Mimi & Ilu

Our honeymoon was November 13th-24th in 2006. We started our trip with one night in Tahiti and then went on to the island of Moorea, where we stayed for 4 nights and then flew to Bora Bora and stayed for another 5 nights. In Moorea we stayed at the Sheraton, which was highly recommended by a friend of mine who had honeymooned there the year before. When I saw her breathtaking photos we were sold and that is why we selected Tahiti for our honeymoon. For the hotel in Bora Bora our travel agent recommended the St. Regis and said it was a new luxury resort and an absolutely beautiful place-at the time it had only been open for 5 months. Once we saw their website we were hooked. In both places we stayed in the rooms over the water, which is a great way to go. It is so relaxing to be on the water and in both places there is a glass window under the coffee table so you can see the fish and coral below.

In Moorea, the snorkeling is wonderful, you can swim right off your deck off the room and see tons of fish and marine life. My husband went diving in both places and enjoyed his trips. We did several day trips in Moorea. First we did an all day snorkeling trip where we swam with sharks and sting rays-I was so scared to get in the water with the sharks but they assured me they were ‘nice’ sharks, I had a hard time believing any shark would be considered nice!! There were about 20 people on our tour, and everyone was in the water with the sharks. They feed them on one side of this rope but there is definitely cross over-at one point I was swimming and a shark swam under me and I felt his fin touch my stomach-it was less than am minute before I was back in the boat-that was too close for me! Another day we did a trip to the center of the island in a four wheel drive truck where we saw some ruins and went and sampled some locally made food. One place we stopped made some incredible homemade jams, so we bought some guava jam that we enjoyed while we were there. My absolute favorite day trip was to the Hotel Sofitel where we had a semi-private tour with the dolphins. It was just 2 couples with a guide and we got to swim with the dolphins, take pictures and interact with them for an hour. They give the women a beautiful lei made of white flowers and the men a lei to wear around their heads. The guide was very friendly, and of course so were the dolphins. Being that close to dolphins was something I have always wanted to do, so that was my high light from Moorea. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has ever wanted to be that close to dolphins, it was an experience I will never forget.

As you arrive at the St. Regis Bora Bora by boat you are greeted at entrance by a very helpful staff member who arranges for your bags to be taken to your room and brings you up to the registration area and offers some fresh squeezed juice. At that time they explain the amenities of the resort and we found there were a lot of activities available at the resort. They had kayaks and catamarans available for use at no charge and you also could check out bikes to use to ride around the resort during your stay. One day we relaxed and had massages at their spa-the spa rooms were very large with gorgeous view to the outside. The massage therapist was professional and the locker/shower area was spotless. They give you comfortable plush robes and refreshing cucumber water to enjoy during your stay. The next day we did a 2 hour jet ski tour of the island-there were 4 of us with a guide and we cruised around on jet skis and got to see all the different resorts and areas. At one point we stopped in the middle of the water and there was a sand bar, so we could actually stand on the sand bar and just be knee deep in the water. The guide brought a fresh mango she had picked from her house, so she cut it open and we sampled the sweet mango out in the middle of the ocean. My husband’s favorite part was a helicopter tour with took with another couple. We went up and flew around the island for 30 minutes, the views were spectacular. I was a little nervous but the pilot was very professional and did a great job. At the St. Regis, one of the greatest things they have is 24 butler service, so this means that at any time you can press a button on your phone and make a request, whether it is ice, extra towels, a dinner reservation or a cocktail, you ask for it and they deliver. The overall experience at the St. Regis is something I have never experienced before, it was absolutely exceptional.

Anyone traveling to Tahiti knows in advance that it is an expensive place to visit. The rooms, food and tours all add up quickly. The total cost of our honeymoon was approximately $18,000. Since we knew going into it it would be very expensive, we were prepared and looked at like it was a once in a lifetime experience. My friend who had been there described it best-when you get over the shock of your first cocktail being $15-20 it’s smooth sailing from then on. Staying at the St. Regis definitely increased the total overall cost for us, but it was definitely worth it, if I had to do it over again I wouldn’t change a thing! Tahiti is a great place to visit, the people are very, very friendly and the day trips and tours are readily available. It’s not as commercialized as most tropical places we have been to-in Moorea there is just one road that goes around the island, in Bora Bora you travel between the resorts and town on boats and then by car once you dock. It doesn’t feel touristy even though it is. The food was very good every where we went also. Everyone speaks English so there is no language barrier and the local people who live there really seem to love it. Any local person we talked to said they love living there. Even though it rained a little almost every day, it was warm and would clear quickly-for the most part we had sun every day. I’m hoping that we can celebrate our five or ten year anniversary there!