TAHA'A vs MOOREA for black pearl farm and vanilla tour

For those who went , which one is the best or interesting tour ?

Thanks

Johanne

If you go when in Tahaa you will miss out on Motu Mahana.

Tahaa vanilla is available at the Motu as is cheaper pearl jewellery. I found the quality of Vanilla really good. I also bought some in Moorea as well but havent used it yet.

Three really important things to do in Moorea- trail of the ancients, aito safari and if you like snorkelling at the Hilton.

In Tahaa, circumnavigation of Tahaa, If you like the snorkelling tour comes well recommended and the Motu.

The vanilla tour on Tahaa is better than Moorea but the prices are better on Moorea. As Emdee stated you don't want to give up your day on Motu Mahana. If your cruise goes to Raiatea & Tahaa then grab a tour while on Raiatea and do the motu on Tahaa.

The best priced Vanilla IMO will be on Moorea at 'Tahiti Aromes' which is very close to the IC Moorea. About $110 for a Kilo of fresh but dried beans.

change the itinary for Huahine .

Did you have any problem bringing backthe vanilla beans through the us custom or Canada custom ?

Do you declare , isnt it farm product ?

thanks

We always declare. Never had a problem. When you buy the vanilla it is usually packaged in some way, just don't open it until your through customs.

We enjoyed our Exploration of Taha'a tour. We were in a 4x4 and traveled a bumpy, winding road to the top of a mountain with spectacular views. Our drivers and guide gave us fresh fruit and coconut on large leaf "plates," and performed a few songs for us. We attended a pearl farming lesson (though we also visited a pearl farm on our Raiatea Highlights tour, so the info was a bit of a rehash), and then visited a family-owned vanilla plantation, which was really interesting. The owner gave us a tour and explained how to make our own vanilla extract. We thought the excursion was worthwhile for first-time visitors to Taha'a; and since it's a morning tour, we had the whole afternoon to enjoy Motu Mahana - plenty of time for us to have lunch and a few drinks, plus do some snorkeling and shopping. (Prices for vanilla beans were the same on the plantation and the motu, while the jewelry on the motu was cheaper than at the pearl farm.)

On Moorea, we arranged our own outing to Tiki Village (http://www.tikivillage.fr/en/village.html). They're open 11am-3pm for tours; cost is 2,500 francs - a little over $25 - per person. They can arrange pickup at the port if you contact them in advance, or you can drive there if you get a rental car. They did demos of traditional Polynesian life, and we were even paddled out to their pearl farming demo on an outrigger style boat. They also have a boutique with some interesting pearl jewelry, and they do a great song/dance performance.

A few photo highlights:

View from Taha'a peak:

Paddling out to pearl farming demo at Tiki Village:

As for declaring vanilla beans...like Tikiintahiti, we did claim them on the customs form. We had no problems. Ours were in a vacuum-sealed plastic pouch. The Taha'a vanilla beans we bought at the plantation proved to be excellent. The plantation we visited uses traditional farming methods, with the plants climbing trees on a hill, as opposed to the factory-farming method of growing the plants on concrete poles. (You'll see black-netted factory farms when you drive through the islands.) I wonder if that accounts for the better quality of beans on Taha'a vs. other islands? (Factory farms have a much higher yield than traditional farming, which may be why their beans are cheaper.) Anyway, it's definitely worth picking up some vanilla while you're there - if not on the plantation tour, then on the motu.

Never a problem bringing vanilla beans back. Just write it on the declaration.

Tiki is right I got some fabulous vanilla in Moorea - gold medal winner but it was expensive.

What is the best way to visit this Motu Mahana? Can you get there easily from Raiatea? We will be there April 23th on the Ms. Westerdam cruise ship. We have made an attempt to contact Stephane but have not heard from him. Would like to visit a vanilla farm as well.

Motu Mahana is private. If you had taken the Paul Gauguin you woulf have been on it for a day :)