Moorea questions

I have a few questions about our time in Moorea. We plan to stay there 3 days pre-cruise, plus we have 2 days there during our cruise.

1) Are the beaches on Moorea public? Specifically, the beaches at the hotels like the Intercontinental, Sofitel, etc... Can we go onto those beaches and put a towel down in the sand and use it if we aren't a guest at the hotel? I have been to several Caribbean islands where every beach is public, so I'm curious if that is the same on Moorea.

2) We plan to rent a car during our pre-cruise stay. Is there anything special we should know? How far in advance do I need to make that reservation for an automatic since we can't drive stick (our cruise isn't until Sept 2017)? Is there convenient parking at the restaurants, tourist sites, shops? It looks like the 2 main car rental companies are Avis and Albert- is one better than the other in terms of price or any other factors? Are there other options we should consider? How is the driving conditions to get to Belvedere lookout point? Or should we rely on a 4x4 tour to take us there?

3) I know most people tend to stay at the resorts, but we are trying to find an option that doesn't cost $300+ per night. I have been looking into some vacation rentals and there are a few that look promising. Has anyone booked a vacation rental on Moorea that they would recommend?

4) Are there any good activities to do in the evening/night? Maybe like the French Polynesian version of a luau?? Are there street lights for safe driving at night? haha

5) There are a few excursions that I'm considering for our 5 days in Moorea... maybe a 4x4 tour of the interior, and a snorkel/swim tour with Albert. Is there anything that is better to do when we are there pre-cruise vs. the days we are there during the cruise?

I'm sure I'll come up with more questions soon, but that's good to start! Thanks in advance for your help :D

One more question...

Is there a side of the island that is better to stay on? It looks like most of the resorts are along the northern side of Moorea- is that because that is the best side of the island for some reason? I found a few smaller hotels along the western side and closer to the southern side too, but just wondering if there one location is better than the others? Thanks!

The southern side is pretty, but undeveloped except for private homes, small villages and some rental properties. The shore is wilder, there is surfing done there, so presumably the snorkeling is not as good.

We rented from Albert's last time, and probably will again this December. They met us at the airport and drove us to the ferry. Driving to the Belvedere is fine--paved, a bit twisty and narrow but not a problem.

We are staying in a smaller hotel, Les Tipaniers and our rate for a beach bungalow is just under $200 US per night. Granted, it's low season I think, so it might be higher at other times. There are other smaller resorts, not sure about vacation rentals like airbnb-type places.

I believe beaches are public, but getting access to them isn't. And not many of the big beach resorts have much of a beach. The large resorts sometimes welcome visitors, but for a fee. Smaller places might be fine with it if you have lunch there or drinks. Frankly, there aren't many beaches--the big deal is snorkeling and much of that is done from smaller motus (islets), or from boats.

There is some kind of Polynesian dance thing somewhere; sorry, I've never been, but you will find out about it easily.

There are tons of excursions, and the hotels have lots of info on them. Remember to kick back and relax some of the time. :)

The southern side is pretty, but undeveloped except for private homes, small villages and some rental properties. The shore is wilder, there is surfing done there, so presumably the snorkeling is not as good.

 

We rented from Albert's last time, and probably will again this December. They met us at the airport and drove us to the ferry. Driving to the Belvedere is fine--paved, a bit twisty and narrow but not a problem.

 

We are staying in a smaller hotel, Les Tipaniers and our rate for a beach bungalow is just under $200 US per night. Granted, it's low season I think, so it might be higher at other times. There are other smaller resorts, not sure about vacation rentals like airbnb-type places.

 

I believe beaches are public, but getting access to them isn't. And not many of the big beach resorts have much of a beach. The large resorts sometimes welcome visitors, but for a fee. Smaller places might be fine with it if you have lunch there or drinks. Frankly, there aren't many beaches--the big deal is snorkeling and much of that is done from smaller motus (islets), or from boats.

 

There is some kind of Polynesian dance thing somewhere; sorry, I've never been, but you will find out about it easily.

