3 Days In Taha’a, Tahiti Trip 2018

I could probably write a month’s worth of content on our Tahiti trip, but I’m going to try to wrap it into less than that…if possible 😉 I know I’ve said it before, but there is just something so magical and inviting about the islands of French Polynesia. So many people say – you live in Hawaii, why do you vacation in a place that is essentially the same?! To that I say – we love the tropics and while there are a lot of parallels, it’s just not quite the same. Today I’m recapping our time on the beautiful island of Taha’a, so you can expect a lot of photos of beautiful water, bungalows, underwater snorkeling adventures and food/drinks. If you’re interested in taking a little virtual vacation and reliving a part of our trip with me, today’s post is for you 🙂

3 Days In Taha’a, Tahiti Trip 2018

THE RESORT: Le Taha’a Island Resort + Spa is, without a doubt, a desktop screensaver come to life. From the overwater bungalows to the crystal turquoise water sparkling below, it is a quintessential Polynesian experience. We stayed at this same resort last fall (trip recaps Part 1 + Part 2) and were excited to return again for utter tranquility. The resort itself is situated on a private island with little more than the resort itself, some water activities and a beautiful Coral Garden for snorkeling. A free boat shuttle that runs to Taha’a runs daily and there you can explore vanilla plantations, pearl farms and additional underwater activities. To arrive to the resort, fly from Papeete to Raiatea (usually there’s a connection in between on Huahine) on Air Tahiti and from there, a resort shuttle boat will take you to the private island.

THE ROOM: We stayed in a Tahaa Overwater Suite and believe me when I tell you – if I was ever going to embrace the tiny house trend, it would be in one of those bungalows. We had a beautiful view of mainland Taha’a and the lagoon waters, plus we could see all the beautiful sailboats cruising around the channel, which was pretty cool! When we arrived, we had the most beautiful flower presentation and the fresh flower arrangements didn’t stop for the duration of the trip. It’s kind of hard to put into words how deliciously fragrant the flowers make your room smell, but you’ll have take my word for it on this one! Think plumeria meets salty sea and fresh air 🙂 Our room also featured a large sun deck, outdoor table with benches (where we enjoyed a Milky Way dinner one night and got to eat in the comfort of our own bungalow) and dock with outdoor shower. Dane’s favorite part of the room was the dock, because it made jumping in with the rays every morning super easy and the huge bathtub. My favorite part of the room was waking up to a huge window at the end of our bed where we could see the water!

THE FOOD/DRINKS: I can be a hard person to travel with when it comes to food given my intolerances and aversions to certain foods, but none of that mattered at Le Taha’a, because every single thing they serve is as fresh as ocean-to-table can be. When you check in, you’re able to share with the staff if you have allergies or preferences, which they are fantastic about following! The all-you-can-eat breakfast each morning is what dreams are made of – the scrambled eggs are somehow so much better there than at my own house. For dinner, I was on a total mahi mahi bender and I think I will dream about the mahi with vanilla sauce and pineapple rice for the rest of my days. I ordered it every single night! My drink of choice was the BBC from the pool bar at happy hour each night. Dane’s go-to was, of course, Hinanos on repeat and the lamb shank with truffle mash. One of the things we both enjoyed about the food was that, like much of the rest of the resort, was the attention to detail in presentation. Nothing went unseen, from the garnishes to the presentation of drinks, sauces and flower arrangements on tables. It can’t be easy to accommodate so many guests with varying needs, so that extra touch made it pretty special.

UNDERWATER LIFE: One of the most beautiful parts of French Polynesia is how crystal clear the water is. Truly – I struggle to put into words just how remarkable and vibrant the ocean + its inhabitants are here. It’s something that you cannot truly appreciate until you see it with your own eyes, but danggit, I sure wanted to try to encapsulate the magic! We discovered a ton of ocean life during our visit, including an eel, tons of cowrie shells, a sleep octopus, lots of beautiful fish and a ton of living coral. Le Taha’a does a great job of trying to sustain their Coral Garden by informing guests about not stepping on the reef and avoiding use of flippers in shallow waters to prevent damage. We were sure to use reef safe sunscreen during our visit + didn’t take home any of the beautiful shells we found, even though we saw lots of people doing it 🙁 Dane and I agree that seeing that sleepy octopus was our favorite part! I got a ton of questions about our underwater photos on this trip and we use this camera + this accessory pack (less than $18 for every attachment you could ever want!) – they are the absolute best for crisp + clear photos!

And speaking of special cameras, of course we brought our drone with us this time and captured some truly amazing aerial views that we hope to blow up and keep as some art in our house. There really is nothing more beautiful in my opinion! One thing to note about flying a drone at a resort like this is that it’s super important not to infringe on anyone’s privacy, which can happen easily in a situation like this. We were always sure to fly really early before people were awake, when no one was around or have carefully cropped them out.

SUNSET: The sunsets and sunrises in Taha’a are like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The pastel skies in Hawaii are stunning, but the way the color dances off the water at the various islands in French Polynesia makes it beautiful in a way that takes your breath away. At Le Taha’a, there is a sweet spot on the opposite end of the resort that is kind of tucked away from everything (and everyone!), which makes it the perfect spot to take in the sunset with your favorite person. Dane and I walked down here every single night (usually with our happy hour beverage in hand) to just watch Mother Nature do her thing. Each night, the sunset offered a new color to enjoy…no complaints from us! Only one other night did another couple join us, which made it a romantic ending to each day that just the two of us enjoyed.

MISCELLANEOUS – A few notes I didn’t want to forget, so I scribbled them on a bar napkin include:

1. Dane and I both loved using the gym at the resort. It might seem weird to be such hotel gym advocates, but it’s one of our favorite ways to start the day, so it’s a hotel feature we enjoy checking out during our stays at various places. This one is relatively small, but it has everything you need for a good sweat session, including yoga mats you can take to your room for a private yoga practice, which Dane liked.

2. We had the opportunity to tour one of the beach bungalows and wow – they are gorgeous! For those that may not want to stay in an overwater bungalow or maybe you’re traveling with a bigger family – this is a good alternative. They offer so much privacy, beachfront access, your own hammock, plunge pool and outdoor shower!

If you couldn’t tell, Dane and I had another amazing stay at this sweet spot in the Pacific. Le Taha’a doesn’t make it easy to leave, that’s for sure. I think as we were leaving, we looked at each other and we both just understood this wouldn’t be the last time we saw this slice of paradise. I’ve gotten a couple of questions I’ve gotten about outfits, so I wanted to cover that really quickly before wrapping this up. My pineapple pants are old J.Crew, the striped cover-up is so comfy, my ruffle top swimsuit here, and my adorable kiwi swimsuit is here. Whew! If you made it this far – bless you. I just want to be able to remember all our favorite parts of this magical trip. Tune in tomorrow as we head to Moorea!