sharks came so close that we could touch them.

Blacktip Reef Sharks do not attack humans so if you’re scared of sharks, French Polynesia is a great place to conquer your fear. We snorkeled almost every day during our ten day visit. All of the sharks that we encountered were curious about humans, but would swim away when approached. If you’re scared of sharks, I recommend warming up with a few regular snorkeling experiences first before trying the shark feeding.

Swim with Humpback Whales

Over 300 Humpback Whales migrate from Antarctica to Tahiti every summer to give birth and breed. Visiting French Polynesia between mid-August and October is the best time to spot them.  

We visited Moorea in August and were lucky enough to get to swim with a mom and her calf in the open ocean. Unfortunately I bought a cheap underwater camera and didn’t get the best pictures. The picture above is one that I took without the zoom. We were really that close!  It was definitely a surreal, once in a lifetime experience and one that I highly recommend that you try when you visit Moorea!

Have a Picnic on a Private Motu

Taking a Motu Picnic Tour on an Outrigger Canoe is a must when in French Polynesia! Our tour in Huahine had everything! We swam with sharks, snorkeled with colorful fish, visited a pearl farm, and had lunch on a private tropical Motu.

During our adventure, we were served homemade rum punch and beer along with a traditional Polynesian lunch. Our guides taught us how to make Poisson Cru, dance like Polynesian, wear a pareos (sarong), and open a coconut. It was an exciting way to learn about Polynesian Culture and I highly recommend it for anyone visiting French Polynesia for the first time.

Stay in an Over Water Bungalow

Our stay in an over water bungalow at the Le Meridien Resort in Bora Bora was magical!  We spent the day jumping off our private deck into the turquoise waters of the lagoon below. We also couldn’t resist swimming under our see-through floor to get some funny photos.

Over water bungalows in French Polynesia can be very expensive. Learn how we scored a great deal on an over water bungalow in French Polynesia.

Snorkel and Scuba in an Underwater Paradise

French Polynesia is truly an underwater paradise. The majority of the islands are surrounded by volcanic rock and coral reefs which make the water around the islands incredibly calm and clear. The mature coral attract tons of colorful fish, which help to make French Polynesia one of the best places to scuba dive and snorkel in the South Pacific.

Huahine was our favorite island for snorkeling of the four we visited. And best of all, it was complete free! Read about snorkeling in the coral garden in Huahine.

Hand Feed the Blue-Eyed Eels

Most of the information about feeding blue-eyed eels in French Polynesia leads you to believe that they only exist on the island of Huahine. However, that’s not the case. You can also feed the eels on the island of Moorea.

During our ATV tour in Moorea, we had the chance to feed these unusual docile creatures. The eels are blind, but they swim right up to you when they smell food. And they will eat right out of your hand if you let them! Read more about our adventures in Moorea.

Bike Bora Bora

One of the best ways to get around Bora Bora and experience all that this tropical paradise has to offer is to explore it on bike. The road around the main island of Bora Bora is 18 miles long and is mostly flat. We made quite a few stops on our bike tour to hike, snorkel, eat lunch, and take photos of all the beautiful scenery.

Read all about our bike adventure in Bora Bora which included hiking to see WWII cannons.

Stroll Along a Black Sand Beach

French Polynesia is made up of 118 volcanic and coral islands and atolls. This volcanic makeup means that French Polynesia is home to some of the prettiest black sand beaches in the world.

When you visit French Polynesia, you will start your journey on the island of Tahiti. Rent a car for the day and go exploring! You’ll likely encounter some gorgeous black sand beaches and waterfalls along your journey.

However, so that you don’t make the same mistakes that we did, Read my post on How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia

Explore the Jungle on ATV

Moorea’s lush dense tropical jungle set this island apart from the others in French Polynesia. If you’re planning to visit Moorea, taking an ATV tour is one of the best ways to see all that this island has to offer.

On our tour, we visited the Juice Factory, Vanilla Plantation, Pineapple Farms, Belvedere Lookout Point and Magic Mountain.  We also got to hand feed the famous blue-eyed eels!

Read all about our adventures in Moorea

Feed the Green Sea Turtles

Green Sea Turtles are one of the largest species of turtles in the world, growing to a size of over 700 lbs. Although these turtles have an average natural lifespan of 80+ years, they are currently classified as an endangered species.

