#579 - 05/11/05 05:27 PM
Trip Report, 4/24 - 5/8/2005
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caliclg
Junior Member
Registered: 05/11/05
Posts: 3
Loc: California
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We stayed 2 glorious weeks on Moorea. This was our second trip to FP, first for the honeymoon, second for our 5th Anniversary.
Stayed 4/24 - 5/1 at Hotel Hibiscus
1. We love the family at HH. They are all warm and accomodating and really liked breakfast at the restaurant. And the grey cat that chills with you.
2. The bugs. Oh the bugs. Since Club Med closed, HH does not have the luxury of a fumigated property anymore. Quelle dommage. We were originally scheduled for 2 weeks at HH, but cut it to one because of the insect problem.
Bugs love me, and even with super bug spray all over me and the sheets every night, I was still getting eaten like crazy. We were killing up to 5 mosquitos in our bungalow each night. The no-no flies attacked me on the beach one day causing large bits that made my legs swell up. We had to stay inside after sunset because of the mosquitos. My husband wasn't too bad, but there were at least 2 other guests who complained of excessive bug bits and one other group who also switched hotels.
3. Beach. The HH beach has been slightly erroded because again, Club Med closed and the adjacent property is not maintained. The beach on the other side of HH is nice and it is cool that a lot of locals hang out there.
Stayed 5/1 - 5/8/2005 Sheraton Moorea Resort
1. Oh. My. Lord. This place is top notch. We stayed in a garden bungalow. The rooms are well appointed with glossy wood floors and a beautiful bathroom with teak deck furniture. Simple and elegant.
2. Snorkeling that was amazing. We snorkeled 2-3 times a day. Sometimes getting equipment was spotty.
3. Every meal was excellent. Meal tip. If you do not do the added food deal, it can get very pricey. My husband and I found that we could split a hamburger at lunch and then split an entre at dinner and get dessert. Ordering for breakfast off the A La Carte menu saved us from paying the 2900 breakfast buffet. The omlette and french toast w/ fruit are amazing and 900 and 450 CFP respective. Stay away from the icky Nescafe and order Espressos for 185 CFP or 350 CFP for a double.
The portions are very well sized and I would have had way too much food left over had I ordered my own plate. At 2800-4400 CFP for a dinner, that is quite a waste not to eat it all.
We took a taxi to Le Petit Village and stocked up on soup, bread, cheese, coffee, and salami and did a lot of dinners on our patio. Fun and cheap.
Misc Stuff.
1. Lagoonarium Tour. HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP. If you book through Hotel Hibiscus, the boat they are affiliated with was captained by an awesome french guy who surfed the ocean waves on the way back. He was professional and knew the island like the back of his hand. The Lagoonarium at first seems cheesy but once underwater was fun. $70 USD/pp and worth every penny.
2. Le Patio Restaurant at Le Petit Village. Best vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Ever. It has only been open for 3 months. The owners are french and have a restaurant in Aix en Provence. Very good breakfast as well for around 1200-1500 CFP
3. Papeete Airport. Holy Disarray. This was by FAR the most frustrating airport experience of my life. We got in line for Air Tahiti Nui Flight 02, departing at 2355 at 9 pm. We arrived at the gate at 2320. Two hours and 20 minutes in four separate lines. Bring water and snacks. No kidding. There were at least 2 flights leaving w/ in 30 minutes of each other and they and 2 passport control guys. 2 people to process over 600 passengers. A man on our flight had a heart attack right before take off. I'm not saying it was because of standing for 3 hours in an airport with no airflow, but I'm sure it did not help matters.
4. Air Tahiti Nui. Good coach seats. Like the little packets with eye mask, socks, etc. Like the individual tv screens. The service-eh. Air New Zealand had much better service to FP. Not that impressed. Did not go through cabin throughout flight w/ water that I've found standard on other int'l flights.
I tried to buy an ATN logo hat for my dad. The flight attendant informed me that it was closed and I could not buy anything. This was 2 hours before landing on a red eye! My husband went back about 1 hour before landing and sweet talked her into it. So bascically she did not want to do her job and ONLY did it because she had to and didn't want us complaining. I would fly ATN again if they were the cheapest, but I guess I got my hopes up after the glowing reviews. I found them adequate and they got me from A to B without harm.
