Newbie to FP question??

I have read on these boards that FP beaches have lots of coral and rocks. One poster, (Tomcruise) even said, when I commented on someone posting that water shoes are essential , "this isn't St. John".

My DW and I are real beach people and I'd like to know if we need be concerned.

we have just purchased aqua shoes for our trip in august. the coral sand is very sharp and can easily cut into your feet. you need a covered shoe as the coral gets in between your feet and sandals. the shoes are not expensive and will be useful for wearing on trips that involve any type of watersports as they have a great grip sole.

It depends where you are. FP isn't really known for its sand beaches, but for its beautiful lagoons. That being said, there are beautiful black sand beaches on the island of Tahiti, and the Bora Bora motu has a very nice white sand beach.

The main beach on Bora Bora, Matira, isn't bad. Not much in the way of beaches on the side of Moorea where the ship goes, but there are some beaches on the far side, surfing too, but kind of far to get to.

The beach at the private motu, Motu Mahana is just okay.

But the water everywhere is lovely, don't worry too much. Just take your water shoes to guard against those pieces of pesky coral.

And don't forget those big black nasty cucumbers!The water and beaches down there are saturated with them.I have never seen anything so disgusting!They eat the scum out of the sand.So one only knows when there are alot of these things,its a dirty area!

I have been to the Caribbean 2 dozen times and only have experienced BEAUTIFUL WATER AND BEACHES,not the crap in FP,Cook and FIJI.

I should have saved my money!

The sea cucumbers *are* numerous in some locations. But they are fairly easy to avoid, and are harmless.

Not so the sea urchins. Mostly they attach themselves to rocks and pieces of coral, they don't just lie around on the beach.

Lost Wendy,

They are everywhere!!They are inches apart front each other.It makes enjoying the water and beach a real challenge.They are disgusting whether they are poisonous or not!:eek:

Well, to each his own. I don't find them disgusting at all, although they do look pretty weird. They're just sea animals. They are slimy. So what? Tom, let's just agree to disagree on most of this stuff, okay?

Wendy,

thanks for the positive, constructive feedback!

mariah

Thanks all for your input. I think FP will go on the back burner for now. We are thinking Maui for our anniversary trip.

Good for you!We are going in April!You can skip the long R/T flight by checking out Princess.:)

....

I have been to the Caribbean 2 dozen times and only have experienced BEAUTIFUL WATER AND BEACHES,not the crap in FP,Cook and FIJI....

I have been to a fair number of places in the Caribbean and have yet to find a Caribbean stop that even remotely comes close to the majesty I experienced in French Polynesia. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Wendy, the last time I went to FP in November I noticed a lot of the sea cucumbers on Motu Mahana. Maybe less now after the big hurricane they had that took away a lot of the beach.

The flight to FP is small suffering for the wonderful FP experience on the PG.

What wouldnt I give for another trip on the PG .... unfortunately lots more places in the world to see so maybe in a year or two.

interesting how one poster seems to spend a lot of time bashing FP and the PG; to each their own (everyone's entitled to their opinion) but the fervor causes me to wonder if there is an ulterior motive....

Having travelled the globe diving... throughout the caribbean included... in my opinion there is no beating the beach motus and waters of French Polynesia. Do not let one person's opinion (including mine) keep you from a trip that many feel is an experience of pure paradise.

Do not let one person's opinion (including mine) keep you from a trip that many feel is an experience of pure paradise.

Now if that doesn't win the prize for being a balanced statement, I don't know what does.

I couldn't agree with you more.

All the best

bandt

We were on the same cruise with Tom and enjoyed nearly every moment of it. The food, from starters to dessert, was the best we have experienced on any cruise. I can think of individual dishes that were not my favorite, but that can be some other's favorite. I can't imagine the need for more personal service, the drinks were strong and poured freely with premium booze. We have been all over the the place and I believe FP is pretty special.

I think the several reasons to shy away from FP is the long flight, and the outrageous prices if not on a cruise. I would go on PG again in a New York Minute, but the itineraries are not too varied so we will probably not go for some time. I go to Maui every year and have seen very little there to compare with the beauty of FP. Just my take!!

Sea cucumbers? Don't seem to have that problem in aussie. Does it mean it will be like playing football in water? LOL.

French Polynesia and Maui... two of my favorite places!! Two similar, yet different trips. I absolutely love them both and would jump at a chance to do either one.

However, if I was given an opportunity to choose, I would choose the PG in a heartbeat! For us, the PG experience was so much more... it was the "whole package" that did it for us. The service, food, beautiful locations and views, the warm, clear, turquoise colored waters, the ability to stop at so many different islands and only unpack my suitcase one time, never losing a day to travel, a glass of wine without signing for it whenever I wanted it, socializing with other guests that is OK to do on the cruise (not so much in a hotel!), the ship rocking me to sleep at night, seeing the islands from the water (a very different perspective than seeing them only from land), a waiter who brought me a creme brulee every night even though it wasn't on the menu, all topped off by gorgeous sunsets at sea!

That being said, as you can see by my screen name I love Maui! My husband and I were actually married on Polo Beach in Wailea 18 years ago and between us we have over 200 visits to the islands (OK... he's an airline pilot and flew the Los Angeles/Honolulu line for a while, so he has me beat!). We have visited almost all of the islands and love the Aloha spirit. Hawaii has gorgeous beaches and also warm, clear waters, excellent restaurants, water sports, snorkeling, and you can't go wrong with a gorgeous Maui sunset or sunrise. There is a lot to be said for staying at a nice hotel or two with a good amount of elbow room for a week or more (my personal favorite is the Fairmont Kea Lani!).

As for the beaches, we love beaches as well. I have visited Hawaii, the South Pacific and the Caribbean and love them all. In my opinion, the South Pacific has some of the most beautiful views that I have ever seen in my life, but the beaches are somewhat lacking. That being said, I didn't have any trouble finding a nice spot of sand to sit myself on for a relaxing afternoon. I did bring water shoes, but only used them once. The Bora Bora Motu was beautiful and I didn't need the shoes. We also snorkeled on a very thin, but sandy beach in Rangiroa and although there was more coral, I still didn't use the shoes as the water was so clear that I could see where I was stepping. On Moorea we didn't really find a beach worthy of stopping, the same for Bora Bora.

After writing all that, what I really wanted to say is that I don't think you can make a bad choice. If you are looking for warm, beautiful and tropical you will find it!

Bora Bora

Huahine

Bora Bora Motu

Polo Beach, Maui

Polo Beach, Maui

Jalousie Beach, St. Lucia

When you were at Rangiroa and found a beach and snorkelled, was it within walking distance from where the PG is anchored?

When you were at Rangiroa and found a beach and snorkelled, was it within walking distance from where the PG is anchored?

I don't believe they get that close.More than likely you'll take water transportation to the island.

What I remember from Rangiroa is that the tender goes to two different villages, one on each side of the channel. And there was a beach that was walkable distance away from one of the docks.

Thankyou for your replies Wendy and Tom.

Maui, as usual you bring a smile to our faces with the beautiful photos. Thank you!

French Polynesia and Maui... two of my favorite places!! Two similar, yet different trips. I absolutely love them both and would jump at a chance to do either one. However, if I was given an opportunity to choose, I would choose the PG in a heartbeat!

... As for the beaches, we love beaches as well. I have visited Hawaii, the South Pacific and the Caribbean and love them all.

Bora Bora

 

Huahine

 

Bora Bora Motu

 

Polo Beach, Maui

 

Polo Beach, Maui

 

Jalousie Beach, St. Lucia