The islands of Moorea and Bora Bora are home to the only two green turtle sanctuaries in French Polynesia. Their mission is to rehab the injured turtles and release them back into the wild. The turtles that are brought to the sanctuaries have suffered a variety of injuries resulting from such things as shark attacks, boat accidents, the ingestion of plastic, and encounters with poachers who cut off their fins for turtle soup.

During our trip to French Polynesia, we visited the Turtle Center in Bora Bora which is located at the Le Meridien Resort. At the time we visited, the sanctuary had seven injured turtles that they were treating for a variety of injuries and illnesses.

Upon arriving, we were given a brief informative lecture about the types of turtles that sanctuary handles as well as educated about the dangers that they face during their lifetime. After the lecture, we were escorted to the turtle hospital, where we got to assist with feeding the turtles their lunch of fish and squid, which they eagerly consumed.

Jet Ski

Are you an adrenaline junky? Zipping around the turquoise waters of the Bora Bora lagoon on a jet ski is a fantastic and thrilling way to explore the island. During our two-hour tour, we were able to circle the entire main island of Bora Bora. Our guide took us to white sand bar in the middle of the lagoon where we stopped to have fresh coconut and fruit. The postcard perfect turquoise waters of the Bora Bora Lagoon really make you feel like you’re living a dream.

Related Posts:

What to Pack for a Trip to French Polynesia

How to Score a Great Deal on an Over Water Bungalow in French Polynesia

4 Day Itinerary for Bora Bora

Itinerary for Biking Around Bora Bora

Where to Eat in Bora Bora

4 Day Itinerary for Moorea

How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia

Huahine: The Best Kept Secret of French Polynesia

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.

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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

4 Day Itinerary for Bora Bora

Itinerary for Biking Around Bora Bora

Where to Eat in Bora Bora

4 Day Itinerary for Moorea

How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia

Planning a trip to French Polynesia and planning to visit Bora Bora?  If you don’t read this you may miss out on the best things that Bora Bora has to offer.

Bora Bora is a bucket list destination for most.  Hawaii gets as many visitors in a weekend as Bora Bora gets in a year.  I was lucky enough to book a cheap flight ($500 roundtrip from New York) through Scott’s Cheap Flights to French Polynesia this past August and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit this stunning island. 

What to Know When Planning Your Itinerary

It’s important to understand that unlike most of the other islands in French Polynesia, almost all of the gorgeous beaches that you see in pictures, are located on the Motus and are privately owned by the resorts. So that begs the question, should you skip staying on the main island and head straight to the resort when you arrive?  If you do, you’ll miss out on a lot! 

We spent a total of four days in Bora Bora; two days on the main island and two days at one of the resorts on the motu, which I feel is a perfect way to explore Bora Bora.

Helpful Tip: Make sure to sit on the left side of the plane when you fly to Bora Bora.  Sitting on the left side will give you all of those stunning picture and video opportunities!

How to Get From the Bora Bora Airport to Vaitape

If you stay on the main island, you will take the free ferry from the airport to the port.   Even the scenery at the Bora Bora airport is photo worthy! The water is a perfect shade of greenish blue. Bora Bora is, by far, the prettiest airport that I’ve ever been to!

Where to Stay in Bora Bora

For our first 2 nights, we decided to stay at the Oa Oa Lodge and although we enjoyed our stay, if we visit again, we would choose to stay on the south side of the island, near Matira Beach.

Oa Oa Lodge is located on the west side of the island. We did appreciate that is was close to a grocery store (5 minute bike ride) and close to the main port (10 minute bike ride) but riding a bike in the dark down the one-lane road that circles the island, isn’t something that I wanted to chance, so we didn’t experience much of the nightlife that we might have if we stayed closer to Matira Beach, which has a lot more restaurants, including the famous Bloody Mary’s!

Read about my picks for the top 3 places to eat in Bora Bora.

How to Save Money in French Polynesia

On our first day, we arrived on the mainland around 3pm. So we checked into our hotel and then walked to the grocery store. It’s very expensive to eat and drink in French Polynesia, so most days we made our own breakfast and lunch to save money and then ate dinner out. We were a little tired from our adventures in Moorea the day before, so we just hung out by the pool at the hotel and walked to the local Chinese restaurant for dinner. You can read all about our adventures in Moorea here.

