On our 17-day honeymoon in French Polynesia, my husband and I spent our last four days on the quiet island of Taha’a. What drew us to this island was the popular resort with overwater bungalows, Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts. I wanted to see some of the island beyond the resort as well, so we stayed at an Airbnb on the main island for two nights before our time at the resort.

Taha’a is located just north of the island Raiatea, which has the closest airport. On the day that we flew from Bora Bora, they did not have any direct flights to Taha’a, even though it’s the next island over. We ended up flying from Bora Bora to Huahine to Raiatea. Our Airbnb host had connected us with a water taxi company (Temana Tours) ahead of time to transfer us to Taha’a.  

Our flight arrived at the airport a few minutes ahead of schedule and we quickly got our checked bags. Since we were early, I didn’t expect the taxi driver to be there yet. After waiting about 20 minutes, we gave them a call, and they said the driver was on the way. We finally saw our boat pull up at the dock just outside of the airport parking lot. The driver came to help us with our bags and there was another couple already on board.

The boat ride was rough and took about 20 minutes to get to Taha’a. A storm was rolling in, so it was very windy. Our bags got soaked on the back of the boat! When we pulled up to the dock at Taha’a, our Airbnb host was there waiting for us and helped load our bags into his truck. It was another 30 minute drive to our Airbnb from there. He graciously stopped at the only open grocery store on the way so we could grab some food before they closed.

We got to the Airbnb after dark and settled in for the night.

Day 1

I woke up at sunrise and finally got to see our beautiful villa in the daylight! It has a truly beautiful outside living area with a private pool and beach access. We loved our Airbnb, but there were stray dogs, lizards (like most places in French Polynesia), rodents, and mosquitos so we chose to keep our doors and windows closed. Since there was only AC in the bedrooms, the inside living area got extremely hot with limited air flow. For two nights though, it really wasn’t a big deal.

Kayak Around Airbnb

The Airbnb had a kayak available for us to use. Our host had told us how to get to a pretty mangrove cove that we could check out via kayak. We paddled down to the cove and back for about an hour. The ocean was extremely shallow with tons of coral that we got stuck on a few times. We made it back in one piece though!

Bike Around Taha’a

Bikes were also available for us to use during our time here. This was a major plus since we didn’t have a car to explore the island with. It was hot by the time we started our ride, but the breeze felt nice.

Lunch in Town

We stopped at Snack Matahina, a local restaurant that I don’t think sees many tourists. We got a steak with fries to share, and it was delicious! 

Fare Miti Boat Bar 

After lunch, our host recommended checking out a boat that’s a bar! This was so fun. We got a charcuterie board to share, and I got a rum drink made with a local rum made on the island (across the street!). Since we were out on the water, there was a constant breeze. We really enjoyed this spot.

Pari Pari Rum Distillery

Across the street from Fare Miti is the Pari Pari rum distillery. Since we had just tried their rum, we did not feel the need to try more at the distillery. However, this would be a fun place to do a tasting.

Ia Orana Pearl Farm

We biked another 10 minutes north to the Ia Orana Pearl Farm. They do free tours and explain how they make their pearls. They strongly encouraged us to buy something after the tour. Most of the jewelry was a bit pricey and not really my style, so we didn’t get anything. Definitely cool to learn about the pearl-making process.

Hang at Airbnb

We spent the rest of the day lounging around our Airbnb and swimming in the pool. We ended up cooking dinner there, so we didn’t have to venture out in the dark without a car.

Day 2

Getting to Le Taha’a

The next morning, our host picked us up around 11am to take us to the resort’s shuttle boat. We had emailed the resort ahead of time to let them know we would need to be picked up. It wasn’t super obvious where we would be picked up, but our host told us exactly where to sit. There was a covered area with seating that we waited under with a few other people. The shuttle driver arrived on time and helped us all on board. The ride was quick and easy, we just had to cross over to the private motu. You can see the resort from the main island.

The check-in process was excellent. The resort manager came to greet us and recommended a few of his favorite parts of the resort. Our room was ready to check in when we arrived around 12pm. They also told us we could have a late checkout of 5:30pm on our last day, which was so nice since our flight wasn’t until later that evening.

Hotel staff walked us to our overwater bungalow, which wasn’t too far from the main area fortunately! The bungalow was very nice, but I did think our bungalow at Le Bora Bora was better. There was no hammock on the bungalow’s private deck, and the deck was shaded for most of the day.

Lunch

We ate at the resort’s lunch restaurant, Titiraina. The food was very good and the setting by the pool overlooking the beach was beautiful. My favorite meal I had was the chicken sandwich. I had that two of the three days we ate lunch there.

Afternoon 

We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the resort and then we took the floats we had brought with us from home out into the ocean, tying ourselves to our bungalow with a rope. This was the only time we’d used the floats, and overall I would say it was probably not necessary to bring them.

Evening

That night, we checked out one of the spots the resort manager recommended. Since the resort faces east, you can walk to the other side of the small island to watch the sunset over Bora Bora. It was only about a 5-10 minute walk down a dirt road. The road ends at the helicopter pad and has a beautiful view. There was only one other couple there when we arrived. We brought beers with us to enjoy while watching the sunset.

Then we walked back to dinner at Hawaiki Nui, the resort’s main restaurant. The setting is absolutely gorgeous, and we felt like we were in a treehouse. Dinner was fantastic. I got the pasta risotto and loved it so much I got it the second night too! The Creme Brulé and chocolate melting cake were also wonderful.

Day 3

We got breakfast at Hawaiki Nui, which is a buffet that is included in your stay. The buffet selection was excellent, and the food was very tasty. 

We spent the rest of the morning at the pool, since our bungalow deck was completely shaded. I really loved the vibe here, and we were the only ones enjoying the pool. I was generally surprised by how few people were staying at the resort!

The remainder of our day was fairly lazy, getting lunch and dinner with some time swimming in the ocean in between.

Day 4

Our last day was rainy. We had gotten extremely lucky weather-wise with the first 16 days of our trip, so we didn’t mind laying low on our last day. At this point of the trip, we were so tired that it felt really nice to sleep in with no rush to be anywhere. We were so thankful they let us check out late so we had somewhere to hang out while it rained. 

Transfer to Airport

The hotel’s shuttle to the airport was really nice. We were the only ones on the boat. Our boat left right at sunset, so we got some great views on the way. They let us go out on the back of the boat and take pictures. It took about 30 minutes to get to the airport and they escorted us with our bags up to the check in area. 

When we arrived around 6pm, the airport’s only restaurant was closed. We were planning on eating there, so we scarfed a couple protein bars to hold us over until we arrived back in Tahiti.

We had a direct flight back to Tahiti where we stayed overnight near the airport before our flight home the next morning.

Overall Thoughts

-I thought Taha’a was very beautiful, but it wasn’t my favorite island we visited. I preferred Bora Bora and Moorea.

-We thought the grounds of Le Taha’a were prettier than Le Bora Bora, with more things to do on the property. However, our overwater bungalow at Le Bora Bora was nicer, especially the outside deck. The restaurants at the two resorts were similar.

-I loved how quiet this resort and island were. It was perfect for a relaxing trip, and not for those who want nightlife.

-The journey to get to our Airbnb on the main island of Taha’a was not exactly easy. It was extremely helpful having a host who was willing to help coordinate our transfers. 

You may also be interested in:

48 Hours on the Island of Tahiti
Four-Day Itinerary for Moorea, French Polynesia
How to Spend Three Days on the Main Island of Bora Bora
Staying at Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts