This was published 6 years ago
Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort review: Lagoon luxury in Tahiti
By Monique Farmer
The clear waters around Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort, Tahiti.
THE PLACE
Tahiti, you're under a lot of pressure, you and your 118 islands spread across the area of Europe. In the imagination of so many travellers you are the epitome of a tropical island paradise, with a bonus mix of French and Polynesian cultures. The weather alone is near perfect - water temperature in the high 20s year-round, and winter air temperature of about 27 degrees. The more affordable tourist season is April-May, while the wet season is during the hot summer months of December to March. Humpback whales call these waters home from August to December, when they journey from Antarctica to have their young.
THE LOCATION
Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort.
The island of Moorea is a 30-minute ferry trip from the capital, Papeete, where international flights land. Six ferries a day make the crossing, not just for tourists but also for the many Moorea locals who work in Papeete. My Tuesday afternoon ferry is packed with school children making the return journey to the smaller island, some clutching baguettes. Most resorts offer transfers from the ferry terminal, plus there are taxis or the island's one car rental, Avis, across the road. Moorea is encircled by a reef, with 12 natural breaks caused by freshwater running off the mountains, allowing access for fishing boats as well as cruise ships. Waves crash constantly a few hundred metres from shore, but inside the lagoon it's still and ideal for snorkelling and paddleboarding.
THE SPACE
It's 50 years since over-water bungalows were invented on the islands of Tahiti; on Moorea alone there are at least four international hotels offering them. The very French Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort built its first overwater bungalows in 1996 – there are now 39 bungalows each with a ladder into the lagoon, and many more beach and garden bungalows facing the island's longest stretch of white sand. It's hard to fault the Sofitel – it has everything you'd expect from a slick, four-star resort (which has applied for its fifth star), on a private and protected part of the lagoon. It has an exclusive feel, with only guests allowed inside the security gate.
K Restaurant is more gastronomic and open mostly at night.
The resort doesn't have a gym or tennis court as all the action is focused on water activities. You can borrow goggles and flippers or book a dive with the resort's own operator. There's outdoor table tennis, a beach bar and enough beach furniture you don't need to reserve one at 6am. The resort's private beach takes about eight minutes to meander along, then continues into a public beach so you can walk all the way to the headland. The shore is scattered with small pieces of coral so reef shoes are recommended, but only a metre or two from the shore the water is clear and fish-filled. The pool is smaller that what you'd typically find at, say, a Fijian or Balinese resort, and it is mostly empty apart from one afternoon when some Australian kids are playing Marco Polo. Little surprise given the stretch of beach and the marine life that awaits. "The bigger the pool at a resort, the smaller the beach," one local observed.
The resort's other attraction is the very tranquil and elegant spa complex with a private plunge pool. The specialty is Polynesian massage, in which the therapist's hands, elbows and lower arms massage your body in wave-like motions, from top to toe and back again. It is utter bliss, especially when done with a local coconut oil called Monoi scented with a gardenia flower.
THE ROOM
Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort.Credit: Monique Farmer
My beach bungalow is set one back from the sand and has a clear view of the lagoon. The decor is tropical chic – dark timber furniture, woven matting up to a soaring ceiling, floral motifs. There's a mini bar constantly stocked with complimentary juice, soft drink, mineral water and the local beer, Hinano Tahiti, as well as tea and coffee.
The firm, king-sized bed, with a Gauguin-style patterned headboard, faces towards the beach, with a single bed tucked against a side wall for a child or additional guest. The vast bathroom runs the width of the bungalow and has double sinks with alarmingly bright mirror lights. Most impressive is a black-and-white tiled sunken shower that opens to a private garden courtyard so you can bathe in the fresh air.
THE FOOD
Most mornings I skip breakfast as lunch and dinner are so plentiful. However, I did indulge in the special Sunday brunch, served at the civilised hour of 11.30am, which is as popular with island-hopping locals as with resort guests. There's typical hot and cold breakfast fare but the savoury, seafood-style buffet has my attention – fresh sushi on a platter decorated with pineapple slices, piles of oysters and smoked salmon, cold meats displayed in a heart shape, an entire tuna with part of its back cut out and refilled with its own sashimi. Plus a heart-clogging array of French cheeses, with freshly-baked bread and other pastries. It's enough to keep you going for days.
The Vue bar's lunch menu is aimed at its predominantly American and European guests, from seafood pizza (23 euros), spaghetti carbonara (24.8 euros), club sandwiches (23 euros), wagyu beef burger (24.8 euros), cobb salad (23 euros), through to dishes showcasing Polynesian specialties such as my favourite, Tahitian salad (raw fish cured in coconut milk and lemon juice, 16 euros). The fish is locally caught – when you drive around the island there are often freshly-caught tuna and mahi-mahi for sale on metal racks by the side of the road.
Some of the younger clientele seem to eat at the bar for lunch and dinner – but there's also the main restaurant, Pure, which has an evening buffet offering French and Polynesian classics. The biggest queue is for the chef making crepes to order, on a big round hot plate, for hours at a time. Sprinkle on sugar, or spread nutella, plus nuts, coconut and other toppings, with gourmet ice-cream to accompany.
K Restaurant is more gastronomic and open mostly at night – although leave your best high heels in your bungalow as the floor is thick with sand. Here once a month there's a cabaret night, complete with a former Cirque du Soleil performer who swings from a trapeze and does impressive acrobatics while you dine.
STEPPING OUT
Every morning a fleet of tour operators collect guests from the Sofitel's lobby for half- and full-day excursions, either to the lagoon or to the mountains at the heart of the island. Moorea VIP Tours, run by the passionate and multi-lingual Yvette Leon, does a six-hour tour of Polynesian culture and history with seven stops including an ancient marae, pineapple plantations, locations for the Mel Gibson Mutiny on the Bounty movie and more. For the more hardy tourists there's a hike ending in a waterfall swim, plus non-stop commentary about every aspect of Moorean life.
You can also hire a car but given it's only 60 km around the island, you can easily do it in a day, stopping at the main shopping spots of Maharepa and Haapiti and at local beaches. A car would be helpful if you were renting a villa or staying with a local family, but it's not really necessary if you're at a resort. Tourists also cycle around, and there are dedicated bike paths alongside much of the road but not yet all the way around.
Timing a visit during the whale season, from August to December, is highly recommended. You can swim with humpback whales, getting as close as 10m away from them in the water, as I did with Corallina Tours. Other boat trips take you to swim with black-tip reef sharks and sting rays followed by barbecue lunch on a tiny island. Often lunch is served on plastic tables and chairs in the sea, with fish nibbling at your legs. At first I thought this was a gimmick for tourists until one Sunday we saw big families over from Papeete, all dragging their picnic furniture into the water for lunch, singing along to a ukulele, while their kids swam around them.
THE VERDICT
For many of us, Tahiti is a dream destination and it doesn't disappoint. Yes, the water really is that inviting shade of turquoise. Polynesian island life really is that laidback and relaxing, making you fantasise about staying there forever. With easy proximity to the main island and lots to do beyond the lagoon, Moorea is a practical and affordable alternative to the more well-known island of Bora Bora.
The Sofitel Moorea offers a very decadent holiday experience - from the stunning lagoon location to the luxurious bungalows; the French-influenced menus with fresh local produce, all washed down with wine from the extensive "carte de vins" by the resort's own sommelier. It's probably more suited to couples than solo travellers, especially judging from the many European honeymooners.
HIGHLIGHT
My stay coincided with Sofitel Wine Days, an annual event celebrated from September 21 to October 31 across the hotel chain internationally to mark the wine harvest in France. Every country has its own unique take on the wine celebration – in French Polynesia for the past 18 years the focus is on an indulgent cheese and wine event, where a cheese master from France brings in more then 350 kilograms of the finest French cheese for your eating pleasure. There's a formal cheese degustation night as well as a few cheese buffets, where Olivier Poulard talks through the many varieties, and creates tasting plates for guests. You can have as much as you fancy, beautifully paired with premium wines.
LOWLIGHT
That I didn't stay in an overwater bungalow but frankly I was in mine so little it wouldn't have been worth it. It remains on my bucket list for the next Tahitian adventure. Also the lack of direct flights from Australia to Tahiti, meaning a lengthy stopover in Auckland, then a late-night arrival into Papeete requiring a hotel stay. But the extra travel effort is more than rewarded when you reach these beautiful islands.
THE DETAILS
Sofitel Wine Days is on at Sofitel Moorea la Ora Beach Resort from September 23 until October 4, 2018. During Sofitel Wine Days 2018, overnight stays at Sofitel Moorea la Ora Beach Resort start from $A590 + taxes, including breakfast and two tickets to the hotel's Sofitel Wine Days 2018 Gala Dinner. Subject to availability and conditions apply. To book visit accorhotels.com.
For more information about the Sofitel Wine Days 2018 program at Sofitel Moorea la Ora Beach Resort and to book tickets to events in advance, email: H0566@sofitel.com.
Corallina Tours for swimming with whales can be booked with the Sofitel concierge or at corallinatours.com; and Moorea VIP Tours at mooreaviptours.com
Tahiti Tourism - tahititourisme.com.au
Monique Farmer stayed as a guest of Sofitel Moorea and Tahiti Tourisme.
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.