Renting Bikes in Bora Bora

The next day, we rented bikes from the Oa Oa Lodge ($20 per bike) and biked around the entire island, which I would highly recommend. It’s a fantastic way to see Bora Bora! To circle the entire island, which is about 18 miles, took us about 6 hours, which included stopping for lunch, some beach time, hiking, and snorkeling. The road around Bora Bora is mostly flat, so it’s a fairly easy ride.

We made quite a few stops on our bike tour to hike, snorkel, eat, and take photos of all the beautiful scenery. We also needed to give our behinds a break! It had been quite a few years since either of us had ridden a bike and I remembered the seats having a little more padding:) Read all about our bike adventure in Bora Bora which included hiking to see WWII cannons.

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Staying in an Over Water Bungalow

For our final 2 nights, we booked an over water bungalow at the Le Meridian Resort. The Meridian’s private shuttle boat picked us up at the port on the main island and transported to what I can only describe as paradise! We spent the next 2 days sipping drinks on the resorts private beach, visiting the turtle sanctuary, taking a jet ski tour, and best of all, jumping off the porch of our over water bungalow!

Read how we scored a great deal on an over water bungalow.

As much as we enjoyed the resort, we were really glad that we spent our first 2 nights on the main island. We had so much fun exploring Bora Bora on our bike adventure and we were able to eat at some of the best restaurants on the island.

Read about our picks for the best places to eat in Bora Bora.

So, was it worth the money to visit Bora Bora? In my travels, I’ve been lucky enough to visit some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. I can safely say that Bora Bora lives up to the hype! I will definitely be back!

Related Posts:

French Polynesia: 11 Adventures That You Shouldn’t Miss When Planning Your Trip

What to Pack for a Trip to French Polynesia

Huahine- The Best Kept Secret of French Polynesia

How to Score a Great Deal on an Over Water Bungalow in French Polynesia

Itinerary for Biking Around Bora Bora

Where to Eat in Bora Bora

4 Day Itinerary for Moorea

How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia

Dreaming of a tropical paradise with white sand beaches and crystal clear blue water?  Here is how we scored an incredible deal on an over water bungalow in French Polynesia.

Prices for Over Water Bungalows

When we started planning our 10-day trip to French Polynesia, we knew that we wanted to spend at least one night in an over water bungalow. And what better place to do it than Bora Bora! 

Over water bungalows are pretty expensive. When Dave and I first started looking at prices ($1,400-$5,000 per night), we had sticker shock. 

Priceline Deals on Bungalows

Dave and I kept checking the discount hotel sites, and finally Priceline had an over water bungalow on sale for $680 per night. The only catch was that Priceline wouldn’t tell us which resort we would be booking until after we paid. 

Someone at work taught me a very helpful Priceline trick.  When booking one of these mystery deals, compare the number of stars to the resorts in the area being offered to narrow down your selection.  Then look at which amenities are offered to figure out which hotel/resort you are likely booking.  For example, with this resort, there was a mention of green turtles.  Since there are only two green turtle sanctuaries in all of French Polynesia, it was pretty easy to determine that this was the Le Meridien Resort.  We also did the same thing in Tahiti when we booked through Priceline.  For Tahiti, we determined that we would be booking the Intercontinental Resort after reading that the resort had tennis courts, which the other resort did not offer.   

This meant that we were able to score an over water bungalow room for $680 per night for the first night and then booked a garden bungalow for $720 for the 2^nd night. At the time we booked, the only over water bungalow that was available for the 2^nd night was $1600.  Our hope was that we could negotiate with the resort to leave us in our over water bungalow for both nights. 

Getting Upgraded to Over Water Bungalow

I tried emailing the resort ahead of time to see if it might be possible to upgrade, but they said that they would have to wait until the day of our arrival to check availability.  When we asked about upgrading on the day of arrival, they told us to check back around 5 pm. 

We anxiously visited the reception desk at 5 pm, but were once again told that they couldn’t yet confirm the upgrade.  It occurred to me that we were more likely to get upgraded if we actually spent some money at the resort.  So we went ahead and booked the jet ski tour for the following day and a reservation for dinner that night (both of which we were planning to do anyway).  It worked!  At 8 pm, the resort called to inform us that we could stay in our over water bungalow one more night at the same price! 

