Maeva or Welcome in Polynesian! They are very friendly folk and always smiling. Can you blame the Polynesians for living in such a tropical paradise? From the Belvedere Lookout, one can see Cooks Bay on the right and Opunohu Bay on the left. This is the most famous site on the island.
There's pretty much always a cloud hanging out over the Volcano peaks on Moorea. It was usually sunny over the South Seas but almost on a daily the cloud would take a journey around the island just to keep things looking green. The cloud lives on the mountain.
One of the few roads on the island goes up to Belvedere Lookout which makes it accessible to all. We rented a car and drove pretty much everywhere you could on the island including down some pretty dodgy dirt roads in the Opunohu Valley where most of the islands farms are.
These islands are mostly Volcanos or Shore, there isn't much else which makes farming limited. I did a post on the Waters of Polynesia in the past. These photos are all about the land. Ta'ahiamanu Public Beach is another popular destination. It's in the middle of the North side of the island where it's more populated.
Ōpūnohu Bay From the beach is where Captain James Cook first landed when he came to Tahiti, they later named Cook's bay after him which was on the other side of the mountain. The islands are surrounded by Coral Reefs but there are openings at the mouths of the Bay, making them perfect spots to park a ship. Once you come here, you don't want to leave.
We stayed at Hotel Manava, I briefly touched on it in a Previous Polynesia Post. We arrived at Tahiti, took the Ferry to Moorea and fell in love. Moorea is more preferable to the world famous Bora Bora.
They treat you good on the island and make you feel most welcomed. We stayed in a bungalow with a private pool. The resort wasn't busy but it's nice to be able to jump in the pool without having to walk 50 meters to the ocean or public pool.
Everyone spoke English and French, the hotel was located in a great spot for snorkelling and there were places to rent cars, shop and eat all within walking distance. We are going to be back to Moorea for sure and may just stay here again.
The French make dining options on the island incredible. Local cuisine is great too but being able to buy European cheese, French bread and wine at every little shop puts it over the top. We'd love to rent a place and stay here for a few months.
Even a little bungalow with a small pool would do but I'd settle for a place across the road from the sea. All one really needs is a grocery store within a reasonable walk. You can swim almost anywhere off the shore and the island is surrounded by corals.
This photo caught my eye because there were four birds on the fence. Three of the same type of bird were on three posts on the fence row. It's the smaller things in life you have to enjoy and when you're on Polynesia, there's no need to rush. Thanks for reading and hope you're enjoying the holidays!
All photos taken with an a70 or iphone 11pro some were also taken on an EOS 60D