r/Tahiti

2 Aussies flying from Sydney Christmas/NY looking for recommendations please including diving snorkelling car hire food pretty much everything being mindful of budget. TIA 😎

I’m heading to Bora Bora next week and staying at the St Regis. I know they have their own lagoonarium, but we also had booked a shared snorkeling tours. Is the experience something totally different? My wife isn’t thrilled about sharks or rays, so it’s okay if we don’t get to see those? Any tips appreciated!

Hi! I pulled the trigger and booked a bucket list vacation. Can anyone give some good recommendations for dive outfits on these three islands. I’d like to dive as much as possible on rangiroa and fakarava and then we’ll go a little easier on bora bora. We’ll be there in September. Thanks in advance.

I beg, nay I implore you to please respect others while on your vacation in PF.

We all get excited around a pool with alcohol. But your in your 50s, act appropriately.

People don’t really want to know where in Louisiana you are from. We just don’t care. Keep your voices down.

French and Tahitian are widely spoken here. Please do not get frustrated when you struggle to understand the locals when you didn’t bother to learn 15-20 words.

Merci, Marururu and thank you 🙏

Has anyone experienced a helicopter tour in Bora Bora or Tahiti?

With a basic 20 min tour, which is better?

Can you recommend operators in either location?

Share any tips?

We are staying at the Westin Bora Bora for our honeymoon in just over 2 weeks! We would like to do a Polynesian Show and Dinner one night, but are considering going off site to a show that is outside and includes fire dancing.

Does anyone have recommendations on dinner/show and arranging transportation from the Westin? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!!!

Hi all!

Does anyone have any experience renting a boat and snorkelling the lagoon on their own? I have seen a few people on social media doing this but was wondering if anyone could share their own experience.

How much did the boat rental cost? Was it easy enough to get to the lagoon and snorkel or am I better joining a tour?

I will be travelling with my partner we are both experienced free divers/divers.

Thanks in advance!

Got back from a 10-night visit to French Polynesia with my wife and three children and wanted to share my experience in case its helpful for other visitors (since I got so much help from browsing this sub). Islands visited on this trip included Tahiti, Maupiti and Taha’a.

This is my second visit to French Polynesia. I visited Tahiti, Taha’a and Huahine in April 2025 and absolutely loved it and couldn’t wait to return.

We spent the first few days in Tahiti where we booked the Intercontinental Tahiti for 3 nights. I didn’t have high expectations after reading the user reviews on the forums, but the Intercontinental was quite pleasant. The rooms were meh, but the resort grounds, the breakfast buffet and the views of the ocean and Mo’orea were excellent. Depsite the proximity to the airport, there isn’t much noise which surprised me. We booked two days of private surf lessons with Mahina Surf School at Orofara Beach and the kids really enjoyed their outings with Manua, the owner. The waves weren’t huge but they were consistent and it wasn’t overly crowded.

We spent most of our time at the resort otherwise. I enjoyed snorkeling both days and saw several sea turtles in the area just to the northwest of the northernmost cluster of beach bungalows where the recreational boat launch area is. The water clarity was excellent down 15-20 feet and the water temps were great. We also made use of the tennis court, gym and just lounging outside. We did attend the buffet dinner and dance performance in the evening. It was fine but I think the show at Le Taha’a is better (fire dancing FTW).

Next we headed to Maupiti which was the highlight of this trip. Our plan was to spend 4 nights there, but due to a cancelled flight we ended up spending 5 nights. I ended up picking the correct side of the airplane to sit on for the best views on the approach to the island (I think it was the left side?). I was just gobsmacked by Maupiti’s beauty as we approached and somewhat alarmed by the location and size of the runway (it didn’t look like much!). Boat transfer was seamless, as the navette agents will find you and direct you properly. If you take the navette, it costs 1000 xpf per adult (cash) each way.

We booked our stay at Poemanahere Island Camping which had good reviews and looked like a beautiful location on the lagoon side of Motu Aiura. The price of Poemanahere was reasonable and included breakfast and dinner. I paid roughly $500/night for 5 people (a relative bargain). The lodging is in thatch huts which have sand/gravel floors. It’s rustic but pleasant (my wife likened it to “glamping”). There’s a larger hut for dining and a bathrooom facility for guests to use. The host family will do your laundry if needed, but make sure you leave sufficient time for the air-drying. I enjoyed the meals, but some of the reviews mentioned the monotony of the meals. If you like fresh fish (often raw), it’s great.

