#75881 - 08/25/08 07:33 PM
Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
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Elfie68
Member
Registered: 10/31/07
Posts: 45
Loc: Western Australia
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Wow, what can I say about Vahine, it was FANTASTIC! YOu could not find a more special place. If unique and amazing is what you are looking for, this is definitely the place for you.
The food was excellent. They pretty much would make anything you want but the normal choices are already so varied and scrumptious that even I was happy - I'm a very fussy eater.
The breakfasts were very French with fresh baked croissants, local vanilla yoghurt (yum) and home made jams and local juices. Also you could have yummy cooked breakfast too, any variety omelettes, eggs, bacon etc.
Lunch was a-la-carte and for such a small place, they had a huge range of food. Everything we tried was yummy, especially the croque monsieur with french fries. Also, good pasta, and the local poisson cru which was also very delicious. Any number of sandwiches or salads were also available.
Dinner was a set menu with entree, main course and dessert and each had a choice of 2 or 3. In the morning, they would hand you a special menu (for you to keep) and ask you what your choice is for dinner. It was always so exciting to receive this at breakfast and gave you something to be thinking about all day!
Dinner was very French, if you like French food, you would be very happy. Lots of lovely seafood with pasta, creamy sauces, nice and tender veal with yummy peppercorn sauce and pommes dauphinois (creamy sliced potato gratin), lovely tiny vegetable side dishes. One night I had the best lasagne I have every had in my life and totally enjoyed it. Also local Polynesian foods.
The desserts were fantastic too if you are a sweet tooth. The list goes on.
The setting was kind of Robinson Crusoe style, very rustic and not perfect and fancy like at Le Meridien or places like that. However, everything was still perfect and we always felt looked after very well at all times. The bungalows were all built using local materials by local designers so everything was unique and special. There were some lovely little touches that made each bungalow unique in itself such as the bathroom mirrors being framed by hand set pieces of shells. I thought that was very special and unusual.
We stayed 2 nights in a deluxe suite which was fairly new and very huge. It was quite beautiful, decor and setting. It had a large deck looking right onto the water and a very big and comfy hammock. There were also chairs, tables and sun lounges on the deck. It was a very good spot for snorkelling and my partner was out there a lot. There was not so much of a beach as such, it was very rocky and corally and not my thing so much as I'm more into lovely smooth clear water and found it hard to walk and swim amongst the rocks and coral.
For 6 nights after that we stayed in an overwater suite which was just gorgeous. It was big with a massive deck leading directly into the clear water via stairs. There were also a table and chairs and sun lounges. The inside of the suite was full of locally hand made furniture which gave it that natural feel and there were lots of windows and doors to open up to catch the breeze. There was a coffee table in the middle of the suite with a glass bottom looking right into the lagoon. From there you could watch all the fishies all day long and it could be opened up with a spotlight for feeding them at night. Every night we saw a good size reef shark swimming underneath. I would have been quite happy to go swimming off our deck at night until I saw him!
The deck was very pleasant for sunning before and after a swim and we spent much time swinging and reading in the hammock. We found the hammock so comfortable that on our return home, we bought one and attached it to our gazebo and sit in there reading on sunny days regularly (which we have daily in the Aussie spring and summer).
The water by the overwater bungalows was much nicer (I thought) and more conducive to swimming as there were not so many rocks or corals. It was so decadent somehow to have a late breakfast, return to the deck and have a swim and sun and swing in the hammock before lunch and then return from lunch and do the same again until dinner time.
There was also a badminton net in the gardens and it was very enjoyable to play badminton on many afternoons. The gardens were beautiful, very green and lush with lots of lovely hibiscus and frangipani flowers.
The staff were really great - and the really unusual thing about Vahine is that there are many more staff than guests, so you can always find someone to help you if you have a problem. The chef was Thierry a local polynesian who lives on the island with his wife and 2 small children. He and his wife were both lovely and would take care of you any way possible.
There was also Milton another local who really was good at everything, he played the ukulele and took us out on the boat one afternoon for some snorkelling and fishing. While we were snorkelling at another island nearby he made us lunch from fish he had caught and also made us poisson cru from scratch. He was grating the coconut straight out of the shell with a special seat with knife attached and then marinated the fish with that and the fresh vegetables and a short time later we had a scrumptious lunch! The fresh fish he had caught, he bbqd for us and that was also lovely. Milton was a lovely guy, heaps of fun and always eager to help you with anything.
One morning we took a paddle boat to another island not far away and that was lots of fun. The paddle boat is very enjoyable and good as it uses up some of the lovely and abundant food we were eating! We had to be a little careful maneuvering around some of the coral to get there but when we did it was great just to pull up on the beach and have a little swim as a reward. You can also take a kayak for an easy trip around the lagoon. They didn't have a windsurfer available when we were there, which was a bit of a disappointment considering the conditions were so good. They did have sailboats, however.
One of the best things about the island I found was that one didn't have to do anything if one didn't feel like it. None of the activities were in your face and you could just lie around all day and do nothing which we did on some days and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!
