IC Tahiti or Manava : Help/advice/Opinion

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Oh right, you're not staying at the Manava Moorea, silly me. Sorry. But you do have a car, so if you're on that end of the island, it's still a nice place to eat.

 

I concur with Snack Mahana. Small place, very small, but good.

 

The restaurants at Les Tipaniers are both very good too. The lunch place is down by the beach, very nice.

[DavidTheWonderer]

The restaurants at Les Tipaniers are both very good too. The lunch place is down by the beach, very nice.

 

The main restaurant there is very popular with the locals, and especially on weekends can get pretty full. A reservation wouldn't be a a bad idea on weekends.

 

Snack Mahana is where I discovered Hinano amber beer, which some in another thread have said they really like.

Edited September 15, 2016 by DavidTheWonderer

[DavidTheWonderer]

Josee, if you're at the Manava for a week, there's a fun place to eat lunch out on the road not far away. It's near some pearl stores, etc. I'll see if I can find the name...Snack Chez Didier.

 

I believe the fellow in the photograph wearing a dark blue shirt and blue jeans is me. The shirt is my Hinano shirt, which I bought a few years before at the Hinano merch. store in Papete.

Edited September 15, 2016 by DavidTheWonderer

[barbeaujo]

How did you book the Legends resort? From what I understand it's no longer a "resort" but rents out villas through Airbnb and VRBO.

 

 

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Thank you for snack info. As far as resting, we went with VRBO. The only thing different from when it was managed as a " hotel/resort " is that there is no more reception desk ( you get a code to access gated community, and someone waits for you to great you directly at villa ) , and no more shuttle to the motu, but they gave us a reference that cost $8 to go. Pool , gym & tennis court are still there.

Edited September 15, 2016 by barbeaujo

[barbeaujo]

Oh right, you're not staying at the Manava Moorea, silly me. Sorry. But you do have a car, so if you're on that end of the island, it's still a nice place to eat.

 

I concur with Snack Mahana. Small place, very small, but good.

 

The restaurants at Les Tipaniers are both very good too. The lunch place is down by the beach, very nice.

 

Hello Wendy .. i had doubts with going to Les Tipaniers... Didn't now if it was a secure area/place. We will go try lunch there then. We were refer there also for boat tours.

[barbeaujo]

I believe the fellow in the photograph wearing a dark blue shirt and blue jeans is me. The shirt is my Hinano shirt, which I bought a few years before at the Hinano merch. store in Papete.

 

LOL.. that is funny !! Small world ..

 

As for restaurant, We will make reservation if we go on week ends. Thank for the tip, and dont loose that shirt :cool:

 

*** edited *** wait a minute ... not such a coincidence i now think , lol. I am pretty sure she can take picture of you anytime mister " wonderer " . ( had not realised at first the same name/location.

Edited September 15, 2016 by barbeaujo

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hello Wendy .. i had doubts with going to Les Tipaniers... Didn't now if it was a secure area/place. We will go try lunch there then. We were refer there also for boat tours.

 

Secure? Not sure what you were thinking in that regard. It's a great place, and when we go back to Moorea next year we'll no doubt stay there again--loved it. Nice little beach, okay snorkeling from shore, nothing special, but it's a beach! Past the hotel on the main road is Le Petit Village where there's a grocery store and other shops.

[barbeaujo]

Perfect thanks ! We will go for sure then .

 

 

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[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hello Wendy .. i had doubts with going to Les Tipaniers... Didn't now if it was a secure area/place. We will go try lunch there then. We were refer there also for boat tours.

 

There's also a water sports outfit right next door on the beach. Think sailboards, etc. Called Tip Nautique.

 

Can't believe I posted that picture without noticing that David was in it! Good poisson cru, good sandwiches.

Edited September 16, 2016 by Wendy The Wanderer

[sammyboots]

We just returned from our trip a couple of weeks ago and stayed at the Manava suites in Tahiti. We had their ocean view suite which was very spacious and really lovely with a separate bedroom, living room area and kitchen. Last time we stayed at the IC in Tahiti, and I know lots of folk on here like it, but we weren't impressed. Our room wasn't great, mold around the tiles in the bathroom, cracked tiles and a cracked wash basin. It looked like they were doing some upgrades on other rooms so maybe they have improved now. We also weren't keen on the transient feel of the hotel. We have stayed at the Hilton and the IC on Moorea, both of which we loved. We have also bought day passes at the IC on Bora Bora on three separate occasions and loved it. We are just not fans of the IC Tahiti. I wouldn't say the Manava suites has a wow feel to it in general but it has got a huge and quite frankly, the best infinity pool we have seen. We were very happy with our stay there and I'd recommend it.:)

[Emdee]