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The best way to describe our stay was magical!  We jumped off our over water bungalow, floated on our rafts, went jet skiing, and snorkeled in the lagoon. 

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Feeding Green Turtles in Bora Bora

One of my favorite experiences in Bora Bora was the green turtle feeding.  Le Meridien is home to one of two green turtle sanctuaries in French Polynesia.  Their mission is to rehab turtles that have been injured and then release them back into the wild.  At the time we visited, they had 7 turtles that they were rehabilitating.  One of the turtles was well enough to be released into the sanctuary’s lagoon, while the other turtles needed more critical care. 

After a short presentation, we were escorted back to feed the turtles!  Jordan was my favorite! He couldn’t wait to get his fish!

If you’re planning to visit French Polynesia, and want to stay in an over water bungalow, hopefully this post will help you get the best price possible. Most of the resorts only have 30-60 rooms available. Don’t wait too long to book your accommodation. Many of the resorts sell out of rooms, especially during the busy season (June – August).

Other Related Posts:

French Polynesia: 11 Adventures That You Shouldn’t Miss When Planning Your Trip

What to Pack for a Trip to French Polynesia

Huahine- The Best Kept Secret of French Polynesia

4 Day Itinerary for Bora Bora

Itinerary for Biking Around Bora Bora

Where to Eat in Bora Bora

4 Day Itinerary for Moorea

How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia

Thinking of Biking Bora Bora? Below are my suggestions for planning a Bike Adventure.

Dave and I were lucky enough to spend an incredible 4 nights in Bora Bora this past August.  After quite a bit of research, we decided to spend 2 nights on the main island with the remaining nights at the Le Meridien Resort in an over water bungalow.

Renting Bikes in Bora Bora

On the main island, you can rent a bike for around $20 per day.  If this is your first time visiting Bora Bora, it’s a great way to see the island!  The main road around the main island is 18 miles and mostly flat.  It took us about 6 hours to bike which included stopping for lunch, spending some time at Matira Beach, hiking to see WWII cannons, and some snorkeling time. 

Biking to Matira Beach

The first stop on our bike tour was Matira Beach, which is absolutely serene.  Other than a few friendly dogs, we had the entire beach to ourselves.  We visited in August and the weather was pretty close to perfect for our entire 10 day French Polynesia adventure.  Because they are islands, you do get some rain most days, but it’s normally just a light sprinkle and doesn’t typically last for more than hour.  However, it’s best to pack a light rain jacket. 

Lunch at Bloody Mary’s Bora Bora

Next stop on our biking adventure…the famous Blood Mary’s! I absolutely love seafood, so I was really excited to try the Polynesian Trio which included fresh sashimi tuna, poisson cru, and the fish of the day.  I definitely wasn’t disappointed! 

Read recommendations for where to eat in Bora Bora

Breathtaking Scenery

We made quite a few stops on our bike tour to take photos of all the beautiful scenery…and give our behinds a break. It had been quite a few years since either of us had ridden a bike and I somehow remember the seats having a little more padding:)

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Hiking to the World War II Cannons

About halfway through our bike ride, on the Northern part of the island, we stumbled upon a woman who was charging 500 cfp ($4.60) to access her property to see American cannons from World War II. Dave and I looked at each other, and were like, “Do we really want to see American cannons in French Polynesia?” It was then that the woman mentioned that included in the price, was access to her private beach where we could snorkel. We were sold!

Helpful Tip: There are a lot of posts about people having a hard time finding the entrance to the cannons. And I can see why, as it isn’t well marked. Above is picture of the entrance which will hopefully come in handy for others.

Our Hiking Tour Guide

On our tour, we were lucky enough to have our own canine guide!  He stayed with us the entire time and actually was a huge help guiding us along the way.  He led us up some relatively steep hills and rocks to see the cannons.  If you plan to do this hike, you should be in relatively good shape and I would highly recommend wearing tennis shoes or boots versus sandals or flip flops. 

Private Beach & Snorkel Stop

About 5 minutes past the cannons, we came to a steep downhill path that lead to the private beach and snorkel spot. We brought snorkel masks with us on the bike ride, so we were able to snorkel right from the tiny private beach and saw some amazing coral and colorful fish!

