9 Days on Moorea & Tahiti: A Complete Guide

the beauty of Tahiti Maria and the other islands that make up the sprawling South Pacific nation of French Polynesia is a Wonder to behold it's a trip most only dream of its magical place wasn't on my bucket list I get to Hawaii often French Polynesia seemed a bit too much like Hawaii for me to Dole out big money and endure an even longer flight but Delta Airlines new route to Tahiti from Los Angeles in the sky mile sale used to promote it was all the motivation I needed as a first time visitor I had questions and concerns just like you I'll answer some of them and provide suggestions along the way I'll show you everything where I kayaked where I jet skied where I drove where I ate where I hiked where I took the ferry where I watched sunsets where I saw the world's gnarliest Surf Wave where I shopped where I dreamed of life on a yacht where I kissed a stingray and dodged sharks and where I slept the four extraordinary airbnbs I stayed in on two islands Tahiti and neighboring Maria but first a quick note about the Delta flight that made this trip possible it was a problem-free easy flight an LAX departure around 11 A.M middle late afternoon arrival around 6 PM in Pepa ate the capital of French Polynesia and the largest city on the island of Tahiti as Delta flight 119 approached the views were even more spectacular than expected the tall mountains low clouds and the gleaming ocean give way to the reef wall a protective barrier that makes this paradise like no other flying low over the Lagoon you're quickly on the ground a blast of late afternoon warm humid air reached me even before I reached the door a SkyMiles deal this good required travel between December and February the hot and humid season after a long flight arriving at a destination like Tahiti is a bit overwhelming trying to take it all in I made my way to the terminal greeted by the kind of Trio that should welcome arriving flights everywhere my only arrival critique the passport line moves slowly so do your part make sure you have your needed arrival documents completed flight attendants will pass them out before landing if you're renting a car the various companies are clustered together near the South End of the Open Air Terminal with few agents and lots of document printing still required the weight can be long I used Hertz booking through Delta for a discount keep in mind some companies charge by the mile and only offer cars with standard Transmissions if those are things you don't want book as early as possible on both Islands you'll see scooters everywhere I considered renting one but I'm glad I didn't being able to retreat to the air-conditioned comfort of a car was one of the great pleasures of this trip before leaving the airport grab some French Pacific Franks from the ATM just past the rental counters it's good to have cash for food trucks and small restaurants but most larger places accept credit cards if you miss it ATMs are fairly easy to find on Tahiti now a little geography French Polynesia is located in the southern hemisphere almost geographically opposite Hawaii its cousin in the northern hemisphere and much of it but not all will feel Hawaiian French Polynesia also known as the society Islands includes 118 Islands or atolls spanning 1600 square miles your initial arrival will be on Tahiti in Pepe ate the capital of this nation of islands tahiti's closest neighbor is Maria about 16 miles from port to port easily reached by numerous ferries departing daily Maria is breathtakingly beautiful hit along with Bora Bora are the two islands most sought out by Paradise dreaming South Pacific tourists the most familiar name Tahiti is often overlooked but not by me before moving on for a seven night stay on Maria I stayed two nights on Tahiti for two reasons first I wanted to see what Surfers call chopu or chops the beautiful and much feared world famous surfing wave and second I wanted a chance to stay in this over-the-top Airbnb an over-the-water Bungalow that checked every box for me the Romantic nature of an all-inclusive Bora Bora Resort coupled with the expense and time required to get there didn't appeal to me on this solo trip but Bora Bora is a good reason to return the larger part of Tahiti is called Tahiti Nui the smaller part is Tahiti Edie and that's where I spent most of my time landing at 6 PM I'd hoped to start my Trek there before sunset with delays at the border and Rental counters that wasn't to be but French Polynesian roads were a pleasant surprise wide safe and mostly well lit left side steering right side driving I had no problem anywhere but it did take a while to get to my first destination and this over the water Bungalow didn't disappoint perched high up with an expansive deck hanging over the water the one-of-a-kind rental included more beds than I needed on two levels a small kitchen with a cool bar and a large bathroom like most places here AC