Family accommodation in the Honeymoon islands

 We were going to Tahiti to swim with whales. Tahiti is not a travel destination that is kind to the Australian dollar. Everything is expensive, but as we learnt, so worth it. 

We had our teenager with us for this romantic adventure, so accommodation was a little more complicated, as I didn't want them in a separate bungalow by themselves.

Due to the arrival and departure times, we had to overnight in Papeete, so we all just stayed in the one room (with 2 double beds), but for the main part, we wanted more space, and a degree of privacy.

I selected the Hilton, mainly because on the website it looked like it had a divider between the bedroom and the lounge room. However, I was in for a surprise.

The room was massive! It not only had a bedroom and bathroom, with a door to the lounge room, there was a second bathroom and shower off the lounge room! The layout was so much bigger than the pictures on the website implied.

Anyone who has travelled with a family using the sofa bed knows how cluttered this can be. However, at the Hilton, our room was pristine and perfect while the teen could sprawl about as much as she wanted out of our vision.

We also had our own pool which was great for those early morning or late afternoon swims.

There are 3 restaurants, all with views, including one over water (I sat delightedly watching sharks beneath me!). The kiddo also made use of the room service.

The paddleboarding is free, as is the snorkelling gear use. 

I had booked the whale tour months in advance. One got cancelled prior to departure. We were picked up and drove for about 40 minutes to the site. What I discovered on arrival, is we could also go in a boat from the resort, it was much quicker to get in the water with the whales too. So if that is your purpose, contact the resort re booking a tour before jumping on Viator or Tripadvisor or seeking out other operators. My husband booked in for a second experience, making use of the hotel's tour desk.

It is not a cheap holiday but it is a stunning location. The benefit of Moorea over Bora Bora is you can access it by ferry, which makes the flights much cheaper, if travelling as a family.

Our flight was cancelled out of New Zealand and I texted the Hilton Moorea as soon as I was informed (as we boarded the plane in Sydney). By the time we landed in Auckland, they had moved our booking for us so we weren't charged the extra days. They were amazingly helpful in making a stressful situation a little less stressful.

The tropical rain came and went, didn't really stop us doing anything. However we had picked peak whale season so weather was secondary, and only really a consideration for if our tours got cancelled. (Which they didn't).

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One other thing to note, the taxi's only take cash, so you need to have cash for your transfers. We had not organised that so got a free pick up to a restaurant and I ducked out to the bank while at lunch. Papeete was the same, so definitely have some currency on you.

If you become a Hilton Honours member, you will get a lot of points for this stay and we paid for the kids room in Kyoto using our points from this trip, so it is definitely worthwhile signing up.

My husband and I managed to have an incredibly romantic holiday, a family holiday and an unforgettable animal encounter all at the same time!

Practicalities:

Hitlon Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa 

Note, if travelling from Australia, you go back in time so arrive the day before (flight time depending). If booking your own trip, make sure you book the correct dates for hotels and ferries.

We did also stay at the Hilton Papeete but more on that later.

Further Reading:

The Gem of Bora Bora - Conrad Bora Bora Nui

Swimming with Sharks, Playing with Rays Bora Bora

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Birds in Tahiti

Street art in Papeete

More pictures in Travel Edition of What's been on my Calendar and Five Favourite Monthly Moments

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