Honeymooning in French Polynesia
The South Pacific
As someone who loves to travel, I’ve always looked forward to one day embarking on a Honeymoon with my partner. A bucket list trip I would desperately want to take, but hold for the day it was “with someone special.” Most trips aren’t like that, but maybe you have that one on your mind right now too?
I can’t believe that after all the years of dreaming of it, I’ve just had that trip.
For so many reasons, it was the best trip of my life. Pure Magic.
In this post I’ll share:
Why we chose French Polynesia for our honeymoon
Hotel details
Best Food from our trip
Highlights and recommended activities
Transparency on the costs
And tips to plan this bucket list honeymoon trip for yourself!
Why Bora Bora
Ryan and I never really debated our destination. When we got engaged we talked about all the exciting things ahead we would have to look forward to, and for me a Honeymoon was one aspect of our wedding I was anticipating the most.
Though Ryan doesn’t love to travel long distances, it was actually his suggestion that we fly halfway around the world to sleep in one of those bungalows over the water. I knew this may be one of the few exceptions that he would make to not only travel thousands of miles somewhere, but take off a significant time from work. And I jumped at the opportunity.
So we did some research on the overwater huts, and the most common locations to find this type of hotel are either the Maldives or Bora Bora. Bora Bora was a few hours less of travel, and slightly more affordable if we planned it efficiently. So we decided to honeymoon in the beautiful Islands of French Polynesia!
We planned our own honeymoon without the help of a travel agent or professional planner. And I think we did it extremely well! We decided to spend the bulk of our time in Bora Bora flanked by a few days in other islands. After researching thoroughly and speaking to a few people who have traveled there we decided we’d land in Tahiti where the international airport is, travel to Moorea, then Bora Bora, and finish the last couple of days in Tahiti before flying home.
Bora Bora has always been on my bucket list, and it seemed like an ideal destination. Clear blue water, white sand beaches, and beautiful mountain views. A picture perfect place that always sparks wanderlust when it appears in a travel magazine, on social media, or even as a screen saver. But the other islands were more unknown and that felt a little exciting. We charted out our dates, picked flights and hotels, booked a few activities and counted down the days until our wedding week.
Getting There — And Between Islands
Did you know that Bora Bora is 6,337 miles from New York City?
It took us about 20 hours in total to get there (yes, you read that right) but it was completely worth it. We bought our roundtrip Delta flights about 11 months in advance to take advantage of better pricing, and invested a bit more for comfort. Rather than flying first class we saved on our premium economy tickets, which still had significant leg room, a foot rest, and free drinks.
Yes it was a long day. But between the timing, the layover, and the excitement, it did not feel too extreme. My biggest tip is to make the trip worth your while. Our vacation was almost two weeks long including our travel days.
You can find our complete travel itinerary below:
Round Trip Travel departing at 5:25pm, landing at 5:30am the next day
New York, New York to Los Angeles, California (6 hours)
Los Angeles, California to Papeete, Tahiti (8 hours, 40 minutes)
Papeete, Tahiti to Moorea via Ferry (45 minutes)
Between Island Flights
Moorea to Bora Bora (40 minutes)
Bora Bora to Tahiti (50 minutes)
Where We Stayed
We were extremely happy with the hotels we selected for our trip. We compared various options across all the islands and ultimately picked two that would be really nice, and chose to invest in the luxury experience in Bora Bora.
We decided to spend three nights in Moorea at the Hilton, six nights in Bora Bora at the Intercontinental Thalasso Spa, and two nights at the Intercontinental Tahiti. All were beautiful and I would recommend them based on location, accommodations, amenities, and most of all - the views.
But without a doubt, our favorite hotel experience was in Bora Bora.
Moorea
Our first stop after landing in Tahiti was Moorea. Our international flight got into Papeete airport at around a quarter after 5am. Many flights are overnight to Tahiti which is great. Then you either fly or sail to your next destination or stay at a local hotel for a few hours.
