Mata tours - Stephan for Raiatea and Bora Bora - anyone gone with him lately?

We were in Tahiti in 2004 and went with Stephan of Mata tours for a drift snorkel in Raiatea and a snorkel tour in Bora Bora. His boat wasn't the fanciest but the days with him were fabulous. We are going back in 2011 and wonder if anyone has gone with him lately?

I emailed him matatours@mail.pf and he said he still does both trips.

Anyone??????

Now that the Tahiti season is starting again I thought I'd bring this question up once more.

We've booked with Stephane at Mata Tours based on recommendation I read early on when starting to research for our cruise in December (maybe it was you). He was very responsive. Doesn't say too much about his tour....pearl farm, ray and shark feeding, snorkeling, stop on the beach....sounded different than the coral snorkel tour we're signd up for in Raiatea on our first b2b leg. When are you going? We can let you know how it went if you're going after us.

We're going in February, 2011. I'd REALLY appreciate a review when you get back. He took us to the same stops. The snorkeling was just off Tahaa, in the Coral Gardens. It was magnificent! Then we had a small picnic on his private motu with his wife cooking.

These are pictures taken from his trip (sorry they're so small) The island shot is his motu and the water shot is the coral gardens.

He also took us on a GREAT trip at Bora Bora. Shark feeding, snorkeling and to a turtle refuge at a hotel on a motu very close to Bora Bora.

I wish he would get a web site!

EDIT: The second picture is Rangiroa - sorry. The third one is Stephan helping me to hold a sea urchin near Tahaa.

Here's the third picture.

I'll be happy to fill you in after our return on Dec 19th. Please be sure to remind me:

cz sandy @ sbc global .net

Except for one w/Patrick on Bora Bora and Marc on Huahine with cc groups, we've reserved our tours directly with the local operators. Will probably end up on boats with people from who knows where? but I like the small groups.

I'll be happy to fill you in after our return on Dec 19th. Please be sure to remind me:

cz sandy @ sbc global .net

 

Except for one w/Patrick on Bora Bora and Marc on Huahine with cc groups, we've reserved our tours directly with the local operators. Will probably end up on boats with people from who knows where? but I like the small groups.

So Sandy

How was your cruise?

How were the excursions?

Did you (or anyone else ) go with Stephan?

I would like to know too !!!

We did Mata's tour at Raiatea and filled both his boats. We were the CC group on the Rotterdam Nov-Dec 2010.

It was great, snorkel with rays and sharks, pearl farm, fruit on his island, etc.

He took one boat over to Bora Bora the next day and was looking for customers but we had booked Patrick's tour.

We did Mata's tour at Raiatea and filled both his boats. We were the CC group on the Rotterdam Nov-Dec 2010.

It was great, snorkel with rays and sharks, pearl farm, fruit on his island, etc.

He took one boat over to Bora Bora the next day and was looking for customers but we had booked Patrick's tour.

Thanks so much for the response!

Did he take you to the Coral Gardens near Tahaa?

We were in Tahiti in 2004 and went with Stephan of Mata tours for a drift snorkel in Raiatea and a snorkel tour in Bora Bora. His boat wasn't the fanciest but the days with him were fabulous. We are going back in 2011 and wonder if anyone has gone with him lately?

Chamima - I tried to find a website for Mata Tours with no luck. But I found a trip report (Oct/09) of some cruisers on HAL Amsterdam who were very happy with Mata Tours. They picked up the excursion when they arrived at the dock in Raiatea & then had to wait until the boat was filled. US$60 pp for the day. Is this the same outfit that you went with on your previous trip?

http://2009aunzcruise.thestansfields.com/182-Day%2018%20Raiatea%20-%20Matas%20Tour%20-%2013%20Oct%2009.pdf

Chamima - I tried to find a website for Mata Tours with no luck. But I found a trip report (Oct/09) of some cruisers on HAL Amsterdam who were very happy with Mata Tours. They picked up the excursion when they arrived at the dock in Raiatea & then had to wait until the boat was filled. US$60 pp for the day. Is this the same outfit that you went with on your previous trip?

 

http://2009aunzcruise.thestansfields.com/182-Day%2018%20Raiatea%20-%20Matas%20Tour%20-%2013%20Oct%2009.pdf

Yes, this was him. He has an email "matatours@mail.pf" <matatours@mail.pf>, but no website. He is a REALLY nice guy but you will wait for his boat to fill. That really aggravated us the first time we went with him but when we got to know him (went with him again on Bora Bora) we just relaxed and went with the flow.