If you visit French Polynesia, I highly suggest that you bring a snorkel mask with you. See my blog post on what to pack for a trip to French Polynesia. After spending about 30 minutes snorkeling, we set off for our hotel to take a nap!  It was a fun day, but we definitely got our exercise! 

Next, off to our over water bungalow at the Le Meridien Resort and Green Turtle Sanctuary!

Related Posts:

French Polynesia: 11 Adventures That You Shouldn’t Miss When Planning Your Trip

What to Pack for a Trip to French Polynesia

Huahine- The Best Kept Secret of French Polynesia

How to Score a Great Deal on an Over Water Bungalow in French Polynesia

4 Day Itinerary for Bora Bora

Where to Eat in Bora Bora

4 Day Itinerary for Moorea

How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia

Where Should You Eat When Staying in Bora Bora? Here Are My Top 3 Choices for a Delicious Night Out!

Free Transportation to Dinner

During our 4 nights in Bora Bora we had some amazing meals! Most of the restaurants on the main island provide free transportation to and from the main port in Vaitape. If you’re staying at one of the resorts on the motus, you’ll have to arrange a private transfer through your resort (most resorts charge a fee of $15-$30 per person each way for this service) to the port on the main island. Then the restaurants will pick you up and bring you back to the port free of charge.

Obviously, paying $30-$60 per person for the resort transfer to the port, makes having dinner on the mainland an expensive option, even though the restaurant prices themselves, are typically much cheaper. Bloody Mary’s, Bora Bora Yacht Club and St. James are definitely our top recommendations for lunch or dinner in Bora Bora!

Lunch at the Famous Bloody Mary’s

Many celebrities have been spotted having lunch and dinner at Bloody Mary’s in Bora Bora. The menu prices range from $14 for a burger to $20-$30 for an entree, which really is pretty cheap for French Polynesia. I absolutely love seafood, so I was really excited to try the Polynesian Trio which included fresh sashimi tuna, poisson cru, and the fish of the day.  I definitely wasn’t disappointed!  The sampler that I had was $2300 cfp, so about $21. Bloody Mary’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are closed on Sundays and only serve appetizers, not full meals, at the bar between lunch and dinner (3-6pm).  They also provide free transportation to and from the Vaitape Pier on the main island (10-15 minute ride). 

Bloody Mary’s Website

Dining at Bora Bora Yacht Club

We had an amazing dinner at Bora Bora Yacht Club! The menu prices range from $25-$40 for an entree. They are open 7 days per week for lunch and dinner and provide free transportation to and from the Vaitape Pier on the main island. 

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Definitely make a reservation as the dining room fills up to capacity on most nights. I had the fresh fish and Dave had a steak and both were delicious. We originally tried to find the Yacht Club when we were staying in Vaitape but somehow we missed the sign out front (picture below) on our biking adventure around the island. Instead, we decided to pay for the resort shuttle to Vaitape Port and the Yacht Club picked us up from there. The ambiance at the Yacht Club was amazing. If it’s a nice night, make sure to request a table by the lagoon where you can see fish swimming while you eat.

Read All About Our Bike Adventure in Bora Bora.

Bora Bora Yacht Club Website

Dinner & Happy Hour at St James

We ate at St. James twice during our stay in Bora Bora and it was by far, our favorite.  I will warn you that the prices are in line with what you pay at one of the nicer resorts ($30-$50 per entrée), but the food is absolutely amazing! It’s also a great place to come for happy hour to watch the sunset. While we were there for happy hour, two local fishermen pulled right up to the dock to bring the chef the fresh catch of the day for the dinner special. It’s also not very well marked. Look for the sign out front that says “Helen’s Bay” and it’s the building that is directly behind it. St. James also provides free transportation from the Vaitape Pier. They are open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner.

St James Website

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Bora Bora is definitely not a cheap place to visit. Dave and I saved money by going to the grocery store to purchase food that we could eat for lunch/dinner. That allowed us to splurge on a few nice dinners! If you only have a chance to visit one of the restaurants that I mentioned above, then definitely make it St. James!

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4 Day Itinerary for Moorea

How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia

Are you an adventure seeker? Here are my tips for planning a trip to Moorea.