isn't offered that and mosquitoes were a big concern but sitting on the deck looking at the Lagoon watching fish swim in Crystal Clear water as the wind blew and waves roared in the distance more than made up for those shortcomings Bungalow includes under deck spotlights that light up the water I tried to spend as much time as I could there soaking it all in instead of splurging on a thousand dollar a night over the water Bungalow and Maria I opted for four creatively designed airbnbs scattered across two islands three on Maria and this one on Tahiti Edie the owners of all four are Airbnb super hosts so they go above and beyond at this first spot they provided several kayaks for use anytime and a morning delivery of bread and fruit another benefit the family operates a water taxi and boat tour company I was able to join a group of French tourists departing just steps from my bungalow this four-hour tour was a highlight of my time in French Polynesia the bilingual Captain made sure the English-speaking interloper wasn't left out he took us west of the Bungalow inside the Lagoon to a small sand patch popular with kayakers past a floating fishery and onto the reef walls wave break a popular surfing spot [Music] [Applause] [Music] as we made our way Eastward the tejupa wave Monument could be seen in the distance tejupo is a village on the Southeast end of Tahiti EDI it's literally at the end of the road its name Loosely translates to pile of heads and is said to honor a King's son who in all Hannibal Lecter on his father's murderer if you're going there chances are it's to see or ride chopu or chokes a heavy glassy offshore surf break that's been called one of the world's deadliest waves It's a combination of size speed and power ocean swells at their height from April to October Race Across the Pacific with nothing to stop them but tahiti's Reef wall the ocean side is 300 feet deep the other side is just several feet deep with sharp Coral just below the surface add in tiger sharks too many boats and enough Force to rip your pants off it's beyond scary it's terrifying it's also the site of the Billabong Pro Tahiti surf competition and in 2024 the Olympic surfing venue for the Paris games from the famous wave break we head up River after a brief jungle hike arriving at a spectacular Waterhole the rest of my time on Tahiti was spin exploring and I'll show you more of that later including Tahiti nui's North Shore blowhole a great community park on Tahiti Edie in a bit of the capital city but let's get you to Maria the ferry was a big concern for me which one should I take should I book a ticket how easy is it to do I'm glad to report it was an all-around great experience but I went in with no ticket with no set time needed to depart and no idea which Ferry I'd be on so don't stress so much over the ferry whether well planned or not finding the ferry terminal is your first order of business it's a rather large building in the port just off the main road that circles the island if you have a ticket head to the lineup area that matches the name of the company you're booked with if you're like me just look confused and helpless there's a lineup coordinator in the front lot of the building tell him what you need Return Passage for you your car and the number of passengers you have and that you're ready to go now if there's space in my case I was told to get in the our midi line he scribbled something on paper handed it to me and sent me to the armidi ticket booth I got a return ticket from me and the car for a hundred and eleven dollars in all I was given four tickets one for me one for the car and the same for the return trip I didn't sit in the car long before the line started moving I drove up the ramp and was guided into a tight space Here's another tip put the parking brake on they tell you to in French but not always in English once parked head to the upper deck I was on our midi too a big comfortable clean boat with snack bar and a surprising variety of seating options I gave the top deck a chance before the boiling Sun sent me back down to the extremely well cooled interior I grabbed an ice cream cone and enjoyed the view the 16-mile journey took 30 minutes or so it's a well-run operation and I guess it should be this company and others keep lots of people and Cars Moving between the islands daily as the ferry approaches the port you'll hear an announcement asking drivers only to return to their cars so you'll be seated and ready to go when the door lowers you'll pick up your passengers outside unless you're staying at a rental South of the port you'll turn right out of the parking lot you'll quickly pass Sofitel Beach Resort the over the water Bungalow Hotel on moreia's East Coast just uphill from there you'll quickly come to a roadside observation area pull over for great views of the hotel below Tahiti in the distance and the spectacular to May beach just north of the Bungalows the entrance