Getting To Moorea
We chose to take a taxi to the ferry boat, and then used pre-purchased tickets for one of the two common ferry companies there, Terevau, which took about 30 minutes. We boarded our ferry about an hour and a half after landing in Tahiti because we missed our first ferry due to traffic. But it was no problem, they depart every 90 minutes. The ride was really enjoyable, and felt like the first of many fun activities. We watched as the island got closer and closer.
I pictured Moorea as the quiet island. Slow, small, but beautiful. A common activity in Tahiti is to actually take travelers on an “island tour” around Moorea so I knew it must be special. Plus I heard Tahiti was more of a pass through location. We decided to explore it since it was easy to get to, and slightly cheaper than some of the other more remote islands.
The Hotel in Moorea
After comparing a few different hotels we chose to stay at the lovely Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa. It was on the opposite side of the island, about 25 minutes from the ferry dock and airport, so our hotel arranged for a shuttle service.
Upon arriving to the hotel we got our first real glimpse of the natural beauty these islands offered. The property was covered in tropical flowers and palm trees, a bright blue pool overlooking the white sand beach, and huts that seemed to be floating above the crystal clear water of the lagoon. We spent our first day relaxing in the sun and sipping on some frozen drinks.
Our excitement about the hotel only grew when we checked into our room in the afternoon. Entering the front door of our villa revealed a huge open concept space, with a sizable living area, comfy king size bed, a desk, couch area, and spacious bathroom. The best part was that we could open all the doors to our own private pool area so it felt like outdoor living. We used this a lot during our time here - sipping coffee in the early morning, reading beside the pool and taking dips to cool off from the sun.
Activities in Moorea
We spent the first few days of our honeymoon coming off all the excitement of the wedding - reflecting on our favorite memories and looking through pictures. Between the jet lag, and the exhaustion of a long trip, we were in bed by 8:00pm every night in Moorea, no joke.
We kept it really relaxed by spending our days outside reading in the sun, cooling off in the pool or lagoon, enjoying a fresh lunch on the beach and swimming around the coral reefs looking at all the fish and sea life. Every day we did some casual exercises around the property whether it was on land like hitting the gym, going for a run, or playing tennis. Or on the sea! We swam, did paddle boarding, and snorkeling. We wanted to take advantage of all the free activities and amenities!
But for the adventure lovers, don’t fret, there is a lot to do on the island beyond the resort! Some main attractions include taking a drive to Belvedere Lookout for some great views, doing an ATV tour around the island, golfing at Green Pearl, hiking the jungle trails, and taking one of many different boat tours that Moorea offers!
Afternoon at Coco Beach
On our last day we planned our own little excursion to Coco Beach! This beach bar came up while I was researching Moorea and it looked so cool.
It’s a super casual spot nestled on a private island just off the coast, with a restaurant that has tables on the beach right along the water. There is snorkeling and even water sports. But best of all is the sandbar that you can walk out along to spot stingrays and other fish.
We arranged to take a taxi from our hotel to a pick up spot about 15 minutes away. The drive along the coastline is so scenic and beautiful. When we got there we met another couple on their honeymoon waiting for the boat to arrive, and we ended up spending the day with them and had some fun company! This little catamaran picked us up and we all sailed over to Coco Beach above a bright turquoise ocean.
Once we arrived we ordered some food and drinks (and some shots) at a table overlooking the sea. We spent the day exploring the island’s shore and sand bar. It was beautiful and one of the highlights of our trip!
For your planning purposes, the bar is open from 11 - 3pm with the last boat ride coming back at 3, so plan to get there early and enjoy it for as long as you can!
Food in Moorea
The first night we arrived happened to be a Polynesian buffet with traditional food from the region followed by a dance performance. It was the first of four shows we saw on our trip! But since we were fatigued we opted for some early and more casual dinners in Moorea, either at the Rotui Bar & Grill where we had lunch daily or the Toatea Creperie and Champagne Bar which was a cool overwater outdoor restaurant by the huts!
Ultimately though we enjoyed the restaurants, the options were limited based on the smaller size of the hotel. It was good for 3 nights but probably don’t need more time than that. We felt we had more variety in Bora Bora.
But there are always restaurants off the resort or at other hotels if you are looking to have an adventure! We made reservations at Holy Steak for example, which was a local spot with a great menu.
