#88561 - 01/24/11 04:05 PM
Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
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kk.melia
Member
Registered: 09/19/07
Posts: 87
Loc: Island of Hawaii, HI
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Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
Aloha folks, I have lagged a bit on writing this up and I do apologize. This trip report is from the persepective of a solo female traveler staying in pensions. I was going to make it brief but I was having way too much fun writing. Thanks to all of you who helped me plan my trip!
Day 1: Friday
It is nice when someone gives you a ride to airport, that doesn’t happen to me very often but the threat of paying $9/day for parking at the Kona Keahole Airport for eight days really doesn’t thrill me. I had an uneventful yet efficient Hawaiian Airlines flight to Oahu then set about the terminal to find Joan K. who was coming in from Kauai and was going to travel on the same Papeete-bound flight as myself.
I met with Joan and had food and adult beverages at, where else, Stinger Ray’s. It is inevitable that you will end up at this restaurant every time you transit through Honolulu International, even if one hikes around the airport and investigates the other vendors, like Kona Brewing Company or Gordon Biersch or that Bento place with the trippy-looking spicy tuna bowls. I just don’t fight it anymore, especially because you can substitute steam rice instead of French fries. Joan and I had a lovely chat and shared travel stories. She is solid and quite an adventurous woman, staying in hostels and heading solo for those out of the way places, like a true explorer.
We boarded our flight and said our alohas to each other, she was in the middle of the plane and I was in the back with, yes, handsome pro surfers, who proceeded to share their large bottle of duty-free vodka and we all hung out and talked story and had a great time. Get more POG, will ya? They were heading to Teahupoo to party as the Billabong Pro had ended that day with Andy Irons as its champion (RIP).
Once in Papeete, I grabbed my luggage, changed some money at the airport, got a cab, and headed for the Sofitel Maeva for the night. The female cab driver was very aggressively amorous, telling me I was “tres jolie” and tried to cop a feel or three when I was trying to find the seat belt. Good thing I’m strong!
The front desk staff at the Sofitel were super nice, totally night and day, compared to the reception I received last time I stayed there in March of 2008. I was so focused on speaking as much French as possible, so as not to stand out like an “ugly American”, but I was met with a totally friendly demeanor, especially when they heard I came off the Hawaii flight. (The previous stay I flew from Los Angeles, perhaps they aren’t feeling the love for those Angelinos.) They even called the bar for me and asked the bartender to save me some Cokes so I could mix a couple nightcaps in my room. There were more English language channels on the TV but I was enjoying watching some wacky old movie in French with English subtitles to get my brain working in the language again. Call me a dork, but I love the elegant simplicity of this hotel in addition to the myriad of guests from all over the world.
Day 2: Saturday
The breakfast buffet was exactly what I needed and had been looking forward to for a very long time. Assorted croissants and pain chocolat, a variety of fresh fruit, and locally made prosciutto and salami from the charcuterie in Papeete. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Oh, and that coffee! And the birds, and the breeze, and that view, and the sound of the ocean. Yep, that’s what I’m talking about.
So there I was, waiting for the bus to Teahupoo out front of the hotel, I had schlepped my brand new fancy striped DaKine duffle bag on wheels through the dirt to get to the bus stop at the top of a cement staircase that resembled the crooked and gapped grin of an old man. I’m thinking, I’m cool, I’m riding public transportation, right? I board the bus, pay my 350cfp, and turn and look down the aisle. There are no seats and the ride to Teahupoo is two hours. So here I am, balancing my duffel, my carryon, and me in the extremely narrow aisle, trying not to bang into anyone for an hour, facing backwards and holding on to a pole with one hand. Yeah. Right foot blue. Next time, I’ll do way less luggage and/or hire a car.
Thank goodness a seat opened up halfway there. I spent the rest of the trip talking story with two Tahitian girls and their children. I would point at something and say its name in Hawaiian and they would give me the Tahitian name, as I was interested in the language variant between the two. Many things have the same or similar name and some are completely different.
