PG Tahiti: Question about Private Motu's

[sunydays]

I keep hearing about the awesome Private Motu's on the Tahiti cruise. Are the trips to the private Motu's on the PG included with the price or are those considered separate excurtions?

 

Which of them do you most recommend?

 

I can't wait!

Kacey:)

[MarnaLou]

They are included.

 

Motu Mahana (off Taha'a) is pretty incredible. There is no charge for anything. They will provide you with snorkling equipment and there are kayaks, I think. It's open bar there all day, too. The staff goes over first thing in the morning and cuts the tops off a bunch of coconuts and they serve pina coladas in them. Should you be out snorkling and you can't muster up the energy to come ashore for something, there is a bartender in the water, pulling a small bar on a raft and he or she will be happy to make a drink for you. It's really quite amazing. Also, waiters circulate among those in the beach chairs, making sure that everyone is drinking plenty of water as well. The water is beautiful and the fish you can see are amazing. There are restrooms and you can even shower off. The day we spent on Motu Mahana was the most wonderful day ever!!

 

The other motu, off Bora Bora, isn't quite as accomodating but it's a great day anyway. There are no bathroom facilities and I can't remember if they served food or not. There was a bar but the offerings were quite limited, just beer, I think, as well as non-alcoholic beverages. If you are only going to go to one motu, do Motu Mahana but both are wonderful.

[gdlamberth]

Last March the Bora Bora Motu had a full bar also but as Marna Lou said no hot food. Kayakds were available both places. Mahana also offers Pareo tying lessons. Some found it advisable to bring a inflatable float (cheap leave behind) of some kind to Mahana (if you like floating in the water). Both have very nice snorkeling. The one aspect of hte Bora Bora Motu I liked better was that it wsa significantly less crowded (there are a lot of other activities for folks at Bora Bora).

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The lunch served at Motu Mahana is also very nice (poisson cru, yum!) They will also give you a snorkelling lesson if you aren't experienced, and take you on a guided snorkel out to some nearby reefs.

 

It's true there are lots of people there, but there's also lots of room, and everybody is in a party mood at that point, so it is really fun.

 

The view from the Bora Bora motu is not to be missed, however.

[Jim B]

Tahaa/ Motu Mahana was the high light of our cruise.

We were, (and I recommend it), on the first tender to leave the ship.

When you get there you are greated with champane and music.

You will bring with you the snorkel gear that you picked up aboard the ship.

It is all included in the price of the cruise. No hidden costs.

You receive beer, wine, cocktails, sodas, water, steaks, hamburgers, chicken salads all day.

If you decide to do the beach tour in Bora Bora it is also free. There just is no facilities. We took cheap blow up mattresses that worked great since there are no chairs etc. Also seemed to be a lot of ants around. Not biting kind just nuisance.

Doing the PG in Tahiti is the only way to go.

[jswalsh]

As well as kayaking, snorkeling, eating, and drinking on the Motu Mahana there is complimentary water skiing. On the Bora Bora Motu there is a full bar but only peanuts and chips to eat. We ordered some sandwiches from room service and took them along to the Motu so we wouldn't waste away from famine. Actually by that time we had gained so much weight from all the good food, we could have lived without food on the Motu but enjoyed the sandwiches anyways.

[Texed]

Great information. Thanks to all of you. We will be on PG June 11th. It is our first on RSSC, so we are looking forward to it very much. :)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Texed, have a great time! We get off the ship on June 4th! Beginning to get seriously excited.

[Texed]

Wendy,

 

Thanks for the good wishes. It is getting closer, isn't it? :)

[Kathy Z]

Texed - we will be on the June 11 embarkation with you. So will another couple that we met on the PG last summer. We were on a b2b and they were on the second week. This time we are all looking forward to repeating last year's ports plus the added ones on this 10 night itinerary.

 

What are your names? We are Kathy & Bill (from Michigan) and Patricia and Chris are from Arizona.

[oceanbear]

Texed & Kathy Z - We will be joining you on the June 11th cruise. This will be our 1st RSSC cruise and our 1st time in Tahiti too. Really looking forward to it. We are Dennis and Rosie from California.

[Kathy Z]

Looking forward to meeting you. We might all try to find one another the night of the captain's reception. It is held in Le Grand Salon. The captain will be at the starboard side entrance to greet you. We could meet down near the stage on the port side.

[Texed]

Kathy Z and Oceanbear,

 

There are 4 of us (two couples) I am Ed, my wife Jacquelyne, my friend Don and wife Janice. Kathy, I enjoyed your review from last year. It sure sounds wonderful.

 

We did the R3 a few years ago, and it was very nice. But, from all I hear about PG, it is even better. That sounds great to us.

 

We did all our excursions on our own the last time we were there. If ya'll have suggestions and/or want to make some groups on some excursions, let us know. :)

 

 

P.S. I guess you figured we were from Texas. :)

[oceanbear]

Texed & Kathy Z,

 

Looking forward to meeting all of you on the PG in June. Let us know which excursions you recommend. We are considering the "Fun Cats" on Bora Bora, and the "Underwater Walk" on either Bora Bora or Moorea. My wife doesn't swim, but I like to swim, snorkel, and SCUBA. I'll have to work in some snorkeling excursions in at least Rangiroa, Moorea. Any suggestions?

[trinidad]

Do the underwater walk- AquaBlue. We did it in Moorea and it was unbelievable. I had a sting ray sitting on my feet like a big velvet blankie.

[Texed]

Trinidad,

 

Thanks for the suggestion. :)

[Kathy Z]

Oceanbear - we are avid snorkelers and therefore choose snorkeling excursions. A favorite was the Lagoon Discovery and Snorkeling on Moorea. At the first part you are able to stand in waist to chest deep water and feed the stingrays. Non-swimmers can also enjoy this part. Then we went to another area to snorkel. There was a beach at that location for people who preferred the beach versus the water. In addition to the boat captain there is a photographer onboard and he makes a movie of the afternoon. We purchased the DVD - a great memento.

[Texed]

Kathy,

 

That excursion sounds like the one we took a few years ago on our R3 cruise. We love the snorkeling, beaches, and lunches. :)

[Kathy Z]

Ed - ours did not include lunch. It began soon after lunch on the ship.

[Texed]

Kathy,

 

You went on the shorter excursion that they offered, I guess. We enjoyed the lunch very much also. We went to the coral gardens, and it was amazing. :)