Of the islands that we visited during our 10-day stay, Moorea was the most action-packed.  Whether you want to go sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving, or ride an ATV through the jungle, Moorea has it all.  Our favorite adventure was getting to swim with a humpback whale and her baby in the open ocean…it was amazing!

Manava Beach Resort & Spa

We booked the Manava Beach Resort and Spa for our 3 nights in Moorea and would definitely choose this resort again next time we visit.  It’s equipped with over water and garden bungalows (many of which have private pools) and has a gorgeous infinity pool that overlooks the lagoon.  They also give you free access to kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkel equipment during your stay.  But most importantly, there are a quite a few restaurants and shops across the street so booking a car is really not necessary if you stay at the Manava Resort as opposed to some of the other resort locations on the island. 

Booking Excursions

When we travel, we typically use Viator or Expedia to book excursions in advance, however in French Polynesia, we found it to be a much better option to book your tours directly through the hotel.  The hotels in French Polynesia give you more tour options, are the same price as you find online, and they can easily make changes or communicate any special needs directly to the travel operator. 

The majority of the tour companies are family run operations, especially on the smaller islands, so the hotels typically know them by name and have their personal cell phone numbers.  For the ones that we booked online prior to our trip, we had a lot of trouble finding out where to meet for our tour and on one occasion, we even had a tour guide not show up at all.   

ATV Tour of Moorea

We spent most of our first day in Moorea unwinding by the pool. On our second day we decided to do a half-day ATV tour which took us to the Juice Factory, Vanilla and Pineapple Plantations, Belvedere Lookout Point and Magic Mountain. 

We also go to feed the blue-eyed eels…which was a completely amazing experience! They are blind, but they swim right up to you when they smell the food. When we visited, our guide told us that there were 18 eels that currently lived in the river.

The ATV Tour was a fantastic way to explore the island!  Helpful tip, make sure to pack a rain jacket if you visit French Polynesia…it rains for an hour or so most days.  It rained for the first part of our ATV tour, but luckily they had ponchos, so we stayed dry! 

Read more about what to pack for a trip to French Polynesia.

Catamaran Adventure

On our final day, we actually booked two tours, which I don’t recommend because it’s exhausting.  In the morning, we went out on the Catamaran Taboo tour, which took us out to three different snorkel spots to swim with stingrays, sharks, and colorful fish. 

If I had to do it over again, I would have skipped this tour.  The operator was very nice but the catamaran only had a small motor in it, so it wasn’t your typical catamaran adventure with water splashing up through the nets and the breeze in your hair.  And we ended up doing two of the same snorkel spots on our afternoon tour, so it was redundant. 

Swimming with Humpback Whales

Our afternoon tour was my favorite experience on the island!  Over 300 humpback whales migrate from Antarctica to Tahiti every summer to give birth and breed so if you visit French Polynesia between mid-August and October, you have a good chance of getting to swim with them! 

When we were in Moorea we were lucky enough to get to swim with a mom and her baby. It was an absolutely amazing experience!  Unfortunately I bought a cheap underwater camera and didn’t get the best pictures. However I didn’t use the zoom feature on the picture above. I was really that close!  It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience and one that I highly recommend that you try when you visit Moorea!

Dinner Moorea Beach Cafe

For dinner, there are two places that I would recommend in Moorea.  The first is Moorea Beach Cafe.  It is a gorgeous restaurant right on the water and the food is absolutely amazing.  The tuna literally melted in my mouth! 

Like most places in French Polynesia, the food is expensive, so expect to pay about $30-$40 per entrée for dinner. 

If you are looking for a more budget friendly meal, you should check out Manuia Grill.  It is directly across the street from Manava Beach Resort and the food and drink prices are very reasonable ($15-$20 per entrée and $5 for a beer).  We ate there 2 of the 3 nights when we were in Moorea and both times were delicious!   

Moorea was the most action packed island that we visited during our 10 days in French Polynesia! Next stop, Bora Bora!

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How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia

I’m sharing our experience so that you don’t make the same mistakes that we did when planning your trip to Tahiti. 

Arriving in Tahiti

If you decide to plan a trip to French Polynesia, you will fly into Fa’a’ā International Airport on the island of Tahiti.  The airport is about 3 miles from downtown Papeete, the capital city of French Polynesia. 