to the bumpy pothole-filled Beach Road is at the bottom of the hill that minor inconvenience Fades when you see the skyrocketing palm trees the soft white sand the crystal clear water that looks turquoise at a distance and the great snorkeling all around add to that a shower building and lots of parking that will make your frequent visits here so easy [Applause] [Music] just north of the beach is the airport and my first Airbnb on Maria it's an incredible place so well designed and located perfectly on the northeast Bend of the island where the reef wall butts up against the shore The Reef wall creates a massive Lagoon that surrounds most of Maria giving the island calm crystal clear water that sets it and most of the islands of French Polynesia apart the Lagoon makes so many water activities possible the exception for Maria is this small part of the Island's Northeast Coast what that means for occupants of this treehouse is that the non-stop Roar of the South Pacific is heard here like nowhere else on the island the small Beach outside the fence is filled with bits and pieces of coral reef that have broken off and washed ashore fascinating to look at tricky to walk on and the perfect place for sunrises and sunsets as for the tree house it's so well laid out you'll wonder why everyone doesn't live like this the windows pop out with ease the breeze blows in and Netflix didn't fail me once as is standard no AC but the thrill of being perched Atop The Roaring South Pacific is cool enough [Music] now to Cocoa Beach a restaurant on an islet in Maria's Lagoon you get there by boat there's a parking lot on the west side of the North Shore but you'll need a reservation my advice go more than once the setting is spectacular it's a popular place for good reason as soon as you know you're coming to Maria Book your reservations on the Cocoa Beach website it's an unbelievably beautiful setting the vibrant color of the water in the channel the canopy of trees over the restaurant the attentive staff and the friendly dogs and the food is good too easily the best I had on Maria I ate two meals there and I wish I'd had more after you eat don't rush off you can stay on the islet and in the water until after lunch when the last boat departs for the parking lot around 3 pm it's hard to find a better place to relax next up a quick drive up to Belvedere lookout for expansive views of Opana who Bay Mount rotui and Cooks Bay the road up starts at Opana who Bay it's an easy Pleasant drive up to a small parking lot just behind the lookout platform you can also walk bike or take a scooter or four-wheeler to the Viewpoint their off-road hikes to enjoy too [Music] on the east shore of Opana who Bay is a large beautiful beach park with lots of street parking it's a great place to cool off outside of the Capitol it was hard for me to find food on both Islands the small family-run restaurants call it snack bars or snacks offered good food at low prices but they were rarely open when I needed them lunchtime is your best bet most days supermarkets are available on both Islands but are limited in their offerings that eight dollar jar of peanut butter you pass up will look pretty good later in the day the one thing you'll never have a problem finding is French bread it's everywhere it's not hard to find a drink either Champion a target-like store with home items and groceries is just south of the port well Maria there's a little food truck you'll pass often it's a blue van Moria churros the churros are great but so too are the paninis they're big on French bread and easy to keep with you bottom line if you see something you like eat there and get something to go I assume if you're at a resort there isn't the same Scramble for food add a good burger near the Maria airport and several pizzas that were different but fairly good when I go back I'll be at Cocoa Beach every day it's open [Music] while lacking food options Maria isn't short on excursions there are lots of companies offering snorkeling Adventures jet skiing tours boat tours and the like you can book directly or on sites like Viator or Airbnb experiences well Maria I booked a three-hour jet skiing tour and a half day snorkeling Excursion both were good experiences I used top Jet and top quad Maria for the jet skiing Adventure they're located on the Eastern side of the North Shore of the Island right on the main road their building is on the Mountainside and the jet skis are across the street in the water ready to go you park on the water side of the road and check in across the street standard stuff sign a waiver get fitted for a life vest the cost of one person on a jet ski was about 230 dollars for three hours once checked out on the ski I hopped on and followed the slow go directions out past the coral pods the guide met us there and led us out to the Lagoon in the next three hours are largely a blur but I had the time of my life following our leader we flew