#57185 - 06/20/06 12:31 PM
Tahaa - just one excursion?
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Zoe
Senior Advisor
Registered: 12/14/03
Posts: 801
Loc: Walnut Creek, CA
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OK. All the amazing trip reports about the Tahaa Pearl Beach have got me convinced... we have to work in a few nights on our March 2007 trip to French Polynesia. Given the insane cost tho... it will be a VERY few nights. If you were staying three nights, what one excursion would you do? We're most passionate about snorkelling, but the DH also loves the 4WD trips we've taken in Moorea and Bora Bora. We tend to prefer doing to watching (i.e. we'd rather snorkel than look at marae and vanilla farms, even if that does make us uneducated schmucks).
The romantic rendezvous activities at the resort sound lovely, of course, but even after lopping off the last two zeroes (and hoping that the exchange rate heads in the right direction), I still hyperventilate...
Any advice? Thanks!
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#57186 - 06/20/06 01:08 PM
Re: Tahaa - just one excursion?
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jells
Expert Advisor
Registered: 05/18/03
Posts: 1024
Loc: Buckeye, AZ
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When I was at Le Taha'a, the only activities I did were the snorkeling in the coral gardens, jet skis (got to see the other side of the main island by Vahine Island Resort), and I went to the spa twice (if you can even count that! LOL) Upon my return next year (hopefully! I'm trying to do 3-4 nights...) I'd probably do the 4x4 to see some of the main island since I didn't go over there last time. I may even consider doing the jet skis again. Unfortunately, Taha'a just doesn't have the same level of excursions as Moorea and Bora Bora. I haven't done it, but I've heard the shark feeding is much better on Moorea and Bora Bora.
That probably didn't help any, but that is what I was thinking of doing! I think of Le Taha'a as my "do nothing and relax" place.
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#57187 - 06/20/06 01:59 PM
Re: Tahaa - just one excursion?
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rjasmine
Junior Member
Registered: 04/20/06
Posts: 26
Loc: Santa Ana
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These were the excursions that we could pre-book with our travel agent:
Vanilla Island Tour (Full Day) “Best Of”
Discover Tahaa through a complete tour: 4x4, boat and picnic on a motu.
Operates: Everyday except Sunday
Cost Per Person = 102.49 Euro
4x4 Tahaa Safari (Half Day) “Best Of”
Discover Tahaa on a tour including the visit of a pearl farm, a vanilla plantation and points of sightseeing interest
Operates: Everyday except Sunday
Cost Per Person = 64.72 Euro
Tahaa Lagoon Tour (Full Day) “Best Of”
Enjoy a boat tour including a visit to a pearl farm, a coral garden and lunch on a motu
Operates: Everyday except Sunday
Cost Per Person = 81.98 Euro
We did the lagoon tour. It was run by Vai Poe. Vai Poe is not the tour company that the resort uses, but they still were able to confirm for us, etc. The cool thing was that we were the only ones booked for that day, so it ended up being a private tour! Even though the description doesn't say, we had a 4x4 portion on this tour and visited a vanilla plantation as well (Vai Poe runs both a pearl farm and a vanilla plantation). I liked our guides and getting to see some of the island. The motu picnic was great...but the coral garden wasn't anything to write home about. I thought the snorkling in the pass right by the hotel was better. However, we did get to go right up to the reef and do a short 'reef walk' which was interesting.
We also did a spa treatment at Taha'a which was nice. It's 22500 for 50 minutes, 30000 for 80 minutes for a couples massage.
One activity that we almost booked through the hotel was their jet ski + snorkling excursion. You can book a jet ski tour for 30, 60, or 90 minutes. OR you can book a 2 hour tour that includes a stop for snorkling. So that might be up your alley. I believe it was 22500 for 2 people (1 jet ski).
The other thing you could do is go to Chez Louise for lunch (we went there for dinner). That way if you don't end up doing any sort of land tour, you could at least check out some of main island during daylight hours.
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#57188 - 06/22/06 06:55 PM
Re: Tahaa - just one excursion?
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Zoe
Senior Advisor
Registered: 12/14/03
Posts: 801
Loc: Walnut Creek, CA
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That is all great info-- thanks! The jetski w/snorkelling might, indeed, be rigt up our alley as long as two can ride on one jetski. Sadly, I have not yet learned to drive and I'm quite sure that that would not be time to learn! Both the Vanilla Tour and the Lagoon tour also sound interesting, but if the coral gardens are not "all that" then, yes, the jetskis would be a better bet for us! And we could work in the spa 
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#57189 - 06/23/06 05:35 AM
Re: Tahaa - just one excursion?
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Cosmo
Junior Member
Registered: 03/21/06
Posts: 8
Loc: New York City
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Having spent eight days at Le Taha'a in April, 2006, I can tell you that the jet skis there accommodate two people.
Also, for what it's worth, you do not need a tour operator to enjoy the coral gardens. They are adjacent to the resort. All you have to do is walk along the neighboring motu to the head of the pass. The current will propel you through the gardens back towards the resort. When we were there, the coral gardens were teeming with all manner of sea life from tropical fish to rays of many species and sizes.
We also spent a pleasant afternoon on a four wheel drive tour of Taha'a with Poe Rani Tours. We explored much of the island, visited a vanilla plantation and pearl farm, and communed with the flora and fauna of the island.
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#57190 - 06/23/06 09:55 AM
Re: Tahaa - just one excursion?
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rjasmine
Junior Member
Registered: 04/20/06
Posts: 26
Loc: Santa Ana
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Just wanted to clarify that the coral gardens at the resort (in the area as described by Cosmo) were great! It was a bit shallow in places so you have to navigate carefully, but tons of sealife.
The coral gardens that weren't so great was where we went on our Lagoon tour.
I'm not sure where the snorkling area is that you would go to on the jet ski tour. It definitely wouldn't be the one at the resort, and I don't think it's the same place we went to on our Lagoon tour. I had Eric (concierge) show me on a map where the jet skis usually go and it wasn't where we had been on our Lagoon tour. So that is a good thing.
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#57191 - 06/24/06 09:05 AM
Re: Tahaa - just one excursion?
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Zoe
Senior Advisor
Registered: 12/14/03
Posts: 801
Loc: Walnut Creek, CA
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Wow-- this is all wonderful info... especially since our TA just happened to mention that the 2007 pricing is available and I will probably need something to fortify myself against the total shock. My "fantasy" package right now (we have limited vacation and child care time) is 3 nights in Moorea at the Sheraton (prolly a garden to save some $$$), 3 nights at Tahaa in the cheapest owb, and then 4 nights on points at the Le Moana Intercontinental in Bora Bora.... We'll have to see if I pass out at the price or not 
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#57192 - 07/11/06 06:32 AM
Re: Tahaa - just one excursion?
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sendlimes
Junior Member
Registered: 02/27/06
Posts: 33
Loc: Delaware
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We just got back and can highly recommend the Vanilla Tours. And it is not just looking at vanilla plantations. I thought I was going to be bored to tears. But it's was seeing Tahaa from a different perspective.
The tour operator, Alain, does not book with the cruise ships so his tours are very personalized. It is a nature tour of the island in a 4x4 with the most spectacular view of the island from it's highest point. If your not into plants, history of the island, or just seeing the raw beauty of the island, you may be disappointed.
We loved it.
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