Tikehau was our next stop on our French Polynesian honeymoon. We flew back to Tahiti from Moorea and flew to Tikehau which is about a 50 minute flight to the Tuomotu Islands. It is an extremely unspoiled small island and was an absolutely perfect romantic hideaway. This was the perfect honeymoon destination. We stayed at the Pearl Beach Resort in a deluxe beach bungalow. It was a beautiful bungalow and worth every penny. Sliding bamboo doors open into the bathroom which is covered but it is outside surrounded by a handcrafted stone wall and a garden. I would definitely recommend a deluxe beach bungalow at this resort and save the over the water bungalow for Bora Bora. Locals in Moorea and Bora Bora advised us that they have the best scuba diving in Tikehau so this is where I did my first dive with Blue Nui Dive Centre at the resort. My new husband is a certified diver. The instructor was absolutely wonderful. No pool lessons for me! Just a quick explanation of how things worked and on with the gear and backwards over the side of the boat. The instructor did mostly everything while I just concentrated on breathing, getting used to the feeling and looking at all the marvelous underwater life. The fish that come from Tikehau go to Tahiti to be sold. Rangiroa is the big island about 14 km from Tikehua and they are also supposed to have some of the best scuba diving. We also paid for a chef prepared gourmet picnic lunch on a private island. This is also a definite must do and worth every penny!!! At 10 am we got on the boat with the captain, chef and the chef's helper. The five of us travelled out to another small motu(island) which had beautiful pink sand. It was here that they set a table and prepared over an open fire, appetizers which reminded me of egg rolls(yummmmm), the world's biggest prawns, lobster, mahi mahi, lagoon fish and wahoo and pineapple tart for dessert. All served with champagne and the dishes were garnished with flowers. The chef's helper made woven baskets and crowns out of native tree leaves. This was truly a special moment in time on our honeymoon. Not to mention, once lunch was done, the boat and crew left and we had some alone time on the island. No bathingsuits required. Simply pefection. I recommend buying your alcohol is Moorea or whatever island you are on before coming to Tikehau. It is much cheaper as it is very hard to come by in Tikehua. We bought a bottle of Tahitian rum on Tikehau for $75 USD when it is about $12 USD on the other islands. Our private island picnic cost about $550 USD plus the extra alcohol we purchased from the resort bar. Breakfast and suppers here are included simply because there is absolutely no where else to go but with that said, they were fabulous. Suppers were fantastic. A different menu every night with huge portions. Lunch needed to be purchased at the bar, however, with buffet breakfasts we did not need lunch. Snorkelling here was great. There were sharks and all kinds of fish to see. In our life my husband and myself combined have been many places and Tikehau was truly heaven on earth. We will definitely be returning to Tikehua in the future. Maybe for our 5th or 10th anniversary. The best honeymoon spot in the world. Tikehau is what the word honeymoon truly means.

Tikehau is the place to go for total relaxation. This is not a resort for families, or young children. It's all about Quiet and balmy air.
Food was excellent with an excellent selection of French wines. Sashimi and tuna tartare are out of this world. So fresh. Morning croissants and tropical juices give you energy for that kayak outing and for the snorkeling / scubas expeditions they can organize for you. The staff is all polynesian and delightful. Look for Angele as well as the charming Genevieve who greets you at the Aerodrome with Flowers. She also provides an truly tahitian "Monoi Matai Massage" using organic scented monoi oils. An adhoc local band plays Tuamotus Ballads on wenesdays at the restaurant. The hotel quiets down by 21:30 pm ( last boat shuttle to town).
The hotel is located on a motu ( large sand bar with Coconut trees) and most of the rooms are over the water and get a breeze. Only Bungalows on the beach have AC.
Main nuisance at resort are Nonos ( sandflies) which bite at sunset if you walk on the beach. wear Repellent for that sunset walk. Mosquitoes are dependent on the wind and the hotel provides in-room electrical insecticide diffusers, but bring own supply of DEET (repellent) and mosquitoe net, should the breeze be absent when you go. They fumigate the property every so often.

Overall expect to spend your time staring at the turquoise Lagoon waters, feed the fish with the left over french bread (baked daily) and marvel at the beauty of the sourrounding motus.