Renting a Car in Tahiti

Dave and I decided to rent a car at the airport so that we could do some exploring.  The main road around the big part of the island is only 72 miles. Even with stopping, it is very easy to drive the entire island in 4-5 hours. 

Make sure that you book a car in advance as it’s much cheaper than booking one at the airport.  If you plan to explore the island, you should also book a car with unlimited mileage. We ended up paying $200 in mileage fees for our one-day adventure in Tahiti. 

Vacationing in French Polynesia is expensive enough without paying $300 for a 2-day car rental!    

Fautaua Waterfall

We had planned to hike to the Fautaua Waterfall on Saturday, however we didn’t realize that to access the waterfall, you have to first go to City Hall to get a permit.  City Hall is located in downtown Papeete and is only open 7:30 am – 3:30 pm Monday-Thursday and 7:30 am – 2:30 pm on Friday.   The path to the waterfall has to be accessed by a gate so if you don’t have a permit you will not be permitted to enter. 

By the time that I realized that a permit was needed, it was already 4:30 pm on Friday. Since we were leaving Tahiti on Sunday, we would have to skip the waterfall. 

Over my many years of traveling, I’ve learned that sometimes plans don’t work out and in many cases changing plans last minute, many times, leads to even better times that what you had planned originally.  Another lesson learned, but not to despair. Time for plan B! 

La Plague de Maui

I decided that instead of Fautaua Waterfall, we should visit La Plague de Maui which is supposedly one of the prettiest white sand beaches on the island.  From the Intercontinental Resort, getting to the beach took about an hour. When we arrived, we were completely underwhelmed.  La Plague de Maui looked nothing like the pictures that I had seen online.   In fact, we even drove around to make sure that I hadn’t made a mistake. Unfortunately this tiny stretch of rocky beige beach was in fact La Plague de Maui. 

Ok, so now time for Plan C?  When I was doing research after my waterfall mix up, I learned that Teahupoo Beach was just 10 minutes south of La Plague de Maui.  So off we went! 

Teahupoo Surf Spot

Teahupoo is a legendary surf spot where many world famous surf competitions have taken place. On the day that we visited, it was raining, but a little rain didn’t seem to deter the surfers.

Teahupoo is known as “The End of the Road” because it is quite literally located at the end of the road. So unless you want to take your car swimming, you can’t miss it!  Considering how the rest of our day went, I’m surprised that we didn’t miss it and drive right into the water. 

When we arrived at Teahupoo, there were about 30 surfers showing off their moves.  I should also mention here, that the islands of French Polynesia are green for a reason.  Even during the dry season you should bring a light rain jacket. It will definitely come in handy!

Read What To Pack For Your Trip a Trip to French Polynesia

After spending 20 minutes taking pictures and videos of the surfers, we decided to head back to the resort.  Now, as you know, the day hadn’t been going exactly as we had planned and it was at this point of trip that I closed my phone in the car door and cracked the screen. Trying to find a place in French Polynesia to fix a cracked screen is pretty much impossible, so we were down to one phone for the two of us for the next ten days. This was definitely not turning out to be a great start to vacation! 

Twin Waterfalls

Instead of heading back the way we came, we decided to finish driving back the other direction with the hope of seeing more of what Tahiti had to offer. Our next stop was the twin waterfalls.

When we arrived, we saw that there was a chain across the small parking for the waterfall. But after all the disappointments of the day, we were determined that we were going to see at least one waterfall in Tahiti!  So we parked on the other side of the road and made our way up the path towards the waterfalls, hoping not to get shot.  It was a little too cold to swim, but we were able to climb down and take some cool photos. 

Now back in the car, I went to recharge our wifi hotspot and realized that our car charger port in the rental car didn’t work.  And go figure, I left my portable charging pack back at the resort. Yes, walking disaster! 

The road around Tahiti is a big circle and easy to navigate, so we decided to just go for it.  

Lafayette Black Sand Beach Tahiti

At this point, I will mention that Tahiti does not mark the tourist spots like waterfalls and beaches very well. Because we did not have access to GPS, we missed out on a lot of sites during our one-day exploration. 

During our drive, we did come across a very pretty black sand beach, which I believe was Lafayette, and were able to stop and do some exploring.   

Papeete Roulettes

It was about 4pm and we were starting to get hungry, so we decided that on the way back, we would stop in Papeete and eat at the roulettes.  After a few wrong turns in town, we finally parked and walked over to the main square with the roulettes. 

