These are the notes from our twice (pandemic) canceled, two-week getaway to the islands of Tahiti (Tahiti-Iti too), and Moorea. It was a trip packed with all of the things you might expect – surf, sun, food, and fun – and a few extra unexpected highlights!

  • There were roadside fruit stands every 50 meters on every island. And BANANAS, small and cute, given away freely by everyone, including our boatman and a parking lot attendant.
  • Closed restaurants – but that was our fail as tourists. We were typically hungry outside of their standard lunch & dinner service hours.
  • Baguettes, so many baguettes.
  • Whales putting on open-water shows.
  • Fish – swimming in the water, hanging at roadside stands, and prepared countless ways in every restaurant. Most commonly, tuna, mahi, or shrimp served sashimi, tartare, poisson cru, or carpaccio style, and commonly prepared with either ginger or coconut milk.
  • Chickens and roosters, everywhere, all the time, and dogs roaming freely but yet no dog s**t underfoot, mind, blown.
  • Boats more commonplace than cars. Exception – the countless cars rusted out on the side of the road, becoming one with the land as they were consumed by trailing ivy.
  • Warm, tropical weather, plus rain drops, ocean waves, waterfalls, and swimming pools meant I got to wear all of my swimsuits!!
  • Everything written in French-Tahitian (naturally). We should have brushed up on the language(s) before we arrived, but didn’t, so Google translate served us well, and we eventually picked up a few important greetings – “Ia Orana” (yo-rah-nah) – Hello and “Maururu” (mah-roo-roo) – Thank You.

What we saw!

  • We circled the islands (or at least we attempted to). Typical roadways are two-lanes, often with water licking one edge and tropical, lush, green jungles fanning the other. We were on vacation – unhurried, leisure, nowhere-to-be time so we searched for waves, markets, and snacks, and we stopped at every beach, chased waterfalls, explored grottos, and drove among vast palm tree gardens. What should have been a 2+ hour drive (115 km) around Tahiti, took us about 6 hours, and we only managed to get about half way around Tahiti-Iti in our rental car (the remainder requires either an off-road vehicle or a boat). Moorea is even smaller (60 km to circle the island) – so we drove to Belvedere lookout and stopped at a roadside stand selling handmade palm frond sun hats, then visited the Manutea Tahiti – Rotui Juice Factory and Distillery (where we met fellow travelers from Southern California – who later invited us to happy hour at their beautiful Legends Residence rental!).
  • We enjoyed our surroundings in Tahiti-Iti. The ocean was steps from our rental, so we skirted the edge of the island and the inlet in a two-person kayak and watched the acrobatics of jumping fish and diving birds. We were entertained by the free-roaming roosters, hens, and baby chicks that groomed the yard of the property, and we watched flowers bloom before our eyes after the near daily rains. With radiant oranges painting the sky at sunset, we walked along the shoreline and met a local tour guide (Arii) as he spotted a camouflaged rock fish (reef stonefish), and then precariously demonstrated how the fish flares it’s poisonous dorsal fin spikes (yikes!).
  • We checked out neighboring Motu Tiahura – a small(er) island 500 meters from the north-western edge of Moorea. We stumbled upon Les Tipaniers, then happened our way aboard a water panga headed for Coco Beach. We didn’t have a reservation, and yet we managed to score their last empty table for lunch. What a lucky, DELICIOUS accident it was. We tried the skewered grilled fish with rice and vanilla sauce, and the octopus with cole slaw and tartare sauce, then washed it all down with local beers. Before heading back, we stood mesmerized by the stingrays & black tipped sharks that played in the clear blue, shallow waters edge. It was so idyllic that we returned the next day, with a reservation and a two-person kayak. Never mind that we nearly drowned each other on the way there, arguing about who was in control of the watercraft (which obviously meant neither of us was in control). We maneuvered in circles, and no doubt gave the boat-hands something to laugh about. Thankfully, beers, fish skewers, and the fish sandwich solved our hangry. We were laughing again in no time as we lounged on the exposed sandbar and posed for photos in the perfect and pristine water (think ridiculous swimsuit glamor shots, inspired by Sports Illustrated). P.S. we successfully kayaked back without incident.
  • We ferried between Tahiti and Moorea – it was easy to book online, in advance, with Aremiti. The ferry was massive, clean, comfortable, and SO convenient that we drove onto the ferry at 2:50 PM, for a scheduled 2:55 PM departure. We were stressed about being late, but they waved us on without concern or delay. I wouldn’t recommend cutting it so close, particularly if it’s the last ferry of the day, and if you have a departing flight to catch, but it DOES make for a good “remember that one time” type story.

Where Mr. Vacay surfed!