There is no lunch on his trip - pack a sandwich from the ship. He'll give you fruit on his motu.

On the Rotterdam this December we docked at Raiatea. We had prearranged by email for 22 of us to take his tour at $65 each. Mata's two boats take 18 and 12. We had to find him in the Gare Maritime, the cruise terminal. He had a poster up describing his tour with cost and of course had to fill his boats. Everything was very crowded and confused with getting off the ship, finding him and keeping our group together. To our dismay we realized he didn't know who we were and other Rotterdam passengers were trying to buy our places for the tour. One fellow passenger was incredibly rude to me, pushing in to get a place and ignoring my protests that we'd booked weeks before.

So you need $ cash to pay and to get off the ship as soon as possible. He was in the main building, to the left end as you face the land.

Also it was somewhat confusing and crowded following him when he was ready for the 200 yard walk out the terminal and along to his boats. After that it was a wonderful day. We went around the west side of Tahaa, swam with rays, visited a pearl farm for a demonstration and purchases, swam with and fed sharks, landed on an island with views of Bora Bora and had fruit and juice and toilets, landed to look at vanilla beans growing. His boats have powerful motors and go fast so we got right away from other tourists. He will play his ukelele.

The negative is that his English isn't perfect and both the English and French explanations at the pearl farm were hard to understand.

On the Rotterdam this December we docked at Raiatea. We had prearranged by email for 22 of us to take his tour at $65 each. Mata's two boats take 18 and 12. We had to find him in the Gare Maritime, the cruise terminal. He had a poster up describing his tour with cost and of course had to fill his boats. Everything was very crowded and confused with getting off the ship, finding him and keeping our group together. To our dismay we realized he didn't know who we were and other Rotterdam passengers were trying to buy our places for the tour. One fellow passenger was incredibly rude to me, pushing in to get a place and ignoring my protests that we'd booked weeks before.

So you need $ cash to pay and to get off the ship as soon as possible. He was in the main building, to the left end as you face the land.

Also it was somewhat confusing and crowded following him when he was ready for the 200 yard walk out the terminal and along to his boats. After that it was a wonderful day. We went around the west side of Tahaa, swam with rays, visited a pearl farm for a demonstration and purchases, swam with and fed sharks, landed on an island with views of Bora Bora and had fruit and juice and toilets, landed to look at vanilla beans growing. His boats have powerful motors and go fast so we got right away from other tourists. He will play his ukelele.

The negative is that his English isn't perfect and both the English and French explanations at the pearl farm were hard to understand.

Did you snorkel at the Coral Gardens (off Tahaa)?

That was the best part of his tour 6 years ago but no one seems to mention it now. It's a drift snorkel through a pass where there is a TON of coral and fish.

Did you snorkel at the Coral Gardens (off Tahaa)?

That was the best part of his tour 6 years ago but no one seems to mention it now. It's a drift snorkel through a pass where there is a TON of coral and fish.

We recently did the coral gardens snorkel in Tahaa with Bruno's L'excursion Bleue. It was the best snorkel of our trip. I have mentioned it in a few of my post trip comments on various threads. Also have some photos and video on my shutterfly page (link in my signature).

Nice Photos! I don't know where the "coral gardens" are located beside Tahaa. We went by the thatched roof hotel and stopped at the nearby motu where you can see Bora Bora, as in your picture. We also stopped at an area about 4 feet deep with coral where we fed sharks.

Nice Photos! I don't know where the "coral gardens" are located beside Tahaa. We went by the thatched roof hotel and stopped at the nearby motu where you can see Bora Bora, as in your picture. We also stopped at an area about 4 feet deep with coral where we fed sharks.

Bruno stops on the West side of Tahaa in the Coral Gardens. This link to his website and map shows the area as stop number 4 (He actually did the order in reverse the day we were with him). We didn't see any sharks in the coral garden but certainly lots of fish and colourful coral.

http://www.tahaa.net/?p=32

Bruno stops on the West side of Tahaa in the Coral Gardens. This link to his website and map shows the area as stop number 4 (He actually did the order in reverse the day we were with him). We didn't see any sharks in the coral garden but certainly lots of fish and colourful coral.

