A true bucket-list destination, The Islands of Tahiti are a string of 118 palm-covered islands offering an idyllic tropical paradise quite unlike anywhere else in the world. Travel Specialist Georgia recently returned from an extensive research trip around the Society and Tuamotu Islands and is now bursting with first-hand knowledge and ready to share her expertise to create truly sensational holidays and honeymoons to Tahiti. We caught up with Georgia to hear all about her wonderful island-hopping adventure and top Tahiti travel tips. Check out the full guide below!
How to fly to Tahiti from the UK?
It takes around 24 hours to reach The Islands of Tahiti. Whilst it is a long time, it’s certainly worth the journey. We believe the best route is to travel from London to Los Angeles, which is around 11 hours, then from LA to Tahiti which takes an additional 8 hours – our carrier of choice is always Air Tahiti Nui, the nation’s fantastic airline. From there you will either need to hop on a catamaran or smaller domestic flight to reach your island of choice! Break the journey in LA and spend a night or two exploring beautiful beachside Santa Monica, or rub shoulders with the stars and venture into Hollywood!
Which islands did you visit?
We were lucky enough to visit Moorea, Taha’a, Tetiaroa and Bora Bora – known as the Society Islands – as well as Rangiroa, which is part of the Tuamotu Islands. Getting around the islands is easy and stress-free. A regular catamaran schedule runs throughout the day between Papeete and nearby Moorea… the crossing is only 30-minuites and it’s a fabulous way to arrive in paradise and blow the cobwebs away after a long flight from the UK. Most flights land into Papeete (the country’s capital and international gateway to the islands) early in the morning, so heading straight for the ferry terminal gets you into the fresh Polynesian air shortly after landing! The local airline, Air Tahiti, has a brilliant network of regular flights connecting the islands, so you don’t have to return to Papeete each time when you’re island hopping!
Did you have a favourite island, which Tahiti Island is best to visit and why?
It’s nearly impossible to for me to choose a favourite Tahiti island, however Moorea definitely has a special place in my heart. I always love getting out of the resort at some point to get a good feel of the local culture and island life, and go for a hike or cycle… and this is certainly the place to do it! From picking and eating ripe pineapples straight from the plant, to visiting Magic Mountain with the best views of the island, there’s plenty of things to do to fulfil your adventurous side on the island of Moorea.
How long would you recommend spending in the islands?
On an island-hopping holiday, most of the islands are perfect for a 3 or 4 night stay, except Bora Bora. The resorts in Bora Bora are ideal for longer stays and you could easily enjoy 5 or more nights to make the most of what the resorts have to offer. Following a few days exploring Moorea, perhaps hop over to Taha’a for a few nights and visit a Pearl farm or vanilla plantation – both famous in this part of the world! It’s ideal to take a few days in Bora Bora to simply relax and enjoy your surroundings… it’s also the more luxurious side to French Polynesia, so I recommend saving it until last.
Which activities and excursions did you do in Moorea & Bora Bora?
We enjoyed some excellent activities and excursions, including a 4×4 nature safari tour in Moorea, exploring historical monuments and incredible viewpoints with an amazing guide. Another must-do activity is a snorkelling lagoon tour in Bora Bora. We toured around the island and visited the best places to spot manta rays & eagle rays, and we were lucky enough to see both, a truly breathtaking experience!
Describe one of the most memorable moments of your trip
The most memorable moment has to be experiencing the newly hatched turtle release at The Brando, an exclusive private island on the atoll of Tetiaroa, a 20-minute light aircraft flight north of Papeete. The resort team had informed us the night before that they believed the turtles would hatch around sunrise the next day and offered us a wake-up call. To our delight, they hatched as expected and we had the pleasure of watching them make their way into the ocean. There were around 100 baby turtles and although it’s saddening to hear the very low probability of reaching adulthood and surviving their tough surroundings, it was very emotional to see such an incredible part of nature before our eyes as the sun rose. A memory to last a lifetime! Fun fact – turtles remember where they hatched and find their way home to have their own babies when the time comes… how amazing is that!
To speak to Georgia or our team of Tahiti specialists, please get in touch today for a no obligation quote. All our itineraries are bespoke, tailored to your preferences, and packed full of expert knowledge, advice and local recommendations.