through the Lagoon through both Bays past sailboats and ships Outside The Reef wall and into the open ocean thank you we did slow down long enough to meet some Stingrays and black tip sharks it seems all the tour companies converge at one spot for those interactions armed with a bit of fresh fish the stingrays and sharks are more than willing to play their part like most things here it's sensory overload the ultra Clear Water the blue is sky laughter all around next to creatures you never thought you'd be this close to back on the jet skis we make our way into the channel past Cocoa Beach to the Lagoon on Maria's west side Turtles Eagle Rays more sharks and stingrays all around it was a wonderful experience but not for first-time jet skiers it's a fast really fast ride and because you're over and around Coral keeping up with the leader is essential you need to follow the path he or she sets would I do it again I'm not sure but I'm sure glad I did it once time for a little relaxation back onto May beach it's hard to get enough of this place I arrived right after Crews had de-nutted these massive coconut trees I'd love to have seen how they do that it's a necessity at parks and other public places here a falling coconut can ruin a trip and so much more another night and morning at the tree house before moving on to my second Airbnb on Maria it's on the northwest shore of Opana who Bay it's a standalone building in the yard of a house inside a gated community it's well designed with indoor and outdoor showers mosquito netting over the bed and access to a patch of shore the big draw for me free use of kayaks again Maria's Lagoon makes so many water activities safer and more enjoyable than just about anywhere else and kayaking on Maria's North Shore was a must do for me paddling to Opana who Bay out to the reef wall and Westward to sailboat Row for Sunset was a wonderful way to spend a good part of an afternoon the other Excursion I took was a six hour snorkeling and lunch tour offered by Mariah midi tours departing from a public dock next to an over-the-water Bungalow Hotel this was a really enjoyable experience the boat looked apart complete with a tinted and entertaining crew booked on Viator it was 112 it was good value for money providing a tour of the coast including a close-up look at an over-the-water Bungalow Hotel abandoned since the pandemic not often friendly if a bit eerie our first snorkeling stop was at Stingray black tip shark Central the same spot I experienced on the jet ski tour but I was happy to be back there this time getting a bit more affectionate with a stingray and I couldn't get enough of the Sharks I never thought I'd be unafraid that close to sharks we moved on to a couple of snorkeling spots near the two islets in the lagoon and then on to our Lunch Spot the perfect setting it had everything but Gilligan our captain gave us a cooking lesson on a table I expected to collapse into the water at any moment then on to a barbecue meal and a coconut shucking demonstration followed by a bit more swimming or snorkeling on our own the islet we ate on is used by other tour companies as well our tour size was limited to 12 people some other companies operated much larger boats with a lot more people I had no complaints it felt like a perfect size group to me my final Airbnb on Murray was on the Island's West Coast I came for otherworldly sunsets and this place didn't disappoint it's part of a compound of beach bungalows located across the street from a small grocery store and just down the street from a family-run pizza truck and a beach park the sunsets here were the draw but the stack of kayaks I could use was the bonus like all the other airbnbs this place is unique with my own outside kitchen and Patio palm trees Galore and four friendly dogs to keep me company as I watched the Sun go down the super host went above and beyond delivering a well-wrapped tray full of fruits Breads and spreads for breakfast at 2 am delivered so early because lots of surfers stay here heading out before Sunrise to catch waves at the offshore Reef wall my first morning there I grabbed a kayak and paddled out 500 yards to watch them they're said to be a large pot of dolphins in the area but I didn't see any seeing the Surfers in action was more than enough for me back on Shore I explored the neighborhood there's a Catholic Church up the road set beautifully into the mountain scenery and in the other direction a giant statue that looks like it may have been part of a lost attraction just up from there it's a beach park heavy on Park a bit lacking on beach but a nice spot to spend some time swimming or snorkeling on a hot day back for Sunset I put a chair in the water and watched the show I expected to be wild but this was really over the top the dogs who like to fish this time of day seemed to think it was pretty special too I call this one the Wormhole Sunset I've never seen one quite like it