Fakarava / Rangiroa advice please.

[scubajunky17]

I'm planning a trip there this summer. I have been dying to go for a while now and this year is the year.
Can anyone offer some tips please on where would be the cheapest accommodation to stay at on both Islands please. Also how much are meals etc as a rough idea please?
man thanks.
I want to dive with Fakarava dive centre if anyone knows of any reasonable accommodation near them.
Hope someone can help me.

---------- Post added May 9th, 2012 at 05:30 AM ----------

Also I am a Padi Open Water diver with around 180 logged dives and have dove the galapagos, komodo, palau, where there can be big current at times, would that pose a problem in Rangiora and Fakarava or do they insist on AOW divers for some dives ?

 

[Boiler_81]

I am interested in this as well as I have a trip planned to the same islands in February.

 

[mcliffy2]

I am interested in this as well as I have a trip planned to the same islands in February.

I posted quite a bit of info in this thread recently (some of the lodging info is later in the thread).

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/pacific-islands/417322-pictures-rangiroa-fakarava-dec-2011-a.html

 

[champ]

My wife and I went back in Jan/Feb 2007. Most economical places to stay are the private "pensions" (small bed and breakfast places). When I get to my other computer, I will see if I still have the spreadsheet I made for all the private pension options. Most pensions include breakfast at a minimum. We stayed at "Pension Henri". It was vary basic/primative accomodations. For us it was perfect - our own private rustic "cabin" on the ocean. We ate with the family each morning and at night. Very basic breakfast (fresh bread / jam / juice / cofee). Dinner was usually fresh fish.

We dove with Six Passengers.

 

[t-mac]

Did Rangiroa a couple of years ago without AOW. It wasn't a problem. Dove with Raie Manta Club. You will be absolutely fine. Only current we had was doing Tiputa Pass and that was the point. If you are on a tight budget you can stay with RMC in their bunkhouse. Food is not that expensive if you stay out of the resorts (yes, there are two of them on the island). Wine and bread are cheap -- I think they are considered basic human rights if you are French. Haven't been to Fakarava, but want to go.

 

[scubajunky17]

Thanks so far guys, are there a few family run places that are not on the internet where I can get reasonable accommodation or is it just what's on the web ?
Also would it be a boring place for a single guy to be for a couple of weeks with all the honeymooners around or not ?
Thanks in advance

 

[wonderandwander]

I'm also interested in finding a pension ASAP for a family of 4. I have Relais de Josephine for a week, but need another night or two near Tiputa Pass as Josephine is booked.

 

[champ]

If you get one of the travel books (like Lonely Planet), you will find some places that have email but no website.

 

[t-mac]

Scubajunkie, I would personally not be bored, but if you are looking for nightlife, this is not the place. It's not all honeymooners and if you end up staying wiht RMC, I think you will find it quite the opposite; it's very basic and not really where the honeymooners go. Although, you will more likely find male, rather than female, comeraderie there for what its worth.

Wonderandwander, these type of small pensions are few and I had the same problem. I reluctantly stayed at La Maitai, which was a pleasant surprise. I would not hesitate, except that the restaurant was overpriced for what is was (food just okay). However, there are two restaurants within and easy walk (just take a flashlight at night).

Good luck to both of you. I am jealous. Rangiroa is one of my favorite places.

 

[laurenceh]

i second the recommendation for six passengers dive co.
however some of the dives we did with them were pretty strenuous, current wise and i did a lot of buddy breathing from my guide (i'm a divemaster with 20+yrs of dive experience) but we did dives that started at 140-160 ft outside taputa pass to see great hammerheads, before catching the ride into the lagoon. that said, we saw divers from a liveaboard and raie manta doing much more conservative dive profiles.
rangiroa is amazing, its as good as wolf and darwin in the galapagos but warm, sunny and wonderful viz. i'm jealous too!