Hotel options in Moorea
Manava Beach Resort - We knew someone who vacationed here and recommended it! Definitely a good option to explore and on average it’s half the price of the Hilton or Sofitel.
Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea - My friend Kara also just got back from her honeymoon in French Polynesia and offered to share some details on their resort experiences for the blog! They also split their time between Bora Bora and Moorea, where they stayed at the Sofitel. This was the other hotel that Ryan and I were between staying in too.
This is a gorgeous resort with a very helpful concierge, full of spectacular views. It boasts a beautiful pool and beach area with lots of comfortable places to lounge. Similar to the Hilton there is a reef right on the property, which is one of the best on the island, and you can rent snorkel gear or paddle boards for free.
Kara and her husband stayed in a beautiful superior beachfront villa which was very spacious with a California king bed, updated bathroom, porch, and private beach including an outdoor shower.
The Sofitel is conveniently located close to the airport and ferry stops, which makes travel that much easier. The only downside of the location is there is no sunset but the sun rises were amazing, and with the jet lag of traveling from New York you catch a lot of these!
Bora Bora
Our next stop was to spend a magical week in Bora Bora! As much as we loved our time in Moorea, we came to French Polynesia for Bora Bora, and we couldn’t wait to get there. All that stood in the way was… some ocean.
Getting There
A quick taxi took us to the quiet, tiny airport in Moorea, where only one runway existed… and basically no security. Who needs it in paradise! We literally passed the time on the patio outside the airport cafe, and watched some goats and cows munch grass in the distance.
We expected a rickety puddle jumper and I prepared for my paranoia to ensue. But when our Air Tahiti flight showed up with 60 seats my anxiety subsided, and I just enjoyed the ride. Our seats were parallel to the propeller and in my opinion the coolest viewpoint. In all, the experience was almost like an activity in itself, and provided an amazing introduction to the island.
So if you get nervous like me when flying, don’t be!
Because the airport is on an island every hotel arranges for shuttle transfer by boat. A lovely woman presented all the passengers who were staying at either Intercontinental property (there are 2 in Bora Bora) with fresh Tahitian Tiare flower lei’s, and guided us to our boat. It was the coolest airport I’ve ever been to.
The ride over to our hotel was so scenic, and we passed some of the other well known hotels along the way to ours like the Four Seasons and St. Regis, each more beautiful than the next.
The Hotel in Bora Bora
It’s difficult to describe how special this hotel is, and even the photos and videos don’t seem to do it justice. But throughout my time there I forced myself to take it all in, and try to remember and savor all the beauty it offered. Even the little details.
We heard the horn welcoming us from the dock of the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa as we approached. We were warmly greeted by the incredible hotel staff, and offered a tour of the whole property by golf cart. We were instantly in awe of this hotel’s natural beauty. The stunning views of Mount Otemanu behind a bright blue lagoon can be seen from all viewpoints along the shoreline.
After exploring the restaurants, spa, pool, and lagoons we were taken to properly check in at Reception. They served us welcome drinks on the beach while they took some souvenir photos and prepared our villa.
Every room at the hotel is an overwater villa, so we booked the Emerald villa with a beach view which was the most affordable. But we were thrilled when they told us we would be receiving a room upgrade, to the Ultimate villa which would have a direct view of Mount Otemanu from our deck.
When we arrived to Villa 122 I knew we had one of the best views on the property, and even by the end of the week I still lost my breath just looking out at the water.
When I opened the door I was equally shocked by the size and the design. To put into context, the room was double the square footage of my apartment in New York City.
The Polynesian touches like the tropical colors and pillows were a unique nod to the culture and location. But more so the decor perfectly complimented all the panoramic views of the lagoon that could be seen through the large picture glass windows in each room. And if one would ever dare close all the blinds, there is still the glowing glass coffee table overlooking the aquamarine blue waters below.
From the massive walk in closet, the the plush king size bed, to the deep tub overlooking the lagoon, it’s hard to pick a favorite feature of the villa. But the deck was probably the space we enjoyed the most during our stay. After watching the sunrise from bed over the island, we would take our espresso out to the table and enjoy a quiet moment or an early dip. The moon was still bright in the morning sky, and all that could be heard was some birds along the beach, and the sound of small waves licking the stilts of our villa if a boat passed in the distanced.
