Excursions...don't know what to do...help!!!!

So, we're on the PG 7 night Tahiti and Society Islands leaving on April 28. Eek, it's coming up so quickly and I really need to book my excursions. I've picked a few that seem to be what we're looking for but I need expert opinions. I want to make sure there's something fantastic that I'm not missing.

This is our first trip to FP and our first trip alone with NO kids (at least since our honeymoon!) We want to RELAX a LOT but we also want to see the islands. We're not going to dive and we'll snorkel on our own. We basically want a "tour" of each island, maybe in the morning and then we want to spend the afternoon on a beach, relaxing. So, knowing that, here's what we're thinking of.

Bora Bora

Wave Runner circle island tour (my parents did this years ago and loved it).

Le Truck Tour

(We're also planning to spend a good chunk of time on the BB motu)

Moorea

Island Drive and Belvedere

Taha'a

Planning to spend most of our time on Motu Mahana

Raiatea

River and Island Explore 4x4

So, what do you experienced PG cruisers think? Any that we can "knock off" our list and anything that you REALLY feel we MUST do? We really want to get a feel for each island but we're not into anything extreme or crazy. Thanks so much!!!

I was on PG a few years ago (Society & Marquesas), and we've got another one coming up in June (Society & Cook Islands). I've had my nose buried in excursions for the past week now, and we're almost done with our decisions. I can offer a few suggestions:

1. Taha'a - definitely don't bother with any excursions. Just being on the motu and enjoying the bbq is all you need for that exquisite day!

2. Bora Bora Waverunner - we found a company that will do the waverunner tour for a lot less than the ship - $214 per couple, compared to the ship's tour at $299 per couple. Company is http://www.moanajetboat.com. No pre-payment necessary.

3. Moorea - we've heard great things about the Trail of the Ancients Trek. It's with onboard lecturer/archaeologist Mark Eddowes, who does a FABULOUS job (we did a couple of excursions with him last time in the Marquesas). If you want to learn some thing of the culture, try that one. We're booking it.

All your excursions sound wonderful. The only thing I would add is the 4x4 trip in BB.

The views from the top are amazing and not to be missed. The view from the BB Motu is also wonderful.

If you do the Trail of the ancients I am pretty sure you go to the agricultural farm for vanilla icecream, preserves and vanilla and also to the Belvedere but just check this yourself. Also would suggest a day spent at the HIlton or sofitel for snorkelling.

All your excursions sound wonderful. The only thing I would add is the 4x4 trip in BB.

The views from the top are amazing and not to be missed. The view from the BB Motu is also wonderful.

 

If you do the Trail of the ancients I am pretty sure you go to the agricultural farm for vanilla icecream, preserves and vanilla and also to the Belvedere but just check this yourself. Also would suggest a day spent at the HIlton or sofitel for snorkelling.

Thank you both so much!!!

Emdee, do you know if the 4X4 is different from Le Truck? I need to look at the excursions list again but I'm not home right now and computer is about to run out of juice! Will look into that. As for snorkeling...you suggested the Hilton or Sofitel...are those both on Moorea?

Thanks again to both of you! If anyone else has any others, let me know! Also, if there are tours that are not ship sponsored (but not to be missed), I'd love to hear about those too!!!

4x4 is quite different from Le Truck. Its a safari to the top - gorgeous views from there.

Le Truck meanders around the island and you could either do that or get a taxi to show you the sights - I think it will take you to Bloody Marys restaurant, Matira Beach etc etc. I have never done Le Truck but have seen them around. The first time I took a taxi tour off the dock and it showed me all I wanted to see.

This past Ocotber when we were in Bora Bora we did the stingray ballet and snorkle safari as well as the 4x4 trip. They both were great and got to see the island from land as well as water.

In Morea we did the Trail of the Ancients. That was a great excursion and Mark Eddowes does do a fabulous job and you get a great appreciation for how the islands were settled as well as getting great views from the stops that are made.

IMHO what makes French Polynesia different from many other areas of the world, particularly the Carribean, is the water. The water colors are spectacular as is the snorkeling. I would maximize my time with water/beach based excursions as you will never experience anything like this in most areas of the world.

On Moorea the drive up to the outlook is nice but IMHO it is not anywhere near spectacular. Same for driving around the island. The water is where the action is and I would spend as much time as possible with water related activities. Snorkel excursion, diving, beach day at the Hilton, they are all spectacular.

Flightmedic , its a question of taste. I know people love the sailing excursion and some of the other such excursions but others dont.

The Helicopter excursion over BB is fabulous - they had cancelled in last year but have brought it back.

