Hotel Les TipaniersI iti is few kilometres away from Hotel Les Tipaniers. Bungalows are spacious with separated bedroom, bathroom, fully equipped kitchen & dining room and small terrace. Beachfront bungalows have also excellent view of Opunohu bay area.
Les Tipaniers Iti has no beach, just small pier for sunbath while water in front of bungalows is shallow and not good for snorkelling. But if you are a good swimmer, you can find your own path to deeper water in the bay.
Since there is no public transport on Moorea, rent a car, motorbike or at least bike is necessary. But the most beautiful beach near Sofitel resort is reachable only by car.
Les Tipaniers Iti is ideal for peaceful holidays, reading or working, away from crowdy resorts.

We did not stay at this hotel (it seemed more for the French) but we did have cocktails there one afternoon and lunch another time overlooking the ocean. The food was fabulous and a creative offering of salads and sandwiches -- better variety than most of the other places we tried during out week-long stay. Pricing very fair. If the weather and timing had permitted, we would have stayed longer to enjoy the pretty white sand beach and the fabulous clear water protected by the coral reef! I'm kicking myself that we didn't take a picture of the view from our table!

GOOD:
· The gardenroom was clean and with refrigerator, safe.
· There is a store (ABC) in the center. Next is a petrol station to rent bikes.
NORMAL:
· there is a transport by minibus from the airport, if you reserve in advance! (1400,- that’s the minimum, as it is for 2 persons!). Otherwise you have to take a taxi.
· The beach is small, clean. Impossible to walk further on the beach.
BAD:
· No good corals, a few fish.
· The scenery with the closed club-med in the neighbourhood looks really desolated.
· There is a boat-way -signed by posts- in about 50meters from the beach. So it is dangerous to go further. They like to speed here.
· waterski is not provided, as advertised. The price for 1hour kayak is 500,-!
· They have a weird deposit system: for the safe-key, you get no receipt and pay 10000,-. For the beachtowel you sign a paper and pay 1000,-. At the end they didn’t want to refund me the towel-deposit!!?? a trick from the reception-lady??
· No ATM here. The next is 20km away. Crazy...
· Almost every house has a minimum of 1 dog! Sometimes they are roaming, a few aggressive, chasing bikes and cars. That’s not agreeable.
On the way to the waterfall in afareaitu I got bitten ,riding my bike, by one running out to the public! path! Reporting at the gendarmerie, it came out, that this happens often and they are powerless to follow all cases. The only thing I could do, is to confront the owner and ask him for amends. If he doesn’t want, you can take a lawyer and go to court, waiting maybe 2 years for a decision (meanwhile you are back home...). Well, tourists have to be protected, but nobody cares about you. Terrible! So there are 2 safe options: stay in your house, or take a car to go around. Nice holiday...
CONCLUSIONS:
· The garden room is okay, but the rest is overpriced. Coming back? MOOREA: NO; HOTEL: NO.

We stayed at Tipaniers for four nights. Moorea is spectacular and there are awesome spots, Les Tipaniers is in one of those, right in front of a couple of Motu. The hotel itself is placed on a small beach that is really nice, even if at low tide swimming is a bit difficult. Coral is just average. Bungalows are nice but not the best you could imagine, the beach restaurant for breakfast and lunch is nice. The real restaurant (for dinner) is on the main street and is nothing special, both for what concerns the setting and for the food.