 

There are tons of excursions, and the hotels have lots of info on them. Remember to kick back and relax some of the time. :)

Thanks for your reply, Wendy! Upon further research, I found a small hotel which is in our budget and located on the northern side of the west coast, near Le Petit Village- Is that area any good? It's called Moorea Fare Miti... nothing comes up when I search for it here on Cruise Critic, but it gets great reviews on other sites so as of now, that's the front runner. I don't need to commit to a hotel just yet because no one has opened up their dates for Sept 2017 yet!

And yes, we do want some relaxation time... hence the search for a nice beach! I know Moorea is more about the inland mountains than the beaches, and we will either do an ATV or 4x4 tour to take care of that, but we also want a little beachy relaxation time :) Might just stay put at the beach at our hotel though if we do end up going with Fare Miti!

So many decisions to make...!! :D

Temae Beach is public. Access is from a road across from the airport. Ask your hotel or car rental for directions. We have only visited that side once and usually go to the Sofitel side. My fave location on Moorea. The Sofitel too is not too fancy but is very nice IMO.

Le Petit Village has some shops and is close to Les Tipanier where Wendy stayed. Les Tip has a decent beach and you can visit for the day and do lunch at their restaurant. From the IC which is not too far you can get a boat to the Motu. I haven't done this for a few years so worthy of research. Nowadays we just get a day room at the Sofitel for when the ship is in town.

Thanks for your reply, Wendy! Upon further research, I found a small hotel which is in our budget and located on the northern side of the west coast, near Le Petit Village- Is that area any good? It's called Moorea Fare Miti... nothing comes up when I search for it here on Cruise Critic, but it gets great reviews on other sites so as of now, that's the front runner. I don't need to commit to a hotel just yet because no one has opened up their dates for Sept 2017 yet!

 

And yes, we do want some relaxation time... hence the search for a nice beach! I know Moorea is more about the inland mountains than the beaches, and we will either do an ATV or 4x4 tour to take care of that, but we also want a little beachy relaxation time :) Might just stay put at the beach at our hotel though if we do end up going with Fare Miti!

 

So many decisions to make...!! :D

Yes, you have time :). Fare Miti looks like a nice little place. It looks like you might be able to walk to Le Petit Village, although obviously a car would be good, if you can swing the cost. You can buy groceries in the village, btw, and that's useful even if you're not cooking--beer, water, baguettes for snacks, etc.

It looks like they have a bit of a beach, but it looks offshore--perhaps that's coral I'm seeing in the photo. In any case, as I said, Moorea is about being in the water, but a little beach is nice of course.

I can't seem to find an English version of their website that works, and my French isn't great. I'd study what's nearby, what kind of food, if any, they provide. And have a look at the reviews on Tripadvisor if you haven't already--they seem excellent.

And know what their rooms are like--make sure they have screens--mosquitoes can be a problem. A/C not necessary, but a ceiling fan is nice.

Yes, you have time :). Fare Miti looks like a nice little place. It looks like you might be able to walk to Le Petit Village, although obviously a car would be good, if you can swing the cost. You can buy groceries in the village, btw, and that's useful even if you're not cooking--beer, water, baguettes for snacks, etc.

 

It looks like they have a bit of a beach, but it looks offshore--perhaps that's coral I'm seeing in the photo. In any case, as I said, Moorea is about being in the water, but a little beach is nice of course.

 

I can't seem to find an English version of their website that works, and my French isn't great. I'd study what's nearby, what kind of food, if any, they provide. And have a look at the reviews on Tripadvisor if you haven't already--they seem excellent.

 

And know what their rooms are like--make sure they have screens--mosquitoes can be a problem. A/C not necessary, but a ceiling fan is nice.

I wasn't sure if I could say the word "tripadvisor" on this site but those are the great reviews I was referring to! ;) It looks like we'll get a lot of bang for our buck out there as the rate also includes free wifi and free use of the kayaks so we can get to the motu just off the shore for a little snorkeling (they also have snorkel equipment but we have our own sets already). I am a bit concerned about the mosquito issue as bugs love to bite me (I looked like I had chicken pox after just one evening outside in Florida before our cruise last month! I had soooo many bites on my arms and legs!) It looks like the beds have screens to cover them (although I'm not sure how comfortable it is to sleep with a mesh net tickling your legs), but I don't know yet about screens on the windows. I don't speak any French at all, but my browser seems to translate most websites automatically so hopefully I'll find out more info as I do more research :)

Another question...