I too love the water but people who want to go only once want to try and get a varied experience. Thats why I always recommend 2 land tours - one is the BBsafari and the trail of the ancients in Moorea. A number of people love the Fairoa river excursion. I have never done it but the next time I am in Raitea for sure will do it.

As for me now I have done most of the tours I spend as much time as I can sitting in that lovely azure water and marvelling at the beauty of the mountains!

Emdee,I agree with you except for the helicopter tour. I coordinate a medical helicopter program and unfortunately many helicopter operations have proven to be unsafe. This is particularly true of helicopter tour operators. Every year or so an operator in New York crashes and crashes in Hawaii are also common. If one uses a fatality to flight ratio the programs appear to have a decent safety record but I would not chance it.

Helicopters are extremely complex mechanical machines and require about two - three hours of maintenance for every hour flown. This is extremely expensive. I would be concerned that maintenance could be lacking. Even here in the US with highly regulated medical helicopters the industry reports approximately one fatal crash every two months.

I don't want to be a party pooper but please stay safe.

No worries FlightMedic, I would NEVER do a helicopter tour...I am WAY too chicken!!! I have a hard time flying on a commercial jet...don't even get me started on prop planes! LOL!

Thanks for all your suggestions! We're torn between wanting to see the islands and spending time floating in the water doing absolutely nothing. It's our first trip since our honeymoon away without kids so relaxing it definitely at the top of our list but we also want to actually see the islands.

We're definitely going to spend lots of time in the water. We're from San Diego so we're beach people and hope to spend lots of time off the sports deck on the paddle boards and kayaks. We also go to Hawaii every year and snorkel there. Is the snorkeling experience far different in FP?

Ahhh, decisions, decisions. I'm one lucky gal to be worried about these things!!! ;)

I have been to Hawaii three times but the most recent was about 8 years ago. The snorkeling in French Polynesia is spectacular. I have never seen such crystal clear water. I beleive this is because most of the snorkeling is in the lagoons where there is little wave action, hence no sand/silt in the water. You can snorkel in water that is 30 feet deep and see the bottom. The variety of fish is endless.

FlightMedic, I hear ya about spending time in the water - but I just wanted to point out that I think there needs to be a balance. My husband and I are advanced divers and have been diving all over the world, and we have lots of dives scheduled for our upcoming cruise. But we also love to travel, see new places, learn about history and culture. So we're doing half water-based excursions and half land-based excursions. I wouldn't want to miss out on touring the beautiful interiors and learning the fascinating history of these islands just to see more fish. :) (Although the fish are VERY cool!)

Im going to wade into this argument, even though I have no FP experience, because we have had similar debates about other destinations. It is really the argument about whether to experience an area strictly for its natural wonders, or whether its important to you to also experience the cultural parts of the destination.

We have been torn in this same way when planning other "safari" style trips (those that are undertaken in large part ot view and experience the wildlife in the area, such as Galapagos, Africa, Alaska etc). While some trips might be undertaken where the fauna is the star attraction, we found in most places that the locations where the fauna is most visible is are often off the beaten path and therefore a bit removed from the cultural attractions.

SO it's possible to see the animals in a place (such as underwater in FP) and not have an opportunity to really experience the people and culture of the place. We have found that in most of our "nature" trips that including some cultural interactions was what really rounded out the trip and made it feel more authentic to us. In Africa, we planned a few days of cultural activites in town in addition to our safari in very remote areas and found they turned out to be a highlight of our trip! I would have felt we missed soemthing if we only went to see the elephants and lions!

In the end I think it's up to each person to decide that balance, and for those of you with much experience in FP, I can absolutely see why you'd go back to your favorite activity each time, but for a first timer; I find I like to take the approach that includes several different activities in hope to have a full experience of the place.

Just my thoughts!

Back to the topic...IR,

based on that philosophy- here's what we are thinking:

Raitea- drift snorkel or Faaroa River Kayak (my husband is a very tall, rangey guy, he might find the coral challenging to float above, on missed placed limb and is he likely to get cut up?!)

BB-Snorkel tour with either Patrick or Christophe (still trying to decide who based on reviews) and 4x4 tour on the other day; maybe a visit to the Motu if we have 1/2 a day left.

Moorea-Dr Pooles whale and dolphins and Trail of the Ancients on the other day

Taha'a- just going to chillax on the Motu and snorkel and kayak

I hope this balances the "land/sealife, culture/fauna" as much as we can in one week! Like most places we go, Im sure I will find it's not long enough to do all I'd like to do:(

I'm with Emdee on the BB 4 x 4 tour. We did it in October and it was one of the better excursions we did with the ship. It is definitely 4 x 4'ing so be prepared. You would never be able to take a rental vehicle where they take you.