Even though I was forewarned about the seriously steep driveway at Vanira Lodge, I wasn’t really prepared. It was like, holy crap, they took a section of the 25% grade into Waipi’o Valley and dropped it on the side of this mountain. The property that greeted me upon my completion of the ascent was spectacular. Expansive lawns, lush foliage, and fares tucked away in the trees on the hillside are what make this pension unique.
Karine met me at the office, checked me in and gave me the key to my bungalow, Haari, that would be my sanctuary for the next couple of days. The lodging was a bit like a hobbit house meets Polynesia but perfectly suited to my stay. There was a great guide to the neighborhood snacks and where the market was, so I unpacked and set off on foot to the market to stock up.
Teahupoo looks like someone combined Puako with Waipi’o Valley and added Hilo’s rainfall, with lush and tropical, sheer mountain to your left and delicious blue ocean to your right, the road flanked with an assortment of homes and churches, as you walk south, along side the road to the center of town from Vanira Lodge. Locals look at you quizzically because you are alone, others smile with pride at your independence. And partying surfer boys in Toyota Hiluxes yell and howl at you as they blast by.
The Magasin Teahupoo, the only market for miles, is stocked very well and had everything I could ever want, including a payphone. Make sure that when you call your cell phone carrier to activate international roaming that you specifically ask if your phone will actually work It worked at varying times on the last trip so I assumed it would be better as a couple years had past.. My carried said, “We don’t have an agreement with Vini so standard international roaming applies.” Thanks, AT&T. No phone.
I picked up some salami, some ham, a freshly baked baguette (I could feel the heat reach out to me from all of them in the shopping cart when I strode by), some cheeses from New Zealand, odds and ends, and a couple of nice French Bordeaux. It was a shame that I was lacking a kitchen at this point because all those beautiful cuts of beef and lamb in the refrigerator were calling to me. Nice family run business, they had homemade Char Siu Pork on Saturdays and Sundays. Back at the lodge it was dinner, wine, and sunset on the lanai.
Day 3: Sunday
There is something truly special about someone delivering breakfast to you in your own bungalow. I felt really important. I felt so important that morning, that rushing in and out of my bungalow to figure out how to use the phone in the kitchen gazebo, determining that it was broken, I was rushing off to find Karine in the office to let her know so I could book a surf lesson the next day. I was so important, I thought I could walk right through the solid wooden beam that arched at a dangerously low elevation by my sliding front door. Nope. My importance faded quickly as I saw stars and dropped to the ground.
The serious pain, waves of nausea, and a gnarly dent in my forehead all pointed to the fact that I had just given myself a concussion. Great. Way to eff up the vacation, girl. Needless to say, I did not book a surf lesson for the next day. Instead, I drank lots of water, rested, and read most of the day. I felt better in the afternoon so I walked down the hill to Snack Romeo and got the best ton blanc (tombo/albacore) with beurre blanc, ever. She gave me a huge portion of food for 1300cfp that was enough for two dinners.
Day 4: Monday
As today was my last day in the village, I had to make an effort to get up and around in spite of my serious headache. They had bicycles to borrow at the lodge so I went through a few, found the most sound one, put air in the tires and off I went to explore. I headed north on the highway as I had heard that there was a lovely beach about 6km up the road. It was soon clear that we were a poorly matched team. There was no way that myself and that rusty old cheap beach cruiser were capable of traveling that far in the heat.
I quickly turned around and headed south to the end of the road, so that I could see the actual surf break of Teahupoo. As I rolled up, workers were disassembling booths left over from the Billabong Pro and I felt like I’d showed up on the carnival midway after the fair was over. The break was amazing, at least a mile, mile and a half out on the reef, with the judges scaffolding still in place. The surf was coming up again and the swell was supposed to start running by morning.
Day 5: Tuesday
I got up early to pack and to catch the 8:45am bus back into Papeete so I could catch the ferry over to Moorea for the second half of my trip. I arrived at the end of the line and the bus stopped but there was no ferry terminal in sight. I asked him where it was and he looked at me, looked at my luggage and asked if it was just me. I told him yes. He looked around to see if anyone would notice, started up his bus again, and drove me directly to the ferry terminal. How nice was that?
