A tropical paradise with French influence, a short flight from Papeete had us landing on island number two of our honeymoon – Moorea! The adventure island of Tahiti, we hired the iconic Roadster and explored the best this rugged island had to offer. We visited stunning view points like Cook’s Bay, Belvedere Lookout, Toatea View Point for whale watching and those stunning views across the Sofitel overwater bungalows, the pineapple plantation for a tour and a Tahitian rum tasting at the distillery. Wasn’t long and we were hanging for a swim! But keep in mind that not all beaches are public and you can’t just swim off the coast like you might think on an island. After stopping at a fruit stand on the side of the road to grab some locally grown delights, we found ourselves a public beach lined with palm trees and a beautiful coral reef.
Above: Toatea View Point looking over the Sofitel Resort
☼ The Intercontinental Resort & Spa, Moorea ☼
Up there with the most luxurious resorts we have ever stayed, the Intercontinental Resort & Spa Moorea was absolute paradise and an adventure in itself. You’ll find the Te Mana O Te Moana turtle centre (the resorts very own sea turtle rescue sanctuary), a dolphin centre where you can swim with the resident dolphins or just choose to watch them swim in awe and natural aquariums that you can explore via kayak, paddle board or snorkel. Other activities include getting pampered at the day spa, relaxing by the pool and beach, bars and themed island nights and fire shows all within the resort.
Whilst the resort does have overwater bungalows, we opted for the junior pool bungalow suite where your own plunge pool was set in the most luscious garden surrounds. Unless you really want to go all out, I personally recommend saving that overwater bungalow experience for the island that really knows how to do it right – Bora Bora! We sure did save the best until last.
ONLY HAPPY WHEN I TRAVEL 