Hotel Review: Intercontinental Resort Tahiti

Sadly our trip to French Polynesia was over.  We had seen some amazing birds on Ua Huka and Rimatara and now we were heading home.  Our flight left at 7:30am so we needed a hotel near the airport and preferably available on points.  The Intercontinental Tahiti Resort fit the bill perfectly.  Rooms cost 40,000 points which is a decent value and this is a pretty spectacular “airport hotel”!

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It is easily reachable from downtown or the airport on any Outamaoro bus.  They drop you right at the driveway and you just walk down to the entrance.

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My platinum status (courtesy Chase IHG Mastercard) got us upgraded to an ocean view room!IMG_1705 IMG_1704 IMG_1702 IMG_1706 IMG_1707 IMG_1709 IMG_1710

Small turtle pond in the gardenIMG_1711 IMG_1712

Overwater bungalows.  I didn’t seek an upgrade to these as it was only an overnight stay with check out at 4:30am.IMG_1714

Lagoon and overwater bungalowsIMG_1717 IMG_1718 IMG_1720

Watching the sunset by the swimming poolIMG_1722

Happy hour!IMG_1723 IMG_1726 IMG_1727

Planes coming in to landIMG_1730 IMG_1731

Cabana boy with conch shellIMG_1733 IMG_1735 IMG_1736 IMG_1738 IMG_1739 IMG_1740 IMG_1743

The next morning we were up at 4:00am and checked out around 4:30-ish.  The one thing I don’t like about visiting French Polynesia is the uber-early morning flights!  We walked out to the main road, prepared to walk with our backpacks to the airport.  A bus came along and we flagged it down.  No need to pay $25 for a taxi to go a couple kilometers!  Check-in wasn’t too crowded so we quickly checked in and passed security.IMG_1746

We were in economy so no lounge for us, the main terminal is pretty comfortable anyway.IMG_1747 IMG_1748Goodbye French Polynesia and keep looking after your birds!

 

Shopping In Papeete

It was mostly “window shopping” as souvenirs in Tahiti are not cheap!  We had a few XPF to spend before going home so we ended up with a couple pareos.  The jewelry is amazing but costs a fortune!

Leaving the ferry terminal

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Cool artwork on a cafeIMG_1687

Pirates greet you at this cafeIMG_1688

These stunning necklaces were out of reach for meIMG_1689 IMG_1690 IMG_1691 IMG_1692

But these pareos were around $10 each!IMG_1693 IMG_1694

Farewell Moorea, Ferry Back To Papeete

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.

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Hitting rush hour trafficIMG_1655

in more ways than one!IMG_1657

Back to the ferry terminalIMG_1670 IMG_1671 IMG_1672 IMG_1673

Terevau arrives on time.IMG_1675 IMG_1676 IMG_1677 IMG_1678 IMG_1679 IMG_1680 IMG_1681 IMG_1682

Arriving in Papeete ferry terminalIMG_1683 IMG_1684

Papeete On A Budget (And Where To Splurge)

You don’t often see those two words in the same sentence!  But believe it or not, it is possible to save money in Papeete by doing what the locals do!

IMG_1695 IMG_16961.  Locals use the buses.  Unfortunately the colourful “Le Trucks” have disappeared and been replaced by normal buses.  Bus fares from the airport to the town centre or Intercontinental will be around 200 XPF and a bit more to the Radisson.  Weekdays, buses operate roughly every 15 to 30 minutes from around 5am until about 5.30pm.  If you are staying at the Intercontinental, the Pape’ete-Faa’a-Outumaoro line supposedly operates 24 hours but in reality gets very quiet after 10pm.  We did manage to get this bus to the airport at 5am but since we only had backpacks we would have walked otherwise.  Sunday services are less frequent.

2.  Locals eat at the Grande Marche or in the evening at the roulottes.  Hotel food is really expensive and you’ve probably seen other blogs talking about $50 breakfasts and $100 dinners.  You can save a bundle by visiting the food stalls at the market and buying sandwiches or plates of food to bring back to your room.  We also brought packets of Crystal Light to mix with water rather than paying $5 for a bottle of soft drink.  Here’s an idea of what to look for at the marche.

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If you are feeling festive or planning on attending an island night (luau) you can buy leis just outside.  IMG_0534The cheapest pareus (sarongs) are also found on the sidewalk outside the market but it’s cash only!

There are a few jewelry stalls near the tourist office.

IMG_05113.  Free maps and booklets at the Tourist Office.

IMG_0513 IMG_05124.  Souvenirs are cheaper in the grande marche or just outside and some shops take credit cards.

IMG_0535 IMG_0517 IMG_0516LAST BUT NOT LEAST – THE SPLURGE!

I really wish I could have afforded these beautiful bird paintings on wood but they started at around $300!  Yikes!

IMG_0528 IMG_0527 IMG_0526 IMG_0525 IMG_0524There are some nicer wood carvings and other objets d’art near the Place Vaima.  You can also get a SIM card for your cell phone.

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We got to see the Miss Tahiti crown on display as the pageant was happening the week after we left.  Nearby, you can find some Tahitian haute couture!

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Air Tahiti Nui – Even Economy Was Pleasant

The one thing I really like about some of the Pacific Island airlines is the way they incorporate their culture into their national airline.  Air Tahiti Nui won’t be the choice of those seeking aspirational awards because J class is only a recliner, not lie flat. See my post on how to book award seats on Air Tahiti Nui.

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But the economy is a good deal for those redeeming economy as the cabin has a 2-4-2 layout so couples can grab seats and be sure of not having to share a 3 seater with a stranger.  We got lucky with a plane that had lots of empty seats so my husband shifted into the aisle across while I kept the 2 seater so we could spread out and pretend we were in J.

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I loved the blue and green colour scheme and the way the FA’s wore typical Tahitian clothing, it makes you feel like your holiday has started already!

IMG_9753 The most important tip I can give you about seat selection is AVOID THE MIDDLE ROWS INBOUND TO TAHITI!

Upon arrival at PPT, they disembarked from both the front and rear staircases, leaving the middle row passengers as the last ones off the aircraft.

IMG_9756 IMG_9757A Hawaiian Airline plane had arrived just before us and the immigration lines were horrific!  They seem to take forever processing each person and there were only 3 officers on duty.  They do try to make it bearable by having a nice Tahitian band and dancer to welcome and entertain the new arrivals.

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