Tahiti or Fiji Honeymoon

meegoreng

OTF status
Mar 12, 2010
166
0
16
Southbay
So we've put Tahiti or Fiji on the short list for our upcoming honeymoon since my future brother in law has decided to gift us his frequent flyer miles with American Airlines. Turns out they partner with Tahiti-Nui and Air Pacific. Hoping for no board bag fees. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Anyways, not sure of which island to go to and where to stay really if any of you have any recommendations. All the travel sites I looked at are inclusive of flights.

Looking to do the typical honeymoon thing (gotta keep the wife happy) while still getting in at least one surf while there even if it is in front of some of the resorts.

Was wondering if any of you have suggestions on which path to take.


<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
 

SteveT

Phil Edwards status
Apr 11, 2005
5,866
2,408
113
Haven't been to Fiji but my wife and I spent 3 weeks in French Polynesia for our honeymoon 5 years ago.
Visited 4 islands, (surfed 3) Moorea, Huahine, Bora Bora and fished up on Tahiti.
Bora Bora has very limited surf spots so didn't surf there.
The whole FP island chain is over the top beautiful and I would recommend a honeymoon there to anybody if you can afford it.
A few things about your board:
Good thing is no board fee on Tahiti Nui (as of yet).
If you do plan on visiting other islands there's a $20 fee and it may be different now but it covered my boards for ALL of the island flights.
If you plan on going to Moorea first your bag may not make it on the puddle jumper (they are small turbo props) and if it is a full plane there won't be room for your board and will have to sent later when there is room. Pretty sketchy! Or... you can just take the ferry which is cheaper and only takes about an hour. After Moorea all flights to other islands are larger jets and board size is no problem.
We rented cars on all the islands for at least 1 day to sight see, didn't need one for surf as all the hotels we stayed at offered rides out to the reef passes for $5 but it's fun to drive all the way around the island and check out the scenery.
One thing about all of FP is it's very expensive ($12-$13 for a 6 pack of Hinano) but there's pretty inexpensive wines to be had at the super marche.
We did the lonely planet thing and ate pretty much all our breakfasts and lunches purchased at the little markets (couple of baguettes, some cheese, cold cuts, etc.) but splurged for dinners. They also make killer pizza over there, lots of small pizzarias and not too pricey.
The best surf I got was on Huahine out at Fiti pass, best thing to do is dawn patrol it as the locals start to show up around 9ish and you can get a couple of hours to yourself and maybe a couple of other tourists although one day a whole boat load of froggies showed up on t-bags and ruined it.
Moorea has some pretty heavy spots but I stayed safe at a couple of the other lighter passes.
Is that enough info? Sorry, was going to make it short but the memories are so vivid I get carried away. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />
 

meegoreng

OTF status
Mar 12, 2010
166
0
16
Southbay
Thanks for all that info SBSteve. I bet after seeing all those islands it would be hard to get it out of your mind. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I was looking at a couple of places in Moorea and Bora Bora. Seeing as it will be a honeymoon, I will need to keep the surfing on the back burner most of the time and will likely be selective on where I can go. Gonna do some research on Huahine as that seems to stand at the moment.

I was also a little nervous about meals but seeing as there are markets that should help save some cash for other things.

Good advice as a Ferry seems the way to go if I want to see my boardbag again and will probably rent a car for a day like you suggested to see more of the islands and other breaks if do able. Just hate to sit around a resort and not see anything else.

Do you remember the place you stayed at in Huahine?


<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
 
Mar 3, 2009
144
0
0
Tavarua is obviously epic.. Cloudbreak goes off on the reg and on high tide restaurants is so long and perfect that your thighs start to burn about half way through a wave.. The only problem is if you spend a good amount of time there you can get board if your not surfing all day everyday (I imagine your gonna be doing things with the wife so all day everyday is a no go)

I would recommend the Hideaway resort on the main island Viti Levu. Since it's on the main island there is a million different things to do, you won't ever be board.. As a college student I can't afford to stay at the Hideaway but the prices are good (150-300 FJD) a night? for a honey moon i'd say real cheep. But I live real close to there right now and when a south/southwest/west swell rolls through their is a reef about a 10 minute paddle right in front of the resort that goes absolutely off. on a big west swell you can just fall into a super hollow/sucking off the reef pit and just pump in the tube as you see the wall ahead of you feathering perfectly for about 50 meters.. Now that' my kind of honeymoon <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
~ PM me if you want more info about w.e in Fiji
 

SteveT

Phil Edwards status
Apr 11, 2005
5,866
2,408
113
Thanks for all that info SBSteve. I bet after seeing all those islands it would be hard to get it out of your mind. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I was looking at a couple of places in Moorea and Bora Bora. Seeing as it will be a honeymoon, I will need to keep the surfing on the back burner most of the time and will likely be selective on where I can go. Gonna do some research on Huahine as that seems to stand at the moment.

