Moorea Again!

It is only a 3 hour sail over to Moorea from Tahiti. We were on a scouting mission for the wedding location and things for our guests to do. Honestly, we think Moorea is the most beautiful of all the islands we have been to. It is so dramatic with her mountain peaks and two deep bays. Many people live in Moorea and work in Tahiti so the ferry system is quite good. And the houses here are spectacular. We had no way of knowing if they were lived in by locals or rented out as private homes (there are many). Some are of traditional style and other are of more modern style, but any place on the beach or waterfront is bound to look inviting!

There was one house up on the cliff above us that must have had a amazing view.

Once we decided on the Club Bali Hai in Cooks Bay, for our wedding location, we then started scouting out more things to do. We checked out the fancy Motu restaurant we had heard about. They were closing, but told us reservations are required and they are booked well in advance. We already fed the rays and swam with the sharks, but we had heard about the Intercontinental Hotel that is open to outside visitors and cruisers. The layout of the huge resort was lovely with all bungalows over the water or on the sand. And where the did not have a beach, they imported one. The person who does there flowers does an incredible job. The lobby was decorated quite lovely. The hotel has a dolphinarium where they have fenced off part of the lagoon. You can pay extra to go have an intimate experience with the dolphins by swimming with them and petting them. They have a full service dive center, including a hard had diver suit for decoration. Also in their lagoon is a turtle rehabilitation center. Any turtles found injured or damaged can be brought here and then will be released back into the wild after they have recovered. For sure interesting stuff to see and do!!

Then there is always paddle boarding in the bluest water you have ever seen. And quite often we saw Proa paddlers going by at sunset.

Avatar by Cooks Bay

different view of Cooks

turquoise water in front of a lovely home and beach

Cool house 

The water is very inviting

house with private dock

house on Moorea with palms

big house with private pier

mountains behind the houses

amazing root formation on that tree!

beautiful modern home

sittin on the dock of Cooks bay

Pearl Resort Moorea

house on the hill above the anchorage

gull

Mike driving the dingy

water you want to swim in!

Intercontinental Hotel in Moorea

from inside the hotel

flowers on the table in the loby

flowers on the bar

private beach at Intercontinental

lagoon at Intercontinental

man made beach

dolphinarium

dolphin swimming with Avatar in the distance

dolphin at play

dolphin swim

people in water petting dolphins

hard hat dive suit

close up of the helmet

turtle in lagoon at Intercontinental

turtle in rehab

turtle lagoon

what a beautiful shell

boat sailing in the lagoon of Moorea

Shelly paddle boards past Mega Yachts

Proa paddler at sunset, Moorea