It was truly the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.
But what made it really special though was the service. The hotel staff was unbelievably welcoming and kind, and warmly addressed us as Monsieur & Madame McKenna throughout the trip. They would have our iced coffee order brought to us at breakfast every day, and we became friendly with the bartenders. The hotel was also happy to give us a lift in a golf cart across the property whenever they’d drive by. They provided us with a bottle of celebratory champagne when we arrived to our room, and on our last day when it was Ryan’s birthday they wished him a happy birthday wherever we went in the resort. We came home to a cake in the room for him.
It’s all of these actions and the kindness they show their guests that make it the best resort I’ve ever had the privilege of staying in.
Activities in Bora Bora
Like in Moorea, there is a lot to do on the resort, but much more to explore since it was substantially bigger. If you enjoy boating, snorkeling, diving and water sports this resort will be a playground for you!
Our days typically started with a jog around the resort to the gym, and a good workout before breakfast. We were up early anyway, and it felt nice to stay in some sort of routine.
We mostly spent our days laying by the gorgeous beach and pool, and we strategically worked in lots of down time between our days where we planned activity. Our goal was to strike a balance between having fun, exploring the island, and feeling completely relaxed. For that reason, we focused on two main activities which I will detail below!
Tanoa Tour
Our favorite activity of the trip was a private tour with a local guide named Tanoa. You can learn about how to book one of his tours for yourself here.
Our cousins recommended this trip to us as one of the highlights of their honeymoon several years ago. Based on how special it was, we explored booking a tour ourselves but saw it was super pricey. I can’t endorse this enough or say how worth the investment this was though, and surpassed our expectations. It was truly one of the coolest and most amazing excursions I’ve ever taken.
The day started on the dock of our hotel, where Tanoa picked us up in his boat at 9am. Our first destination was to a reef along the main land where we could see manta rays. After a few minutes of circling behind bright blue schools of fish, we had a chance to see a massive manta ray glide beneath the surface.
Afterward we coasted over to a popular snorkeling site and followed Tanoa into the water this time. In our diving fins and goggle gear we swam along one of the most gorgeous reefs I’ve ever seen, watching hundreds of different species of fish and living organisms dodge in and out of the coral. It was stunning.
We sipped some beers and boated along to the other side of the island where we had not been before, and crossed over a change in depth within the water below us. We watched as the sea turned from a light turquoise to the brightest blue.
We continued going further out until we neared the ocean waves where people were surfing off their boats. We passed several small island motu’s, until we anchored in a more shallow area far off the coast where we could find sharks and sting rays. Before we even jumped into the sea, the sting rays were approaching the boat. Though I was a little nervous to enter the water with such strange creatures we trusted that Tanoa would show us how to interact with them safely. These creatures are never violent in their nature, but he held a piece of meat in the sting rays mouth to keep them focused while we pet their smooth backs. It was so cool!
Our next stop was to a deeper shark diving area, where over 15 black tip sharks swam and we could dive in. I captured footage while Ryan and Tanoa dove with them, sometimes diving down far below the surface where they were feeding. Before lunch he took us to a final snorkeling area with a deep reef, and gave us some bread so the fish would follow us. He told us to float along the reef with the current and watch the sea life swarm around us. I immediately got nervous when one came towards the piece in my hand, and tossed the bread!
The highlight of the trip for both of us was having lunch at Tanoa’s mother’s motu - both because of it’s natural beauty and that it was the best meal of our lives.
We docked just off the beach, and walked ashore to the most natural land we had seen yet, boasting the same white sand as our resort. Almost everything on the property was created by Tanoa’s family. From the intricate bamboo braided huts, to the baci court, and even the homemade palm leaf plates. You can only imagine the bathroom! My favorite was how he used the nature around him to decorate.
Tanoa poured us champagne, and told us to enjoy exploring the property. While he cooked us a meal from scratch, we dipped in the ocean and played with some local dogs and kittens.