 

http://www.tahaa.net/?p=32

Information for anyone else visiting: Mata tours took us from the start to the region #4 on the map in the link. The pearl farm, swimming with rays, shark feeding and tasting of fruit and juice on an island were all on this west side of Taha'a. We didn't go all the way around. The vanilla farm was also on the west side. The island where we landed was just north of the Le Taha'a Private island and Spa resort. Frommer's guidebook has a map.

Information for anyone else visiting: Mata tours took us from the start to the region #4 on the map in the link. The pearl farm, swimming with rays, shark feeding and tasting of fruit and juice on an island were all on this west side of Taha'a. We didn't go all the way around. The vanilla farm was also on the west side. The island where we landed was just north of the Le Taha'a Private island and Spa resort. Frommer's guidebook has a map.

That's exactly where the drift snorkel is! I remember the resort being directly in front of us (probably north) as we did the snorkel. Wonder why he doesn't do the snorkel anymore? I think I may just email him and ask instead of trying to figure it out.

We are still trying to get our excursions figured out. Have sent several email and have gotten no responses from anyone yet...sort of feels like sending mail off into cyberspace and wonder where it is going. :confused:

Saw info on the posts about Stephan/Mata Tours, so plan to email him next for possibly Bora Bora or Raiatea.

No email back from Marc about Huahine, Emailed TeReva regarding the Blue Lagoon tour in Rangiroa but have gotten no response either...from the other posts we now know we probably won't hear from Patrick, as we see he is booked and has a wait list...also emailed regarding the Moana Laoon tour in Moorea. We don't usually book many ship tours as we find them crowded, but researching this area and waiting for responses back has been a tad frustrating. Thanks for all for the help from Ginny's web site...it was very informative and gave us options we did not know about.

If anyone has any other suggestions, we'd love to hear from you. We're planners and like to know what we are doing ahead of time...and after waiting a lifetime to get to Tahiti, we hope we can get on some good tours and will not be disappointed. Our travel agent told us there are always many things available once we get into each island, but we like to pre-plan. Have also read some of the stories of people who did reerve spots for some tours but still ran into trouble with names not being on 'lists' etc., once they get there. Thanks again for everyone's info...

M:)

We are still trying to get our excursions figured out. Have sent several email and have gotten no responses from anyone yet...sort of feels like sending mail off into cyberspace and wonder where it is going. :confused:

Saw info on the posts about Stephan/Mata Tours, so plan to email him next for possibly Bora Bora or Raiatea.

No email back from Marc about Huahine, Emailed TeReva regarding the Blue Lagoon tour in Rangiroa but have gotten no response either...from the other posts we now know we probably won't hear from Patrick, as we see he is booked and has a wait list...also emailed regarding the Moana Laoon tour in Moorea. We don't usually book many ship tours as we find them crowded, but researching this area and waiting for responses back has been a tad frustrating. Thanks for all for the help from Ginny's web site...it was very informative and gave us options we did not know about.

If anyone has any other suggestions, we'd love to hear from you. We're planners and like to know what we are doing ahead of time...and after waiting a lifetime to get to Tahiti, we hope we can get on some good tours and will not be disappointed. Our travel agent told us there are always many things available once we get into each island, but we like to pre-plan. Have also read some of the stories of people who did reerve spots for some tours but still ran into trouble with names not being on 'lists' etc., once they get there. Thanks again for everyone's info...

M:)

If it's been a couple of days try emailing everyone again. Internet service is spotty in the South Pacific. Also, we'll be on the cruise before you (doing a B2B) so can tell Stephan your dates. That cruise doesn't go to Rangiroa or Huahine so can't help there. Make sure you put your date in the title of the email.

Joycelyn of the tours in Nuhu Hiva told us internet is expensive and slow. She said it is hard and expensive to load web pages. So think of it as like the ship's satellite connection. As they are on islands I guess their internet must be by satellite too.

Mata Tours has responded within two days on our emails regarding their Raiatea and Bora Bora snorkeling excursions. We have booked them for a Royal Princess CC group on Mar 9, 2011.

Mata Tours has responded within two days on our emails regarding their Raiatea and Bora Bora snorkeling excursions. We have booked them for a Royal Princess CC group on Mar 9, 2011.

Hi Ray and Marcie, what is the price of the tour and also how long is it for and where does it go.

we are doing the Dawn Princess Syd-Hawaii-Syd cruise in April-May this year.

thanks

Ross