We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The TripAdvisor website may not display properly.
We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

Taaroa Lodge – reviews, photos

B.P. 498, Papeete 98713, French Polynesia
Hotel amenities
Taaroa Lodge
4.0 of 5 stars 20 Reviews
Which Papeete hotels are on sale?
See hotels
Write a Review

20 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    12
    5
    2
    1
    0
Date Rating
Maui, Hawaii
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Living in Paradise...”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 February 2011
2
people found this review helpful

... no, really. It is almost like one other review had mentioned, though I don't have much of a problem with it. You get a small glimpse of what it would be like if you lived here. Other than getting picked up and dropped off at the airport, meals and activities are on your own. Sometimes its hard to get a hold of Ralph, but his family are very kind and helpful. They do give you some advice when asked. Other than that, they leave you be. Which is the way it should be, in my opinion. Just wish it'd be easier to get a hold of the man in charge though. :)

First off, let's get the location right. It is not located in Papeete, but in Punaaiua. In back of PK 18 to be exact and glad of it!

Next, I did feel like I was going to get left at the airport because there was no one there to greet me after we had discussed the flight arrangements and such. The first time around, I suppose it could be a communication error and the second time, the flight was delayed but we landed early. Needless to say, I got there.

Another miscommunication was about the room. I had asked if he had any rooms available and he said yes. The medium priced one, so naturally I thought the cheapest (dormitory style) was full. It wasn't. So I asked if I could move to the dormitory with the other travelers because it was cheaper and he let me.

Breakfast was in fact two sticks of french bread. There was a store not too far down the road where you could purchase some items to cook for yourself or eat at the PK 18 restaurant out in front.

He does have some mosquito nets that you could request for and use, but I would bring some insect repellent as well if you don't like getting eaten alive. I had neither but thats because I'm pretty used to it.

The animals are fun. I especially loved the bunny! :)

Ralph and his family were sweet and a great help all in all. Ralph helped me with a renting a car and taking the kayak out and bring it back in. The beach was sand and rock, and the water was crystal clear! Unless you are going to snorkel, kayak, or walk on the beach, there is nothing to do there. There is however a book collection under the stairs. :P This is a place to RELAX!

  • Stayed November 2010, travelled solo
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask 1HIJP about Taaroa Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Stranraer, United Kingdom
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Wonderful location, great for snorkeling and relaxing, great hosts.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 January 2011

Just stayed at Taaroa Lodge for 3 nights after being at Easter Island and en-route to Auckland. Ralph picked us up and dropped us off at the airport and was very organised in checking the flight as we were early and he was there to meet us. The breakfast baguette and refreshments were very much appreciated. We enjoyed using the kayaks and the snorkels and it's a fantastic location to watch the sunrise over Moorea. Lovely and quiet and we enjoyed having the rabbit and the dogs around. The only reason I put sleep quality at 3 was because we were too hot in the room - it is humid but very comforable apart from that.

  • Stayed December 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask KandM1985 about Taaroa Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
rotorua new zealand
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Look no further in Papeete!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 November 2009
4
people found this review helpful

We are well travelled and usually stay in good hotels., we are hotel managers and expect a high quality in our accomodation.
Knew tahiti was going to be expensive ,so decided to stay some where a little cheaper and use our money for experiences this time.
We stayed at Taaroa lodge for 6 nights and reluctantly had to leave to join our cruise.
Try and get the front bungalow,although I did check out the dorms and was impressed.
Can't fully describe the beauty of the sunsets,the amazing lagoon,where you can swim and snorkel,Ralph and Diane take pride in this beautiful lagoon,and indeed with the whole establishment.
They are to be commended on the extra effort they put into your stay to make it unforgetable..Nothing seems to be too much trouble
We met so many interesting people,and each evening everyone gathers with a drink to witness yet another amazing sunset ,along with the 2 dogs and the rabbit.
What a great life,so envious Diane and Ralph.
Thank you for sharing your little piece of paradise with us. Definitely a home away from home,we will definitely return.!!

