Weddingbee Blog
Moorea? Where is that? I definitely had no clue even just a few months ago. Well, that is where we will be going for our honeymoon!
Some of you may recall when I posted how we were going the cost effective way and using our Starwood points for a honeymoon in Bali. As we started researching and making reservations, we were a little dismayed at just how long it would take to get there… an average flight would have taken us 34 hours!! But we knew we wanted to go somewhere tropical and remote, and we were limited in our choices because we wanted to use our points.
Well, plans have changed! A few months ago, Mom and Dad Daffodil offered to pay for a honeymoon package as a wedding gift to us! We felt so incredibly humbled, blessed, and thrilled. And thus began our search for the perfect honeymoon package!
While cost wasn’t completely out of the question (our parents have trained us well, in terms of hunting for great deals!), their gift did open up a lot of possibilities. We headed to Borders to check out all the different travel guides for places a little closer by than Indonesia…Costa Rica, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Greece… and Tahiti! After browsing through Frommers, Lonely Planet, and a million different websites, we were sold – We wanted to go to Tahiti!
Now came the hard part – Looking for a great deal. This was hard. We knew we wanted to go for at least 9-10 days, but even the most affordable deal we could find for the overwater bungalows in Bora Bora was still well over $3000 per person and only for 4-5 days. We talked to several different travel agents over the course of a couple weeks, and still to no avail.
Then we called Alison from Tahiti Travel Mate. She gave us a pretty good quote, but suggested we consider the island of Moorea, another Polynesian island known for its beauty and also known to be more tranquil and less touristy. That sounded interesting to us, so Mr. D began his research. After looking through countless forums, reading numerous books, and talking to friends who have traveled to Tahiti before, we were sold on the island of Moorea!
We still went to some other travel agents to get some quote comparisons, but no one could beat both the price and service that Alison provided. In fact, I referred Miss Cherry Blossom to her last week and I believe CB liked what she found 
!
So this is what we are doing. While a Tahitian honeymoon is not cheap, we have made it relatively affordable by customizing our package. Our package included airfare, the ferry ride from Tahiti to Moorea, a food credit, and 5 nights in Moorea in a Garden Bungalow (I’m paranoid about the overwater ones anyway!) at the hotel we had set our hearts on. And we are using our Starwood points for an additional 3 nights in Tahiti! This gets us to our 9-day Tahiti honeymoon, for only a little over ~$2K a person! A great value in our minds!
I can’t wait!! Have any of you been to Moorea before or are planning to go? Any suggestions on things to see/do or tips in general?
ohmigosh! this is EXACTLY the same thought process we were going through too!! i had my heart set on bora bora, but it was too much. i obviously have not gone yet, but have extensively looked at tripadvisor, etc. we’re going directly to moorea from papeete, staying approximately 6 nights, no meal plans. looking forward to your tips & insider hints! =)
dude, ms. D, you know me already love you long time, but Alison who you referred me to, is a god sent! SMOOCHES!
I REALLY want to go on a ‘moon now. It looks amazing! I’m so excited for you! Definitely one of my top picks for possible places.
We’re planning on going there too for a few days, and then Bora Bora for a few days! Which hotel are you staying at? did allison recommend any good activities there?
We did Moorea then Bora Bora on our HM last October… DEFINITELY
Moorea is a fantastic choice for a honeymoon! Some recommendations:
1) Le Bateau: quaint restaraunt on a floating boat that has arguably the best food on the island. Your hotel should be able to arrange pickup/return with the restaraunt for you.
2) rent a car for 1 day and drive around the island, check out Cook’s Bay
3) try an introductory scuba fun dive - you don’t have to be certified for this. The instructor will take you on a max dive depth of ~20 feet.
