TAHITI

 

Tahiti Map

HOTEL INFO 

Hiti Moana villa

  • I found this place on the internet and booked in for 3 days with the intent of finding a place close in to Papeete.  One look at Papeete and the hotels/restaurants there and I decided to make this my base of operations whenever I was on Tahiti.  

  • Studio Room with living room that could sleep 2 , kitchenette w/gas range, separate bedroom (full size bed), TV (3 French channels), hot shower, ceiling fans, covered porch w/ table & chairs

    • 8487 CFP per night ($ 68.23)

    • Airport transfer 1300 CFP  ($ 10.45)

  • Rooms spotlessly clean

  • 28 KM South of the airport (Papeete) on SW tip of the island

  • Swimming pool  

  • Room ten feet from edge of lagoon

  • Tap water safe to drink

  • NOTE: No housekeeping services

  • Good snorkeling from dock.  Lots of tropical fish

  • Walk about 1 km north to explore the grotto.

  • Owner Steve Brotherson offered to take me to the grocery store the first morning to get stuff to make my own meals.

  • Email: hitimoanavilla@mail.pf

  • Phone (689) 57-93-93        Fax:  (689) 57-94-44

Hotel Kon Tiki (Papeete)

  • Unfortunately on my first visit the Hiti Mona Villa was fully booked after my initial three day stay, so I had to move into Papeete for two days.  After several calls I was finally booked into the Kon Tiki on the waterfront.

  • Standard hotel room that with queen size bed, TV (6-7 fuzzy French channels), warm shower, small refrigerator, window air conditioner, small covered porch overlooking the harbor

    • 8870 CFP per night ($ 71.50)

  • Room clean, but a little worn around the edges.  Could almost be Motel 6

  • Adjacent to Moorea jet ferry dock

  • Strange recessed electric plugs require deep adaptor/plug.  Normal one in bathroom that said it had 110v, but that plug was not working. Plug Photos

  • Airport transfer normally 1500 CFP, but late at night it is 2500 CFP!!
EXCHANGE  RATES:

Airport  $1= 124.39 less 2% commission  ......... Same in town as at the airport

Travelers checks:   126.06
DINING:

Near Hiti Mona Villa:  CHEZ MICHAEL is a five minute walk or you can just cook in your room.

 

In Papeete:   

Papeete Dining

Prices &

Selections

This is only a few shots of menu boards so you an see the selection and prices.  I saw two Thai restaurants, one Vietnamese, lots of pizzerias, and lots of sandwich places.  But, the majority were French orientated.
Les Roulottes:  This is a "meals on wheels" from about 6 pm until 1 am quayside in downtown Papeete right next to the Department of Tourism.  Huge plate of noodles with shrimp, chicken & veggies for about 900 CFP ($7.25)  

 
GETTING AROUND:  You can get almost anywhere on the coast using Le Truck.  If you are out of Papeete, just stand by the road and flag one down.  In town, to get to Hiti Mona Villa go to the bus stop behind the big bank building (look for the BT on the roof) that is right behind the market (Rue Anne Marie Jovouhey).  Mine left on the hour so this may actually be the schedule?  Last bus south runs at 5 PM.  The ride took 1 hour and cost from Papeete to Hiti Mona Villa was 190 CFP ($1.53).
INTERNET CAFE's   My guide book listed only one, but I found two.  TIKI SOFT CAFE was 950 CFP for 43 minutes or a steep 18 cents (US) per minute!!  Found out later I was overbilled.  Supposed to be 250 CFP for 15 minutes.

If you are logging on to a hot mail or similar account make sure you ask for a computer with an American keyboard!    Not only are the letters in different places on the French keyboards, but I could not get into my lycos mail account from the them.  As soon as I switched computers - no problem.  Tiki Soft has one American keyboard, Mana has none.  I did see an American log onto hotmail with no problems using a French keyboard.

For more details on locations, click on the photos or see map
Time Zone Chart
LAUNDRY:   I found two laundries.  The cheapest one (?) was next about a block south of the Kon Tiki hotel.  It advertised 875 CFP for wash, dry & fold.  But, I'm not sure if that is one load, a kilo, or??  Another one advertised 750 CFP to wash & 750 CFP to dry (About $12.10 per load)
WHAT’S GOOD:
  • Hiti Moana Villa
    • Quiet
    • Clean
    • Snorkeling (unless windy)
    • Safe drinking water
  • Women with flowers in their hair
  • Drivers that stop when you enter a cross walk
  • The Jet ferry to Moorea
NOT SO GOOD:
  • TV limited to 2-3 French channels
  • Lagoon near Hiti Mona Villa  not too good for swimming due to coral.
  • Nearest convenience store (Hiti Mona Villa) 25 minute walk
  • Laundry  $$
  • Ants in the Kon Tiki

Photos from around Tahiti

WHAT TO DO:
  • Relax
  • Snorkeling
  • Scuba
    • Eleuthera Plongee   (Taina)                42-49-29
    • Iti Diving International  (Puunui)       57-77-93
    • Aquatic Dive Center  (Punaauia)        53-34-96   /  77-60-01
    • Tahiti Plongee   (Punaauia)                  41-00-62   /   43-62-51
    • Les Copains d'abord  (Paea)              43-10-65
    • Subatek (Arue)                                    42-23-55
  • Wind surfing (bring your own system??)
  • Surfing (Again, I think you may have to bring your own board).  Surf beach about 4 KM south of hotel.
  • Reef fishing
  • 4-wheel drive excursion
    • Full day cross the island (7500 CFP per person)
    • half day tours to Mt Marau or Papenoo Valley
    • Natura Exploration
    • Tahiti Safari Expeditions
      • 42-14-15
    • Marama Safari
      • 43-09-95       fax  45-40-44
  • Trekking
  • Canyoning
    • Tiare Mato
      • Tel/fax:  43-92-76
  • Deep Sea Fishing 
    • GIE Tahiti Sporting Adventure (Punaauia)  41-02-25
  • Four wheeled ATV's
    • Polynesie Quad Phone/Fax 53-33-90 (evenings)  Cellular: 78-61-94
  • Kitesurfing