The high speed ferry is fun! Great scenery, great people watching. I had a lovely conversation over lunch with a young Tahitian guy who was into break dancing and hip hop music, very interesting. We exchanged our views of the world and our views of island life, and shared some laughter.
Le Truck was waiting when I got off the ferry, which was nice. Funny how riding in a freshly painted repurposed school bus can still make you feel like you are on a field trip or on your way to summer camp. It was a beautifully scenic drive around the southern part of the island and up to Haapiti and Moorea Fare Miti. The owner Celine is so lovely and so helpful; she really made me feel welcome and comfortable. She is an all around sweet woman and her family is adorable.
What a great little place to stay, this Moorea Fare Miti! Thank you, Barbi! A broad long sandy beach, sunset views, and easy walking distance to Magasin Rene Junior (best Magasin ever, so many delightful items!) and the restaurants, shops, and market at Le Petit Village. The units are clean and large with a decent kitchen and a great shaded lanai to hang out on. Did I say chickens? Plenty chickens with roosters that will sneak into your living room and dig through your rubbish if you leave the sliding glass door open. The only downfall for me about this location is that the water in the lagoon here is quite shallow and not really great for swimming at all. You just kinda walk out and lay down in a foot and a half of water to cool off, avoiding stepping on the multitudes of sea cucumbers that cover the sandy bottom. I’m sure it would be perfect for families with children but I have neither.
Day 6: Wednesday
Previous to my arrival, I had made reservations for an excursion with Moorea Deep Blue. I was stoked because it looked like it was going to be pretty cool as the description talked about whale and dolphin watching along with swimming with rays. Captain Jerome was really helpful and nice and gave the tour in both English and French. Deckhand Cedric was awesome as well, leaning over the edge of the boat to get fantastic camera angles with his video camera for the trip. It was a really pleasant and fun group of people. There were newlyweds from Paris, a couple from Berlin, a couple from Austria, and a wacky character of a man, from what used to be East Germany, who was flying all over the South Pacific attempting to visit just about every island under the sun. Did I mention that he had to take such a long vacation because he had so much comp time at the office?
We got out on that lagoon and I was like, damn, this is my gotcha for this place. You know how the Inuit are supposed to have like thirty-seven different words for snow? One needs that many and many more to describe the shades of blue in the waters of the lagoon.
We blazed out past the reef to our first destination where Jerome announced that we would be swimming with sharks. Having not dropped the French text from their website in a translator, I had thought I had understood the verbiage, but I had overlooked the word for shark “requin” and was totally surprised and excited. After receiving instructions from Jerome and Cedric on how to behave, I was first one in the water. There I was, surrounded by seven or eight black tip reef sharks, so amazing! I swam around them and under them and by them. A few more people got into the water and we enjoyed the experience.
Onward, still outside the reef, we came upon a pod of dolphins and followed them for a time. Jerome was on his phone, calling other boats, trying to find out where the humpback whales were hanging out, checking to see what they were experiencing with their tours. We ended up traveling up across the top of the island, all the way to airport. We did see one male humpback and they were going to have us get into the water with him but when we got close, he dove deep. I saw his deeply arched back then his flukes as he disappeared into the depths.
For the way back, they took us back inside the reef and we cruised all the way back over to the stingray feeding area by the IC. The guys gave me some chunks of ahi to give to the rays so I was quickly assaulted by a pack of giant Frisbee-shaped dogs. I laughed with joy for days like a little kid, I had so much fun with those creatures.
Jerome and Cedric really made an effort to make the four hour tour amusing, educational, entertaining, and beautiful. Moorea Deep Blue is the best snorkel tour I have ever been on in my entire life.
Later that day, after some shopping, a delightful lunch at La Miri Miri, then rest, I headed off to the Tiki Village Theatre. The Tiki Village Theatre was a fun evening with decent food with a lot of wine included and serious Tahitian dance. It was great way to get a quick overview of Tahitian culture and the women had a fire dance which was bonus. Okay, it was cheesy but in a camp, classic, kitschy sort of way. And my shuttle bus driver abandoned me and said he’d be right back to get me and I was the last one left waiting for a ride. Thankfully, the last remaining tour bus driver spotted me and asked me to get on the bus so he could take me back to the pension.