Have a wonderful time!
oops… my last comment got cut off! Anyways, like I was saying, you should DEFINITELY do the Tahitian Show outside of the hotels… i forgot what its called but there’s a tour of a little Tahitian village.. all of the local hotels provide transportation to the nightly shows… I think you get a better experience there than the ones in the hotel. HTH.. If u have any other questions about Moorea, feel free to pm me 
We stayed in Moorea for four days on our honeymoon. Hubby actually liked it better than Bora Bora! Definitely do the ATV tour - it’s a fun way to explore the island and see all the beautiful scenery from the top of the mountain. Also, wherever you’re staying should have a nearby grocery store…take advantage of the fresh baguettes everyday. We had a wonderful afternoon snack each day on our little patio with baguettes, cheese, sliced meats, and wine. It was much cheaper and more romantic than eating at a restaurant!
omg, you’re going to LOVE it. Make sure and brushez-vous up on your francais! Can’t wait to see pictures.
Have a wonderful time– it looks SO beautiful! Can’t wait to see photos!
You are going to have the best time! We went there for four days on the way back from visiting family in New Zealand a few years ago and it was awesome.
We borrowed bikes from our hotel which turned out to be great. We were able to see a lot of the island at our own pace that way. Also the place we stayed didn’t have much in the way of a restaurant so it enabled us to eat all over without taxis, busses or renting a car, super sweet. I second the baguette/wine/snacks on the patio idea.
Also there is a juice factory on island, I’m sorry I don’t know the name but there’s only one so a guide book should have it in there. I think Hinano, the beer company owns it. Anyway we biked up there one day and they’ll let you taste all kinds of tasty tropical juices. They also make a bunch of incredible liqueurs out of Tahitian fruits and spices that you can also taste. It was totally rad.
I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo jealous.
We were supposed to go to Bora Bora and Moorea for our honeymoon, but the cheapest we could find for the trip we wanted was over $12,000 and that just wasn’t in the bank account right now, after paying for a wedding too, and the massive (MASSIVE!) amount of medical school debt my fiance carries. We could have swung it for 8-9 nights, but we definitely wanted a full 2 week honeymoon, since we’ll be living apart for roughly 3 years after we’re married and won’t see much of each other at all, so we wanted to take off as much time as possible. Sadly, Polynesia just wasn’t going to work for us. 
ooooooooh! We’re going to Moorea for the first 4 days of our honeymoon! I can’t wait to hear all of your insider tips. We’re staying at the Sofitel- you?
*sigh* SO jealous. That’s a great deal!
Hi there! We stayed in Moorea for a month - not for our honeymoon though. My favorite place on earth…really. My best memory? I can’t recall what it’s called now, but we went far out into the ocean and swam with the stingrays (believe it or not, the ocean only went up to your waist). Unbelivable experience. By the way, we stayed in both a garden and an over the water bungalow…I have to say the the over the waters are the way to go if you can. Simply beautiful…hop out your door and go snorkeling!
Have a great time!!
When I’m having a bad day at work I will sit and stare at pictures of the overwater bungalows that starwood has. Boy am I jealous!!!!! Have a great time!
Hi Miss Daffodil,
Just wondering if you can pass Alison’s contact information. I am starting to look for Honeymoon options and was looking into Bora Bora and any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Me too! I’d love to get Alison’s contact information. We’re trying to figure out where to go on our honeymoon and this place sounds perfect!!
That’s a great deal!! We spent 5 days at the Sheraton Moorea, which is where I’m assuming you’ll be staying since that’s where you get the Starwood love. =)
I have tons of recommendations of what to do and see, but I think it might be better over email since it can get long. I’ll try to email you this weekend!
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Mrs. Daffodil, San Francisco/Los Angeles Age and Occupation: 26, Nonprofit Strategy Consultant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Resident Physician Engagement Date: December 29, 2006 Wedding Date: May, 2008 Blogging Since: August, 2007 Venue: Church w/ floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Valley; Westin in downtown LA About Me: I moved around a lot growing up, but consider myself a Southerner at heart. I love scrapbooking, dancing, doggies, and diet coke. I am all about personalizing everything and hence, I'm a DIY bride who is just loving the entire wedding planning process! Mr. Daffodil and I met in our college fellowship group and were "just friends" for three years before we started dating. We've been together for four years now and can't wait to get married in sunny SoCal, Mr. Daffodil's hometown.
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