I can’t say enough good things about Maupiti. It was such a change of pace from anything else I’ve experienced. The first full day we walked across the shallow channel between the motu and Maupiti to Terei’a beach and later we walked to a coral garden off the southern shore of the motu (just west of Pension Maupiti Island). Other than a couple locals fishing, I saw no other tourists at the motu’s coral garden.

The second day we got dropped off by boat at Terei’a beach. Our host called ahead for rental bikes (1000 xpf/person) and the rental folks met us at the beach with the bikes. We rode clockwise around the island from Terei’a. If you go counterclockwise, you will quickly hit a 20% grade and the bikes we had were fixed gear and it might’ve been a slog. We stopped at the Mt. Teurafaatiu trailhead—it’s hard to miss because there were so many other bikes parked there—and did the hike. While the hike is straight up from sea level to 1200 feet elevation, it’s totally worth it. The views from the peak are truly breathtaking. While the online videos showing the sections of the trail with ropes you can use to clamber up the mountain might seem off-putting, I honestly though the ropes were not necessary going up. They were way more useful going _down_. Anways, this is a can’t miss item imho and pairing the hike with the bike ride turned out to be a great choice. We also hit Tarona restaurant which was really good and takes credit cards (take a lot of cash and snacks to Maupiti!).

On our last planned day our host took us on a tour to see the manta rays, the coral garden between Motu Tiapaa and Motu Tuanai (with plenty of black tipped reef sharks) and the stingrays. My kids absolutely loved this excursion. The mantas were majestic, the coral garden is the best I’ve ever seen, and the stingrays were a lot of fun. We also spent some time fishing as we travelled the lagoon and caught several fish!

Every night I would walk to the ocean side of the motu to watch the sunset. The beach on that side of the island is empty and expansive and the sunsets were epic. My only wish is that I could’ve lounged a bit more. But with kids you can only do so much downtime.

After our four nights we were supposed to fly to Raiatea the next day, but our flight was cancelled (while we were at the airport) and our hosts let us stay for a 5th night. I was stressed because I was about to lose a whole night at Le Taha’a (not cheap), but when our host picked us up he just looked at me and said “No worries in Maupiti. No need to worry here!” It’s honestly the best place in the world to be stranded for any amount of time.

Our last 2 nights were at the wonderful Le Taha’a. The stay was supposed to be for 3 nights and, because I had booked through Expedia and didn’t purchase the travel insurance, I was unhappy that I had lost a full night of my prepaid stay (Le Taha’a looked into refunding, but because I went through Expedia their hands were tied by Expedia’s policies). To their credit, Le Taha’a upgraded us to the Royal Pool Beach Villa which pretty much made up for any dissapointment I might have started with. In addition, they gave us a day-use overwater bungalow for our final day after checkout (since we had a late afternoon flight out) which was also super appreciated.

This is my second time at Le Taha’a. The first time we stayed at the sunset overwater bungalows. As great as the overwater bungalows are, I think I prefer the beach villas now. You get a lot more space, some private beach, a nice pool, and some nice landscaping/vegetation too.

Since we only had one full day at Le Taha’a we had to do the coral garden and take out standup paddleboards and spend some time lounging. As usual, Le Taha’a’s service is top-tier. Breakfast (included), lunch and dinner were excellent albeit pricey. I also snorkeled the artificial reef they’re growing between the southernmost bungalows—some really cool fish there including a shy puffer fish with big eyes.

I was worried that the snorkeling on Maupiti would ruin the Taha’a coral garden for me, but I still enjoyed it. They’re both so different to be honest. My preference is for the Maupiti snorkeling, but you really can’t go wrong with either option.

Anyways, that’s all I have to report. Weather was great, people were great, water was warm and fish was delicious. Used the Vini esims and those were great (worked perfect in Maupiti). My main takeaway from this trip is: Maupiti is amazing and has 100% stolen my heart…

We’re looking to do our Honeymoon in FP. And are staying at the st Regis for 4 nights. When we arrive in FP, our first night is in Tahiti for whale swimming.

I was thinking about doing 3 nights at Conrad, but was wondering if 3 nights at Le Taha’a PR would be better? Or do I have to do 3 nights at both?

I get Conrad and STR are on the same island, but thought it would be a vastly different experience. I wouldn’t say money isn’t an obstacle, but more just looking for the best value.