  • Stayed October 2009, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask janRotoruaNewZealand about Taaroa Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Montreal
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
“THE BEST TIME! i wanna go back! great staff!!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 September 2009
1
person found this review helpful

I recommend Taaroa Lodge to everyone dreaming to come to Tahiti. The place has such a good vibe, it is very convienently located and most of all, the owners are absolutely lovely. They are very helpful during your stay. They will recommend activities, places to go and help you to plan your trip if you would like to visit other islands in French Polynesia. Ralph and Diane are wonderful people! If you decide to go on other islands and come back, they can kindly keep some of your luggages there for you while you travel. They will help you with the airport transfers too and always have a smile on their faces. They will really help you to realize a good trip and take the time to explain you everything about buses, islands, excursions, whats going on in Tahiti, etc.

The place is quiet and relaxing. It is really nice, with tons of trees and flowers, the view of the ocean and Moorea island is great, sunset is amazing there! They have 2 dogs on the property and a cute rabbit, it makes it very lively there!

It is close to the pay phone, some roulottes, restaurants, bus stop... very convenient!
I wanna go back! It is a great place.
Even if you dont have plans for your trip, just book a few nights there and from there you can plan the rest of your trip, its easier to make plans from Tahiti when you are there then from before your trip. I suggest travellers to arrive in Tahiti with a few nights booked at Taaroa and then plan the rest of your trip on the spot. You will probably end up spending more nights at Taaroa than you thought...this what I did because I liked it a lot, and a couple that was staying there at the same time as me did stay longer as well. We liked it there and felt at home, we did not wanna leave the place!

  • Stayed September 2009, travelled solo
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask CarineA about Taaroa Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
UK
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“Well over-rated, poor location, poor beach”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 August 2009
2
people found this review helpful

I'll try and be objective here, as we were well unimpressed with Joker Ralph .. the surf boy who never grew up. Don't get me wrong .. he's friendly enough, but unmotivated and unhelpful. He charged us £20 to pick us up from the airport - despite that he'd also charged the other couple he was picking up £20 too, and he turned up about an hour after we arrived, when there was virtually no-one else left in the airport (it was fairly late in the evening). We - and the other couple - both tried to phone him, but we got through to the house where presumably his wife told us to wait and that he was on the way. When he did arrive, we didn't bother to apologise. When I later asked him why it was so expensive he said because it's cheaper than a taxi. Maybe by 10% - if you can't find someone to share with - and he's not exactly a great, considerate driver (fast, talks on mobile etc). I'm sure if we'd shared a taxi with the other couple it would have been cheaper and quicker. When we arrived at the lodge (bearing in mind we'd just got off a plane), there was no food and no indication of how to get food. I went to find Ralph and he said there was a truck down the road - there was but it was closed. There were several other incidences of general unhelpfulness and inability to answer basic local-knowledge questions The bungalow was ok, but poorly equipped.. there was a coffee maker but no coffee, for example. No internet connections. Breakfast was a stick of bread ... total. You're well on your own here. The beach was pretty poor - certainly not good for getting in the water and relaxing / swimming ... too much crud in the water / coral etc but maybe ok for snorkelling. We stayed as a stopover as we were led to believe it was quite near the airport (and 20 mins by car isn't that far to be fair), but I would not recommend others to do the same ... go for the airport motel on location ... much better choice and value. I'm genuinely surprised by the positive nature of the other reviews... my advice would be to be skeptical. Only come here if you don't have a choice (you'll be ok but you'll pay too much), or if you are a surf dude who wants to hang out with a veteran. Also worth noting he has a big dog. Safe, sure, but not advertised.

  • Stayed July 2009, travelled with family
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask tapperstravel about Taaroa Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

Travellers who viewed Taaroa Lodge also viewed

Pension de la Plage Tahiti
4.5 of 5 stars 29 Reviews
Punaauia, Tahiti
CHECK RATES! ABS:HotelCheckRates-d1017758?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed
Hotel Tahiti Nui
4 of 5 stars 131 Reviews
Papeete, Tahiti
CHECK RATES! ABS:HotelCheckRates-d1523863?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed
Le Meridien Tahiti
4 of 5 stars 301 Reviews
Papeete, Tahiti
CHECK RATES! ABS:HotelCheckRates-d308289?&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_AlsoViewed
View all 6 hotels in Papeete, ranked by popularity »

Been to Taaroa Lodge? Share your experiences!

Write a Review Add Photos Add Videos

Owners: What's your side of the story?

If you own or manage Taaroa Lodge, register now for free tools to enhance your listing, attract new reviews, and respond to reviewers.

  • Manage your listing