Moorea

Friday, February 13, 2015

We left Bora Bora on Air Tahiti for a 45-minute flight to Moorea, our next stop on our South Pacific adventure. Weather continued to be a little rough as we left Bora Bora, and the flight was very bumpy, but despite the unlucky date, we arrived safely on Moorea.

Moorea (actual Tahitian spelling Mo'ore'a) means "yellow lizard" in Tahitian. Our taxi driver from the airport was a cheerful Tahitian lady with a tropical flower wreath in her hair and a bag of knitting in the front seat. She laughed and chatted all the way to the hotel in the lilting style of the Tahitians. Tim said she could have played Bloody Mary in the movie, and he expected her at any moment to break out in a version of "Happy Talk."

 Entrance to Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa

Happy Tahitian Welcome Statue.

Hotel Reception Area. Lovely tropical style.

Pool Area.

Bungalow #80. We opted for the "Over-the-water Bungalow With Panoramic View." It proved to be an experience worth the extra price.

bedroom with outdoor terrace beyond, and below that, our private swimming platform for swimming and snorkeling in the lagoon right outside our room!

Seating area.

Bathroom with clawfoot tub and marble shower. Tahitian elegance!

We were delighted to find a window in the floor of the seating area for looking down into the water of the lagoon. The fish were beautiful.

And surprise! Hotel management delivered a bottle of champagne (French of course) and a box of macaroons for our arrival celebration!

For dinner our first night on Moorea, we opted to go off property to a little French restaurant recommended by "Bloody Mary" our taxi driver. 

Te Honu Iti (Little Turtle) is on the water at the head of Cooks Bay, and has been a favorite of locals since it opened in 1974. The owner Roger and his wife have owned the restaurant since it opened, and their sons are the cooks and servers.

Bar and Reception area at Te Honu Iti.

The kitchen with lovely smells of French cooking wafting through the dining area. Roger is in the red shirt, supervising the food preparation.

Our dining experience was like visiting a country French restaurant. All the furniture was old, and a little shabby in the elegant way that only the French seem to be able to pull off. The menu was extensive, and there were several specials. Tim opted for the fish-and-shrimp ravioli, and I had the mahi mahi in beurre blanc sauce. It was delicious, but we were so hungry, I forgot to take photos of the food!

February 14, 2015. Valentine's Day in Tahiti!

We woke early (as we always do) to a much better weather situation. A clear sunrise, and beautiful setting moon. So we went for a swim in the lagoon below our bungalow.

The sunrise was just starting to glow on the eastern horizon, and the moon was still high. The water was warm with all sorts of curious tropical fish. What a great way to start the day!

Here is a photo of Tim swimming under the house. But then, you knew he would!

For Valentine's Day breakfast, we opted for a romantic breakfast delivered by Tahitian servers via outrigger canoe. Totally decadent, but when will we ever do this again?

 Mike and Freddy delivered a beautiful breakfast of omelets, fresh fruit, mango juice, and assorted breads--including Tim's favorite, pain chocolat!

This was waaay more food than we could eat!

We rented a little white Fiat from Albert's car rental and spent the morning driving around Moorea. This is a view of a local peak nicknamed "Bali Hai" after the movie South Pacific came out in the '60s. Its shape resembles the fictional peak shown in the movie.

We drove up to the Belvedere de Opanahu for views of Mount Opanahu, the tallest peak on Moorea.

Mount Opanahu and Opanahu Bay in the background.

I took this panoramic view with my trusty Olympus "Tough" camera. Bali Hai to the far left, then Opanahu Bay and Mount Opanahu. Moorea is truly a magical place!

View from the road of the Sofitel resort on Moorea. The colors of the water are magnificent! I could look at this all day!

Back at the resort, we opted for the special Valentine Dinner. The beach restaurant was beautifully decorated and very romantic.

Bar/Serving area.

Photo of the over-the-water bungalows at night from the beach restaurant.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We enjoyed a prix fixe dinner. Here is the menu.

Welcome champagne cocktail with lychee, and rolled smoked salmon with horseradish cream.

Next, salad with spiny lobster and coconut hearts, mango and fresh coriander vinaigrette.

Beef consommé with diced foie gras and braised beef ravioli.

Main course, surf and turf. Spiny lobster and Wagyu beef filet, truffle mouselline with Porto sauce and jasmine rice.

And the piece de resistance: dessert for two. Dacquoise biscuit with mango mousse and and coconut whipped cream. Yum!

After that dinner, it's time for bed! But first, the tail end of the Tahiti Show at the main restaurant in the resort. We had listened to drums and shouting all evening (not disturbing at all), but then the performers marched the audience out to the beach for the fire baton portion of the show. I guess management was nervous about the thatched roof over the restaurant!

A little flavor of Old Tahiti!

And now, to bed. Here are some views of sunset this evening from out bungalow. Amazing!