I was also a little nervous about meals but seeing as there are markets that should help save some cash for other things.

Good advice as a Ferry seems the way to go if I want to see my boardbag again and will probably rent a car for a day like you suggested to see more of the islands and other breaks if do able. Just hate to sit around a resort and not see anything else.

Do you remember the place you stayed at in Huahine?


<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
We stayed at the Te Tiare, the place was the bomb, my wife is a veteran travel agent and knows how to get deals and upgrades and was able to upgrade ALL of our hotel stays to over water bungalows, if you can afford it I highly recommend those, they have docks with showers right on top of reefs, glass floors that are lit up at night and shine down on the reef, a bit surreal.
Don't know if you have an agent for either Fiji or French Poly but my wife sends people to both regularly, shoot me a PM if you need a good travel agent. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
 

meegoreng

OTF status
Mar 12, 2010
166
0
16
Southbay
Tavarua is obviously epic.. Cloudbreak goes off on the reg and on high tide restaurants is so long and perfect that your thighs start to burn about half way through a wave.. The only problem is if you spend a good amount of time there you can get board if your not surfing all day everyday (I imagine your gonna be doing things with the wife so all day everyday is a no go)

I would recommend the Hideaway resort on the main island Viti Levu. Since it's on the main island there is a million different things to do, you won't ever be board.. As a college student I can't afford to stay at the Hideaway but the prices are good (150-300 FJD) a night? for a honey moon i'd say real cheep. But I live real close to there right now and when a south/southwest/west swell rolls through their is a reef about a 10 minute paddle right in front of the resort that goes absolutely off. on a big west swell you can just fall into a super hollow/sucking off the reef pit and just pump in the tube as you see the wall ahead of you feathering perfectly for about 50 meters.. Now that' my kind of honeymoon <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
~ PM me if you want more info about w.e in Fiji

My kind of honeymoon too! My ADD kicks in when there's not a whole lot to do and lounging around drives me insane. Probably only able to afford to go for a week so the Hideaway looks to be a possibility. Will PM you when we get closer to our trip. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
 

btesser

OTF status
Jul 18, 2005
322
35
28
LA
Visit site
I also went to Tahiti on my honeymoon. We stayed at the Te Tiare on Huahine -- it was great. At the time Huahine was super rural and off the radar screen. There is definitely surf on Huahine, i met a few surfers and saw a few guys out at a break while we were touring the island.

On Bora Bora we stayed at the and Hotel Bora Bora. Also an excellent choice. But very spendy. As far as i can tell, if there is surfing on Bora Bora (and i'm told there is -- even though most will tell you there isn't) it is very difficult to access, and perhaps fickle.

I opted NOT to bring my board on my honeymoon (gasp!), and didn't regret it either. I didn't want to start my marriage off with conflicts about where and how much i could surf. That ended up being a good strategy. What i gave up in surf during our honeymoon has been more than offset by the surf trips i go on each year, without the wife.

This year I went to Fiji on a surf trip, without the wife. Now that is a great place for surf! I don't recommend Namotu or Tavarua for a honeymoon. All you will want to do is surf (if its good), and there is little else to do on the islands.
Maybe its worthile to stay somewhere else on Fiji, i don't really know.

A mixed surfing/honeymoon is a little tricky. Either your wife is super cool, or you are super smooth. I did not want to put myself in the position of potentially fighting with my wife, on our freakin honeymoon, about surfing too much -- i knew we would have many opportunities in the future to fight about that (and boy was i right).
 

HatterasGlass

Michael Peterson status
Apr 6, 2008
2,079
1,065
113
We went to Fiji for honeymoon and I did not bring a board, nor surf. It was the "right" thing to do and has paid off in spades over the last decade. We went to Castaway Island. They have a boat that runs to Tavarua and other spots if you do bring a stick or just want to check it out. We liked the place and had a whole lot of fun without the surf. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/village idiot.gif" alt="" />

http://castawayisland.com/
 

FresnoRipper

Michael Peterson status
Aug 25, 2002
3,044
208
63
Honeymoon'd at Marlin Bay Resort on Beqa Island, Fiji. Boat to Frigates Pass. Wife was a happy camper there. Never scored epic surf, but still fun.
 

