Tuomoto Itinerary (French Polynesia)

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scuba mike1

Registered
Messages
24
Reaction score
2
Location
Baltimore, MD
# of dives
200 - 499
We will be traveling to French Polynesia from Maryland for the first time this June 25th - July 7th for our honeymoon. We are both 30 and are frequent advanced/rescue divers. We plan to stay in Faka South Tetamanu three nights, Faka North Havaiki three nights, Rangiroa, four nights, and Tikehau two nights. My question is Tikehau worth going to for the diving or beaches? Will we get bored? Should we just spend the last six nights of our trip in Rangiroa to relax and dive? Are four nights enough in Rangiroa? Does diving Tiputa get redundant or is it a different drift adventure every time in terms of seeing pelagics? Any recommendations or advice would be great.







Thanks!







Mike
 
My suggestion is visiting less islands and each one longer will result in a better experience. Particularly if your nights include the day you travel, that schedule will result in a lot of time going to the airport or preparing to leave the next day and less time relaxing and enjoying the place you went to see and enjoy your honeymoon in.

You have to think that you will lose day 1 to traveling and getting into the new place. Island time and airports mean longer travel time so your day gets eaten quickly, so now you are down to 2 days and really one night where you know the place and what you are doing because the last night is spent waking for the next travel day where they start early but you don't actually get to your new location quickly. Note that they tend to travel early but then every hotel doesn't let you in the room until like 3 PM so you hang out until that time.

I'd also suggest considering that you could have a, <GASP>, a non diving day where you do some other excursion which actually can be cool. For example, we went to a lagoon at the other end of the Rangiroa lagoon where we had a day swimming around in the lagoon eating a fresh fish on the fire and fresh pineapple and coconut lunch, then had an amazing impromptu snorkeling shark feed where literally hundreds of sharks showed up. No exaggeration, sharks were everywhere. There are lots of cool experiences in addition to the diving and being your honeymoon those experiences are very nice as well and break up the diving so it's great when you go.

The diving in the pass is pretty spectacular as you get swept along and there is lots of large groups and schools of fish usually at significant depth. I can't compare the diving to the other islands you mention but of your choices, I'd probably lean toward spreading the time out more and no island #4.

I'd also highly recommend the overwater bungalows there. Particularly for the honeymoon. Really the ultimate room for people who love the ocean and someone on honeymoom. It's got multiple reasons including the ease of getting in and out of the ocean for a swim, actually seeing cool stuff behind the bungalow, no bugs,the sunset views are amazing because usually the entire wall opens to see the view or at least the deck view of the sunset and stars are amazing and worth every cent.

Enjoy.
 
I don't think diving Tipuata ever gets redundant. I'd also stick to Rangi and Fakarava - if it's your honeymoon splurge away - make sure you venture down to Lili Cafe for Mahe Mahe in Vanilla Sauce.
 
Advice above is spot on. Tetamanu is paradise and the diving at both north and south Fakarava is incredible, as is Tiputa. These are amongst the world's top dives, so no dive becomes redundant. I recently sent clients to Tetamanu for 10 nts of a three week French Polynesia vacation and they regretted that they did not stay there for longer. Relax and enjoy these places - adding Tikehau turns it into a whistestop tour and you want to savour every second.
 

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