I also have to say that we stayed at the IC Thalasso & Spa for 4 days after our cruise and took the helicopter tour. I know helicopters are not for everyone but what a way to see the island and the lagoon.

The more I read the excursion descriptions the more I want to do!!! I need more than a week!!!!

For the 4X4 on Bora Bora, did you ever feel unsafe? I keep hearing great things about it but I don't want to be in a panic the entire time thinking we're going to fall off a ledge or anything. I tend to worry! ;)

FamilygoBoston - We're on the same page. I want to actually see, experience and get a feel for each island but I want to balance that with actually doing NOTHING and relaxing. Trying to find that balance!!!

The more I read the excursion descriptions the more I want to do!!! I need more than a week!!!!

That's why we're doing the 11-day Cook Islands cruise! ;)

For the 4X4 on Bora Bora, did you ever feel unsafe? I keep hearing great things about it but I don't want to be in a panic the entire time thinking we're going to fall off a ledge or anything. I tend to worry! ;)

I did the 4x4 on Bora Bora a couple years ago, and it was AWESOME! (That's why we're not doing it this time - done it already). It's definitely an E-ticket, but never once felt unsafe. I brought my 70-year-old mother along, and she had a blast, if that helps. The track gets very steep, narrow and craggy, and you get bounced around quite a bit, but you are never in danger of falling out or anything. It's fun, and the views are gorgeous.

Thank you all again for all your input! Don't know what I'd do without Cruise Critic!!!! One final question for tonight....I really like the sound of the Bora Bora Off Road Adventure (the 4X4). Then I was reading about the Bora Bora Land and Sea Safari with Snorkeling. That sounds like the 4X4 tour with snorkeling too. Is it REALLY different or just a condensed 4X4 portion? If it's just like the off road adventure I think we'd do it because it includes snorkeling too but everyone raves about the off road adventure so if it's totally different, we'd just stick with the 4X4 tour.

A few of my favorite excursions through the PG were the 4x4 adventure, the Stingray Ballet and Snorkel, and Dr. Poole's dolphin watch. I did do the island drive and Belvedere but wouldn't do it again--don't like riding around on a bus. Hope you can snorkel at the Coral Gardens; they're amazing.

Wow, such varied opinions.

Moorea: I agree that the island tour and Belvedere is quite sedate, although you do get out of the bus to wander around, but bottom line on Moorea is that the Belvedere is spectacular, not be missed. Just for the view. You could get this by renting a car for 4 hours or so, or rent for the day and go to that beach you were talking about. Or you could do the Trails of the Ancients--I think they take you up there for the view first before the hike, since it starts nearby (I've never done it, too strenuous in the heat, but take bug spray.) Getting out in a boat to see the spectacular coastline is also a great idea--Dr. Poole's Dolphin Watch is a good way to do this, or the waverunners, or the catamaran snorkel trip (expensive, but worth it.)

I've done both Le Truck and the 4x4 on Bora and agree that the latter is much better. If you can combine it with a snorkel, that sounds great too--haven't done it myself.

I love the stingray ballet on BB (used to be called the shark and ray feeding), although the quality of the coral heads out there has deteriorated over the years (first did it 12 years ago.)

Raiatea is a great place to snorkel, so you should weigh it against the 4x4/river trip--I've done this twice as well, and it's great, but does not get you into the water. Not sure you can just snorkel easily from a beach there anywhere.

As for water versus land--yes, the water adventures are great, but I will always suggest a land adventure or two, since the culture of the islands is so different, and there's so much to learn about them. The ancient site (marae) at Raiatea, which is part of the 4x4 trip, is very interesting. And each island has a distinct culture--they used to war with each other, after all. I find Bora Bora the least appealing on land.

Make sure you take a camera to the Bora Bora motu, by the way. Wonderful views back to the island.

Bottom line: you can't do everything--you've got to choose. And if it's that tough, it just means going back another time.

Wow, such varied opinions.

 

Moorea: I agree that the island tour and Belvedere is quite sedate, although you do get out of the bus to wander around, but bottom line on Moorea is that the Belvedere is spectacular, not be missed. Just for the view. You could get this by renting a car for 4 hours or so, or rent for the day and go to that beach you were talking about. Or you could do the Trails of the Ancients--I think they take you up there for the view first before the hike, since it starts nearby (I've never done it, too strenuous in the heat, but take bug spray.) Getting out in a boat to see the spectacular coastline is also a great idea--Dr. Poole's Dolphin Watch is a good way to do this, or the waverunners, or the catamaran snorkel trip (expensive, but worth it.)

