The Beauty of Moorea and Tahiti

Since returning from French Polynesia, I have had a hard time readjusting to life on the mainland. I have been asking Daniel (my husband) nearly every day to visit our local tiki spot, hoping to relive the memories of the Polynesian islands once again.

Aku Aku tiki bar, Orlando FL

Although it's always a good time there, I've still been feeling the ocean blues. This trip was unlike any other and has left a serious lasting impression on me. I don't know if its because I haven't traveled internationally since moving to the US in 2020, or if its because French Polynesia is one of the most beautiful destinations I've been to, replacing Seychelles as my top island destination. Either way, the French Polynesian islands should be on your bucket list!

Getting There

We flew from Orlando, FL to Los Angeles, CA (5 hr flight) and stayed two nights as we had family and friends there. Breaking up our trip was the best thing we could've done. This helped us with getting over our jet lag faster and not putting a lot of stress on our bodies. Daniel's never been to California and so we even squeezed in a Dodgers game!

We flew from LA to Papeete, Tahiti with Air Tahiti Nui and we were really happy with them! We flew premium economy and Daniel and I were both able to get our own rows where we could lay out and sleep! Flight time - 8 hr. It was a night flight so we just slept the entire flight and woke up for the breakfast service before landing!

Papeete, Tahiti

We stayed at the Intercontinental Tahiti and were not disappointed. First impressions are everything and this is the first view you see when walking into the hotel.

I discovered their local fish dish and ordered it about 5 times (and we only stayed there for two nights). That's how much I loved it. It was grilled and served on coconut milk with a side of coconut rice. I LOVE coconut and appreciated how much of it is used in their dishes and drinks.

Speaking of drinks, it was here that I discovered the beloved chi chi. Chi chi calls for vodka, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut. Its a million times better than a pina colada. Yeah I said it.

Fun fact: you won't find a plastic straw anywhere on the island. Intercontinental Tahiti was so genius for creating these PASTA STRAWS! I love eating uncooked pasta so I was always eating them as I drank. :)

Getting to Moorea

Moorea is a small island that's 45 min by boat or 15 minutes by plane. We decided to take the boat because of how convenient they were running. We booked it on the spot at the ferry terminal and had no problems!

The main island locals were telling us that Moorea is their local treasure and where they go to vacation themselves. Once we arrived, we could quickly see why.

Moorea is STUNNING, BEAUTIFUL, AUTHENTIC, AND PERFECT.

We stayed in an airbnb for 5 days. I always recommend when traveling to at least spend a night or two in a local bed and breakfast/airbnb because it pushes you to experience a place differently. For instance, we shopped at the local grocery store, ate at the local spots that tourists didn't know about, and had a rental car so that we could peruse the island at our own will!

At the grocery store, the grocer introduced me to the tiare flower tradition. Local women wear the flower behind their left or right ear to signify whether they're single or taken! Right = open heart, Left = taken, as I learned when I purchased a tiare flower.

Had a flower on my left ear since.

Here are some more photos during our airbnb stay! We went to all the local beaches, drove the entire island at least once, went hiking, and ate seafood for breakfast/lunch/dinner.

The last few nights we moved into an overwater bungalow at the Hilton Moorea resort. We wanted to save the best for the last, and it was truly the highlight of the entire trip.

The snorkeling we experienced during our stay at the bungalow is a memory that will always stay with me. We would head out for snorkeling every morning at 6:30 am (the ideal time to observe a variety of fish as it's their breakfast time! We even had the chance to spot a stingray and a shark!).

We had a GoPro and took about 50+ hours of fish footage that we didn't know what to do with! So if you're at all curious, you can watch our honeymoon reel here and see the highlights of our snorkeling adventures.

Stopping here for now, although there is much more I could share. If you have any specific questions or want to know more (especially about our itinerary), feel free to leave a comment or get in touch! If Moorea and Tahiti appeal to you as a destination you'd like to explore, consider starting with heiva, a celebration that honors this exceptional location!

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