My husband and I just spent June 10-20 in Moorea, Huahine and Bora Bora. We spent 3 nights at the Moorea Pearl, which was fabulous. We were there 3 years ago and it was beautiful then. It was just as we remembered it. The staff was great, the overwater bungalow was clean, big and perfectly situated over the corals, so the snorkeling was the best here. We didn't have a meal plan, so we relied on stocking up on baguettes, meats, cheeses, wine and beer at the market in Maharepa. The village is about a 5 minute walk from the resort. It also has banks, pearl and gift shops. very convenient. We ate at TE Honu Iti and Le Mahogany, the island's two best restaurants in our opinion. Mahogany is a little cheaper than Te Honu Iti, but both are worth the prices. Being return guests, we were given some special treatment in the bar. the bartender filled up our glasses a few times without our asking and didn't charge us.

We then spent 4 nights in a premium overwater bungalow at Te Tiare Beach Resort in Huahine. That resort is fabulous! the bungalows are a little older, but they're huge and clean. they're made the way a bungalow should be made, with a big enough closet to hold your luggage and a separate shower. our bungalow, which was #36 and right on the point, was perfectly situated to get sun and shade. The deck is L-shaped, so you can get in th sun or shade whenever you want without going inside. The gardens there were beautiful and lush, and very well kept. The drinks of course are pricey in the bar, but they were expensive at all 3 resorts. The resort offers shuttle service from about 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. the shuttle runs into the main town of Fare on the hour and back to the resort on the half hour. the supermarket was about a 3 minute walk from the boat dock in Fare, so we took the shuttle in every day to get some snacks for breakfast and lunch, wine and beer. we ate at the only restaurant in town called New Temarara ( i think that's how it's spelled). it looks like nothing but the food was excellent. we tried to go one other night but it was election night and everything in town was closed. the restaurant at the resort is great too though. we took an all day tour of the island through Poetaina Tours that was great. the first half of the day we took a tour by outrigger canoe. you snorkel, feed the eels, eat in the water on a motu and visit a pearl farm. Dolores was our tour guide for the morning and a lot of fun . the second half of the day was by jeep. Poto, our tour guide, also was hilarious. we saw every part of the island. highly recommended.

We then headed out to Bora Bora for 3 days at the Pearl Beach Resort there. we had premium overwater bungalow #46. great location. our bungalow, though the smallest of the 3 we stayed in, was beautiful. the bathroom has a separate shower that is all glass, so you can look out over the lagoon as you get ready for dinner. it was very windy while we were there, so no snorkeling. though choppy, it was fine to swim in the lagoon, which is only about 4 feet deep. A shuttle runs from the resort to the mainland every hour. it's not that convenient though. you have to time that with a bus that runs into the village of VAitape, which is at least 5 miles away. there's nothing located where the Pearl's boat dock is. the bus doesn't run every hour, only about every 2 hours.

the resort is very beautiful, with plenty of activities such as ping pong, tennis, mini-golf, etc. the spa is the most lavish i've ever seen, with wonderful gardens surrounding it in a very peaceful setting. the services were expensive though. However, my husband got a tattoo there that was very reasonable and looks great. the artist has a wonderful eye and is very creative.

We ate at Matira, Bloody mary's and the resort the 3 nights we were there. food at all 3 is unbelievable. you'll pay at least $100 for a bottle of wine and 2 meals. it's worth it though. definitely do not miss Bloody Mary's. it's a really fun atmosphere, where the floors are all sand. so kick your shoes off while you eat, nobody minds.

We took a half-day tour by jeep around the island. that was so much fun. the off-roading on mud roads going up the hills was the best. our tour guide was really funny and joked all the time. but he also made sure to tell us the stories about the island and answer any questions. we got back from the tour 5 minutes late and the boat to the resort was already leaving. we called the resort and they didn't send another boat for an hour for the 8 guests it kept waiting. the frustrating thing was that we could see the boats just sitting there across the lagoon. it takes about 10 mins. to make a round trip from the resort to the mainland. instead of saying they'd send a boat, the resort sai;d they'd just ask the captain. as a result, some of us missed our dinner reservations. that was our only complaint though.

i would definitely bring some dvd's from home incase you get a rainy day. the english movie channel either didn't work, or showed movies in french sometimes. we had a rainy morning and had to sit there waiting for it to quit.

also, don't buy a meal plan. it's more fun to venture out ot the local restaurants. i would recommend buying pearls on Moorea. they're cheaper there. everything was much more expensive in Bora Bora. Bora Bora was our least favorite island because it's very touristy and almost too Americanized. Huahine is not touched by tourism at all, which was wonderful. still the staff there was fantastic and tended to your every need.

A slice of heaven on earth. It's where Hawaiians go on vacation. Spend the extra dough and get an overwater bungalow..you will reget it if you don't. The sunsets are amazing and the water is gorgeous and calm. I went there for my honeymoon for 6 days last week of January of 2006 - sorry review is a tad late, but wanted to credit where it's earned.

Stayed in papeete at the Sheraton Papeete for two nights also upon arrival - see other review.

I booked through Luxurylink.com - high end travel site, but used a travel agent in Tahiti for everything else. Good place to get a good value at premiere resorts worldwide. Get breakfast included rate if possible.

Pros:

Total seclusion
Beautiful scenery
Great snorkeling
Good food
Strong drinks
Friendly staff
Large spacious bungalows
Kayaks on property
Arranged car rental for us at the resort back in the city
Also can book tours

Cons:
Mosquitoes at night - bring DEET
Resort only accessilble by boat
Very isolated
Thin pillows
Food and drinks are very expensive as is everything in FP.

Go and enjoy!

We just returned from a 10 day trip to Huahine and Bora Bora.We stayed at the TeTiare Hotel for 3 nites before going to Bora Bora.It is hard to descibe how awsome and beautiful it is there. We stayed in a garden Bungalow that was quite large and had a true Polynesian feel to it. Just what we imagined it should be like. The water was crystal clear and calm, The scenery is simply spectaular. The stuff was so friendly and helpful, Anyhting you need they will do it for you.
The food was fabulous, I had my first MahiMahi in Vanilla sauce there.MMMMMMMMMMMMM
We also ate in the little town of Fare one night. So much fun to have to get into a boat to go to dinner. All together this was an incredible vacation. If you want a true polynesian experience with some luxury this is the place to stay.
We will be back for sure!

The good thing about this place is that it is rustic. The bad thing about this place is that it is rustic. I had some reservations about staying here. It looked like the best place in Huanine. So, I thought I would give it a whirl. I don't understand why it would get a 4 star rating. I didn't have a problem with some of the things mentioned in the other reviews. The bed and bedding were fine and clean. The pool was fine. I felt it was very clean, but all the cleaning in the world won't fix black mold. Checking into the Garden Bungalow room, I was assaulted by the smell of mold. I thought it was the air conditioner that had caused the mold on the wall, but on closer inspection it was some sort of plumbing leak that had caused it. No problem, I'll just keep the patio door open, it's just one night. Wrong. The screen had a gap that would not allow it to close. I tried everything to get it to close so I wouldn't get any unwanted bug visitors. The thought of closing up the door and using the air conditioner while inhaling mold is not a pleasant idea for me. Then there was the roof. The thatching of the roof appears to me to be of less thickness than some of the thatching on beach huts. Inferior materials causing a problem. I just got the uneasy feeling something might drop on me from above during the night. So, I decided to go back to the airport and go someplace else! All these things one might encounter when camping. I will say that I saw more fish in the lagoon by the hotel, than any of the other islands I visited. Also, the reception were kind when I explained I didn't want to stay. Everyone else walking around looked happy as clams!