  • Tahiti – we enjoyed Taharuu (Papara) Beach. It’s a beautiful beach with black, course sand, and it was absolutely perfect for passing our days. While Mr. Vacay surfed, I sunned my buns, dove into my book, and walked to the reef to admire the calm pools that bordered the deeper, darker, active moving waves just beyond.
  • Tahiti-Iti – Mr. Vacay surfed his heart out at Teahupoʻo (Te-ah-WHO-po) while I tried to keep calm. This legendary surf break isn’t for the faint of heart. He would paddle out early and return hours later, abuzz with energy. There were no lifeguards and very few surfers, and it was impossible to spot him in the vast ocean from where I sat. During one of his sessions, I hitched a ride on a water taxi to catch a glimpse of the action. The waves felt huge to me, dumping over a cliffs edge wall of water from my view on the boat. I videoed & photo’d, then the taxi made four rescues – two French men and two Puerto Ricans, one lost a boogie board, one lost a stand-up paddle, and one had a reef-busted elbow. Despite the saves, Mr. Vacay opted to keep surfing, so we left him to it, solo. Back on shore, with binoculars in hand, I knew where to train my line of vision so that I could find him in the water. Not only did I see him catching a wave, but moments later, next to him, I spotted a massive whale tail, then two whales breaching! I lost sight of Mr., and my breath, as I assumed the whales were tossing him around like a squeaky toy. I didn’t move from my spot until I finally saw him paddling back in. From his recollection, they were humpback whales (the friendly variety), 50 yards away.
  • Moorea – we hired Petero from Haapiti Surf Lodge to take us out for a morning of surfing and snorkeling. From the boat, I had a front row view of Mr. Vacay catching wave after wave. And in-between sets, we would motor around so I could enjoy the dolphins playing in the wake of the boat. We eventually dropped anchor to snorkel; spying turtles, rays, tons of fish, and lively coral.

Where we stayed!

  • We splurged at the InterContinental Tahiti Resort. Our flight landed at 4:45 AM, and thankfully, the resort allowed us to use the facilities until our room was ready. After a quick change of clothes, we found lounge chairs under the shade of a palapa, and we settled in for a morning nap. Our beautiful overwater suite was well worth the wait. It was updated and comfortable, with a small sitting area, a spacious bathroom, and our own deck with a ladder to the South Pacific Ocean below. We didn’t feel any rocking or motion in our room, but we thoroughly enjoyed the ambient sound of the constantly moving water all around us. When we needed a break from the ocean, we swam in the countless pools, including the sand-bottom fish-filled lagoonarium. And at the days end, we watched the sunset from the Tiki Bar while happy-hour-ing over tacos and rum cocktails. One note of caution – the overwater bungalows and their windows don’t offer much privacy from the prying eyes of other curious guests, so keep the curtains pulled and your robe on if you’re modest.
  • We scored a great Airbnb on Tahiti-Iti. The gracious hosts made us feel instantly welcome as they met us in the public beach parking lot, showed us the way along the water-side walking path, and helped us with our luggage (rolling bags are of little use here). The location was remote and tucked away, which meant I would fall asleep early, by 7:00 p.m. with the dark and the quiet. I was awake early, too, but not until after a ten hour sleep. We’d breakfast on the veranda and drink tea while reading books in bed. We took lots of naps, especially during the rains, and there was a lot of rain. A major bonus was having our own kitchen and laundry because there weren’t restaurants or services nearby.
  • We enjoyed all of the perks of the Sofitel Moorea. We used their gear to snorkel around the offshore reef, took a sunrise yoga class on the spa deck, walked the beach, and lounged in the hammock outside our waterfront room. We played our part as willing tourists at the evening fire show (next time – I’ll skip the dinner buffet and enjoy the sounds with a mojito from the Vue Bar). When we departed, we enjoyed the day-use resort option, relaxing by the pool, and using the reception area showers before catching our evening ferry.

What we ate!

  • Le Fournil Hautbois (Tahiti) – for spinach quiche and a glazed breakfast croissant to-go.
  • Snack Taharuu (Tahiti) – it was perfectly casual and convenient for hot tea in the morning, then a bit of shade with a cold beer while people watching and surf checking in the afternoon. But lunch was the best – fish sandwiches, tuna carpaccio with ginger, and buttered haricots verts with shallots. We returned again and again.
  • La Manoa (Tahiti) – we enjoyed an indulgent lunch of tartare, poisson cru, sashimi, coconut breaded mahi, mashed potatoes, stir fry veggies, baguettes and butter, the signature Manoa cocktail, lava cake AND strawberry ice cream (yes, all of it).
  • The food trucks (les roulottes) harborside in downtown Papeete (Tahiti) – we sampled the BBQ mahi mahi with rice and even more haricots verts.
  • Blue Banana (Tahiti) – when we needed to pass some time before our departing flight, we lingered over pizza and sorbet, ocean front.
  • Le Plage de Maui (Tahiti-Iti) – to try the poisson en papillote (white fish and shrimp baked in parchment), and a fresh tuna steak with ginger and poi.
  • Caraméline (Moorea) – breakfast pastries for takeaway.
  • Moorea Beach Cafe (Moorea, obv) – a bistro with tables only feet from playful spotted sharks. If we had been any closer, we would have been in the water with them.
  • Casa Pizza (Moorea) – a pop-up truck offering whole pizzas and highly sought after tiramisu.
  • Coco Beach (Motu Tiahura) – our absolute FAVORITE meal. If you missed it, see above (“What we saw!”).
  • A note about dining out – typical restaurant hours seemed to be 11:00 am-1:00 pm and again after 5:00 or 6:00 pm, depending on the day of the week, and the part of town. Luckily, we never went hungry when we searched (unsuccessfully) for midday meals, because we always managed to find a roadside fruit stand or a market (mini and max) that sold snacks to tide us over until our next feeding. But it was comical that we never quite mastered the timing of dining out.

To anyone that asks, “Where should I go next?” – without hesitation, I would recommend French Polynesia. If you enjoy international travel, love water activities, and want a tropical getaway, then get away to these islands. It’s an easy trip from the western coast of the US, one that I can’t wait to make again!