Final Thoughts On French Polynesia And Our Honeymoon

The sun setting over Moorea and our honeymoon

The sun setting over Moorea and our honeymoon

Although it’s been a couple of years since our honeymoon, both my wife and I look back very fondly at those magical couple of days spent in paradise.  French Polynesia lived up to everything a honeymoon should be and more.  It was beautiful, serene, quiet, relaxing and the overwater bungalows make this one of the most unique destinations in the world.  It was expensive but you can’t put a price on an experience such as staying in an overwater bungalow.  If there was ever a place to get away from it all, French Polynesia is it.  There are destinations that one visits that are enjoyable but you don’t necessarily feel a great urge to return right away.  One of my travel mantras is that I try never to return to a place I have previously traveled to because there are so many beautiful and exciting places to visit in the world.  However, my wife and I both knew that the moment our plane took off from Papeete, we wanted to return someday.  It was during our stay on Moorea, that you have time to reflect on your life and you realize how fortunate you are to visit one of the more beautiful places in the world.  Life was so exceedingly great during those five nights that we spent on Moorea that you forget about the stresses of work and the daily grind.  To anybody who actually reads my blog, I can highly recommend a trip to French Polynesia.  The price will be high but the reward and memories will last a lifetime.

Not many views like this in the world - the beauty of French Polynesia

Not many views like this in the world – the beauty of French Polynesia

Guest Post: Review of the Hilton Moorea

Hilton Moorea

After my wife and I traveled to French Polynesia for our honeymoon, we continually raved about the overwater bungalow experience to my parents.  Eventually, they decided to plan their own trip to French Polynesia and the island of Moorea.  Here is a guest post from my mom reviewing their time at the Hilton Moorea:Wanting to do something special for our 45th wedding anniversary, we decided to visit what some consider “the most beautiful islands in the world”, French Polynesia.  We were undecided between visiting Bora Bora or Moorea.  Ultimately, we chose Moorea because we thought it would be less touristy.  We booked our trip with the help of ” Pacific For Less”, a travel agency based out of Hawaii.  They booked our flight from Los Angeles to Papeete, helped us choose our resort, arranged the reservation and took care of all our transfers.  We were very impressed with “Pacific For Less”.

Pool at the Hilton Moorea

Pool at the Hilton Moorea

We chose the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa for several reasons, mainly its location and water activities.  The Hilton is nestled between 2 bays on the heart shaped island of Moorea with a backdrop of the shark tooth mountains.  The lagoon gave the resort a relaxed ambiance.

View of the lagoon and beach at the Hilton Moorea

View of the lagoon and beach at the Hilton Moorea

We chose an overwater bungalow and it was such an intimate environment – the mountain view, clear blue water and all of the tropical fish swimming around the bungalow.  Because of the lagoon surrounding the resort, water activities were ideal.

Paddle boarding in the lagoon

My dad paddle boarding in the lagoon

Snorkeling was great and we were able to snorkel right off our deck.  In addition to snorkeling, kayaks, paddle boards and paddle boats were also available and complimentary.  The resort also had a fitness center and tennis courts.

Snorkeling off the deck of the overwater bungalow

Snorkeling off the deck of the overwater bungalow

Food was very expensive, which we knew it would be.  Our package booked through “Pacific For Less”, included a breakfast buffet which was spectacular.  We enjoyed the Beach Bar (less expensive) and the Crepe Bar, which was situated among the overwater bungalows.  If you wanted to venture off the resort, local restaurants would provide transportation to their establishments.

One of the outdoor restaurants at the Hilton Moorea

One of the outdoor restaurants at the Hilton Moorea

We had no complaints about the Hilton, the staff or their service.  We have traveled to six continents and thirty-six countries and this was by far, one of our best trips.  French Polynesia is a magical place and is deserving of a visit for a special occasion.

My parents enjoying their anniversary in Moorea

My parents enjoying their anniversary in Moorea

 

 

Review of the Sofitel Moorea

The Sofitel Moorea

The Sofitel Moorea

Our first morning in French Polynesia, we took the ferry from Tahiti to Moorea.  As the shark tooth mountains of Moorea came into view, we quickly realized what a beautiful island it is. We wanted to get to our hotel, the Sofitel Moorea as early as possible to enjoy the resort.  The hotel was very organized upon check in.  In the days leading up to our honeymoon, I had researched on Trip Advisor which overwater bungalows had the best location in the resort.  I emailed our request to the hotel and they graciously delivered.  After check in, we were escorted to our overwater bungalow by the staff.