We just returned from our trip a couple of weeks ago and stayed at the Manava suites in Tahiti. We had their ocean view suite which was very spacious and really lovely with a separate bedroom, living room area and kitchen. Last time we stayed at the IC in Tahiti, and I know lots of folk on here like it, but we weren't impressed. Our room wasn't great, mold around the tiles in the bathroom, cracked tiles and a cracked wash basin. It looked like they were doing some upgrades on other rooms so maybe they have improved now. We also weren't keen on the transient feel of the hotel. We have stayed at the Hilton and the IC on Moorea, both of which we loved. We have also bought day passes at the IC on Bora Bora on three separate occasions and loved it. We are just not fans of the IC Tahiti. I wouldn't say the Manava suites has a wow feel to it in general but it has got a huge and quite frankly, the best infinity pool we have seen. We were very happy with our stay there and I'd recommend it.:)

 

Good to know for the future.

[barbeaujo]

We just returned from our trip a couple of weeks ago and stayed at the Manava suites in Tahiti. We had their ocean view suite which was very spacious and really lovely with a separate bedroom, living room area and kitchen. Last time we stayed at the IC in Tahiti, and I know lots of folk on here like it, but we weren't impressed. Our room wasn't great, mold around the tiles in the bathroom, cracked tiles and a cracked wash basin. It looked like they were doing some upgrades on other rooms so maybe they have improved now. We also weren't keen on the transient feel of the hotel. We have stayed at the Hilton and the IC on Moorea, both of which we loved. We have also bought day passes at the IC on Bora Bora on three separate occasions and loved it. We are just not fans of the IC Tahiti. I wouldn't say the Manava suites has a wow feel to it in general but it has got a huge and quite frankly, the best infinity pool we have seen. We were very happy with our stay there and I'd recommend it.:)

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to write. We will go check it our for sure . As far as your Bora Bora experience, we will be 2 days there. One of them i wanted to go try PG special beach , which we didn't go last time ( First i read about this beach was a few week ago, didn't know they had such 5 years ago) . For the other day , i would try to get day passes at the IC as you did. Did you had to call it to get those or is it doable via internet ? As far as prices, do you think it will it be cheaper to get a room for 1 night since we are 4 ? We could use it after the PG beaches, maybe even sleep there, enjoy it the next morning, and with our Ambassador club, we could get late check out ... But if day passes are cheaper, i would go with a day pass for sure.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Well it's nice to hear that the Manava Suites on Tahiti is nice. I would definitely consider staying there if we had to stay over on that island. I'm almost positive that that location is where the old Sofitel used to be, which I think became a Hilton at one time. I could be wrong, but hotels tend to moulder and decay and return to the earth there, so the turnover is rather rapid.

 

We were very happy at Le Meridien last time (2014). It's a little farther from the airport, so a more expensive cab ride. We had a very nice room, and they have a nice pool (not an infinity pool, but large with sand at one end), and a small beach (nothing like the beaches on the east side of the island). I snorkeled a bit off the beach--not much to see, but I was just happy to be back in the water.

 

I've never been a fan of the IC Tahiti, although I admit we haven't been there in a number of years, and I believe the company has done many upgrades in recent years.

[DavidTheWonderer]

Well it's nice to hear that the Manava Suites on Tahiti is nice. I would definitely consider staying there if we had to stay over on that island.

 

I'm not trying to change anybody's mind here about staying in Papeete: that seems pretty well settled. But for the newcomers ...

 

Consider Moorea instead of staying in Tahiti. The taxi from the airport to the ferry dock is about the same distance and fare as to one of the hotels in Papeete, depending on which hotel. The ferry is frequent and cheap. The hotel will pick you up in Moorea from the ferry dock. Or, as many including me have recommended, rent a car: they'll pick you up too.

 

Getting back is similarly easy, and you can walk from where the ferry docks in Papeete to where the PG is moored in about 3 - 5 minutes.

[sammyboots]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write. We will go check it our for sure . As far as your Bora Bora experience, we will be 2 days there. One of them i wanted to go try PG special beach , which we didn't go last time ( First i read about this beach was a few week ago, didn't know they had such 5 years ago) . For the other day , i would try to get day passes at the IC as you did. Did you had to call it to get those or is it doable via internet ? As far as prices, do you think it will it be cheaper to get a room for 1 night since we are 4 ? We could use it after the PG beaches, maybe even sleep there, enjoy it the next morning, and with our Ambassador club, we could get late check out ... But if day passes are cheaper, i would go with a day pass for sure.

 

Day passes at the IC Le Moana are around $65 per person which includes a two course lunch. I would say it would be cheaper to buy day passes than to get a room as I'm not sure whether you'd need a suite for a larger occupancy? I would email the hotel direct or ring them and check on the room availability and charges. We just turned up on the day for the day pass and that was fine although we have emailed to book in the past and they don't take payment until you arrive. It is particularly good for snorkelling, some of the best we have seen as they have a coral garden that they have put near to the OWBs on the left hand side! ;)

[sammyboots]

I'm not trying to change anybody's mind here about staying in Papeete: that seems pretty well settled. But for the newcomers ...

