An actual crash. Apparently a pilot who was on his first solo flight and messed the air mixture, stalled the engine and did a water landing. He was fine but not the plane...
Cars of Tahiti...
- Thread starter Christian P.
- Start date
An actual crash. Apparently a pilot who was on his first solo flight and messed the air mixture, stalled the engine and did a water landing. He was fine but not the plane...
Todd n Natalie
OverCamper
Glad he made it out okay.
We went from small to even smaller.
Enough range to circle Bora Bora twice.
Scissor doors so you feel like you're David Ghetta in a super car.
Enough range to circle Bora Bora twice.
Scissor doors so you feel like you're David Ghetta in a super car.
762X39
Explorer
Now this is cool. Maybe not suitable for northern Ontario but awesome none the less. I often wish that I could electrify my Unimog so it would be cool too. Perhaps when I retire.We went from small to even smaller.
Enough range to circle Bora Bora twice.
Scissor doors so you feel like you're David Ghetta in a super car.
View attachment 532240
SDDiver5
Expedition Leader
Awesome thanks!
We're going to Moorea for 3 days and then Bora Bora for 6. We don't have any activities planned but would love some non touristy things to do if you know of any. She is not PADI cert so I am not sure if we will go diving.
SDDiver5
Expedition Leader
Awesome thanks!
We're going to Moorea for 3 days and then Bora Bora for 6. We don't have any activities planned but would love some non touristy things to do if you know of any. She is not PADI cert so I am not sure if we will go diving.
Some tips quickly:
-Make reservations in Moorea as the restaurants get filled up. There aren't very many options. We really enjoyed Le Lezard Jaune. They also have a food truck (called 'Roulotte') in a parking nearby. Be aware that it is cheaper if you take it to go than if you eat at the Food Truck (even though they only have a couple tables...). Apparently the best one is Rudy's but we did not try it.
Restaurant Moorea "Le Lézard Jaune Café"
Restaurant Moorea "Le Lézard Jaune Café". 3,628 likes · 894 were here. LE LÉZARD JAUNE CAFÉ Restaurant Lounge Moorea Ouverture : Août 2014
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If you don't have reservations you will end up at a restaurant call "Sea u soon". The guy is a genius because he is right, that's the only remaining option...they have happy hour with half price drinks,
-The one thing I did not do on Moorea and regretted is mountain bike. They have some good trails inland, I just saw the map at the Belvedere. I don't know where you could rent bikes there though.
-The taxi ride from the airport to the ferry is about $20. They also charge $1 per luggage.
-Everything is pretty much touristy on Bora Bora. There aren't too many choices and they pretty much all revolved around the lagoon (jet ski tour, sailing tour, boat tour, parasailing tour, diving tour, shark/sting ray tour, etc). The weather has been phenomenal for us. We brought our own paddle boards and went out on the water every day. The best lagoon we found to swin and chill is behind the St-Regis hotel. But not much snorkeling at that location. We saw the sting rays and sharks in Moorea so we did not do it here.
-They also have a 4x4 tour on the island but we did not do it. We rented a car (small electric tandem - I wouldn't suggest it but it was the only option). Again reserve in advance - 24 hours minimum. We have used Avis and Hertz. Both good. Cars are all manual. Small operation so be ready for some wait if there are other clients at the same time. We did the tour of Bora Bora island, there isn't too much to see.
-Air Tahiti checks for the luggage weight. 50 pounds max for check in.
-the other big thing here are the black pearls, so be ready to make your wife happy...
-French is the main language but everyone is happy to speak (and practice) English, especially on Bora Bora. On Moorea you may run into a couple of older grumpy French people who don't speak English...
-We love it here and will be back.
Where will you be staying?
Today we moved on to another mode of transportation...
SDDiver5
Expedition Leader
Thank you for the tips!Some tips quickly:
-Make reservations in Moorea as the restaurants get filled up. There aren't very many options. We really enjoyed Le Lezard Jaune. They also have a food truck (called 'Roulotte') in a parking nearby. Be aware that it is cheaper if you take it to go than if you eat at the Food Truck (even though they only have a couple tables...). Apparently the best one is Rudy's but we did not try it.
Restaurant Moorea "Le Lézard Jaune Café"
Restaurant Moorea "Le Lézard Jaune Café". 3,628 likes · 894 were here. LE LÉZARD JAUNE CAFÉ Restaurant Lounge Moorea Ouverture : Août 2014
If you don't have reservations you will end up at a restaurant call "Sea u soon". The guy is a genius because he is right, that's the only remaining option...they have happy hour with half price drinks,
-The one thing I did not do on Moorea and regretted is mountain bike. They have some good trails inland, I just saw the map at the Belvedere. I don't know where you could rent bikes there though.
