Moorea – The real French Polynesia!

We have just got back from an incredible trip to French Polynesia, island hopping around Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora! Bora Bora in particular has been on most peoples bucket lists ever since Kim Kardashian put the destination on the map when she visited with her sisters on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Since then it’s been pinned on Pinterest boards and featured in memes and videos all over the internet, so when the opportunity arose, we felt we just had to go and see how beautiful it was for ourselves! In the shadow of the it’s glamorous and expensive neighbour Bora Bora, the island of Moorea is just as beautiful with an authentic French Polynesian feel to it and real charm and character. A true hidden gem and well worth a visit!

WHERE IS MOOREA?

Moorea is a teeny tiny island that makes up 1 of 118 islands in French Polynesia. Not too far away from the Cook Islands and Fiji, you have to really zoom in over the South Pacific Ocean on google maps to even find it. It’s home to roughly 17,000 people where the majority of people work in agriculture, in particular mostly on pineapple plantations which is the product the island is most famous for.

GETTING TO MOOREA

Getting to Moorea in the French Polynesia from the UK takes three flights, or two flights and a ferry. First an eleven and a half hour flight from London to LAX and then onwards to Papeete, Tahiti which takes approx eight hours. We spent 24 hours in Tahiti, 1 full week in Moorea and then a second full week in Bora Bora. After our 24 hours in Tahiti, we had a choice of either getting a fifty minute flight to Moorea or taking the ferry. Taking the ferry from Tahiti to Moorea is 100% the best option as it’s almost like you’re on your first excursion without even arriving yet. Standing at the front of the boat with the wind blowing in your face whilst approaching the beautiful island that is Moorea is totally breathtaking!

WHERE TO STAY?

For our first visit to Moorea we stayed at the Hilton Moorea Resort and Spa, which is currently rated number 1 on TripAdvisor. There are a few different bungalow options here but we decided to stay in the mid range Lagoon Bungalow as we wanted to save the over water bungalow experience for Bora Bora, and we had absolutely no regrets at all. There are only 3 of these lagoon bungalows and they are perched half on the sand, and half on the sea, they come at a lower price tag to the over water bunaglows but are barely any different as you can still get straight into the beautiful turquoise sea from your balcony pontoon and yet because you are not on the jetty, you are nearer the main resort, pool and restaurant. We stayed in number 55.

Our room was pure luxury with a sea view to die for, the bungalow was designed with the view in mind so when you’re in the bathroom, there is a slide away mirror so you can even see out to sea which you’re in the bathroom! Not forgetting the ‘fish view’ glass panel under the coffee table where we spotted Moorish Idol fish, burrowing wrasse fish that we watched bury themselves under the sand to go to sleep under our bungalow every evening, and crabs who lived in the rocks just behind us on the beach.

 

We shared our time between doing various activities around the island of Moorea, on the beach and around the pool. The backdrop around the pool is just phenomenal with the lush green Moorea mountains situated just behind the resort. The best thing without a doubt about this resort though is the friendly staff who greet you with a friendly “La ora na” (Good Morning / Hello in Tahitian) every time they pass you! One of our favourite things to do whilst staying at the Hilton Moorea Lagoon & Spa in bungalow 55 was to watch the sun go down from our balcony. Nightlife in the resort, and the whole of Moorea, is pretty much non existent so we made our own evening entertainment. When the sun started to go down at around 4:30 – 5pm, we dragged our sun loungers down onto the pontoon part of our balcony and turned them to face the sunset, poured ourselves a glass of champagne and put on a chill out Spotify playlist to watch the sun go down over the sea. Absolute bliss! Tip: Buy a decent portable speaker to take with you, we bought this one, which travelled well, and the sound quality was great!

WHAT TO DO IN MOOREA?

We like to pack in as many experiences as possible to any destination and Moorea was no different. We swam with stingrays and sharks, ate like the locals, went quad biking around the island, had a 4×4 tour and saw dolphins whilst jetskiing. The list of activities you can do here is just endless and the best thing is that nothing feels too touristy, everything feels like you’re getting to know the real Moorea and how it feels to be a French Polynesian local! Even the restaurants have a fantastic Tahitian feel to them with local produce and dinner specialities, all run by local business owners too.

Check out our Top 5 things to do in Moorea for ideas on what to do on your paradise vacation!

So it’s fair to say, we fell in love with Moorea, and I think it’s the kind of place where everyone does. It’s so raw compared to it’s glamorous neighbour Bora Bora but just as beautiful, and that’s why we love it! I think I would actually say that if pushed to chose a favourite, I would pick Moorea over Bora Bora! A definite for your bucket list if you love a paradise island with a bit of culture! We literally cannot wait to go back and explore some more!