Our overwater bungalow at Sofitel Moorea

Our overwater bungalow at Sofitel Moorea

Upon entering the bungalow, we were blown away by the setting.  We could see fish swimming beneath us through the glass window on the floor of the bungalow.

Glass window in the floor of the overwater bungalow

Glass window in the floor of the overwater bungalow

The crystal blue water glistened in the sunshine as we looked out from our private deck.  It was a dream come true to stay in an overwater bungalow and our initial impressions only confirmed what an amazing experience it would be.

The crystal blue water below our bungalow

The crystal blue water below our bungalow

Most of our days at the Sofitel Moorea consisted of spending time at our overwater bungalow.  There was a beach just adjacent to the resort which we walked on but the resort was so nice that we didn’t feel compelled to leave very often.

Deck of the bungalow

Deck of the bungalow

Both my wife and I enjoyed sitting out on the deck of the bungalow, catching up on some reading, relaxing and soaking in the sunshine and warm temperatures.

Relaxing on the deck

Relaxing on the deck

Snorkeling equipment was provided complimentary by the resort and we were able to snorkel right off our deck.

Snorkeling right off our deck

Snorkeling right off our deck

Food prices are very steep in French Polynesia given the remote location.  We did dine at the restaurants in the hotel but we found room service to be a more affordable and enjoyable option.  F0r several meals we ate on our deck enjoying the water and scene around us.

Enjoying lunch on the deck

Enjoying lunch on the deck

The only disappointing part of our stay at the Sofitel Moorea was that it came to an end.  It was tough leaving the overwater bungalow and beautiful island as we had looked forward to this vacation for almost a year.

Indoor/outdoor bathroom

Indoor/outdoor bathroom

 

 

Inside of the overwater bungalow

But to this day, we are grateful for such a wonderful honeymoon.  Our five day stay at the Sofitel Moorea could not have been better.  It was filled with relaxation, great food and a setting that can only be described as storybook.

Sunrise in Moorea

Sunrise in Moorea

It was a week we won’t soon forget and we can only hope to be fortunate enough to visit again in the future.  The Sofitel Moorea was a perfect place for a honeymoon.

View from just above the Sofitel Moorea with Tahiti in the distance

View from just above the Sofitel Moorea with Tahiti in the distance

Planning A Honeymoon

Our first view of French Polynesia

As my wife and I planned to get married, I was given the great task of planning our honeymoon.  Out of all the wedding planning, this was a task that I relished.  We started to think about possible honeymoon destinations and discussed the possibility of going somewhere in Europe versus a beach type vacation.  After a little bit of discussion, we quickly came to the realization that we wanted to go somewhere relaxing.  In addition, we wanted to make sure our honeymoon destination was somewhere memorable.  The most immediate honeymoon destinations that came to mind included Hawaii or one of the many islands in the Caribbean.  Both my wife and I had been to Hawaii in the past so we eliminated this from our list of possibilities.  Certainly, the clear blue water of the Caribbean was enticing, but our honeymoon would be the last week of July.  In the back of my mind, the threat of hurricanes in the Caribbean during summer was a concern so this was eliminated.

View of Moorea from the shores of Tahiti

Just about the time I started to plan the honeymoon, my wife and I were watching Ali Fedotowsky’s season six of the Bachelorette.  Yes, both my wife and I are big fans of the Bachelor and Bachelorette series and we never miss a season.  The end of Ali’s season took place in French Polynesia, specifically Bora Bora.  After seeing the beautiful water and overwater bungalows in French Polynesia on the Bachelorette, the decision for a honeymoon was made.

View of the shark tooth mountain tops of Moorea

View of the shark tooth mountain tops of Moorea

After we knew we were going to French Polynesia for our honeymoon, we then had to decide which islands to visit.  Due to the wedding and my work schedule, we had eight days for our honeymoon.  The eight hour flight from Los Angeles to French Polynesia lands in Papeete which is the capital city on the island of Tahiti.  However, most honeymooners spend the majority of their time on one of the outer islands.  We narrowed our choice of islands to Moorea and Bora Bora, considered by some to be the two most beautiful islands in the world.  The downside of visiting Bora Bora is that it is located farther from Tahiti, thus requiring another forty-five minute flight and more expense.  However, Moorea is located right across from Tahiti, and is a short twenty minute ferry ride.  In the end, we decided to stay on Moorea for the duration of our honeymoon. This ended up being a perfect spot to spend five relaxing and wonderful days.

Beautiful view from Moorea

Beautiful view from Moorea