The only other activities we’re looking to do besides whale excursion, is Jet skis and a snorkeling (ray and shark) excursion

Thanks community for your opinions in advance!

I will be traveling from the US to Tahiti from Feb 5-14, 2027. My US passport expires on August 29, 2027. I know that is cutting it close, but meets the 6 months/180 day passport validity requirement. However some sources I am seeing say it’s a 3 month validity requirement, in which case I will need to renew. What is the correct info?*Edit* I realize I worded this wrong and even if it’s 3 months I’d be fine. Basically should I get a new passport or will I for sure be okay?

We are trying to finalize our dates and are stuck between going mid July or early September.

Only difference I can really see is the wind, is it really much better in September? Any advice is very appreciated!

Hi all, my partner and I are going to French Polynesia in September for our honeymoon. We'll spend about a week and a half at more affordable accommodations, but we want to splurge a bit and go to Le Tahaa and Vahine private island for 3 days each. My question is: is it best to book directly through their websites, or are there advantages in booking through travel agents, or is something else optimal?

I’m an anxious boat passenger but ~30 minutes seems okay. Typically how choppy is the sea in this area?

I am taking my dream bucket list trip to Bora Bora in July. It will be a once in a lifetime thing for me.

I keep going back and forth on what I want to do. I have decided on an end of pontoon Mountain View OWB at the Westin for half of my trip but am truly torn on the other half.

I could do the other half of my trip at Le Taha’a (a separate island) in a beach bungalow. I have heard great things about this resort and island.

However, I could save $2k and do a beach bungalow at St. Regis instead. This resort has always appealed to me but I have heard it can seem dated and also that the food is very expensive. We are doing the package where breakfast and dinner is included, so I’m not entirely sure the food prices sway me either way.

I really want to make sure this is the best trip it can be and I’m starting to stress about making the wrong choice.

Has anyone stayed at either of these resorts that can offer pros and cons? Bonus points for anyone who has stayed at both!

Hello! This is maybe a weird request but I really need to get a pair of glasses to Tahiti. My partner is currently sailing to Tahiti and his glasses broke. He's repaired them as best he can but I'm trying to get a new pair there by the time he docks. I could order them from Zenni and have them shipped right to you, I just need a way to get them to the island. I'm also willing to VenMo or PayPal you some money for the trouble. If anyone is able to help me out I would really appreciate it!

Edit: So, I'm actually trying to get the glasses to Nuku Hiva, if anyone is going there. Once he's on the main island he can just go to the local optometrist. Thank you so much!!!!

we want to visit this place in a month and the only good Airbnb we know ( from friends ) is booked already.

Is there an area you recommend more to stay on or to stay away from? if you have Airbnb in mind, that can be great too.

we are family with 2 teenagers.

Thank you

We originally planned to visit Bora Bora and Taha’a at the end of March through early April. However, this super El Niño has me extremely nervous. We’ve pivoted to July but it’s costing us $5k more. I just can’t imagine spending this kind of money on a trip and risking the type of weather that can come from super El Niños.

So I am here to ask - is July a truly safe month? Obviously there’s always a risk of rain, but is it more than likely going to be worth the $5k extra to make sure I’m not spending my entire time in French Polynesia in a down pour? 🥴

Hoping some locals or frequent visitors can chime in

So me and my fiancé are landing in Tahiti from Rangiroa at 2:40pm and we’re planning on taking the ferry over to Moorea. In Moorea we were planning to rent a car. All of the rental places close at 5 PM to our knowledge.

Is that correct? Does that feel like enough time to get to Moorea and a car rental? Do any rental places offer later pick ups?

We’ll be in Moorea the very end of July for 5 days. We are staying at Cooks Bay half the time and an Airbnb the other half. We are a group of 4 — does a car make more sense than taxi? We love to snorkel, see wildlife, swim at beaches, etc. Please give me your best recs for snorkeling and anything else you think is a must do in Moorea! Thank you!

We are planning a trip to Moorea and BoraBora last week of August. It’s for my 8 yr old daughter’s birthday. She wants to experience Moana life. What all can we do to get a cultural experience and/or excursions, visit any non touristy places, “wow” places, and give her jaw dropping experience. I want this trip to be as spectacular as she is. We are staying 4 days in Moorea and 3 days in BoraBora.

Please also give suggestions for adults as well.

Thank you!!