Farewell Moorea, Ferry Back To Papeete

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Tara

I really wish we could have stayed in Moorea 2 nights (especially since we got upgraded at the Intercontinental) but the flight home departed at 07:30 so there was no way we could leave Moorea on time to make that flight. I do want to point out that we have been to Moorea before we got into the miles and points game and already done the touristy things like a snorkel trip and the Tiki Village which is lots of fun! So the main purpose was really to check out the IC Moorea.

This time we had reception book us a shuttle back to the ferry terminal at 1250 XPF each so we could just relax and enjoy the scenery.

Hitting rush hour traffic

in more ways than one!

Back to the ferry terminal

Terevau arrives on time.

Arriving in Papeete ferry terminal

Hotel Review: Intercontinental Moorea Resort & Spa

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Tara

Since we had two days to kill before our flight home, I really wanted to check out the Intercontinental Moorea Resort & Spa. I had enough points to get us a freebie and booked the usual room offered for awards, a lanai room.

I was very pleased to see that my platinum status (courtesy of the Chase Mastercard) got us upgraded to a Garden Pool room! I’d say this was an excellent use of points!

Very quiet at reception when we checked in.

Boutique in the lobby

We were driven to our bungalow in a little buggy.

Our garden bungalow with private pool

And there it is, our own pool!

We had a few visitors, they were mostly interested in the leis we had on the chairs.

We took a stroll around the grounds to the main swimming pool to watch the sunset.

This is the main building where most award stays would be booked into.

The sunset did not disappoint!

Time for happy hour!

The next morning our feathered friends were back after the leis!

“Can I share your pool?” Of course!

Intro to scuba class

Around Moorea – Enroute To The Intercontinental

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Tara

After disembarking from the Terevau, we discovered that the local bus doesn’t meet this ferry (2pm sailing) as it is transporting kids home from school. We saw a couple buses go past but none would stop so apparently they aren’t allowed to mix tourists with kids. Taxis were taking full advantage and trying to charge around $50 for the 18 km ride. I hate being taken advantage of so stubbornly rebuffed the taxis and stayed on the road waiting for the bus.

A local couple spotted us as they drove past and offered us a lift as they were headed in the same direction. We chatted to them while admiring the beautiful scenery of Moorea, my husband speaking Tahitian and me getting by in French.

The lesson learned here is to make sure what land transport is available for your sailing! Another option would have been to get the Intercontinental to arrange a shuttle. We did this for the return trip back to the terminal and it was 1250 XPF per person.

Overnight In Moorea Via Ferry

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Tara

Even if your main interest in a visit to French Polynesia is birding the remote islands, there is nothing wrong with being a bit touristy. The way the airline schedules are set up and the availability of award tickets (or lack thereof) to Papeete can leave you with a few days to kill in Papeete. I highly recommend hopping over to Moorea which is a lot more scenic and relaxing than Papeete.

You can fly to Moorea from Papeete if you wish but I thought the flights were a bit pricy for us. Since we only had small backpacks for the trip, it was easy to catch a bus downtown, grab lunch at the Grande Marche and hop the next ferry. There are 2 ferry companies on this route – Aremiti and Terevau.

Fares on Aremiti 5 from Papeete to Moorea

Terevau doesn’t have a website but their one-way fares are 1160 XPF. Since they accepted credit cards, I bought round-trip tickets for us. The tickets are valid 6 months.

There really isn’t much to choose between the two ferries, just take whichever one is leaving next. You don’t need reservation unless you are bringing a car.

The ferry awaits.

Seating is comfortable enough for the 20 minute trip across to Moorea. You can see how I was “drowning in flowers” still from Rimatara!

The ferry has a small snack bar, prices aren’t bad but not a very good selection. We were glad we ate at the market. We were in Moorea pretty quickly, barely enough time to admire the topography from the sea!