#92281 - 11/16/11 06:04 AM
Re: Itinerary Question (first time FP)
[Re: Andie]
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Andie
Member
Registered: 06/05/07
Posts: 404
Loc: Ottawa, Canada
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If you love diving and small pensions, maybe the itineray we had would suit you.
Fakarava would take care of the atoll visit. It's a diver's paradise. It's beautiful and remote. I would suggest a stay at Pension Raimiti on Fakarava. The pension is about 1.5 hr boat ride from the village. The food is to die for. We stayed there in 2009 (4 nights) and again in 2011 (5 nights). They can arrange for scuba diving at the south pass (Tetamanu). Tons of fish and sharks!
www.raimiti.com
Then, we flew from Fakarava to Bora Bora via Tahiti for 4 nights. There are many smalls pensions if you don't want the big resorts. Like I said before, we very much enjoyed Blue Heaven Island in 2009. They had to clean up after cyclone Oli in Feb. 2010, but I received recent pictures from the owner about a week ago actually and it looks great. The location is great, snorkeling in front of the pension, good food.
www.blueheavenisland.com
We flew to Maupiti directly from Bora Bora (15 minute) flight. Details are in my message above. We stayed 5 nights. Then from Maupiti to Moorea, via Tahiti. You can read a short review I posted (with some pictures) on TA if you search for Pension Papahani.
Ok...all this talk about FP makes me want to go again!!
_________________________
*When we can picture ourselves there, living our dreams, we know it's time...*
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#92282 - 11/16/11 06:49 AM
Re: Itinerary Question (first time FP)
[Re: Andie]
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BarbiJKM
Supreme Advisor
Registered: 02/14/07
Posts: 6150
Loc: Mesa, AZ
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Wow, Andie, it sounds like you had a wonderful time on Maupiti, and I would advise Angelo to follow your recommendation of where to stay there! (Our visit there was not as wonderful...)
Regarding Chez Nono on Bora Bora, parts of it did burn down a few years ago, but most recently reports on Trip Advisor are that several of the nicer beach bungalow are still available.
Angelo, your itinerary still sounds ambitious, but if your goal is to see many islands in one trip, that will do it! We usually recommend spending at least three days (or more) on each island, to get a feel for the place. Watch the interisland schedule carefully on the winter schedule, as it is subject to change frequently, which might interfere with your plans. I would suggest not booking your accomodation dates until you have a confirmed Air Tahiti Air Pass itinerary.
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#92283 - 11/16/11 06:50 AM
Re: Itinerary Question (first time FP)
[Re: Andie]
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angelo
Junior Member
Registered: 11/15/11
Posts: 21
Loc: The Netherlands
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Thanks, i wil check the atol
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#92284 - 11/16/11 07:00 AM
Re: Itinerary Question (first time FP)
[Re: angelo]
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angelo
Junior Member
Registered: 11/15/11
Posts: 21
Loc: The Netherlands
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@Barbi,
Thanks for the info.
It was also my intention to wait for the new (summer) flight schedule before booking accomodation.
I'm taking the suggestions very seriously and leaning towards dropping 1 of the Atol's. I just have to figure out how this wil effect the travel between islands. The itinerary of Andie is also very nice.
We have plenty of time left to figure everything out (so be aware for several more questions :-) ).
I'm curious about your'e not so nice experience at Maupiti.
Edited by angelo (11/16/11 07:21 AM)
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#92285 - 11/16/11 07:58 AM
Re: Itinerary Question (first time FP)
[Re: angelo]
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Andie
Member
Registered: 06/05/07
Posts: 404
Loc: Ottawa, Canada
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Yes Barbi, I'm curious too. We had such an amazing time there. Maupiti is now our new favourite!
_________________________
*When we can picture ourselves there, living our dreams, we know it's time...*
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#92286 - 11/16/11 10:07 AM
Re: Itinerary Question (first time FP)
[Re: Andie]
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YosemiteGirl2
Member
Registered: 09/17/07
Posts: 373
Loc: California
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If you are divers, you might want to keep two atolls and drop an island in the Society islands. Because Bora Bora is so expensive (for everything -- food, lodging, diving, etc.) _and_ you can make a day trip to Maupiti from there, you might want to stay on Maupiti and make trips to Bora Bora. That way you get your manta cleaning experience and you don't have to leave BB behind.
Rangiroa's Tiputa pass provides a large number of big, big animals. There are also dolphins who hang out in the pass -- our last trip there we saw them almost every single dive. Rangi is one of our favorite places in the world.
I second the vote for Fakarava. It has a _lot_ of small pensions at both the northern and southern pass. When we visited in September we stayed by the southern pass and had an amazing time. It is a much different experience than Rangiroa -- a much calmer current, but fewer huge animals in that southern pass (lots of sharks but all the same kind of shark). However, the coral was the healthiest I have seen anywhere in the world, and the reef fish were abundant. We spoke with other divers who had made a day-trip from the northern pass (keep in mind, it's a nearly 2-hour boat ride to the southern pass, and you need to get back the same day -- I didn't even realize it was possible to arrange transport but apparently it is), and they said the northern pass was more like Rangiroa in terms of speed and fauna seen. We are definitely going back to Fakarava.
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#92288 - 11/16/11 12:35 PM
Re: Itinerary Question (first time FP)
[Re: YosemiteGirl2]
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angelo
Junior Member
Registered: 11/15/11
Posts: 21
Loc: The Netherlands
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Hi,
I'm a diver but my girlfriend is not. I have am arrangement that i can dive a couple of times during our holiday together, but it is not a dive vacation.
For diving i go to egypte (the red sea),. That is also an amazing place for diving. Not a lot of big stuff but the most beautifull coral!!
We did how ever say, turtles, dolphins and even a humpback this year.
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#92289 - 11/16/11 04:42 PM
Re: Itinerary Question (first time FP)
[Re: angelo]
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Old Wife
Expert Advisor
Registered: 02/21/03
Posts: 2369
Loc: Burlington, Ontario, Canada
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Would your girlfriend like snorkelling? We snorkelled daily on Fakarava (including the southern pass twice). It was an amazing experience (one of the highlights of my life)!
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#92292 - 11/17/11 08:29 AM
Re: Itinerary Question (first time FP)
[Re: Old Wife]
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Andie
Member
Registered: 06/05/07
Posts: 404
Loc: Ottawa, Canada
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Second that OW! Snorkeling is amazing everywhere and the drift snorkeling at the south pass in fakarava was great!
Angelo - I just wanted to point out that we didn't have to do a dive for the manta rays in Maupiti. We only snorkeled over them (water was about 9 metres deep) and it's still an incredible experience.
_________________________
*When we can picture ourselves there, living our dreams, we know it's time...*
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