He made sure to share some of his recipes as well. He started by opening a fresh coconut, and using the milk to flavor red ahi tuna to prepare a fresh ceviche. The ingredients were simple - he added the tuna, lime juice, coconut milk, red onion, green pepper, tomato, and sea salt and mixed it all together. He also shared how his family makes tapioca banana as a desert! And his mother made us some fresh coconut bread too. If you learn one thing from this post, it’s that the key to delicious Polynesian cuisine is that fresh coconut milk - it’s just delicious.
We could smell the flavors of the food from the grill as he cooked us up fresh chicken, lobsters, and tuna steak.
All the fruit was picked from the property including dragonfruit, papaya, melon, and pineapple. We devoured it all and even refilled our (homemade) plates. It was incredible!
Throughout the trip Tanoa played us music on his ukulele, singing us his traditional songs as we hummed along. We got to see every hotel on the island, a cruise ship, and some of the commercial areas on the mainland.
When we started making our way back to the hotel around 2:30pm, I felt so sad for the day to be coming to an end. But we knew it was one of the most unique experiences of our lives. We cherish these memories, and felt so lucky for Tanoa to share a glimpse of his life and the beauty of Bora Bora with us.
Massage at Deep Ocean, Thalasso Spa
We heard that Deep Ocean was an amazing luxury spa, and worth visiting at least once while staying at the resort. After reviewing the options we booked a couples massage treatment called the marine romance, which would include a deep aromatherapy bath, an 80 minute immersion massage, and champagne!
We could hear the soothing sounds of the waterfall and tropical birds chirping before we reached our treatment room - the tranquility put us in spa mode. The best part about the Thalasso spa was the emphasis on water and nature. We had an incredible view of fish feeding in a reef, visible through the glass floor below us. Though I was peaceful enough to fall asleep, I didn’t want to stop watching.
When you book a treatment you also get full day access to all the baths around the spa. The Thalassotherapy center uses water pulled from the surrounding Pacific Ocean in an intensity in some of the baths as a hydrotherapy treatment. After a few hours switching between the hot sauna, the cold pools, the jacuzzi, and salt water massage, we felt completely renewed.
Trip to the Main Island
One of the things that I love that the Intercontinental hotels offered was a boat transfer between our hotel and the sister resort on the island, La Moana. Though we greatly favored where we stayed, it was cool to take a ride to the other property and explore something new. The concierge can provide information on the schedule and help plan any trips to the main island you may want to do. We used their help to travel to a restaurant on the other side of the island.
Food in Bora Bora
The food in Bora Bora was even better than we expected. Though many ingredients need to be imported, we really enjoyed the coexistence of the traditional Polynesian cuisine and flavors and French influence. The Intercontinental had several restaurant options and we mostly enjoyed our meals on the property.
This meant we were able to indulge all day long! We practically turned into piña colada’s.
The great food started with a phenomenal daily breakfast buffet at Reef restaurant! Though it’s not an all inclusive, we did arrange for a daily breakfast package which I highly recommend. Every morning we looked forward to our iced coffees, fresh fruit, warm croissants and custom made omelets. They also had the best crispy bacon I’ve ever had.
We filled our plates, took some extra snacks to the room and sometimes skipped lunch. This was both to save on costs and because we were truly full for so long afterward.
Since we spent a lot of time by the pool, we ate most of our lunches there, where they served us drinks from the pool bar and dishes from The Sands Beach Bar menu. There were some great options like chicken clubs, tuna tacos, and caesar salads. And if you want something more casual there is a juice bar and ice cream stand by the beach as well if you need a snack.
Some evenings we enjoyed the 5pm happy hour at the Bubbles Bar, or I played mixologist in our villa so we could watch the sunset with some homemade cocktails.
We booked several dinners at the Reef restaurant so that we could take advantage of the live shows they offered. One night was an Indian buffet and a Tahitian dance, and the other was a traditional Polynesian buffet and performance. We loved these fun and interactive shows, and we tried to be as adventurous as possible both by joining the performers on stage and through trying new and or unexpected dishes.