Day 7: Thursday
I did absolutely nothing all day but relax, lie around, lay on the beach, read, journal, and dance hula. One can make arrangements with Celine and she will bring your dinner ordered from Coco D’Isle so I splurged. The menu is extensive and truly remarkable. I ended up with the most amazing fresh locally farmed shrimp in a garlic cream sauce. The shrimp were the most tender and tasty shrimp I have ever had in my entire life.
Day 8: Friday
Ah, my last night on the island. Celine had helped me the day before to arrange for a car rental for the day from Avis, they came and picked me up and brought me back to the desk at the InterContinental. What a lovely man, we had a great conversation about his family and life on Mo’orea. I waited too long to write this and I can’t remember his name! I spied the bar at the IC and thought, “Have to come back and check it out in the evening.”
I had an appointment that morning with Eva at Eva Perles. During a crazy weekend in Waikiki awhile back, I had lost one of my pearl earrings that I had purchased from her on my first trip to FP, so she was going to match it for me. I had sent her photos but she really needed the actual earring. Eva is so nice, we had a great time talking story and catching up.
I headed to Le Cocotier for lunch. I was in a foodie mood so I ordered two dishes, one the duck confit and foie gras salad, the other a skirt steak with shallots, potatoes, and squash. The staff, service, and food were all wonderful. Mmmm, coffee.
I then proceeded to drive around the island, heading east. My goal was to check out some beaches for the day so I went to look for the one by the airport, Temae Beach. For some reason, I wasn’t feeling it there that day, safety wise, so I headed to the other one over on Opunohu Bay. In a peaceful and quiet area, a large park with picnic tables sitting in dappled shade from the many palm trees, this beach was a nice surprise. Clean and quiet, a placed my towel on the sand and read my book. Children filled the air with laughter while playing with a small coconut tree stump in the water, trying to ride it like a horse and herding it in the water down the beach to show their parents.
The drive back to Moorea Fare Miti was lovely and the light was perfect so I drove with one hand and snapped pictures out the passenger window with the other.
Makeup, who wears makeup on vacation, especially a beach-oriented vacation? I have a hard enough time wearing the darn stuff, especially when it is humid, I begin to feel trapped. I actually got all dressed up and drove over to the IC and had a drink at the bar. I talked story with the bartender, Mimi, for some time. She wanted to know where my husband was. I told her I didn’t have a husband and she was shocked. (Another woman told me I should I have said that I ate him or that he was buried in the backyard.) She said it was very unusual to see an American woman traveling alone as most Americans visited FP for their honeymoons or their anniversaries. We chatted a bit more and then I went and sat at the outside tables to smoke.
The French family sitting at the table next to me began peppering the bartender with questions in French as to why I was alone and what I was doing here. She then told them I was looking for a special rendezvous, which I thought was pretty crass. Once again, French people assuming that the American girl can’t understand French. This happened a few times on my trip. I gave them all the “look” and they returned my “look” with shocked expressions. They then began conversing in hushed tones. I got up and left as I was over that place anyway.
I then decided to stop at L’Iguane as it looked like there were some characters in there. Boy was I right! So much fun, I should have been in there every night but I was still recovering from my stupid concussion, such a bummer. At least I went out that night. I sat and talked story in the bar with people from all over the world in a mixture of French, English, and Spanish. There was a man in the merchant marines from Croatia and he was by far the most interesting person, we had so much fun trying to communicate about life, the universe, and everything, and just being friends.
Day 9: Saturday
Sadly, it was my day to leave FP. I drove to Eva Perles to pickup my earrings, and then it was off to drop off the rental car, and to catch the ferry back to Papeete. I had planned on shopping in the big flea market but was told pretty much all the shops shut by noon on Saturday so I didn’t even bother.
