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Welcome To MOOREA.
Moorea is the sister island of Tahiti in French Polynesia. The island itself is an
ancient Vulcano crater.Half of the rim is completely submerged in the ocean. The part that
is still above sealevel is now surrounded by beautiful lagoons and covered in tropical
vegetation.There are no dangerous animals on the islands , although the Mosquitoes and
No-No's can be quite a pest sometimes.
| There is a direct flight connection between Paris - Los Angeles and
Papeete about 3 times a week.Once you arrive in Tahiti you have to take an inland flight
(5 minutes )to arrive on Moorea. On the island itself are about 5 big hotels and a
number of privately owned places you can stay.I Spent my time at the Club Med resort which
is in the West point of the island. Straight in front of the Club are two little island
called Motu's. One of them is uninhabited. There is a pirogue ( small boat ) between the
resort and this island every 20 minutes. In between the islands is a lagoon that offers
superb snorkeling capabilities. The abundance of the multicolored fish life is a true
snorkelers paradise. Once a week there is a picnic organized on this island as well. |
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The resort is a typical club Med style village. You have a comfortable
wooden bungalow in the pristine gardens of the domain. Some of these bungalows are offered
with beachfront location. There is no airco but the breeze coming from the sea makes the
temperature drop at night. Ice machines can be found scattered around the club site.
Besides diving,snorkeling ,surfing the club has a number of tennis courts , there is bocce
ball , volleyball and numerous other activities. Once a week there is a local market set
up in the theatre. The local people come sell handcrafted items which make a great
souvenir. |
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Upon entering the site you run straight into the main hall , which holds
the reception, excursion desk, bank, boutique , bar and the theatre. Show are organized by
the GO's ( Gentle organizers or Club Med employees ) and once a week also by the GM's (
That's the Gentle Members or you ) |
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On the same location are two restaurants. The main which serves all 3
meals buffet style and one 'a-la-carte' which is only open at night. At noon and in the
evenings there is also the possibility to eat Japanese food. |
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| Since the vegetation in the club is natural ( not planted ). it is
recommended to stay on the pathways. If you leave the pathways please check above . There
is always the chance that coconuts come falling down. And you wouldn't want to ruin your
holiday by getting hit by one. Typically the people who maintain the gardens try to remove
the nearly ripe coconuts. but some of them are simply to high. You will find warning signs
around these locations. |
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The club offers several excursions , like a guided tour of the island , helicopter
flights over the island , snorkeling , feeding the rays and much more. In particular the
island tour is very interesting. They take you up to the mountain where you have a nice
overview of the 2 bays Cooks bay and Opunohu bay ( where the film 'Mutiny on the bounty'
was shot ). You also get to visit the only factory on the island : a fruit juice factory.
There you can taste all sorts of juices and some local spirits distilled from ananas and
mango. The tour takes half a day and goes completely around the island. You also visit one
of the waterfalls in the jungle.
The Falls |
Statue at Tiki village |
Polynesian Art |
Sunset looking toward the motu |
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Another sunset |
DIVING :
The Club Med has it's own diving facilities. They have 3 boats that go out twice in the
morning.There is one night dive a week. There is possibility for a special dive excursion
( weather permitting : the currents can be strong ). They have about 12 different
sites within 20 minutes reach of the club.
| Opunohu,pass left ,pass right , : lots of nice coral,
trigger fish ,moray's and turtles If you are lucky : Napoleon Fish . A huge friendly fish
which you play with. |
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| Vaipahu roses : Lot's of Rose coral can be found here , the
crevices are hideouts for Lion and dragonfish. |
| Tiki : The shark site. They are all over the place , white tip
,black tip , reef ,lemon and the occasional tiger shark. |
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The excursion takes you all the way to the airport where you
make a drift dive. Lots of anemone with clownfish can be found here. then the boat enters
the lagoon where you have a picnic. Finally they take you to Tiki for a meeting with the
sharks. You are back just before noon. |
Right in front of the club's site is a shopping mall ( okay it's not like in USA ) but
there are some shops that sell local stuff. There is a paper shop , pharmacy and the
doctor's office.
Some Tahitian phrases:
Iano'rana : Good morning
E Aha te Huru : How are you
Ae Te Pea pea : Don't Worry
Maruru : Thank you
 For more info surf to
Club med's Website www.clubmed.com
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