My husband and I just returned from 3 nights/4 days at the Tahaa Pearl Beach and 6 nights at Bora Bora Nui. We loved the Tahaa Pearl Beach and will definitely return. We stayed in a beach suite because we had been in an OWB at the Nui and wanted something different. So glad we did. The beach suites are amazingly large and are so private. Not only is the suite itself spacious, with a separate sitting room, but the bathroom has full length windows that look out to a garden with an outdoor tub and shower (in addition to the indoor shower). Off of the sitting area is a plunge pool and deck with tables and chairs. The only complaints about the room would be that the sitting area was not air conditioned, and a couple of days it was uncomfortably hot, and the rooms do not have English speaking channels or any movies. Literallly just three local channels. We are not huge TV fans, but it would have been nice to have a movie option (which is listed in their brochure by the way). Overall, we loved the beach suite and the front desk people even told us that they are planning to raise the prices on the beach suite next season because they are in great demand than many of the bungalows.
We thought the dinners were fantastic at the Tahaa Pearl Beach - at least compared to the Nui, the prices were more reasonable and the presentation and quality of the food was far superior. We did not venture into the gastronomique dining room because we were very satisfied with the tree top restaurant. Never really felt the need to leave the island to go elsewhere. One bonus for us - we had brought a couple of bottles of wine with us for a celebration and there was no corkage fee!! I would also stress the fact that the best snorkeling at Tahaa is in the coral garden area right off the swimming pool - not by the bungalows by the way. The coral garden in our opinion was amazing for snorkelling - and we were diving in Tahaa as well. It was incredible what we saw in that garden and how accessible it was. Schools and schools of fish, eels, tropical sole, unusual anenomes - really cool. It was like a maze of canyons however and since the water is kind of shallow it was hard to navigate at times but so worth it. We spent 1 1/2 hours out there each afternoon, after we had been diving in the morning! THe best thing about Tahaa is that it is ecologically sensitive - you feel like the resort blends in well with the natural surroundings. And we found the service to be very good too. We loved going out to the side of the island every night and watching the sunset with Bora Bora in the foreground. Stunningly beautiful!
If anyone has any questions, just ask!

I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the resort. My husband & I are planning on staying there in May of 2004, I was considering a beach bungalow, as we will be in an OWB in Bora Bora. Can you tell me the number of the bungalow you stayed inand if you felt it was private. (w/out much foot traffic in front of it) also I wanted to know if you had the OWB's in front of you blocking any of your view, or was it unobstructed. Any info would be appreciated.

Skylar:
Is this your first trip to FP? If not have you visited any of the out islands in the Tuamotus? If so, how would you compare your experience at Tahaa with Rangi or others??? My wife and I have been to BB and Huahine but want to experience an atoll. Tahaa might fit the bill without actually visiting Rangi or Manihi etc. Very interrested in your comparison, or anyone elses.
Thanks for your help and glad you enjoyed your experience so much.

Answer to Janet -

We stayed in beach suite #57. It was the second beach suite as you walk from the main hotel, out of a string of about ten total? I was thinking that perhaps the optimal beach suites might be a couple more down (perhaps 54-56). Only because you are not looking out on the Overwater bungalows so much. Although truthfully, we really didn't spend that much time on our little beach in front of our suite, and we tended, when we were in our room, to sit by our little pool on the fenced deck, so the view wasn't that important. The foot traffic is non-existent really - I mean, we never saw more than another couple of the path to our room. The suites are fairly close to each other, but we never heard anyone or saw anyone, other than one time a boy in the family in the suite next to us accidentally walked into our garden courtyard, mistaking it for his! (But I would tend to think there won't be many kids around). I would not go for the very farthest bungalow on the stream of beach suites, even though it is the most remote, because I think it is in a kind of dark spot. Also, while we felt as though we had a lot of privacy, we also enjoyed the fact that we were fairly close to the restaurant and pool (altho the pool is still a 3-5 minute walk!). So the further away you go from the main hotel, the longer a walk you have everytime you are going to eat, or go to the pool, or to the spa.

To Microbman,

No, this was my first trip to FP. We loved it so much that we are definitely going back - already checking into it! As I said to my husband "why would we ever consider going to Hawaii again when we can have French Polynesia." While we liked Bora Bora, when we think back of our trip, the most special, lingering memories are of Tahaa. I think it was precisely because of what you are asking - it was on an atoll by itself. THere is something so magical and relaxing about this. We went to the Maldives (off coast of India) a couple of years ago and it was the same idea - each atoll had only a single resort. For our next trip we will probably explore some of the other atolls, although we would be tempted to spend a few days again at the Tahaa Pearl Beach resort. I think if you are on an atoll, you had better love your room, service, food, etc. because there aren't any other options. We loved everything at Tahaa Pearl Beach so it met all of our criteria. I heard great things about Manihi and Tikeahu (spelling) as well, but that this Pearl Beach resort is the most luxurious because it is brand new.

Hope this helps,
Skylar

Maybe a bit nit picky but.... Taha'a is a motu, not an atoll. The Pearl Beach is located on an islet (motu) of Taha'a. Manihi & Tikehau are atolls -- where the island has sunk below the surface of the water and all that is left is a coral necklace around the lagoon.

Skylar,

Thanks for the helpful answer that you posted.

Skylar:

Thank you so for your reply, it is very helpfull. We may be headed to Tahaa this summer and possibly Manihi as well, tough decision. I have not been to Fiji, but I have to the Carribean and annual trips to Hawaii for the past 13 yrs. but Tahiti has always been the center of the earthly world of beauty and the South Seas adventure for me. Her people, the water, the marine life, the life style is the most magnificent on this planet for me, that is next to my wife.

John

Hi there! Thanks for the great info on Taha'a. We're considering a beach bungalow there, and doing an OWB for less in Moorea or Bora Bora.

Question - you mentioned something in your original message about garden bungalows. According to the Pearl Beach Resort website, it looked like there were only beach bungalows - no garden ones. Am I wrong? We want to make sure we're getting the beach-front bungalows.

We're doing the exact honeymoon that you just went on in April 2004! We're staying 5 nights at the Taha'a PB in a beach suite and 4 nights at the BB Nui in an OWB! Did you go to either of the spas while you were there? What do you recommend (or which one should I go to- or both?) Also, any recs on what activites to definitely do while on the resort? Thanks!

Janelle

SKYLAR,

Can you tell me anything about your trip to the Maldives ? We have been to French Polynesia ( Bora Bora and Moorea ) and have been looking at the Maldives or back to FP. We especially loved the lagoon at Bora Bora, calm waters for snorkeling. Are the Maldives similar and if so what island did you visit, there are so many. Thanks. My email is kgersch@bright.net.
Patty

SassySmurf

Only beach and OWB, no garden bungalows.