 

I've done both Le Truck and the 4x4 on Bora and agree that the latter is much better. If you can combine it with a snorkel, that sounds great too--haven't done it myself.

 

I love the stingray ballet on BB (used to be called the shark and ray feeding), although the quality of the coral heads out there has deteriorated over the years (first did it 12 years ago.)

 

Raiatea is a great place to snorkel, so you should weigh it against the 4x4/river trip--I've done this twice as well, and it's great, but does not get you into the water. Not sure you can just snorkel easily from a beach there anywhere.

 

As for water versus land--yes, the water adventures are great, but I will always suggest a land adventure or two, since the culture of the islands is so different, and there's so much to learn about them. The ancient site (marae) at Raiatea, which is part of the 4x4 trip, is very interesting. And each island has a distinct culture--they used to war with each other, after all. I find Bora Bora the least appealing on land.

 

Make sure you take a camera to the Bora Bora motu, by the way. Wonderful views back to the island.

 

Bottom line: you can't do everything--you've got to choose. And if it's that tough, it just means going back another time.

I like that mentality...guess we'll have to go back!!! ;)

Im going to add another question or two to this thread since it's already started and it seems to be the place to ask! Thanks to those of you who have traveled and might have the answers:

Moorea- we would like to see the view from the Belvedere and some of the island. Im looking at PGs excursions "Island Drive and Belvedere" and "Aito Off Road Safari". I'm wondering if the "Island Drive" is done in a motor coach (bus)? DH has an aversion to bus tours and if the "Aito Off Road" does a similar type of thing but off road, he would prefer that. Also anyone have an idea if these are 1/2 day tours or whole day tours?

We have considered renting a car, but honestly, we'd appreciate the guiding for this first visit. I am hopeful that guides will add some interesting information we would not otherwise learn traveling by ourselves.

Thanks to anyone who may have experience with either of these!

Familygoboston,

I have done the safari - its really enjoyable and is off road.

You may also compare what you do in the safari to the Trail of the Ancients which is a must do on this trip. I think the Trail also takes you to the Belvedere for the view and the Agricultural farm for vanilla icecream and vanilla pods.

Keep in mind that Moorea is the last two days so except for Trail that you should book in advance as you could be disappointed, you should have no trouble getting on to the other trips.

Miriam

After looking at all the options, I think you are right, I don't want to miss trail of the ancients and if that includes the lookout from the Belvedere, then that is the route we will go for sure! And Dr Pooles whales and Dolphins on the other day. It's so nice that this itinerary allows us 2 days on those islands to really get more exploration time!

I always like to follow up in threads so that future researchers can find answers!

Here is what we've decided for shore excursions! And in a few months I'll dredge up the thread again to review what I thought of these!:D

After much research and the generous assistance of so many of you here's what we came up with and why!

Raitea- Faaroa Kayak, we love to kayak in Maine and this excursion fascinated us because we love wildlife too, so it should be fun!

Tahaa- plan to enjoy the motu

Bora Bora - 6 of us on our roll call ( one guy is newlywed staying at the IC in Bora Bora but trolled our RC to find people to tour with;)) are planning to do Patricks 3/4 day Lagoon tour and picnic. We all wanted a morning lagoon tour to ensure lively and active animals in the water. We chose the bbq with fish, chicken and lobster ( and champagne :D) rather than the "traditional" ( pig roast). Im quite glad for that as a seafood eating vegetarian that gives me more options! We plan to do the 4x4 adventure on the second day booked with PG. We would like to see the views around the island and feel this adventure tour will give us that opportunity. If others join our Patricks group and decide to add the 4x4 to Patricks, we can easily change this. Either way, we plan to spend the afternoon of the 10 th ( our anniversary!) on the Bora Bora motu after lunch since this is Emdees favorite, so I won't miss it based on her advice!

Moorea- Trails of the Ancients is offered on the first day and then we will do Dr Pooles Dolphin watching on the second day. I know more experienced PG cruisers do other things (like the Hilton beach day, or renting a car) but as a newbie, based on advice here on CC, I dont want to miss the cultural and and hiking opportunities with Mark Eddowes and we love wildlife, so the dolphin watching and being on the water is a top priority.

We were told the excursions are requested and that vouchers will be in our cabin when we embark and will be on our bill at the end of our cruise, so we can use our OBC towards some of these excursions!

We feel like its a good balance of water, beach, wildlife and culture for us, and above all very active which we prefer! As newbies, we want to be sure to experience as much as possible and thanks to all of your suggestions, we are really looking forward to all these excursions! Thanks to all for your help!