In my last post I shared my post-wedding thoughts, (and a few regrets too) which I wrote while sitting in the middle of Tahiti International Airport en route to our honeymoon. A honeymoon that was highly documented on Instagram and IG stories, but trust me…I still have more to say about it. Yes, I vlogged the trip too, but I wanted to write a review of the grounds and share all the specific activities we did while in Le Taha’a. After spending 8 nights at the stunning boutique resort, it’s safe to say we became acutely knowledgeable of all it has to offer. By day 3, Jordan and I joked that we were the seniors watching the incoming freshman class arrive each time the boat dropped off a new crop of guests. Everyone was so friendly (lots of fellow honeymooners!) and many asked us for recommendations about what to do and where to go while in Le Taha’a.

While researching our trip I came across several common misconceptions about traveling in French Polynesia and Le Taha’a itself. I hope to clear those up by the end of this post!

Travel Time

When my in-laws heard we were considering popping down to Mexico for a few nights for our honeymoon (which would have been romantic and lovely too, by the way) they offered to make a huge contribution to our honeymoon fund. We were blown away when they asked us what our dream honeymoon would be. We both pictured overwater bungalows like we’d seen in movies and blogs. Surely they fall in the “dream” category, right? We just assumed they were highly unattainable and would require 30+ hours of travel and thousands of dollars per night. Turns out that’s not entirely true. Direct 8 hour flights run from LAX to Tahiti daily! Once we learned it was shorter than a flight to London, we hit the ground running with our search. I stumbled on a blog post featuring Le Taha’a Island Resort and Spa and immediately fell in love.

We took the red eye to Tahiti and then another short domestic flight, followed by a 40 minute boat ride before arriving at Le Taha’a, but overall the travel day felt smooth. We weren’t completely wrecked by the time we got there, honestly! Plus, the time change is only 3 hours behind, so the jet lag was as manageable as going to Hawaii (from CA of course).

Bungalow #2

Upon arrival we received a wonderful welcome by the staff, complete with a fresh flower crown and two glasses of vanilla lemonade. It might sound weird, but it was delicious. As we entered the lobby the general manager, Laurent greeted us…as Mr. & Mrs. Weiss for the first time. 🙂 A detail that did not go unnoticed! He sat down with a paper map and pointed out our room, the pool, as well as the spa and other facilities, drawing the best path to each directly onto the map. We learned about his French roots, he asked about our hobbies and any activities we might be interested in, and overall really took his time chatting with us. His greeting set the bar for the outstanding customer service we came to expect from every staff encounter during our time in Le Taha’a.

The bellman walked us to our bungalow and gave us a tour of the room. Not that we heard a single word he said. Jordan and I couldn’t believe our eyes, we gasped at the sight of every detail of our humungous and prestigious bungalow. The hotel put in the effort to include so many personalized touches, down to the fresh flower petals and welcome note. We stayed in bungalow #2 on the Bora Bora side which was centrally located yet private, and boasted stunning sunset and sunrise views.

Property + Amenities

About halfway through our trip, we met an awesome couple from Long Beach. After the third or fourth time Katie referred to going out on the “SUP” I caved and finally asked her what the hell she was talking about. Apparently that’s what the cool kids call stand up paddle boarding. Now let me just say, this is not the kind of adventure I would typically embark upon.

When I approach a wave my brain skips right past “fun” and “enjoyment” and jumps straight to “survival mode.” It’s serious business and if it doesn’t result in a injury, it will certainly involve a string of expletives through gritted teeth. Likely directed at whoever’s idea it was to dump me into the middle of the ocean. After nearly 8 years together, Jordan obviously knows better than to suggest such a outing but sweet, sweet Katie didn’t know any better. Now, I don’t know if it the was rum spiked coconut I was sipping on, or the fact that the water is incredibly mellow near the resort, but I was feeling brave. I went out there, and you know what? It was so. much. fun. We ended up paddle boarding twice a day for the rest of the trip!

Snorkeling is another activity I’m not usually keen on (gosh, don’t I sound like such a fun wife? Jordan is so lucky!) but the coral garden surrounding Le Taha’a is a sight to be seen. Again, I was peer pressured encouraged to join our new friends on a snorkeling mission, and I’m so glad I did. I’ve never seen so many fish in one place before, and certainly never that close up! They were breathtakingly vibrant, and weren’t aggressive or intimidating. We had a blast.

The only paid excursion we signed up for through the hotel concierge led to possibly the best day we spent in French Polynesia. We rented a scooter on the neighboring island of Taha’a and planned our own travel tour, just the two of us! Complimentary boat rides run hourly from Le Taha’a to Taha’a and only take about 5 minutes. The rental was roughly $115USD for the day and included a full tank of gas, helmets, and a mini lesson on how to operate the scooter. The scooter provided the perfect means to navigate the island at our own pace, and allowed us to prioritize the activities we wanted to partake in.

We stopped at a pearl farm, a vanilla plantation, a rum distillery, and had lunch at a fantastic little French restaurant called Maitai. Head chef, Bruno came over to highlight the menu and ended up talking to us all about how he and his family landed there from France. It was lovely that he got to know us, but we needed no sweet talking. His food spoke for itself!

We also stopped at the local market on Taha’a, which was the only place to pick up anything you might need outside of the obligatory overpriced resort gift shop. We bought snacks…lots of snacks, water (although the resort provides several bottles throughout the day) a pool float that Jordan became obsessed with, and a bottle of rum to make our own cocktails. There’s no shame in our game. At $26 per drink, those resort prices are no joke!

Other resort amenities we took advantage of included bocce ball, volleyball, kayaks, a relaxing couples massage, all sandwiched between pool and ocean time. We attended the Polynesian barbecue and fire show on Tuesday night, and it did not disappoint! We meant to squeeze in a tennis match or a workout at the gym, but neither ever happened. There was so much to do, we could have remained happily entertained for several more days.

If you’re planning a trip to French Polynesia, then you’re probably seeing article after article that suggests the only way to do it is to island hop. That’s what I encountered, and honestly I was conflicted about only staying on one tiny island, at one resort for the duration of our honeymoon. Of course, it would be lovely to see what other islands had to offer, but after speaking with many of the couples who bounced around, quite frankly I’m so glad we didn’t. It seemed exhausting, costly, and not terribly different from what we were able to do and see in Le Taha’a.

I read so many reviews that said it would be downright boring if you didn’t visit more than one resort in French Polynesia. Those people don’t know how to vacation! We got the absolute most out of Le Taha’a Island Spa and Resort, and left feeling smitten and fulfilled. If you are considering traveling to Le Taha’a, please let me know in the comments or shoot me an email. I can’t promise I won’t track you down and try to live vicariously through you, but at least I’ll answer any questions in exchange for stalking rights. 🙂

In part II, I plan on sharing my island packing list and all the must-have items we took with us, as well as a few we wish we had!