🌴🌺 My time at Le Taha'a by Pearl Resort was just awesome! Right from when I landed at the airport, Iotefa, our friendly "boat boy," greeted me with a biiiiiiiig smile and answer all my curiosité question about the Island along the ride. Let's talk food – it was top-notch! Whether it was chowing down at the lagoon-side restaurant, enjoying breakfast at the buffet, or digging into the Tuesday dinner buffet with its fantastic Polynesian dance show. And hey, wine lovers, they've got a killer wine list! Oh, and how can I not mention Manu, the pool boy? He not only explains snorkeling at the Coral Garden like a pro but he's also a traditional Polynesian dancer and fire performer! He invites all guests to join in the dance, so there's never a dull moment during our stay! 🌴🌺

We stayed at Le Taha'a as the first resort on our trip to French Polynesia. Knowing we would do over-water suites in Bora Bora, we opted for a private bungalow. With a private pool, beach-side accomodations, and the feel of a smaller resort, my wife and I enjoyed Taha'a more than Bora Bora. What we loved: + The bungalow!!! OMG, we had space, privacy and the opportunity to truly relax. + The Coral Gardens was amazing and not even a short walk from our accommodations. + Ok, I'm going to say it. The Ice Cream shop. Hey, I'm on vacation. + The staff was great. Things that we didn't enjoy as much: - As a small resort, we didn't have a lot of options for dining. - The resort pool was in sad shape. Overall, it was a fantastic stay at Le Taha'a. It was our "get away" portion of our trip, where we can relax. Bora Bora has the amazing blue waters and Otemanu, which are beautiful places to visit, but the tranquility of Taha'a is a beautiful place to be. Thank you to the wonderful staff at Le Taha'a for a great stay, and to John at Venture Tahiti for a stellar recommendation.

This one of a kind stay was for our 10th anniversary, and was everything we had hoped. As with most places in French Polynesia, the warmth of the people we met was as memorable as the stunning surroundings. The Island of Le Taha'a is next to Bora Bora, and the resort is on its own little mini-island/Motu, a world away from everything. Our room was an overwater bungalow, and was recently renovated and excellent. The stand apart feature for us was the coral garden/lagoon. You can hike to the end of an inlet and gently float through the water garden. Friendly tip - know when high tide is and go out then. The pool boy gave us instructions to get through. Service throughout was gracious and top notch. Food was good, with breakfast included and on par with what we had at the other resort we stayed at in Tahiti, and a great way to start the day. We had dinner at the less formal restaurant and enjoyed it very much. We didn't do the fine dining, but it seems quite nice. The style of the resort was timeless, Polynesianan, and lovely. We stayed at some more "modern" resorts elsewhere on the trip that by contrast felt soulless. This was anything but. We spent a few hours on a bicycle tour of Taha'a proper that was a great change of pass. While not as dramatic as Mo'orea, Taha'a is quite lush. Re: transportation, the hotel offered Raietea transport is the way to go...pickup is literally in the airport, very convenient, and a memorable way to arrive and depart. Lovely place, hope we are lucky enough to be able to return one day.