-The taxi ride from the airport to the ferry is about $20. They also charge $1 per luggage.
-Everything is pretty much touristy on Bora Bora. There aren't too many choices and they pretty much all revolved around the lagoon (jet ski tour, sailing tour, boat tour, parasailing tour, diving tour, shark/sting ray tour, etc). The weather has been phenomenal for us. We brought our own paddle boards and went out on the water every day. The best lagoon we found to swin and chill is behind the St-Regis hotel. But not much snorkeling at that location. We saw the sting rays and sharks in Moorea so we did not do it here.
-They also have a 4x4 tour on the island but we did not do it. We rented a car (small electric tandem - I wouldn't suggest it but it was the only option). Again reserve in advance - 24 hours minimum. We have used Avis and Hertz. Both good. Cars are all manual. Small operation so be ready for some wait if there are other clients at the same time. We did the tour of Bora Bora island, there isn't too much to see.
-Air Tahiti checks for the luggage weight. 50 pounds max for check in.
-the other big thing here are the black pearls, so be ready to make your wife happy...
-French is the main language but everyone is happy to speak (and practice) English, especially on Bora Bora. On Moorea you may run into a couple of older grumpy French people who don't speak English...
-We love it here and will be back.
Where will you be staying?
Staying at the Hilton Moorea and then St. Regis Bora Bora. I went all out for this honeymoon. "premium" overwater bungalows both places.
I saw the 4x4 tours which is something I am interested in for sure.
Did you bring inflatable paddle boards? I was thinking of doing that along with a mask and snorkel and maybe some fins?
Appreciate the tips on the restaurants. I need to do some research...I think we have some meals included in the package my travel agent set us up with.
We are staying at Le Meridien which is right next to the St-Regis. I think you will be happy. The lagoon behind the St-Regis is perfect for swimming and paddle boarding.
Yes we did bring ours and I am really glad we did. We used them almost every day. It's a bit windy here in Bora Bora however so I think it was even better on Moorea (Plage Tipanier). That's where they take people on shark/sting ray tour, but you could easily paddle out there. We did a tour to see the whales but no luck. There was apparently only one and we did not find it. They may be more by the time you arrive but I would keep my expectations low. We did book the afternoon tour though so it turned into a sunset cruise which was actually really nice, even if we did not see the whale.
We also brought our mask/snorkel and water shoes. Bring a dry bag, feel it with ice from the hotel and local beers from the local market and you have the best day of your life.
Air Tahiti only charged us like $50 to bring them as excess baggage. They have a 5kg discount if you are a diver (and show you card)
On Tahiti we did the snorkeling tour to see the underwater plane. Our guide was fantastic and we had a private boat. His name is Benoit, he is really friendly. We brought our own booze and he had no problem with it. Tell him we sent you.
Tahiti Lagoon Paradise – Best Snorkeling with whales, dolphins, turtles, wrecks
Best private tours: whales, dolphins, turtles, wreck, coral valley, tropical fishes … Best price and high quality. Amazing TripAdvisor reviews, unforgettable tours
www.whale-dolphin-turtle.com
.
On Bora Bora, we took the shuttle to the main village one day (28$ return - Saturday) and rented an electric car. Filled it up as best as we could with stuff from the market (beers, water, etc).
We had dinner at Restaurant Matira (it's known at the Sushi place by the locals) - it was great.
We also had brought alcohol from the Papeete in our luggage. You're allowed 50 pounds so we had like 48 pounds each...
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A few more "cultural" tips that I did not know before arriving.
The flower on the ear is very much a thing here. I thought it was only in the movies...but it's extremely common.
Left means the person is taken and right the person is available.
There is also a strong transgender culture. That one was a surprise. Third gender to be more exact. Apparently it goes back a long way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Māhū
The baguettes are everywhere. In some islands, they even deliver them to your mailbox. Actually, the French culture is everywhere. It's a very strange feeling, sometimes you feel like you are in France. Everyone seems to get along very well, the two very different cultures seem to have kept the best of both.
We have been eating a lot more meat than we expected...they have some of the best steaks. It comes fresh from New Zealand. New Zealand is the closest "continent" and apparently because of the debacle around the sinking of the GreenPeace Rainbow Warrior, New Zealand is able to export a bunch of product tax-free here. That was kind of a way for France to apologize. So they have great steak & frites, just like in Paris. Also salmon and kiwis...oh and pizza. They love pizza here.
