Tahiti: Overwater Bungalow Bliss

by Lisa Spiller, Luxury Travel Advisor affiliated with Preferred Travel & Company. Contact Lisa: Lisa@PreferredNaples.com

Staying overnight in an overwater bungalow in the islands of Tahiti is a dream worth living. Count on an 8-hour overwater flight and sticker shock that will knock your bikini bottoms off, but the experience is well worth every penny and miletraveled.

Winter is a great time to escape to the tropical climate of the islands of Tahiti. One may be surprised to learn that the island of Tahiti is actually not the highlight, as it is primarily the industrial business hub of the islands. The best island experience includes visiting a combination of the islands and staying in overwater bungalows. We flew Air Tahiti, and upon arrival in Papeete, Tahiti, promptly made our flight connection to Bora Bora.

Bora Bora is a volcanic island with a surrounding lagoon and a litter of motus, or islets, circling the lagoon. As we approached, the glaring white beaches and electric blue water of the lagoon stunned our eyes! The spectrum of blue is an incomprehensible beauty.

From the airport, we took a taxi and then a 30-minute water shuttle to Motu To ’Opua, a small islet floating between Bora Bora’s mainland and coral reef. The Conrad Bora Bora is the only resort on the island surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean and the lagoon. As we stepped from ferry to terra firma, we were greeted by ukelele music, the whisper of palm trees undulating in the velvety breeze and the perfume of tiara flowers. Vibrant tropical flowers and lush foliage exploded from the landscape. Thatched-roof bungalows on stilts climbed the jungled hillside and crawled out over the lagoon, a breath-stopping spectacle better than the brochure!

When we walked through the bamboo door to our very own thatched palm floating home for the next three nights, my knees buckled in ecstasy. The lusty sound of lapping water encircled us, and glowing blue light poured in from every window. Our massive king bed faced an entire wall of sliding glass windows, which we opened and never closed the entire blissful four days. Our vast deck housed a dining table, two plush lounge chairs, a rope hammock and step ladder down into the liquid sunshine of the lagoon. We were provided pink bikes and snorkel gear to use on our whim, and we promptly undressed into swimsuits and flip flops.

Drinking tropical libations out of fresh coconuts is a must in the islands and this is perfectly paired with the signature dish of Tahiti, Poisson Cru, a delicious coconut milk and lime-marinated ceviche. One can eat very healthy in Tahiti while living the barefoot dream. Other island specialties include fresh fish, coconut curry, fresh pineapple, papaya, guava and bananas.

We kicked back and soaked in the island vibe to ward off jet lag, fell asleep early to the moon and starlight, and woke at sunrise to fish jumping in the water. We traveled with another couple, so at sunrise, I jumped off our deck right into the sparkling blue lagoon and paddled over to their bungalow. My friend jumped off her deck to join me and we floated in the water as our husbands poured champagne from the deck into our champagne glasses. A magical morning indeed! We snorkeled the reef right off our deck and rode our beach bikes to the resort pool for Tahitian dance class. In the early afternoon, a private boat from the Four Seasons resort arrived to escort us around the lagoon to the resort on the other side of the iconic volcano, Mt. Otemanu.

The Four Seasons boat is a polished wooden classic with buttery leather seats and friendly island captain and crew dressed in crisp whites, epaulets and bare feet. When we arrived at the Four Seasons, we knew we were in for something special. There is an allure to this five-star hideaway that evokes old world Polynesia. Tiki torches led us down Overwater Bungalow Bliss. Tahiti the sandy path to our restaurant on the water for dinner under the moon and stars, some clouds and light tropical rain. The prices at the Four Seasons are sensational and one can pay double the price to stay here, so for those without bottomless bank accounts, a dinner reservation and the private boat ride is an option.

For those seeking active adventure, Bora Bora highlights include a jet ski around the island, heli-flights over the archipelago, traditional luaus, outrigger sunset canoe rides and swimming with the sharks. I surprised myself by daring to snorkel with the sharks and it was a heart-pounding adrenaline rush. We snorkeled in two locations where dozens of black tipped sharks swirled within inches of our near-naked flesh. It was epic, something we will talk about for decades, and if your stomach and heart can handle it, don’t miss it!

Each of the Tahitian islands is unique, and the best way to explore, in my opinion, is aboard a boat. We chose the Windstar Wind Spirit, a tall-sail ship, for a seven-day island cruise. It is much like traveling on a friend’s private sailing yacht, with a maximum of 150 guests. There’s nothing like jumping off the back of the boat into the South Pacific and paddle boarding, kayaking, noodling and snorkeling. Windstar has all the toys.

Our first port of call was the island of Moorea, which is a mountainous island of thick tropical jungle. The highlight of Moorea is the picturesque Cook Bay and the lush green jagged mountains which many believe to be the mystical Bali Hai from the musical South Pacific. Here is not the place to relax on a beach because there aren’t many, so we embarked on a rugged jeep adventure through misty jungle and pineapple plantations. Others opted to take four wheelers through the jungle, which was much messier.

Other island adventures included hiking to the ancient Polynesian carvings on the sacred island of Raiatea to gain a greater understanding of island history and culture, biking the perimeter of Huahine and checking out the mystic blue-eyed eels, and an astonishing drift snorkel off the island of Taha ’a. Snorkeling here opened our eyes to an underwater world painted in color, alive with all varieties of colorful exotic fish and coral unlike anywhere else in the world.

Windstar hosted a private beach barbeque and luau featuring locally sourced, house made earth-baked cuisine on a private motu, a signature event that epitomized the Tahiti Tiki culture. The local Tahitian people take great pride in their cultural roots and mesmerized us with their traditional Tahiti Ori dances, vocals, fire dancing, drumming and ukelele.

Once back on the island of Tahiti, we shopped in the local market, a colorful, lively amalgam of fruit, vegetables, fresh fish, meats and all kinds of souvenirs all under one hot tin roof. This is the best place to shop for flower leis and crowns, shell necklaces, hand – woven bags and hats, Tahitian pearls, colorful fabrics and Tiara flower-scented palm oil.

Flights back to the US depart late in the evening, so I recommend securing a day room in Papeete. My top two recommendations are the Intercontinental and the Hilton. We sipped tropical umbrella drinks in the pool and enjoyed the last of the famous Tahitian sunsets before our last supper under the stars listening to live ukelele music.

Travel Pro Tips:

Arrival at Papeete, Tahiti airport is island chaos. I highly recommend securing the assistance of VIP fast track at the airport.

Logistics for getting to and from your resort or cruise port are tricky, so I highly recommend working with a Travel Advisor who can create a seamless experience.

All overwater bungalows are not created equal. Some can be called overwater but just sit on the edge of the mainland. The true experience is on a stilted boardwalk over the water.

If you only have time to go to one island, make it unforgettable Bora Bora.

There can be language barriers. Pack your patience. Their first languages are French and Tahitian.