I know this will vary depending on where we are seated on the plane, but roughly how long does it take from the time our plane lands until the time we are at the ferry pier to get to Moorea? We plan to fly in on the red eye flight landing on Sunday morning, but it looks like there is only one ferry to Moorea that leaves at 8am, and the next one isn't until 3pm :/ Of course it is too early to book our flights as the schedules aren't released yet, but I have been eyeing the Air France flight that lands at 5:15am on Sunday morning. Will that give us enough time to get off the plane, collect our checked luggage, get through customs, and get to the ferry before 8am? I'd hate to miss that ferry and be stuck in Tahiti with all our bags for several hours until the next ferry at 3pm!

they [the hotel] also have snorkel equipment but we have our own sets already).

You may wish to know that the PG also supplies snorkel equipment and the dive masters will make sure you get equipment that fits. So perhaps lugging your own across the ocean will be less attractive to you.

I wasn't sure if I could say the word "tripadvisor" on this site but those are the great reviews I was referring to! ;) It looks like we'll get a lot of bang for our buck out there as the rate also includes free wifi and free use of the kayaks so we can get to the motu just off the shore for a little snorkeling (they also have snorkel equipment but we have our own sets already). I am a bit concerned about the mosquito issue as bugs love to bite me (I looked like I had chicken pox after just one evening outside in Florida before our cruise last month! I had soooo many bites on my arms and legs!) It looks like the beds have screens to cover them (although I'm not sure how comfortable it is to sleep with a mesh net tickling your legs), but I don't know yet about screens on the windows. I don't speak any French at all, but my browser seems to translate most websites automatically so hopefully I'll find out more info as I do more research :)

It depends on the time of year you're there, and whether there's a breeze that comes through the hotel. We were at Les Tipes in September, and there were one or two mosquitoes in the evening. We'll be there this time at the end of November, and I'm thinking there will be a few more. Repellant is a necessity, because there's dengue fever there, so it's wise not to take chances. This goes double on any hiking you might do inland, like the marae up around the Belvedere.

The first time I slept under a mosquito net, I was claustrophic--it was one of those cone-shaped ones that ties from a single spot on the ceiling. The second time it was square, like a tent, and it didn't bother me at all. I've never seen mosquito nets in Tahiti--I'm betting they will have screens in their windows.

I have rented cars from both Albert's and AVIS but only for one day. Three days will get expensive. Regarding hotels. When IHG has an 80,000 point sign up for their credit card you and your spouse should both get one. IC properties on Tahiti and MOOREA generally run 40.000 points per night (30,000 plus $70 also). It's $49 per year and first year is usually waved. You also get one free night a year anywhere in the world. We have used this on Bora Bora in a $1000 per night hotel, Rome, etc. You also be one platinum elite and get late check out which is a huge perk in French Polynesia.

You should be able to make it off the plane, get your bags and clear customs and immigration within 1 hour max. Taxis are readily available and the ride is 15 minutes to the ferry. You should easily make the 8:00 am ferry.

I have rented cars from both Albert's and AVIS but only for one day. Three days will get expensive. Regarding hotels. When IHG has an 80,000 point sign up for their credit card you and your spouse should both get one. IC properties on Tahiti and MOOREA generally run 40.000 points per night (30,000 plus $70 also). It's $49 per year and first year is usually waved. You also get one free night a year anywhere in the world. We have used this on Bora Bora in a $1000 per night hotel, Rome, etc. You also be one platinum elite and get late check out which is a huge perk in French Polynesia.

If it helps, we have done two post-cruise stays at the IC Moorea. Both times, we booked on "secret rate" through hotwire.com. Both were at about $175/night. You can't see the hotel until you book, but all of the Moorea resorts are nice, and by looking at the shaded map area, you can tell which group of resorts are offered at the secret rate.

Relative to which excursions to do on your own ahead to time vs. when you're on the PG:

3 coconuts hike - do this one with a guide ahead of time. It's a nice hike that gives great views. If you do it with a group, you'll be stuck going at the speed of the slowest person (and some people vastly overestimate their ability), and may not even get up to the saddle.

We also did an evening catamaran ride when staying on the island and had the boat to ourselves.

If you're interest in the Dr. Poole dolphin watch, that likely will only be offered through the ship.