Our big meal was the Tasting Menu at Le Corail, their gourmet dining experience. It also boasts Bora Bora’s largest wine cellar and bottle recommendations guided by a sommelier. We were completely blown away by the mix of flavors, and presentation of each dish. The degustation menu was a little pricey, but in feeling such a celebratory mood and deep in a bottle of Bordeaux, we decided to try our first tasting menu! It was a phenomenal experience for a foodie like me, with over 7 different courses.
In researching local restaurants we came across a lot of great reviews for Saint James. This required us traveling by boat to the main island, and arranging for the restaurant to send a taxi to take us to and from the sister hotel called La Moana. All in all this was a significant trip to do after sunset, and I would recommend arranging a meal here earlier in the day so that you could watch the sun go down on the western coast from the restaurants beautiful deck, and make it back to the hotel a bit earlier.
But we had a great experience here, and were completely spoiled by the restaurants fantastic owner! He talked about how he opened Saint James, some of his greatest influences as a chef, and finished our dishes table side so that we can enjoy the show. I’d recommend a trip just for the location and service alone!
Other Hotel options in Bora Bora
St. Regis - Seems to generally be the highest rated hotel on the island, and the most expensive. It’s a gorgeous luxury option, with a huge property with multiple restaurant options and bars, and 2 pools! People also love the location with it’s great views of Mount Otemanu and close proximity to the airport.
Four Seasons
The Four Seasons is one of the most luxurious hotel properties on the island, and definitely one of the best options. Lucky for us we got the inside scoop from Kara on her stay! And I’m so excited to share it so you have all the details on both this and the Intercontinental to help you plan your stay.
The Hotel
Kara said this was truly the most spectacular hotel she’s ever stayed in. The service was incredible — from being greeted by boat at the airport with cold towels and water, to their golf cart tour of the property at check in, and finding their wedding picture and complimentary champagne in their room when they arrived. The hotel staff was extremely helpful throughout their stay, but also so thoughtful.
Kara and her Husband stayed in a beautiful overwater bungalow, which was incredible and spacious. Just look at the views from this tub!!
The Food at the Four Seasons
Kara said the food was amazing, and they mostly ate on the property. They had a great breakfast buffet included with the room rate they paid. Though there is only one spot for lunch, they had a big menu, and as an option you can order room service right to their beach or pool chairs! Similarly to the Intercontinental, restaurant reservations should be made in advance.
They did one off resort dinner at Villa Mahana accessed by boat, and a short taxi ride. Apparently a French chef married a local woman and they opened this restaurant in their house! Very cool. They only have 7 tables per night so they made their reservation 6 months in advance. Though it was expensive, she felt it was worth it since it for the delicious food and unique experience
Activities at the Four Seasons
Kara did a private snorkel tour of the lagoon which is accessible right from the Four Seasons, which was interesting and low key. It was only $100 and you swim with a marine biologist to learn about the fish and coral you see every day.
The property also has a beautiful spa, where you can arrange to have a massage or range of other services. For context its about $240 for 50 minutes.
On their last night they did a private sunset cruise which was truly magical ($700). They give you rum punch and a bottle of champagne along with a little cheese plate. Their driver was hilarious and played music on a ukulele. The whole experience was incredible and one of the most memorable of the trip.
Overall She Highly Recommend a Stay at the Four Seasons
The only somewhat negative thing was that their bungalow was a 10 minute walk from the main area of the hotel including the pool, beach, and restaurants. But you could get a golf cart or look at it as exercise!
In all, though the Four Seasons was expensive she felt it was definitely worth it. Absolutely everything was top notch from the big things like their room to the small things like housekeeping coming twice a day, endless bottled water, and treats brought to you on the beach. They loved the hotel!
If you’re debating which hotel to stay at, it’s hard to choose between all these great options. Should costs be a main factor, from what Kara shared with me the rooms at the Four Seasons are slightly pricier than the Intercontinental. But food and activities at both resorts are comparable.
Tahiti
Our final destination in French Polynesia was the return to Tahiti. Though this meant our trip was coming to a close, and that we had to leave the beautiful Intercontinental resort, we felt better knowing that we would be checking into another beautiful Intercontinental resort to end the trip as well.