driving on Maria is easy as can be there's very little traffic especially away from the port and North Shore the Ring Road is in great shape it's a wide two-lane road with no potholes or traffic lights you can easily Circle the island in about an hour with my seven-day stay on Maria at an end this is a travel day an 11 A.M ferry to Tahiti with a late 8 PM flight back to LA that means time to explore Peppa aete catching the ferry back to Tahiti was a cinch had purchased a return ticket for me in the car so all I had to do was get to the port and line up at the East part of the large lot where the armidi ferry docks the journey back to Tahiti was as pleasant as the trip over [Music] earlier on Tahiti I went to the blowhole on the north side of Tahiti Nui this place feels like a tourist attraction in all the best ways hole didn't disappoint the lack of coral reef in this area means water forcefully shoots into a lava tube the spray blows up and out often with a loud sound the beautiful walkway above the entry hole straddles the ocean as it wraps around the highways tunnel wall it's a great place for a surprise shower on a hot day earlier in the trip I also visited a beach park near the end of the North Shore of Tahiti Edie it's a wonderful place for locals to enjoy the extraordinary beauty so many of us come so far to see it's a peaceful place to watch the sunset now back to my last day in French Polynesia I made good use of the downtime I had between Ferry and flight a good burger downtown at a restaurant across from the port powered me through a bit of shopping with the massive Pepe Market souvenirs fresh fruit and fish and a black pearl or two can be found there and you can start your search early at 5 30 a.m a stroll through downtown brought me to Notre Dame the Catholic Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Pepe it opened in 1875 and is one of the city's last examples of early colonial architecture if you're into history religion or great old buildings it's a stop to make from there I made my way to the marina the sight of some extremely enthusiastic fantasy yacht shopping this is the kind of Excursion I really enjoy and just about the cheapest thing I did in French Polynesia a walk through the beautifully designed waterfront park next to the marina was the perfect way to spend the last few hours of my time on the island returning my car to Hertz I topped it off at a gas station no need to search for the lowest price here gas is the same price at all stations and it's pumped for you and no extra charge Paradise indeed I got to the airport quite early from my 8 PM flight back to LA like most of the terminal the gate area is open air and in February that air is warm and humid here's the best tip I can offer wait in the seats directly in front of the duty-free shops those shops are frozen Tundras in the nearest row or two benefit greatly from their Iceberg status it's a lot more comfortable than sitting near the gate the Delta flight back to Los Angeles was a delight that means I got to sleep out like a light after supper up as we passed over the California beaches so a few takeaways from my trip French is the language but if you only speak English like me you'll have no problems credit cards work most places here but pick up a little extra cash for when they don't rain was a big concern for me but during my nine February days it only rained briefly on my last day for 20 minutes or so as I ate by the port in February it was hot and humid like it is in the American South in summertime the difference the south is well air-conditioned Tahiti and Maria are not if you're not used to that summertime discomfort a resort hotel with AC is probably the best way to go French Polynesia does have a Hawaiian feel but it doesn't have its tourism infrastructure hotels and restaurants are hard to find especially outside of the capital city obviously I love staying at airbnbs but large all-inclusive resorts do appeal to me here what Tahiti and Maria have that Hawaii doesn't are lagoons shielded by Reef walls that make all sorts of ocean activities so much safer easier and more enjoyable that along with crystal clear water and vibrant colors you see everywhere make this place absolutely worth the long flight I hope I've answered some of your questions if not ask and I'll do my best a big thanks to Thrifty traveler for the early tip-off about the Delta Sky miles flash sale that got me here I wasn't paid to endorse or recommend anyone in this video there are plenty of great options on both Islands these are just the ones I used as always thanks for watching I'm Jim Albritton for newsocracy thank you

Channel: Newsocracy

Views: 99,490

Keywords: Tahiti Moorea, Tahiti, Moorea, Bucket list, Delta, Hertz, Airbnb, Thrifty Traveler, Paradise, Beach, Sharks, Black tip sharks, Teahupoo, Surfing, Lagoon

Id: YltNNkrDkpo

Length: 27min 46sec (1666 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 22 2023