Thanks to Eva Perles for calling the Sofitel on my behalf, I had received permission from the hotel to spend the day on the property free of charge, with use of the day room, as I had stayed there on my first night. They were really nice about it. So I layed out by the pool and read most of the day.
I am extremely glad I was able to visit FP a second time, from the pension point of view. Both types of lodging have their positive and negative aspects. It would be quite a bit nicer to travel with someone so they could share some of the costs, no matter what kind of lodging you stay in. The first trip I took to FP, my cousin and I did ten days Tahiti/Moorea/BB and stayed in the Sofitels which was amazing because I had never stayed in resorts like that in my entire life. It is true, you do feel pampered and it is a lovely choice for special occasions.
The reflection and the lessons in self-reliance you get traveling solo are important as well. The beach in front of the Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora is the best on the island but that’s what cars are for. I would definitely stay at Moorea Fare Miti again and make a point to get out more. Teahupoo is grand and worth a visit but I most likely will not return unless I manage to score myself another hot surfer boyfriend that can afford to travel with me. Hopefully next time I won’t feel the need to give myself a concussion.
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#88562 - 01/24/11 04:50 PM
Re: Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
[Re: kk.melia]
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Poehere
Expert Advisor
Registered: 08/18/07
Posts: 2362
Loc: FP
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ROFLMAO kkMelia! Wonderful report, you had me spill some Hinano while reading it, especially the taxi driver (jeeeeeeez there seem so many around like that these days...) and L'iguane indeed a kind of special place!
_________________________
* with sunshine *
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#88564 - 01/24/11 04:57 PM
Re: Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
[Re: kk.melia]
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holte
Expert Advisor
Registered: 11/19/04
Posts: 2417
Loc: Duluth, Minnesota
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excellent enjoyable report
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#88565 - 01/24/11 05:18 PM
Re: Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
[Re: holte]
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Old Wife
Expert Advisor
Registered: 02/21/03
Posts: 2369
Loc: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
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Thanks for the entertaining report. Sorry to hear about your concussion. It's especially bad you did it at the start of your trip.
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#88566 - 01/24/11 10:30 PM
Re: Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
[Re: Old Wife]
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Suki (689)
Senior Advisor
Registered: 10/29/07
Posts: 920
Loc: ELA US of A
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Wow what a dream except 4 da cab feel *******FP4LIFE******
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#88586 - 01/25/11 04:13 PM
Re: Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
[Re: Suki (689)]
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SabineLiebling
Junior Member
Registered: 05/04/10
Posts: 31
Loc: Portland, OR
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What a great trip report! You are a good writer, very funny. :)
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#88588 - 01/25/11 04:34 PM
Re: Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
[Re: SabineLiebling]
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DenverJoe
Expert Advisor
Registered: 09/10/02
Posts: 1878
Loc: Denver, Co.
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Good job kkMelia. Fun report to read.
_________________________
Nothing better than a Hinano in hand and toes in the sand.
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#88589 - 01/25/11 05:16 PM
Re: Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
[Re: DenverJoe]
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Gary & Cath
Expert Advisor
Registered: 04/01/06
Posts: 1284
Loc: Wollongong, Australia
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Love the report - very entertaining!!
_________________________
Is there anything better than a sipping a Tahitian Mai Tai on an Overwater Bungalow in FP?
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#88597 - 01/26/11 07:59 AM
Re: Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
[Re: Gary & Cath]
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BarbiJKM
Supreme Advisor
Registered: 02/14/07
Posts: 6150
Loc: Mesa, AZ
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WOW, what a trip! Sorry you gave yourself a concussion, but it's amazing how well you did in spite of it!
I'm glad you loved Fare Miti (as I do!) -- Celine and Laurent are the best. And so happy to hear you got to go out with Jerome and Cedric, two of my favorite guys!
It sounds like you packed a lot of fun and adventure into your 8 days -- fabulous report!
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#88617 - 01/27/11 10:16 AM
Re: Trip Report: Tahiti and Moorea September 2010
[Re: BarbiJKM]
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Pago
Member
Registered: 12/10/05
Posts: 189
Loc: Ohio
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How come I can't get a cab driver like you did! {":}
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