Getting There
We returned to our favorite airport in Bora Bora to board our quick 50 minute flight to Papetee. The great thing about our resort was that it was less than 10 minutes from the airport, and since we would only be staying two days this made the most sense.
The Hotel in Tahiti
The Intercontinental Tahiti Resort & Spa was surprisingly massive, with almost 250 rooms across the property. You can notice the scale when you enter reception and view the expansive pool and lagoon area from the second floor viewpoint. The views of the sea and the island of Moorea in the distance were unbelievable, and the sunsets continued to wow us like they had throughout our time in French Polynesia.
Our favorite part of the hotel was the swim up pool bar located at the “Lotus Pool.” Though the main pool was closed for maintenance, we realized we would have spent all our time at this spot regardless. We arrived to the hotel on Ryan’s birthday, and it felt like this was a present just for him! it’s always a good gathering place to make friends.
The pool was gigantic, with an infinity edge flowing endlessly into the Pacific Ocean. We gazed out from the pool watching boats sail by, planes land on the airport’s visible runway nearby, and crabs crawl along the rocks below the pools edge.
Though our room was so much smaller than the previous villa in Bora Bora, it was still bright, modern, and had a great balcony with a view of a private beach below.
Activities in Tahiti
Though we weren’t in Tahiti for long, we had some fun to cap off our epic trip. On our last day we decided to arrange for a private 30 minute jet ski tour with a guide. He gave us a brief tutorial and took us up and down the coast searching for surfers riding the biggest ocean swells, showing us where the sting rays feed, and the site of a sunken plane crash.
The other big activity was experiencing a Marquesian Haka dance at the hotel to celebrate Ryan’s birthday. This was our fourth and final show of the trip, but it was the best we had experienced!
The performers dressed in the most elaborate outfits traditional to these celebrations, and they were so visibly connected to the music and dancing they created together. We felt excited and moved by their emotion and intensity! And at the end we were able to go on stage and learn some of the moves from the experts themselves. It was such a cool experience.
Food in Tahiti
Since the hotel was so big it provided the biggest and best buffet I’ve ever experienced at their main restaurant called Te Tiare. This is where Ryan and I ate most of our meals, and we greatly enjoyed it! It felt like options were unlimited.
Our last meal of the honeymoon was another delicious gourmet dining experience at the Le Lotus restaurant. Though this was located adjacent to the Le Lotus pool and bar, this overwater restaurant provided views overlooking schools of fish in the ocean below us. We opted for the menu that offered a starter, entree, and desert for each of us.
Every night we enjoyed live music at the happy hour Tiki Bar before dinner, and grab a night cap before heading back to our room. Sometimes it would be crowded with other people, but as with everything in Bora Bora it can get a little sleepy at times too.
Other Hotel options in Tahiti
As much a I enjoyed our stay at the Intercontinental (and getting more IHG points) my recommendation would be to stay at the new cool hotel on the island. Though its not rated as highly, it’s also close to the airport, but looks more updated and modern.
Stars & Sunsets
Since it’s currently winter in the southern hemisphere the sun went down around 5:30pm each night. We tried to catch as many as possible, but our hotel in Moorea offered a nightly happy hour on the deck outside the Eimeo bar to really celebrate them. Our first night we enjoyed some tropical cocktails as the sun dipped down towards the vast ocean ahead of us, and as it neared the colors of the sky shifted and changed before us.
I have seen some gorgeous sunsets, but these were the best of our trip, and probably the most beautiful sunsets we’ve ever seen. Especially the unforgettable red sky! It moved us to tears.
And if that’s not enough, as the sun retreated millions of brilliant bright stars began to appear above us. I’ve never been anywhere so remote in the world before, and it was the most gorgeous night sky I had ever seen.
Honeymoon Outfits
Unsurprisingly I finished all my shopping for the Honeymoon months ago. I got excited! And once Spring came I found some new bathing suits, cover ups, dresses and bags that I’d plan to save for the trip.