Le Taha’a is one of the most beautiful resorts in the world with unmatched privacy and peace, and tops my list— and not just in French Polynesia. There’s a reason I have been to Le Taha’a a couple times now, and I am absolutely certain I will be back again soon. It’s a premium resort with premium prices, but for the cost, you will experience one of the most beautiful locales in the world with exceptional service and luxury accommodation. I’ve visited 6 resorts in French Polynesia so far, and Le Taha’a is unique among all of them. Even when compared to Le Bora Bora— also owned by Pearl Resorts— Le Taha’a is unique in its ability to provide a luxury experience that is as close to having your own private island as possible. While Le Bora Bora’s property is just as gorgeous (and Bora Bora is my favorite island due to the incredible and expansive lagoon that is literally the front page of brochures), its larger size means that Le Bora Bora is the host of families and simply a larger number of vacationers. But Le Taha’a’s primary selling point is privacy. The resort itself does not have a very large number of rooms, and in my two visits here, I am almost certain they have not been at capacity. During the daytime, it’s rare to see other guests at all. In fact, the only evidence that there are other guests staying here is usually during breakfast, at the bar during happy hour, and dinner time, yet none of these feel crowded. Whether you are sitting on your private deck on your overwater villa or on the beach, you will be able to experience the pure blissful peace of Taha’a, listing to the waves and nothing else. Due to the premium nature of the resort, my experience is that the clientele that visits Le Taha’a is also exceptionally considerate. Even when you run into another couple or family, they are never rambunctious nor do they spoil the atmosphere. It’s clear that all of the guests are on the same page as far as what they want out of their experience. With the isolation, you must be aware that this resort is not for folks that are looking for an adrenaline-filled vacation. Though the resort partners with local tour operators to provide bike, ATV, jet ski, and boating excursions, they are not as varied as you would find on other islands. In fact, though my visits were several years apart, the excursions offered were literally the exact same itineraries and therefore you will likely only do them once. But, again, this is not what you visit Taha’a for. Tack on a visit to Bora Bora or Moorea before you stay here if you’re seeking outings like those, and use your time here to relax. If you feel as if you need something adventurous to do, visit the coral garden that is located just off shore of the motu that the resort is located on. Many folks pay good money to take a tour to visit these very coral gardens, so having them accessible just minutes from your room is an incredible treat. Though I would never characterize French Polynesia specifically as a food destination, Le Taha’a’s restaurants are certainly better than they need to be. After all, you’re a captive audience and therefore a resort like this only needs to provide a passable culinary experience, but the food here will not disappoint you. The main restaurant (Hawaiki Nui) is host to breakfast, dinner, and speciality buffets (like the Polynesian night, where traditional Polynesian dance and a fire dancing show are performed alongside a Polynesian buffet). Breakfast is host to a wide assortment of foods, including cold cut meats, fruits (which are the highlight for me), traditional dishes like Poisson Cru, French pastries, and traditional breakfast items like sausage and eggs. Most of the dishes don’t rotate and so you will not see a wide variety if your stay is long. Dinner is composed of a la carte options with an emphasis on local seafood. Naturally, I highly recommend choosing one of these, as this is where the quality and freshness of the ingredients shines the most. Titiraina is the lunch restaurant situated next to the pool, where you will happily enjoy your lunch hour staring out over the lagoon while dining in the fresh air. The lunch menu, similar to dinner at Hawaiki Nui, has an emphasis on seafood and therefore you will find options like a Mahi Mahi burger with fries. This fusion of a “resort”-style lunch and the local ingredients makes for a great atmosphere and reminds you that you’re on vacation. Tipairua is billed as the upscale, gourmet restaurant at the resort and is open only a select number of nights per week. For me, this is a must-try, despite its slightly higher price tag. During our visit, we receive 7 courses that— once again— focused on local ingredients, but with a gourmet twist. The menu is presented as a multi-course tasting menu and was a complete surprise (we were provided with a commemorative menu after dining, but didn’t see it before we started eating). Vanilla and seafood were naturally the stars of many of the dishes, and it was great to see the chefs at Le Taha’a be presented with an opportunity to show their creativity. And while many of your meals at the other restaurants will reflect a more laid back atmosphere, Tipairua presents an opportunity for a more elegant dining experience that is more reminiscent of what you would get in fine dining in a larger city. It is certainly a welcome change of pace and I am happy that they provide this option for those that seek it out. Though I can say quite a bit about the natural beauty of the Le Taha’a resort and the backdrop of the ocean, a special note has to be included about the staff and service. As you may expect from the staff at a luxury resort, every single member of the team is courteous, friendly, and top-notch. You can also tell they spend significant time on groundskeeping. You will always see staff pruning trees, removing coconuts from trees where they may be a hazard to guests (several people die every year around the world to due to falling coconuts, so it’s a real problem), and cleaning up the beaches when a wind storm blows sea debris onto the shore. Maintenance for a resort like this can’t be easy, yet Le Taha’a dedicates significant resources to ensuring that the grounds are well kept. My experience with the staff this last visit requires a specific call out, however: after my travel companion was injured on a biking tour (due to no fault of the tour operator or anyone else, simply a unfortunate accident), we were faced with a dilemma. Though the tour guide had done their best to help with the large scrapes and bruises using their first aid kit, the limited resources on Taha’a (meaning, there were no open stores or pharmacies at the time) meant we had to find a way to keep the wound clean and change the bandages. We arrived back to the resort after the incident and spoke to the front desk, and the entire staff went above and beyond to ensure we were taken care of. What could have been a harrowing experience of needing to boat in medical supplies in from Raitea was mitigated by the genuine concern and care of Le Taha’a team, and specifically the gentlemen working as the safety officers. The safety team scheduled time daily to help change the bandages and apply antiseptic, as well as provide extra bandages for use after showering. Without this genuinely exceptional service, I fear we would have been forced to spend our valuable time seeking out a pharmacy and medical supplies on the main islands, but Le Taha’a ensured that a bad spot on one day did not affect the entire trip, and I am truly thankful for that. I’m sure you can tell that Le Taha’a is a truly special place. I believe that the combination of the peace, the immaculate care of the property and environment, and the staff that go above and beyond for the guests make Le Taha’a one of the most incredible resorts on this planet. French Polynesia as a whole is often held as the pinnacle of vacation destinations, yet Le Taha’a manages to distinguish itself even above the plethora of luxury brands dotted throughout the islands. If you are planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to French Polynesia, you owe it to yourself to stop here and experience what true peace is.

Amazing resort on mellow motu Tautau. Super comfortable overwater bungalows and exquisite food and lovely vibe. The lagoon was beautiful for SUP and snorkeling. Appreciated that room was ready early AM after hop from Papeete. Pick up by our catamaran for the next leg was effortless, too. Great organization of all by Venture Tahiti's John and Keith. Would do a repeat trip anytime.