 

Consider Moorea instead of staying in Tahiti. The taxi from the airport to the ferry dock is about the same distance and fare as to one of the hotels in Papeete, depending on which hotel. The ferry is frequent and cheap. The hotel will pick you up in Moorea from the ferry dock. Or, as many including me have recommended, rent a car: they'll pick you up too.

 

Getting back is similarly easy, and you can walk from where the ferry docks in Papeete to where the PG is moored in about 3 - 5 minutes.

 

I agree, I would always go to Moorea when possible rather than stay in Tahiti. We normally just do the last night before our flight home there as it's a 7.35am flight, too early to come from Moorea.

[barbeaujo]

I agree, I would always go to Moorea when possible rather than stay in Tahiti. We normally just do the last night before our flight home there as it's a 7.35am flight, too early to come from Moorea.

 

Thank you for your input. I did consider it, but .. too chicken to do it. I have to many " what if " .. ( something wrong with dock in Moorea, ferry cant leave, strike, etc etc ) . If Moorea would have been our first cruise stop , i would probably have chanced it. But since Moorea will be the verry last stop of this 11 night cruise.. too stressfull for me, and rather take pre cruise stay in Tahiti.

 

But i so agree with everyone, that Moorea is a lot more what we are looking for for this remote paradise region then Tahiti is. I saw last night on a map a McDonalds close to the IC in tahiti .. made me laugh ( or cry a little :cool: )

[barbeaujo]

Day passes at the IC Le Moana are around $65 per person which includes a two course lunch. I would say it would be cheaper to buy day passes than to get a room as I'm not sure whether you'd need a suite for a larger occupancy? I would email the hotel direct or ring them and check on the room availability and charges. We just turned up on the day for the day pass and that was fine although we have emailed to book in the past and they don't take payment until you arrive. It is particularly good for snorkelling, some of the best we have seen as they have a coral garden that they have put near to the OWBs on the left hand side! ;)

 

THANK YOU !!!!I will try to call then. Like the lunch option. I emailed a few hotels last week with no answer back. Hilton replied this morning saying their hotel was shut down completely dus to renovation, and that i should email them back in January for precise information on those.

Edited September 20, 2016 by barbeaujo
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[Wendy The Wanderer]

.... I saw last night on a map a McDonalds close to the IC in tahiti .. made me laugh ( or cry a little :cool: )

 

I wonder what, if any, nod to Tahitian cuisine they have made? Poisson cru sandwich? Mahi-mahi burger? :)

[barbeaujo]

I wonder what, if any, nod to Tahitian cuisine they have made? Poisson cru sandwich? Mahi-mahi burger? :)

 

:D:D LOL ... Well , after seeing a breakfast adverstissement in Hawaii from them , serving eggs, rice with of course a side of Spam ..... Who knows what waits for us there :eek:

[twin123185]

The McDonalds is downtown. I have never seen one close to the IC. I have walked 30 minutes in each direction leaving the IC.

 

 

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[Emdee]

Actually MacDonalds adjusts its food for the local palate. I have seen Horiatiki in Greece, the maharaja lamb burger in India etc etc. From what I heard only the fillet of fish is the same all over the world.

Edited September 20, 2016 by Emdee

[twin123185]

Actually MacDonalds adjusts its food for the local palate. I have seen Horiatiki in Greece, the maharaja lamb burger in India etc etc. From what I heard only the fillet of fish is the same all over the world.

 

 

The ones I have eaten in (a long time ago!) in England, Holland, France, Italy, etc. all had Big Macs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers. Fries too.

 

 

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[Emdee]

The ones I have eaten in (a long time ago!) in England, Holland, France, Italy, etc. all had Big Macs, hamburgers and cheeseburgers. Fries too.

 

 

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Yes, but in France they have mayonnaise with their fries. I cannot recall what it was but when we were in Porto last month we visited the MacDonalds to see the heritage building with huge chandeliers and saw a couple of different items on the menu there too. Wasn't buying so really didn't pay too much attention.

 

Also the recipes are slightly adjusted. Used to work with someone on this account many years ago and was told this by the company. Your ketchup is sweeter than ours in Canada. For years we didn't have the breakfast sandwich with a biscuit only an English muffin in Canada.

 

When DD was 7 she used to visit a Macs in every country on every trip. I think one year she visited a macs in 5 continents!

[Cruisedreamer1]

There are 2 locations. One is downtown and the other is closer to the Radisson/Pearl hotel. It's a very healthy walk from this hotel.

 

We purchased baguette sandwiches from the Carrefour supermarket near the IC while staying there and found them much better than the McD's food.