Help-Beaches on Tahiti, Bora Bora & Moorea

We are cruising on RCCL, stopping in Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea. We love the beach, but don't know a thing about any of these places. Not much offered for beach excursion through the ship. Would love to know:

1. Best beach to go to

2. Best way to get there

3. Cost involved

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

I suggest you look at the Paul Gauguin link as this ship is based in Tahiti and most of your questions are probably answered there. Your ship is probably pretty large as compared to the PG or Windstar and the number of cruisers may overwhelm the islands.

On Bora Bora look at Matira Beach. Shuttles for $5 each should be available. If you like to snorkel consider Pure Snorkeling by Reef Discovery. We will be using them for the 4th time in two weeks.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g669130-d1237239-Reviews-Pure_Snorkeling_by_Reef_Discovery-Vaitape_Bora_Bora_Society_Islands.html

On Moorea consider renting a car (contact Avis in advance) and explore the island, go to Beleveder lookout, and consider going to the Lagoonarium.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g309685-d2141252-Reviews-Lagoonarium-Moorea_Society_Islands.html

We are cruising on RCCL, stopping in Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea. We love the beach, but don't know a thing about any of these places. Not much offered for beach excursion through the ship. Would love to know:

1. Best beach to go to

2. Best way to get there

3. Cost involved

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

For Moorea, I'd suggest booking one of the Lagoon excursions. We used Alberts. They include transportation with the excursion fee.

http://www.albert-transport.net/excursion_nautique_us.php?nx=NAU

At around $75 per person, I thought it was a great value, especially considering the high prices in French Polynesia. You will get your beach time on this excursion during the Motu lunch. You will also get time in the water feeding the sting rays.

Pictures 45 - 107 in this gallery were taken on the Albert's tour.

There isn't a lot to see at the cruise ship tendering site on Moorea. Being on a large ship, you will definately want to pre-book an excursion. Moorea isn't the place to "wing it" when you get off the ship.

Note that FP beaches are crushed coral - not sand. You will want reef shoes.

Here is a good post about Bora activities.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1697667

The price you pay for reading these are the rants against the dreaded "large ships" :rolleyes:

We have been to Bora Bora on a prior occasion, so for a port call last fall we went to the Sofitel Bora Bora for the day. When I had asked about a day pass to the resort months earlier I was quoted a reasonable fee (which included a food credit). When we arrived we went to the front desk, with my e-mail in hand, to pay the resort fee. The very friendly employee asked if we wanted to take the launch to the private island, and when we told her we didn't want to bother (that we would just stay on the main island), she told us that there would be no charge. Lovely beach with a lovely bar (which had delicious food).

Northern Aurora -

So did you stay on the Sofitel's main island or go to the other private one?

On Moorea the public beach by the Sofitel is the best but far from the dock. Renting a car best bet there. You can go to it plus many other great places.

You can also grab a cab to the Hotel Les Tipaniers which lets you use their beach for free and has a great restaurant. As Flight Medic said earlier - on Bora Bora head to Matira Beach. In Papeete sightsee downtown near the port,

Keep in mind that this is not really a "beach" destination, except perhaps for Tahiti itself.

On Moorea and Bora Bora it's about the lagoon, with various water excursions around the lagoon, and out on the motus (little islets, which are in fact the best place for beaches).

There is Temae Beach on Moorea, and Matira Beach on Bora Bora. Yes, the little beach at Les Tipaniers hotel on Moorea is very nice, with a bar and restaurant, hadn't thought of it being free, but it is I guess, although fairer if you bought drinks and perhaps a meal (the food is great, I stayed there last year, but remember everything is expensive). On Bora Bora, get out to a motu, usually on an excursion, often involving a picnic and snorkelling.

On Tahiti island itself, there are some nice black sand beaches on the north side of the island, east of the city and the dock, but doable on the public bus (Le Truck) or taxi. From the Pirae district east to Arue, there are several beaches, but perhaps a taxi driver could give you details--I don't remember the names of specific places. But beautiful.

Related question to these 3 islands . . . what are the highlight activities/excursions on the following islands:

- Huahine

- Raiatea

- Rangiora

We are set on Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti. Looking for a highlight or two elsewhere.

We prefer scenery and relaxation and don't need to do an excursion on every island -- we're fine doing just a few and some basic R&R otherwise.

Northern Aurora -

 

So did you stay on the Sofitel's main island or go to the other private one?

Since we had already arranged a time for our cab driver to return to pick us up we didn't bother with taking their launch to the private island. We stayed at their main island facility. I definitely had the impression that had we decided to go to the private island we would have been charged the fee quoted in my e-mail exchange with their concierge.

Related question to these 3 islands . . . what are the highlight activities/excursions on the following islands:

 

- Huahine

- Raiatea

- Rangiora

 

We are set on Bora Bora, Moorea, and Tahiti. Looking for a highlight or two elsewhere.

 

We prefer scenery and relaxation and don't need to do an excursion on every island -- we're fine doing just a few and some basic R&R otherwise.

Raiatea at least used to be good for snorkelling, if you like the water. It has probably the largest archaeological site in the islands, at Taputapuatea, which is included on most land tours. There's also the river, which is the only navigable river in FP, boat trips up which is kind of a bit "heart of darkness"-like. You can usually get some kind of combo tour including the river and a land tour, or a snorkel trip that includes possibly a motu picnic or a black pearl farm trip. As long as it's not Sunday there are a few shops in town as well.

Rangiroa has the Blue Lagoon (which I haven't done). Close to the dock where you tender-in there is a little lagoon (in the big lagoon) called the "Aquarium" which is full of fish. You probably could find someone to just take you there in a boat. And I've also heard you can snorkel from parts of the shore if you want to just do your own thing. We took an all-day cross-lagoon motu picnic trip that was great, but involved an hour's travel each way across the (huge) lagoon. There are also often dolphins in the pass as the boat arrives and leaves.

I've only been to Huahine once so don't have a lot to say about that.

Thanks a bunch, Wendy the Wanderer!

Marc's motu picnic on Huahine is great. Get a few people on the ship to reserve with you.

Every sailing has them. It's one of the best private tours you can do on French Polynesia. Done it three times!

Thanks for all of your answers and ideas.

13 years ago I did a long transpacific on RCCL that made the same three spots. In MOOREA we we took a cab to Les Tipaniers and on Bora Bora to Matira Beach. Try to make time for other activities than just hanging out at a beach

Great post. Thanks for the ideas everyone!