Island Review – Moorea!

If you have been reading our blogs or following our Instagram you may know that we recently got back from a trip to the French Polynesia. About a year ago we got a ridiculously amazing airfare deal to Tahiti (under $500 round trip from the Midwest) on Scott’s Cheap Flights. Bora Bora has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember so I snatched up the airfare to Tahiti but then quickly realized there was much more to the French Polynesia than Bora Bora. I had no idea how many islands were just a short flight from Tahiti away. How would I choose?? One thing I knew for sure was that an over-water bungalow MUST be part of our trip and preferably the end of the trip because I knew it would be pure relaxation and luxury. 

We decided to start the trip by taking a short (but relatively expensive) flight to a small atoll called Tikehau. This decision was made pretty easily because we had a friend who had recently traveled to the same area. She told us about her favorite part of her trip…a stay at Ninamu – an all inclusive boutique resort on a tiny motu just off Tikehau (more to come on that in a future blog). We knew Ninamu needed to be part of our trip as well. With that decision made we needed to choose where our over-water bungalow experience would be.  

In doing my over-water bungalow research, Bora Bora and Moorea seemed to be the two islands with the most to offer. To me, Bora Bora looked the MOST beautiful with the crystal clear lagoons with views for days. It was also the island I had been dreaming of for as long as I could remember. After a lot of waffling, we actually chose Moorea. I’m not going to lie…we made this decision mostly based on convenience. It was the best choice for THIS trip because getting from Tikehau to Bora Bora was difficult (and expensive).There were no direct flights and we would have to fly back through Tahiti. I was a little disappointed at first but quickly realized how ridiculous that was. How could I be disappointed on any island in the French Polynesia! 

So now that we are back from the trip and after doing lots of research and chatting with others, here are a few of the pros for staying on Moorea:

1. Moorea has cheaper lodging. We stayed in the best over-water bungalow we could find and spent MUCH  less per night than we would have in Bora Bora. However, with that being said, Moorea doesn’t really have the same caliber resorts as Bora Bora does. You aren’t going to find a lot of options for super high end luxury over-water bungalow stays in Moorea – no Four Seasons or St. Regis on this island. (Stay tuned for a future blog about your stay at the Hilton Moorea)
2. Moorea is easy to get around. I didn’t realize that when traveling to Bora Bora you fly into a tiny island and have to take a boat anywhere you go. We took a quick (and cheap!) ferry to Moorea from Tahiti. Then while in Moorea you could easily catch a cab to your resort or to do some shopping or wandering around. Also many of the local restaurants would come pick you up for dinner. 
3. There is a lot to do in Moorea if you want a more active trip. You can rent ATVs, go hiking, snorkeling, eat at great restaurants and more. We saw black tip reef sharks and stingrays swimming right by our bungalow. We also ate at a tiny locally owned restaurant and had the best meal of the trip. I wouldn’t have been happy eating at the resort every night.

So do I think we made the right decision? In the end, the trip was beautiful, amazing and everything I wanted it to be. Moorea didn’t disappoint. I will say that I hope that trip was not a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip for us and that someday I will see Bora Bora (along with some other lesser-known islands) as well. If you get the chance to go to the French Poly, take it! I honestly don’t think you can back a bad decision on which island to see.