When I was researching Tahiti and read about the roulettes, I had imagined them more like food trucks with a common area for eating.  And although this was true of many of the roulettes that we experienced in other parts of French Polynesia, this wasn’t the case with the roulettes in downtown Papeete.  They were more like café style restaurants with outdoor tent seating that you find in many parts of Europe. 

Our dinner was good and reasonably priced…at least for French Polynesia (around $15-$20 per person for an entrée).

Nightlife in Papeete

After dinner, we went back to our resort and spent some time relaxing at the pool before taking a taxi out to downtown Papeete. 

Even though most of our day, hadn’t gone exactly as planned, I will say that we had a fantastic night!  We ventured out around 9 pm to Morrisons Café.  When we first arrived, it wasn’t very busy so we spent some time playing pool and foosball with some of the locals.  By 11 pm, it was a packed house and we were having a great time dancing the night away with our new friends.  Tahiti definitely had the best nightlife of any of the islands that we visited! 

So, yes, the start of our French Polynesian adventure didn’t quite go as planned, but we went with the flow and ended up having a night to remember!  Now off to Moorea where we swam with a humpback whale and her calf! 

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4 Day Itinerary for Moorea

Planning a trip to French Polynesia? Here are some things that you might not think to pack.

French Polynesia was one of the most beautiful and most expensive places that I’ve visited.  Besides the normal items, bathing suits, underwear, etc. here is what you need to know about packing for a trip to French Polynesia.  I spent 2 weeks visiting Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and Huahine and below are a few essential items that you’ll need to pack for your trip.

Sunscreen

I know the first item seems pretty obvious, but seriously, pack more than you think you’ll need…it’s $25-$30 a bottle (8oz) to buy!

Bug Spray

You will definitely need it for jungle tours and hiking!  Although it’s not as pricey as sunscreen, it’s still $15 plus for a bottle.

Sun Hat

The sun in French Polynesia can be very strong.  I bought this sun hat on Amazon and love it!  It’s the best way to say “Out of Office”!

  

Raft

A raft is a must in French Polynesia, especially if you plan to stay in an over water bungalow. This raft from Amazon also doubles as a beach mat…highly recommend! Dave and I took these as our carry on items. If you’re flying Air Tahiti, they consider the weight of items vs. the number of items, so we checked these rafts without any extra costs when we island hopped across French Polynesia.

Snorkeling Masks

Although some of the resorts offer snorkeling equipment to use or rent, the quality is not always very good. These snorkeling masks cover your entire face and allow you to breath naturally.  They also allow you to dive under water without holding your breath or taking a chance, that if you’re like me, you’ll snort water up your nose:)  And in French Polynesia, most times you can snorkel anywhere, so it helps to have your own mask so that you don’t miss out on any opportunities to see colorful fish! Huahine was our favorite place to snorkel!

Underwater Camera

French Polynesia is such an amazing destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.  Make sure to invest in a decent underwater camera so that you can take pictures of all those beautiful fish! I highly recommend swimming with whales in Moorea! 

Read all about our adventures in Moorea.

Rain Jacket

The islands in French Polynesia are green for a reason!  Even during dry season, it rains for a short period each day.  Even though it’s warm most of the year, it can get cold quick when you’re soaked from the rain.  Make sure to pack a light rain jacket.

Water shoes

There is lots of coral in the lagoon in French Polynesia, so water shoes are necessary to keep you from cutting your feet.  These water shoes were pretty inexpensive and worked well hiking, biking, and swimming.  Plus they have tons of different colors in stock so something for everyone!

Power Outlet Converter

In French Polynesia the power plugs and sockets are of type A, B and E. The standard voltage is 110 / 220 V and the standard frequency is 60 / 50 Hz.  Because you may encounter multiple types of plugs, you should bring a universal converter.  This universal converter charges both via outlets and USB and has surge protection, which is very important if you plan to use a curling iron. 

Cold Cup

Additionally, alcohol is extremely expensive in French Polynesia.  One drink will run you $20 or more.  Your best bet is to buy alcohol duty free at LAX and make your own drinks.  We took these cold cups with us to all the beaches and while biking around the islands.  They saved us a ton of money and kept the drinks cold all day!

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