If you like snorkelling, don't bother with the main beach areas. Head immediately to the back of the island to the outer reef area, where the lagoon meets the ocean. There is a fairly strong current through the narrower areas - but this disappears as you dive into the deep pools, which are like caves under the rocky islands. Not the best snorkelling for seeing coral, but the fish are spectacular.
We chose not to do any of the formal excursions, as we really just wanted to relax. Others on the island when we were there took trips to the main island (including vanilla plantations), and they enjoyed themselves.
One other thing I would like to mention is the restaurant which was absolutely gorgeous. It was a small place, with natural wood tables, two of which were built right into the the wooden poles holding up the roof. They were very long tables and looked right onto the beach and water which were about 5 feet away. It was very special sitting and having breakfast and lunch there looking over all the goings on over the water, watching the little fishies at the beach. At breakfast one would get stale bread which was for us to feed these little fishies which were very cute and they really loved the bread! One little girl who was visiting with her family called them "bread fishies" for that reason. If there were many guests at the time (9 couples maximum), the long tables could accommodate more people, but when we there the most guests at that time were 3 couples so we always sat at our own table.
Also, the bar was the epitome of Robinson Crusoe style to me. It had a small library with plenty of books, many very old and fascinating in different languages. We borrowed many books there and also left our own on our departure for others to read. Every night before dinner, everyone would meet up there and have the most delicious refreshing drinks (excellent huge tropical cocktails!) and sit on lovely sofas or comfy chairs. Beware -the floor is made of narrow wooden slats set over sand. One night my partner lost his drink coaster down there and we were unable to retrieve it! It was quite funny. The bar had a small upper deck for storage and the whole thing looked like a gorgeous treehouse to me.
Another thing I remember which was totally cute is that each building has doorways with a little tub of water set into the steps. In each one was a hibiscus flower floating in the water. I had no idea what this tub of water was for until I saw someone walking in, dipping their bare sandy feet in the water and then continue on their way. One can walk barefoot all around the island and then wash off one's feet before walking into the restaurant, bar etc. I thought that was very cool and a sweet touch.
The weather was lovely, if you like it warm.It was hot every day and even at night, the temperature was still quite high. There were many breezes, mostly at night. The water was always very pleasant warm as well. We only had one day when it rained all day and it was quite stormy and yucky.
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#75886 - 08/25/08 09:36 PM
Re: Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
[Re: Elfie68]
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vaitape
Expert Advisor
Registered: 02/09/02
Posts: 1387
Loc: socal
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Elfie, thanks for your trip report. Sounds like you had a terrific time!
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#75888 - 08/25/08 11:19 PM
Re: Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
[Re: vaitape]
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rodjune
Expert Advisor
Registered: 07/08/03
Posts: 1726
Loc: Kalama Valley, HI
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This is on my to-do list after the Sunset Motel on Ra'iatea. Thanks for posting.
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#75892 - 08/26/08 01:56 AM
Re: Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
[Re: rodjune]
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Elfie68
Member
Registered: 10/31/07
Posts: 45
Loc: Western Australia
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thanks guys, we did have a great time! I'm sure you'll enjoy too when you get there!
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#75894 - 08/26/08 05:49 AM
Re: Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
[Re: Elfie68]
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Old Wife
Expert Advisor
Registered: 02/21/03
Posts: 2369
Loc: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
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Sounds wonderful! Was this Vahine Island Resort off Taha'a?
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#75895 - 08/26/08 06:51 AM
Re: Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
[Re: Old Wife]
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Elfie68
Member
Registered: 10/31/07
Posts: 45
Loc: Western Australia
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yes, it was and what a lovely place it was! So sorry I took so long to put that up! Bad girl...
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#75898 - 08/26/08 08:01 AM
Re: Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
[Re: Elfie68]
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DenverJoe
Expert Advisor
Registered: 09/10/02
Posts: 1878
Loc: Denver, Co.
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Elfie68, great report, thanks. Really looking forward now to our November stay.
_________________________
Nothing better than a Hinano in hand and toes in the sand.
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#75902 - 08/26/08 10:59 AM
Re: Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
[Re: DenverJoe]
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islandboyatheart
Expert Advisor
Registered: 07/19/05
Posts: 1376
Loc: Florida
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Great report Elfie. I'm excited - I'll be at Vahine in 4 weeks!
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#75907 - 08/26/08 03:57 PM
Re: Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
[Re: islandboyatheart]
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Elfie68
Member
Registered: 10/31/07
Posts: 45
Loc: Western Australia
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Brilliant, Island Boy, you will have such a great time, an unforgettable experience no doubt. Enjoy!
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#75910 - 08/26/08 06:14 PM
Re: Vahine November 2007 Long Overdue
[Re: Elfie68]
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DenverJoe
Expert Advisor
Registered: 09/10/02
Posts: 1878
Loc: Denver, Co.
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Ryan, I expect a detailed trip report when you get back. By the way, when is that?
_________________________
Nothing better than a Hinano in hand and toes in the sand.
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