Paradise. Absolute paradise. We stayed 6 nights. We love to travel and I am absolutely certain it is all downhill from here. We can go on and on about the island and the Thalsso, but just as an example… We aren’t usually big spenders when it comes to lodging when we travel but we were certainly impressed when escorted to a private table with drinks and cold cloths to sit and enjoy the view while our paperwork was completed). We were again upgraded courtesy of our Ambassador membership (please see our review for the Intercontinental Moorea) to an absolutely beautiful “Diamond” room with phenomenal views of Mt. Otemanu. The rooms themselves were much more generously spaced than we expected and we felt we had total privacy. Room, views, staff, etc. were all amazing. We are not sure when, but we will definitely be returning. We could not have dreamt of anything more wonderful. I cannot imagine a more perfect or romantic location to relax and savor the company of whomever you are traveling with. We are still kicking ourselves that we were able to make this trip. Truly, pictures cannot do it justice.
Tips:
- As in Moorea, we made a stop at a local grocery store to purchase beer/wine, water, snacks, and food for lunch. Take the shuttle to the other IC resort (Moana) and a grocery store is an approximately 10 minute walk (you don’t need to pay for the shuttle the resort offers unless you have physical limitations).
- Request a room with a view of Mt. Otemanu – breathtaking.
- Here we opted to include breakfast AND dinner (Half Board), which I am thankful for. You have 3 choices for dinner: two restaurants on the property, which are both excellent, and you can take the shuttle to the restaurant at the IC Moana (nice for a change of pace - although the Thalasso seemed to be the more luxurious of the two resorts). We didn’t think the dinner buffets were as delicious as the typical menu offerings, but many people raved about them). We skipped the buffet after trying it once and opted for the “informal” restaurant by the pool. There, the food is just as good - ranging from pizzas to excellent fish and pasta dishes. Make a reservation and ask to sit out on the beach if you choose to dine there. One complaint – they were out of several items listed on their menu both nights we dined there.
- Walk to the back side of the resort to the ocean side to check out the stars on a clear night. You will see EVERYTHING. Invest in a constellation app for your phone or e-reader if you haven’t already. You may want to check it out during the day first as it was somewhat disconcerting exploring it at night for the first time without knowing our surroundings.
- Excursions: A circle island snorkeling tour is a MUST (have never seen more beautiful coral or swam with such abundant fish – we went with Moana Adventures and they were fabulous – this was the only excursion we booked from the US and they fill quickly), diving is phenomenal (the resort has its own PADI shop), sailing (expensive, but well worth it for us – book well in advance , i.e., before you arrive if you know you want to go), spa (they are known for their spa, but I don’t know if we would go again for the price – if you are “spa people” I am sure you will love it).
- Enjoy the lagoon! Maybe people enjoy having food and beverage service, but we were always astounded by the number of people who seemed to spend a large portion of their time at the pool. It’s great for a quick rinse after checking out the ray feeding, but otherwise we swam/snorkeled/or floated on rafts from our private deck.
- We left Bora Bora to take the red eye back to the US. Get as late a flight as possible. Once you arrive at the Tahiti airport your choices are limited. You can take a cab into town, but the price of storing or hassle of bringing our luggage was not worth it (for us) – beware VERY long lines if you do pay to store your luggage). The international terminal did not open until 2-3 hours before departure. While this terminal is very nice (lots of seating, AC, food/drinks to purchase, duty-free shopping) the rest of the airport has not benefited from similar improvements.