I finished off my shopping with some fun accessories that my family and friends gifted me, branded as either Mrs. McKenna or “bride”. And a few dresses from FashionPass that were perfect for an island trip like Bora Bora! Here were some of my favorite from the trip and where to get them if you’re interested.
Dress from Saylor on FashionPass
Fringe tunic from Everything But Water
Two Piece Skirt Set from ShowPo
Pullover from Show Me Your Mumu
The Cost
I think my twenty-two year old self would be utterly shocked to know that one day her and her then new boyfriend would one day get married, have their dream wedding, and then head off on a luxury honeymoon. I knew remote destinations like Bora Bora and The Maldives came with a price. And as beautiful and unique as they are, they felt out of reach, and unrealistic.
Though I know how fortunate we are to be able to afford this trip, I have a few tips to help save money and make it a reality if it’s your dream destination too.
First, I highly recommend taking advantage of the points systems.
Sign up for a travel credit card like Chase Sapphire Rewards (this is not a work plug, I swear)! Especially when paying for wedding costs you will easily meet your minimum spend to gain the benefit of a tremendous number of points, that you can use redeem on vacations. Plus every time you use it to travel you get more points. Ryan booked his roundtrip flight to Bora Bora for free by doing this.
Become a member of your favorite airlines! My favorite is Delta, and I’m always trying to fly with this carrier to reach status. I booked my roundtrip flight with my Delta credit card to get the maximum number of points and activate perks with Medallion status.
Become a member of every hotel chain you frequent, but particularly when splurging on a trip like this. Just from this trip alone we gained over 250,000 IHG reward points that can be redeemed for future stays, get you room upgrades, and access to exclusive perks like late check out or free drinks.
Put every travel purchase on that credit card of yours!! It adds up.
Being realistic, it’s not only the round trip flight and hotel costs you’ll need to budget for. There is also travel between islands, the big activities, and the cost of food and drinks while you are there. For two people, breakfast was $80 on average, lunch was $150, and dinner about $300 - this is common at the 4 star and 5 star resorts.
My biggest recommendation is to look for deals. Last year when comparing hotel options I signed up to receive promotions on a few of the popular hotels. When I saw an email from Intercontinental that said “Stay Longer, Spend Less” I jumped on it. By booking a minimum of 6 nights in Bora Bora we saved 30% on our entire stay.
We also set up a Honeyfund account as a part of my bridal shower registry, which was the best decision we made. The generosity of our family and friends was so incredible, and it made this trip possible. It helped us to focus less on the costs, and more on enjoying the present and taking advantage of some once in a lifetime experiences.
Another tip… Buy DUTY FREE alcohol in the US before traveling to Bora Bora. Cocktails are about $25 each so this will quickly add up. We found savings by loading up on wine, rum and vodka before when we got there. Even so, some hotels are limiting their mini bars during covid still and we ended up having to pay $26 for orange juice as a chaser which is ridiculous.
A trip to French Polynesia can absolutely be done on a budget. But if you are going on your Honeymoon, something that you’ve looked forward to your whole life, my advice is to go for it - make it special. Whether that is with a night in an overwater hut or maybe a private dinner on the beach. There are even canoes that can sail to your villa bringing a breakfast smorgasbord. The sky is the limit, and the resorts can plan it all. If you are worried about costs then strike a balance by finding deals, staying in more affordable accommodations and splurging a little on what matters to you both the most.
I would budget $10,000 - $15,000 for this trip.
The Final Verdict
For a couple on a honeymoon I thought it was the perfect destination. We had serenity, privacy, and relaxation. I’ll always be so grateful for the chance to stay in such amazing hotels, and the incredible views from these beautiful islands were unforgettable.
Most importantly this trip brought Ryan and I even closer - it was the best start to our new chapter as husband and wife. We had so much fun together, never tired of each other, and made such lasting memories throughout our vacation that I’ll always cherish. Besties!
And how lucky are we that we met so many amazing people along the way? For all these reasons, I highly recommend a honeymoon in French Polynesia.
Despite all the detail I’ve included here, you can always reach out if you have any questions on where we stayed or what we did along the way! I’m always happy to help provide trip planning tips :)
Xx Gab
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