We spent a glorious 8 days in French Polynesia in the Spring of 2022. This trip was originally planned for August 2020, but we all know what happened then. We are so glad we didn’t completely cancel the trip, but postponed it instead because French Polynesia, specifically the island of Mo’orea, quickly became one of our favorite destinations ever!
A lot of people who visit French Polynesia go to islands like Bora Bora, but we chose to go to the small heart-shaped island of Mo’orea instead after doing some research on the different islands. We basically wanted somewhere we didn’t have to take an additional flight into, and you can get to Mo’orea by ferry, making it super accessible.
Getting There
Getting to French Polynesia from the West Coast of the United States is very easy! For us, flying from San Francisco, it was about a 7-hour flight to Papeete Airport in the island of Tahiti. Plane tickets were surprisingly affordable for such a sought-after destination. You can actually get tickets using points for about 50,000 points round trip too!
After arriving into Papeete airport, we picked up our rental car from Avis, and then spent a night in Tahiti at the Fare Suisse guesthouse. This guesthouse worked great for our family, and we especially loved their breakfast, which is included. After breakfast we drove to the port to catch our ferry.
At the port, the kids and I boarded the ferry on foot, and Joe had to drive the car onto the ferry. Thank goodness we rented a small vehicle because parking on the ferry left no room for error! We booked our ferry tickets ahead of time to ensure There would be space for our car. Apparently there’s a more local ferry that doesn’t quite fill up, but we just wanted to be safe.
The thirty minute ferry ride to Mo’orea was pretty smooth and we enjoyed it. It was so special seeing the island and its dramatic scenery as we approached it! On the way back to Tahiti, we all felt a bit seasick as the waves were bigger, or perhaps the ride back is just choppier. Whatever it was, we all had to sit out on the deck and take some deep breathes!
Getting Around
Getting Around the island of Mo’orea is easy, and you will definitely need a car if you want to explore. Our small car was perfect, and we didn’t encounter any roads we couldn’t drive on. Driving the perimeter of the island takes about an hour and a half, making it super easy to get anywhere on the island! Plus, the views are spectacular when you are on the road!
Where We Stayed
We stayed at a lovely water front traditional bungalow in Te’avaro. Our bungalow had a lovely outside area, and there was a grill available for us to use at any time. There were a total of 4 bungalows on the property, and we all shared a dock and could borrow kayaks and SUPs. Our hostess was a lovely French Polynesian woman who made us feel right at home! We have plans to go back to Mo’orea in the future, and we will certainly stay at her bungalows again!
What We Did
Beaches
Mo’orea has a lot of gorgeous beaches, but not all of them are open to the public, like the ones in front of resorts. But that is not an issue at all because the island has some stunningly beautiful public beaches that are perfect for relaxing, and with amazing snorkeling right off the shore. All public beaches on the island have ample free parking, bathrooms, and showers to rinse off after your day at the beach.
These are the three public beaches in Mo’orea:
- Temae Beach: This was the first beach we visited and we thought it was beautiful! We stopped here after we arrived in Mo’orea while we waited for our bungalow to be ready for us to check into. The beach is large and the snorkeling was good. There are some palm trees that provide some shade, but there were also some ants, so be careful with food if you bring any.
- Ta’ahiamanu Beach: This was our personal favorite because it was sandy and had lots of shade. We visited this beach the most! The backdrop was simply stunning. The jagged mountains in the background really made you feel like you were in a pacific island in the middle of nowhere. Just beautiful!
- Tiahura beach: The beach itself is quite small, but there’s a large green space behind it. We found the best snorkeling at this beach, and the calm water was perfect for kids. At this beach we saw the biggest ray we’ve ever seen, and we thought the coral was the best there too.
Belvedere Overlook
This overlook offers incredibly views of Opunohu Bay, Rorui Hill and Cook Bay. The lookout is truly a great place to admire the rugged terrain of the island, and also a good place to go for a hike and learn more about the history of Mo’orea..
Once you reach the lookout, there are several trailheads you can take. We started on one, but only went out for a half mile. It was fun to see the very unique trees and flowers, and the trail was nice. We turned around because we all decided we’d rather be back at the beach snorkeling instead of hiking! On the way up or down from the lookout, keep an eye out for some archeological sites. We stopped at all of them and really enjoyed learning more about Polynesian culture and history there. There were also lots of chickens and roosters roaming around, which made it extra fun for the kids!
Day Trip: Captain Taina Adventure
While in Mo’orea we spent a full day doing a private boat tour with Captain Taina. We reached out to them to ask about a private tour and figure out the details. We definitely splurged on this day trip, but it was so worth it! The boat driver and the tour guide were the nicest people we could’ve asked for. They were kind to our kids, and they were very knowledgeable about the island’s history, geography, and wildlife.
During our day trip we stopped at several different spots for snorkeling, and we got to see an incredible amount of sea creatures such as rays, sharks, a lot of different fish, and sea turtles! A highlight was going past the reef and finding a spot where we actually swam with a dozen black-tip reef sharks! We will never forget that moment!
For lunch we went to a small private island where we watched Captain Taina’s staff prepare the best poisson cru we had in the entire trip! After lunch, we walked around the tiny island and our guide showed us a couple of Moray eels hanging out by the rocks!
This day trip was definitely a highlight of our time in Mo’orea, and we recommend Captain Taina to anyone visiting Mo’orea!
Food In Mo’orea
This is some useful information to know before visiting the island:
- Lunch time in Mo’orea is called “snack”, and it runs from 10:30-2:30.
- The national dish is called Poisson Cru (raw fish), and it’s delicious! It is basically raw tuna chunks cooked in line juice, coconut milk, and served mixed with tomatoes, grated carrots and cucumbers. Our entire family loved it!
- Because of the French influence, you can find baguettes and espressos pretty much anywhere. In fact, a common meal is a baguette sandwich that is quite delicious!
- Food portions are big. We usually ordered between two and three plates and it was more than enough for our family of 4. Also, if you are on a budget, try the roads stalls for food. The food there was delicious and super affordable!
Back In Tahiti
After we took the ferry back to Tahiti, we had a full day in front of us before catching our flight at 10pm, so we used the time to explore Papeete. Here’s what we did during that time:
- We visited the Museum of Tahiti and The Islands, and learned a lot about Polynesian culture and what great seafarers they were.
- Went shopping by the port, near the Municipal Market. Unfortunately, we were there during Easter weekend so most businesses were closed.
- Ate dinner at Place Vai’ete, a waterfront park and gathering place popular for its food trucks in the evening. Food was delicious and portions were huge!
After dinner we drove to the airport. Be warned that the Papeete airport doesn’t have AC, so we prepared to sweat! If you are traveling with little ones, there’s a soft play area on the second level, which looked super nice!
Final Thoughts
Like I said before, our family absolutely loved our time in Mo’orea. I think this is a way superior alternative to Hawaii if you are flying from the United States. People think of French Polynesia as an expensive destination, but with careful planning, you can actually vacation there for less than you would spend for a holiday in Hawaii. In addition, the food was amazing, the scenery stunning, the whole island felt very accessible, people were friendly, and there were espressos readily available everywhere! Can’t wait to go back! Māuruuru Mo’orea!
To learn more about our other travels, visit this page.
