After arriving early with the ferry on Moorea and then spending time on the way just to not to arrive to early we finally reach our accomodation for the next three nights, the Hilton Moorea. We have chosen this resort specifically because it has over the water bungalows, we decided to try this once in a lifetime adventure here as it is relatively cheaper than the super expensive resorts on Bora Bora. We are happy that our bungalow is ready and make our way to it, it is quite beautiful and this will be the first time we will sleep over the water (and not on a ship).
The most special part of of our bungalow is the glass floor panel through which we can see the ocean floor and the many fishes below. There is also a coral structure below, all bungalows have one to attract the fishes. There is also a nice bathtub, we really like when they are provided besides showers. Of which we have two, one outdoor to clean ourselves after snorkeling.
We also have a beautiful patio overlooking the water and a few of the other bungalows. This part of the lagoon is where we will mostly snorkel during the next two days enjoying the beautiful water and fishes.
And then it is time to enter the water and snorkel near our bungalow and also far while avoiding to go beneath other bungalows of course. And the most beautiful while common fish we see is the Lagoon Triggerfish, such a colorful and fun fish.
Of course we visit the small coral tree below our bungalow and a lot of other coral gardens and canyons that litter the lagoon and are full of beautiful fish.
One of the special animals we discover while snorkeling are the sea cucumbers. They are more common than we expect and they are interesting to observe, from far away of course.
And then suddenly a huge fish appears, at first we are even taken aback how big it is. And then we decide it is likely a Triggerfish so probably not aggressive so we follow it for a while trying for some photos. We learn later it is a Titan Triggerfish, good name, and it can be aggressive if it is close to its nest. So we got lucky that we never got close to it.
What is very close to our bungalow and unnerves us throughout our stay are the needlefishes. There are lots of them and they do not seem scared of us and online there are some horror stories. But in the end they always move to the side when we snorkel and they do not really care about us so we get used to them even though we continue to keep a wary eye on them throughout our swims.
After our snorkel we are quite hungry so it is time to investigate the restaurant in the hotel that is closest to us. And where we made a reservations, who can resist crepes? They are really good, both the savory and sweet crepe and we really enjoy our dinner as we keep our eyes on the water to see if there is any interesting fauna swimming by.
And there is, a beautiful White-spotted Eagle Ray and then the stars of the night a couple of Blacktip Reef Sharks that swim through the illuminated area all evening and we can take quite a few photos of them with all the other excited tourists.
The next day as we wake up we enjoy a beautiful sunrise and some nice views from our patio while we prepare breakfast in our bungalow from our provisions.
After the quick breakfast it is time to make our way to the parking lot as we have a booked lunch on a neighboring motu and we still have to make our way to the location from where to take the boat.
We make our way, now in the day, near the restaurant where we ate the previous night but there are no sharks during the day. There are many golf carts but only for staff, we are not offered a ride so we have to walk towards the parking lot that seems quite far in the heat of the day.
At least we see some fishes and birds as we make our way slowly towards the parking. It seems that Brown Noddies are nesting here in the palm trees and they can be quite loud but also fun to watch.
In the main resort area there is a beach section which is quite popular and another section which is for watersports, mainly to rent kayaks and paddleboards. And then we are at the parking area and it is time for our drive to the motu and a very special lunch before returning.
Returning from lunch we also stop to buy some provisions as in the morning we ate almost everything that remained from Papeete. Now we have fresh baguettes and a lot of other stuff to eat for the next two breakfasts and dinners.
And then it is back into the water. As this is a one in a lifetime opportunity to have direct access to the water we snorkel almost every time we are in the bungalow enjoying the warm water and the myriad fish.
Between the coral formations the bottom is sandy and not deep, we can actually walk on it in most places. We prefer not to do it though as who knows what is hidden in the sand, we have seen quite a few fish burrowing themselves in the sand.
And when they burrow themselves they are barely visible even though before they can easily be seen as they throw a lot of sand up into the water. Otherwise parrotfishes patrol the sand and they are quite fun to follow to see where they are going. Which is mostly between coral islands of course, otherwise there is not a lot for them to do.
In the evening we enjoy a beautiful sunset over the ocean from just across our bungalow. And we also notice there is a separate sunset gazing platform that is full of people, we are happy with our view from our private corner.
In the evening we sit on our snorkeling platform and start all the lights below our bungalow which attracts lots of marine creatures. Many of them are shark looking but small fishes but in the end an actual shark is also passing by, quite impressive. We now know that sharks can arrive below our bungalow which makes our next day snorkeling even more courageous :).
Of course the first thing we do in the morning is to enter into the water but we keep a wary eye for sharks, none are seen here during the day however. We explore a few different areas with some beautiful corals and there are some interesting fish but not a lot that we haven’t seen before.
The most special fish is a type of pufferfish that is quite beautiful and we enjoy following it for a while until it reaches a coral area and disappears. We then return to our bungalow wash ourselves off and then it is time to explore the grounds and the stores for a couple hours. And also attend a free demo provided by the resort which is quite interesting.
After the demo we explore the resort more thoroughly passing near the spa and visiting all the different restaurants that we do not plan to use as they are quite expensive.
In the middle of the resort is a small pond that is cut in half by a bridge that goes from the restaurants to the shops and the reception area. We spend some time here looking for birds and dragonflies with only dragonflies showing off in significant numbers.
The shops are semi interesting but very expensive with the pearls being almost double the price elsewhere and the provisions being also 50% or more expensive. So we do not buy anything just browse a while before it is time to explore the interior of the island which is our goal today.
Returning from our outing we explore for one last evening the different boardwalks. There seems that rain is coming when we look towards the inland of the island but our area is spared for now so we can explore the boardwalk in peace.
We decide to explore the sunset platform before sunset and it is empty today as with the clouds there will be no sunset to see. Well not completely empty, the noddies and terns are keeping watch and enjoying the well deserved rest.
And with them being so friendly we have time to take lots of photos, they seem to be quite chill and we enjoy our time with the birds.
The clouds are still gathering on the horizon and we see what seems to be a submerged boat but after some investigation it is just a tree, phew.
In the evening we have time for one more snorkeling expedition into the canyons surrounding our bungalow seeing lots of fish and enjoying the warm water.
We swim until it is getting almost dark enjoying the mostly clear water and exploring mostly the corals next to our bungalow just so we can exit fast in case the sharks return. But they don’t, luckily for us and we exit safely in the evening after another beautiful snorkeling outing.
We spend the evening watching the last rays of the mostly hidden sun over the water while listening to violin from the nearby bungalow. Yes, somehow the people next to us brought a violin and are playing it in the evening for a photoshoot. In fact we notice many rooms are booked only for one night and mostly for photoshoots to send to their friends and family.
On our last morning it is time to pack and take our luggage to the car piece by piece. But before leaving we have one more thing planned at the resort, something we wanted to try and is included in our resort fee.
Basically what we want to do is kayak in the lagoon for about half an hour or so just to see the sea from this perspective also. The water is not that calm today, there is a wind blowing from the ocean so rowing is quite difficult as we make our way into the lagoon. We specifically row to our bungalow to see the glass floor window for once the other way. We always wondered what the fish are seeing and it isn’t a lot. And then it is back to the shore and into our car we now have a few hours to drive around the island to the ferry back to Tahiti.