The Shaka sign is also very common, especially when you are paddling out and holding a Hinano in your hand...
en.wikipedia.org
Okay, this one I have no clue why or where it comes from. But the pink flamingo (and the unicorn) seems to be a thing on Bora Bora. We had a Pink Flamingo party at the hotel, and started noticing pictures everywhere (like in the Air Tahiti magazine), and even a few guys with pink flamingo shirts at the airport. In any case it's kind of funny,
One last thing...this is more of a personal opinion, and probably helped by the fact that my first language is French, but both my American wife and myself feels like the people here are the most welcoming and nice that we have met in many of the islands we have visited (perhaps with the exception of Aruba). We sailed through the BVI/USVI before and did not recall the same vibe. But again that may just be our personal experience.
We are heading back next weekend and we're already planning our next trip. You're going to love it.
The flower on the ear is very much a thing here. I thought it was only in the movies...but it's extremely common.
Left means the person is taken and right the person is available.
There is also a strong transgender culture. That one was a surprise. Third gender to be more exact. Apparently it goes back a long way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Māhū
The baguettes are everywhere. In some islands, they even deliver them to your mailbox. Actually, the French culture is everywhere. It's a very strange feeling, sometimes you feel like you are in France. Everyone seems to get along very well, the two very different cultures seem to have kept the best of both.
We have been eating a lot more meat than we expected...they have some of the best steaks. It comes fresh from New Zealand. New Zealand is the closest "continent" and apparently because of the debacle around the sinking of the GreenPeace Rainbow Warrior, New Zealand is able to export a bunch of product tax-free here. That was kind of a way for France to apologize. So they have great steak & frites, just like in Paris. Also salmon and kiwis...oh and pizza. They love pizza here.
The Shaka sign is also very common, especially when you are paddling out and holding a Hinano in your hand...
Shaka sign - Wikipedia
Okay, this one I have no clue why or where it comes from. But the pink flamingo (and the unicorn) seems to be a thing on Bora Bora. We had a Pink Flamingo party at the hotel, and started noticing pictures everywhere (like in the Air Tahiti magazine), and even a few guys with pink flamingo shirts at the airport. In any case it's kind of funny,
One last thing...this is more of a personal opinion, and probably helped by the fact that my first language is French, but both my American wife and myself feels like the people here are the most welcoming and nice that we have met in many of the islands we have visited (perhaps with the exception of Aruba). We sailed through the BVI/USVI before and did not recall the same vibe. But again that may just be our personal experience.
We are heading back next weekend and we're already planning our next trip. You're going to love it.
SDDiver5
Expedition Leader
Thanks again for the tips! I really appreciate it. I'm going to look into bringing our own paddle boards...I think that is going to be key. I hear everything is super expensive there so...
And hell yes on the steaks! I love me a good steak. I need to start planning the honeymoon and make some reservations.
Again, thank you!!
And hell yes on the steaks! I love me a good steak. I need to start planning the honeymoon and make some reservations.
Again, thank you!!
SDDiver5
Expedition Leader
Got back about a week ago.....What a freaking trip! Thanks for the tips!
As soon as I walked out of the airport, BOOM, Ranger Raptor next to a Sweet Defender 90 truck which I had never seen before.
When i was in Moorea I made sure to look around in all of the yards and saw some super unique trucks. All MAN and those types of vehicles you never see in the states. We did a 4x4 tour around Moorea and we were in an awesome diesel, manual, single cab ranger. Had lockers front and rear and took us up some steep roads.
Didn't see any vehicles in Bora other than golf carts and boats as we never left our the St. Regis.
12/10 going back next year for our 1 year anniv.
As soon as I walked out of the airport, BOOM, Ranger Raptor next to a Sweet Defender 90 truck which I had never seen before.
When i was in Moorea I made sure to look around in all of the yards and saw some super unique trucks. All MAN and those types of vehicles you never see in the states. We did a 4x4 tour around Moorea and we were in an awesome diesel, manual, single cab ranger. Had lockers front and rear and took us up some steep roads.
Didn't see any vehicles in Bora other than golf carts and boats as we never left our the St. Regis.
12/10 going back next year for our 1 year anniv.
Just came across this thread, my wife and I went to Bora Bora for our Honeymoon back in 2015 and stayed at the St Regis. Its a beautiful place! For your one year anniversary might I recommend looking into the island of Aitutaki. Its in the Cook Islands, and one of my favorite places I have ever been. I found the locals way more friendly than in Bora. We stayed at the Etu Moana, rented scooters and rode all over the island. Just a suggestion in case you want to switch it up and go somewhere else.
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SDDiver5
Expedition Leader
Appreciate the advice! Cook islands is another one on our list. We talked about it and instead of doing Bora we want to do something less touristy and cook islands was on the list!