A Once in a Lifetime Trip to French Polynesia
French Polynesia can be a place of adventure or a place of pure unforgettable slothy relaxation. We decide to do a bit of both with stays in Papeete on the main island of Tahiti, a stay at the Hilton Moorea and finally capped it off with a stay at the Conrad Bora Bora. First off, this was totally a bucket list trip that we had been planning for 4 years…Thank God Covid restrictions lifted in time for our trip! Our itinerary was just the right mix of relaxation and adventure with my best friend from college and his wife.
I highly recommend going to French Polynesia during the fringe season of March. As an example, our room at the Conrad Bora Bora was $1,500 per night in early March. In April the rate for the same room is around #3,500 per night.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Atlanta to LAX to Papeete, FP (16-hour trip from the east coast)
Day 2: Ferry from Tahiti to Moorea and check-in to the Hilton Moorea (we had to spend the night in Papeete due to a flight delay…will explain later)
Day 3: Scuba diving for me and spa treatments for the rest
Day 4: Car rental and drive around the full island
Day 5: A day enjoying the resort
Day 6: Depart Moorea via ferry back to Papeete and fly to Bora Bora. Check into the Conrad Bora Bora
Day 7: A day enjoying the overwater bungalow
Day 8: Scuba diving for me, relaxing around the resort for the crew
Day 9: Manta ray tour
Day 10: Spa treatments for all and relaxing at the bungalows
Day 11: Flight back to Papeete and check into the Hilton Tahiti for one night
Day 12: Return home
Day 1
Nothing much to report other than it’s a long flight, and we had a medical emergency onboard our flight from Atlanta to LAX and missed our connection to Tahiti. We had to overnight in LA but still arrived the same day but, in the evening. This meant that we missed the last ferry to Moorea and did an overnight at the Hilton Tahiti. The Hilton Moorea was awesome and did not charge us for the night we missed in our overwater bungalow! Something to note is that Delta now flies direct from LAX, so no more connecting to Air France if you’re a Delta person like me.
Day 2
We checked into our overwater bungalow. Be sure to ask for one at the end of the plank if available so that you’ll have more privacy. We spent this day just taking it all in and didn’t leave the bungalow…also because our suitcases didn’t make it, so we only had the clothes we flew in and the swimming gear we brought in our carry-on bags.
Day 3
I went diving while the others stayed on the resort and did spa treatments and just hung out until I got back from the most amazing dive with sea turtles!
Day 4
We found that it was very easy to rent a car and drive around the full island. If you were to drive straight around the island without stopping, it would take about 90 minutes. A good half day thing to do with ample time to stop and take in the sights. There are many places to stop along the way such as Cook’s Bay and Belvedere Lookout for an amazing view. There are also places to stop for food around the island. We found the most amazing roadside pizza joint called Allo Pizza, and we highly recommend it!
Day 5
We just spent the day enjoying our overwater bungalows
Day 6
We departed Moorea via ferry, took a taxi back to the airport and flew Air Tahiti (not to be confused with Air Tahiti Nui) to Bora Bora. We were picked up via the Conrad Bora Bora water-taxi (the only way to get to hotels from the airport and it’s quite pricey). Everything from the pick-up to the check-in was simply amazing!
Day 7
We spent the day enjoying our overwater bungalows.
Day 8
This was the most fun and adventurous day I had on Bora Bora as I went diving with manta rays and black tip reef sharks. The diver shop, Bora Diving Center was amazing. They pick you up right at the dock and have top notch free equipment rental. This saved me from having to travel with my own gear. See the video below. The rest of the crew spent the day lounging around the resort.
Day 9
After seeing my photos of the manta rays swimming right over my head, the crew talked me into not going diving again and taking in the manta snorkeling tour instead. While I preferred the diving, this tour is a must-do as you learn so much from the wildlife biologist guide. We even found a huge group of spotted eagle rays to top off the mantas we saw. I must say that looking at the mantas from above was also a very cool view that we don’t usually see when diving.
Day 10
This was a day of spa treatments for all, and I highly recommend going up to see the view from the spa even if you decide you don’t want a treatment. It’s breathtaking!
Day 11
We sadly departed Bora Bora and flew back to Papeete to spend the night at the Hilton Tahiti to catch our Day 12 flight home. The Hilton Tahiti is newly renovated and the perfect place to stay if you have to layover before hitting the other islands or if you want to see some of the main island of Tahiti. Our flight home was delayed by about 14 hours, so the hotel gave us a late checkout of 7 PM! We rented a car and drove around the full island of Tahiti (takes about 2 hours to drive straight and stop at a waterfall).
Day 12
We flew home. ☹
For more beachy trip ideas, make sure you read:
An Amazing Trip to Oahau, Hawaii With Tips from a Former Resident
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