Wonderful people and stunning beauty abound

no sun in bora bora all week :(. this appeared to be the one time the weather forecasts completely matched reality, which was heartbreaking.

for those reading this with upcoming trips, wish for the best but plan for a potentially rainier trip this season. if I had to do it again I would not risk the shoulder or wet season at all, we took a gamble and it didn’t pay off. im sure others a week or two from now may have sun but it’s not worth the risk IMHO. today was potentially the only “nice” day and it’s constant dark clouds

Hi everyone!

I arrived in Papeete today, flying with Air France, but unfortunately my checked suitcase is still stuck in Paris. If everything goes according to plan, I should get it back on Wednesday.

One of my biggest problems is that the waterproof case for my DJI Osmo Action 6 is in my suitcase, so I can’t safely use the camera as planned. I now have to rent a replacement, which will cost me quite a lot.

I’ve been looking online for information about reimbursement from Air France, but I haven’t found much clarity on what they actually cover in cases like this.

Has anyone here experienced delayed baggage with Air France?

Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone,

I was planning to visit French Polynesia next year (second quarter of 2027 maybe) and was wondering if I can find cashew apples (cajou) anywhere in Tahiti or nearby islands?

If so, what is the best month for that? And any other tropical fruits/corps worth trying that harder to find in Australia?

Thanks!

Hello and thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge.

My girlfriend and I have three open days in Papeete before starting a 2-week cycling tour of French Polynesia.

I'm having a surprisingly difficult time finding hike options. Even our travel agent had a guided hike cancel due to low enrollment and was unable to find a replacement.

My girlfriend assumes we can venture to a trailhead with a taxi. I'm concerned about getting back without Uber and if cellular reception is poor.

Here is our criteria to focus your advice:

- 4 to 6 hours in duration

- Oct 17, 18, or 19

- originating and return to Papeete

- physically demanding is ok

- scenery makes it worth the effort**

- taking a public bus is ok

- open to a guided tour if it includes hotel pick up

- open to renting a scooter for a day or two but would rather not rent a car

- we summited Japan's Mt Fuji and back in 10-hours with a guide last year. That is our fitness level and trail readiness.

** As a cyclist, I personally don't enjoy hiking. I'm also a professional adventure sports photographer who is admittedly jaded. I'll enjoy the hike if it is the only way somewhere and the views pay off. (eg. Not someplace we could have driven and not just a loop through a forest).

I know that's a lot, and I acknowledge my personal note makes me sound like a jerk.

The above is an ideal wish list but I welcome all suggestions.

Hello, my name is Lina and I visited Bora Bora and Papeete a couple of years ago - I loved every minute of it! As a traveler, I love sending myself postcards from the places I visit, however the one I sent from Tahiti never arrived. I was hoping to find someone currently there or planning to visit soon to send me one - I can send you one back or reimburse you. Please respond here or DM me if you're willing to help me :) Thank you for reading!

Hi all
Going in a month
Got flights, fly in late to PPT so need to stay overnight in Tahiti
- what is a good safe hotel for just sleeping basically , near airport and ferry?

Then to Moorea - I was thinking 4 nights here, 3 in OWB in bora bora and 1 more night in Tahiti and fly out late the next day - good?

My husband doesn’t like “lying around” so that’s why I thought to minimize bora bora
He has titanium Marriott status - so was thinking Westin vs st Regis for bora bora

Which one? (From research I like that the Westin is cheaper and has better views, and the Saint Regis has more foliage and more luxury and better snorkeling. I don’t really care about service, and food seems comparable)

With his status can we check out and enjoy the resort still til a later flight?

Was thinking Tahiti proper would be cool- we could take a tour, including hiking. Would this be worth spending a day for ? Should be get a car for the day instead or not recommended due to safety ?We really want to hike any other hiking recs in Moorea ?

In Moorea found a good Airbnb in the main town , want to whale watch- will we definitely need a car in Moorea or can we rely on tours/taxis (esp if we want to hike)

Any thoughts on all this? Thanks

I benefited a lot from posts here while planning our Moorea visit, so I wanted to pay a few practical tips forward. This is not meant as a complete guide—just the details we found especially useful.

Papeete → Moorea ferry

• As this great guide highlights, the ferry was very easy to use. There are multiple operators; we bought online with one company, and our ticket was valid for that company rather than tied to a specific departure time.
• Important luggage detail: anything larger than a backpack, including most carry-on rollers, needed to go on the luggage cart on the same level where cars load. A staff member helped direct us. Leave the bags on the cart, go upstairs to scan your ticket and board, then claim your luggage from the cart in Moorea.
• If you can, sit outside/upstairs—the crossing is beautiful.

Excellent shore snorkeling near the Hilton — for non-guests

• If you are not staying at the Hilton Moorea, we found a simple way to access the excellent snorkeling in that part of the lagoon without using the resort.
• The most useful thing I can share is this parking/access pin.
• Park there and swim out toward the coral. The immediate shoreline is sandy, so keep going a little farther to reach the better coral.
• We found this to be some of—if not the—best snorkeling on the island.

Renting kayaks from Tip Nautic

• Renting from Tip Nautic was straightforward and the staff were very helpful with route suggestions.
• Reserve ahead, especially for mornings. Walk-up kayaks can be hard to get.
• We parked here, then crossed the road and used the paved pedestrian path along the west side of Hotel Les Tipaniers toward the beach.

Two routes we enjoyed:

• Sharks and rays: paddle east to this area. There were buoys in the area where we were able to secure our kayaks. The water was shallow enough to stand.
• Coral garden / channel drift: paddle to the coral garden between Motu Tiahura and Motu Fareone. We beached at Motu Tiahura and snorkeled between the islands. We then crossed and beached here, then entered the channel here. The current carried us through an area where we saw turtles and rays. The return toward shore was calmer, so we could swim southwest and do multiple passes.