That's about it!!
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#580 - 05/12/05 07:41 AM
Re: Trip Report, 4/24 - 5/8/2005
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Thomas Marshall
Moderator
Registered: 02/10/04
Posts: 1152
Loc: Newport Beach, Ca. USA
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Thanks for the report and it sounds like a great trip overall; and Yup, the Sheraton is beyond words in my book.
_________________________
Thomas
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#581 - 05/12/05 10:05 AM
Re: Trip Report, 4/24 - 5/8/2005
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rodjune
Expert Advisor
Registered: 07/08/03
Posts: 1726
Loc: Kalama Valley, HI
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Very nice report. Sheraton is awesome, especially the OWBs. Duty free on the way home back to LAX needs to be done very early in the flight as the FAs don't want to bother with it later in the flight. I had to practically beg one of the Tahitian FAs near the end of the flight, but I did get my Avatea liquer (3 bottles), candies, perfume (Tiare), and my ATN hat as well!
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#582 - 05/12/05 08:57 PM
Re: Trip Report, 4/24 - 5/8/2005
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caspian
Junior Member
Registered: 11/13/04
Posts: 4
Loc: USA
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caliclg--
Thank you for your excellent trip report. We are heading to Moorea and Bora Bora soon. Did the Sheraton supply snorkeling equipment? We are bringing mask and snorkel but hope to use their fins.
How was the weather? Is the water warm?
Any special activities you would highly recommend on Moorea?
Thanks--
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#583 - 05/13/05 08:26 AM
Re: Trip Report, 4/24 - 5/8/2005
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Thomas Marshall
Moderator
Registered: 02/10/04
Posts: 1152
Loc: Newport Beach, Ca. USA
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Regarding water temp; like bath water 
Yes, they provide fins but I always bring my own.
Shark and Ray feeding is a must, and be sure and rent a car and drive around the Island, countless things to see and do.
_________________________
Thomas
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#584 - 05/13/05 11:03 AM
Re: Trip Report, 4/24 - 5/8/2005
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caliclg
Junior Member
Registered: 05/11/05
Posts: 3
Loc: California
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We rented a scooter one day and had so much fun tooling around the island on the scooter. Going to Mt. Belvedere is a must! We picked a great day and had wonderful views of both bays. We were actually fortunate enough to meet a woman who had a car, so we did an island tour by car one day and by scooter other. While the air conditioned car was nice, the scooter was a lot more fun.
GO TO THE LYCEE AGRICULTURE!!! It is on the way to Belvedere and is so worth it. You can do a tour of the grounds (we didn't). And you can buy vanilla pods, 7 for 900 CFP-the best deal on the island! They have a little shack where you can buy fresh fruit juice, jams, and vanilla. Everything they sell was excellent and reasonably priced.
If you are looking for black pearls, I bought one at the Anne Martin Boutique. They will pick you up anywhere on the island. I can't remember the part of the island, other than it is between the Sheraton and the airport. The two women are excellent and very informative-no pressure at all. I tried on 3 necklaces and then had lunch across the street before I decided and they encouraged that. I was happy with my purchase for the quality and price. Also, be sure to ASK AT THE PAPEETE AIRPORT ABOUT DUTY!!! I didn't and now don't have the required info to get my 16% tax back : (
We did a ray feeding/shark watchin/dolphin watching with the Lagoonarium tour. All the hotels should book Lagoonarium tours-we really enjoyed it. I highly recommend booking through Hotel Hibiscus because of the boat they contract with. I saw an octipus, nurse shark, oysters, reef sharks, all kinds of fish, turtles, and my husband saw an eel. That is the best organized tour we did.
We also paddled out on the free Kayaks at the Sheraton and got some wonderful pictures of the island, and it was fun to paddle around the warm water.
They provide fins at the Sheraton and we never had a fin problem, just a problem getting snorkles.
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#585 - 05/16/05 10:34 AM
Re: Trip Report, 4/24 - 5/8/2005
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wengar
Member
Registered: 03/29/04
Posts: 148
Loc: Utah
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Sounds like you had a great time caliclg!
Most people seem to stay in OWB's at the Sheraton, so I was wondering what you thought about the garden bungalow you stayed in. Do you know if the layout is the same as the other bungalows on the property? Thanks.
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