SteveT

Phil Edwards status
Apr 11, 2005
5,866
2,408
113
I also went to Tahiti on my honeymoon. We stayed at the Te Tiare on Huahine -- it was great. At the time Huahine was super rural and off the radar screen. There is definitely surf on Huahine, i met a few surfers and saw a few guys out at a break while we were touring the island.


On Bora Bora we stayed at the and Hotel Bora Bora. Also an excellent choice. But very spendy. As far as i can tell, if there is surfing on Bora Bora (and i'm told there is -- even though most will tell you there isn't) it is very difficult to access, and perhaps fickle.

I opted NOT to bring my board on my honeymoon (gasp!), and didn't regret it either. I didn't want to start my marriage off with conflicts about where and how much i could surf. That ended up being a good strategy. What i gave up in surf during our honeymoon has been more than offset by the surf trips i go on each year, without the wife.

This year I went to Fiji on a surf trip, without the wife. Now that is a great place for surf! I don't recommend Namotu or Tavarua for a honeymoon. All you will want to do is surf (if its good), and there is little else to do on the islands.
Maybe its worthile to stay somewhere else on Fiji, i don't really know.

A mixed surfing/honeymoon is a little tricky. Either your wife is super cool, or you are super smooth. I did not want to put myself in the position of potentially fighting with my wife, on our freakin honeymoon, about surfing too much -- i knew we would have many opportunities in the future to fight about that (and boy was i right).
Sorry for the hijack.
Small world type of thing.
While we were staying on Huahine at the Te Tiare I noticed the captain/owner of the ferry boat concession had a Goleta, CA hat on, asked him about it and turns out he's from Goleta and his parents/sister still live there, my wife's a 5th generation Goletan and knew who they were.
Nice guy, took me out marlin fishing the next day.
<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/jam_on.gif" alt="" />
 

rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
11,534
5,832
113
54
I also went to Tahiti on my honeymoon. We stayed at the Te Tiare on Huahine -- it was great. At the time Huahine was super rural and off the radar screen. There is definitely surf on Huahine, i met a few surfers and saw a few guys out at a break while we were touring the island.


On Bora Bora we stayed at the and Hotel Bora Bora. Also an excellent choice. But very spendy. As far as i can tell, if there is surfing on Bora Bora (and i'm told there is -- even though most will tell you there isn't) it is very difficult to access, and perhaps fickle.

I opted NOT to bring my board on my honeymoon (gasp!), and didn't regret it either. I didn't want to start my marriage off with conflicts about where and how much i could surf. That ended up being a good strategy. What i gave up in surf during our honeymoon has been more than offset by the surf trips i go on each year, without the wife.

This year I went to Fiji on a surf trip, without the wife. Now that is a great place for surf! I don't recommend Namotu or Tavarua for a honeymoon. All you will want to do is surf (if its good), and there is little else to do on the islands.
Maybe its worthile to stay somewhere else on Fiji, i don't really know.

A mixed surfing/honeymoon is a little tricky. Either your wife is super cool, or you are super smooth. I did not want to put myself in the position of potentially fighting with my wife, on our freakin honeymoon, about surfing too much -- i knew we would have many opportunities in the future to fight about that (and boy was i right).
Sorry for the hijack.
Small world type of thing.
While we were staying on Huahine at the Te Tiare I noticed the captain/owner of the ferry boat concession had a Goleta, CA hat on, asked him about it and turns out he's from Goleta and his parents/sister still live there, my wife's a 5th generation Goletan and knew who they were.
Nice guy, took me out marlin fishing the next day.
<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/jam_on.gif" alt="" />
Goletians rule <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
 
Oct 7, 2010
15
0
0
Cali
Tahiti was the most beautiful place I have ever been. I would suggest going straight to Moorea, just like the pics, white sandy beaches with crystal clear water. Pricey for sure even if you try to do it on a budget. Genuine nice people, culturaly rich. Did not rent a car, instead got on the local bus "Le Truck" or something like that before sunrise, went to Haapiti, got a boat ride with the locals, reef pass is way out there, surfed for a couple of hours and back to the hut we rented with a baguette ready for breakfast and to spend the day with the wife. Win-win all around. That was a long time ago, cant remember the name of the huts but it was pretty close to the old Club Med. We also rented mopeds for a loop around the island, met other local families took us on a boat ride to see the rays and sharks, hopefully you'll only have 1 honeymoon and this one you will remember forever. Paradise.