Simple sunset spot

• We had a surprisingly hard time finding shoreline where we could just sit and watch the sunset. This little west-shore sports field worked perfectly for us:
  • Parking
  • Sports field

Whale watching: Moorea Reo Tours

• There are many operators, but we had an outstanding experience with Moorea Reo Tours.
• Ave and Vero were excellent: professional, safety-minded, experienced, and clearly determined to give their guests the best experience possible.
• Sea and weather conditions were not ideal on our day, but they worked patiently and safely to put the swimmers by a whale while those of us remaining on the boat still had an incredible surface encounter.
• We would recommend them without hesitation.

Hope this helps someone else have an easier and even better Moorea trip.

How’s weather in moorea? It shows rainy for next 10 days😭

Right about to book at the Westin Bora Bora for the last week of August. I then keep hearing about how awful the winds are. I can’t go later in the year and wanted to see the whales but I’d rather sacrifice the whales for better weather in Bora Bora. Should I change to April or May?

I came across a wooden puzzle being sold at one of the shops at PPT Airport (Tahiti). At the time, I assumed it was a generic puzzle I could easily find back in the States, but I've searched everywhere and haven't had any luck!

This might be a long shot, but if anyone happens to be passing through the airport and would be willing to pick one up for me, I'd be more than happy to reimburse you for the puzzle and shipping.

Here's what it looks like: https://imgur.com/a/7yJZ8Ze

I've been intrigued by Bora Bora for a while now. Especially to compare with the Maldives and various other places I've been. Yes, the water in Bora Bora is really nice. But I feel like the overall hype around Bora Bora is exactly that, hype. It's a one and done type place for me. Anyone else felt like this place is really nothing to write home about?

A couple days ago, our butler found us on the beach. She said she was looking for us and saw our bikes at the bike rack. I was thinking she had a good eye to be able to notice our bikes out of the dozens and be able to locate where we were sitting. Then later this morning at breakfast, a masseuse arrived to pick up my girlfriend for her massage. My girlfriend thought the massage was tomorrow but the masseuse called the spa and confirmed it was for today. My girlfriend finished her meal and left with the girl while I just stayed behind, drinking coffee and looking at the beach

It was then that I noticed how many butlers were there, speaking with their guests. I was quite surprised how invisible they were until that moment. But then I started thinking about how the butler and masseuse was able to find us. I figured the masseuse knew since we had checked into breakfast but I’m wondering now after watching the butlers do their stuff at breakfast, are they tracking us through our bracelets? It’s not a small property so randomly find someone at the beach or breakfast doesn’t seem random to me.

We arrived in Moorea and arrived at HertZ with our reservation.

We were denied rental because a new law was passed in September that requires 3 years worth of license history. We had just renewed ours last year.

We were fortunate ate just by chance, I had a photo of my prior license on my phone. We would have been unable to get a rental without it.

Good morning / afternoon,

I have a question,

What is a souvenir that you would recommend bringing with the islands ? Besides pears, anything else ?

I want to be respectful to the island and culture and see what is an appropriate souvenir to bring home.

Thank you in advance for all of your responses.

Couldn’t find many videos or info about this on Internet.. if anyone did this excursion recently can you share your reviews please

Hi everyone I'm planning a vacation to FP from th 3d to 18th of July and we plan to use the ferry to travel to Huahine and Raiatea. They ferry schedule for July isn't out yet and they're not clear on when it updates. Should I book accomodations according to the 2026 schedule or wait?

Hi! We are planning a trip to FP for our honeymoon in May of 2027 and really stuck between using Costco or using a travel agent.

This may be a stupid question but is there a best of both worlds in which we can book with Costco but have a travel agent when we’re on the island for questions that may arise or for booking excursions? Is it all or nothing?

We are experienced travelers and usually book on our own so this would be our first time using a travel agent. I’m just worried with the stress of the wedding and planning this trip I may not be able to do enough trip planning to really make it special.

If it’s helpful our budget is 20k including flights. Our only must do is the OWB in bora bora.

I am trying to find the best conditioner ever that I used in Tahiti but had to leave behind because it was too big of a bottle to fly with 🥲

All I know is that it was in an orange-ish bottle, and I bought it at some random gas station in Taravao because Super U was closed. And the bottle was labeled in French, so it was “Après-shampooing”.

Ugh I just know I was amazed at how soft my hair felt and I wanna see if I can buy it online to use at home. Thank you for any help 🧡🧡🧡

Hi all,

Simple Q - we're looking to go to Tahiti next July for my partner's 30th birthday.

We've looked into the Hilton Moorea. Sofitel, Intercontinentals as a possible destination to get one of the overwater villas but there doesn't appear to be an "all-inclusive" or "half-board" type deal, only breakfast.

Ideally we want 10 days of just idling around, not having to worry about food/drinks so would be happy to pay the premium for all inclusive but not found that at any of the resorts we've looked at.

What were people's experiences whilst in Tahiti, do hotels offer this type of deal or not? If not we're pretty happy with the Hilton as it looks stunning.

Thank you :)

Of course we booked this a year ago with points not knowing the weather outlook this year - weather next week looks rainy and windy the entire trip, trying not to worry or panic given everything I've read about forecasts changing....we thought we'd be safe going in October :(

I am looking for a last-moment slot for a whale swimming tour on 7-8-9 October. Single slot.

Who can I reach out to? Any local recommendations? I understand this is a last-minute request.