We were met at the airport by our speedboat - imagine walking off a plane and right over to your waiting yacht! This was the first clue we were experiencing top of the line luxury! Our 20 minute ride was a photographers dream - pictures of pearl farms on stilts in the water, the oceanfront community church of Taha'a as well as the assorted little glimpse into island life makes for some great memories.

Arriving at Le Taha'a we were escorted to our huge overwater, island inspired bungalows complete with private deck, snorkle gear, seperate bath w/shower and amazing soaking tub, and king size bed - absolutely one of the most luxurious bungalows I've ever seen.

We dined in the Ohiri Restaurant which is the resorts goumet option. The Chef delighted us with french/polynesian fusion cuisine. The Sommelier selected wine to compliment the cuisine from their excellent wine cellar.

TravelGal opinion: The food! Oh my stars! We enjoyed a 4 course dinner with wine pairing that will rival any top restaurant - for the foodies out there - this is where you want to be!

Atmosphere is cozy, warm and romantic…palm trees are swaying, birds are singing, life is good on Le Taha'a.

Le Taha'a was the first resort we stayed at in Tahiti. Our first impressions were positive. The over water bungalow we stayed in was beautiful. Nice beach. Nice pool. Good food. Good service. On leaving we were happy with everything. In comparison to other resorts, Le Taha'a is a beautiful, small, quiet resort. Good start but as all say, do these small islands and small resorts before you go to Bora Bora.

Le Taha'a was our first stop on our Tahiti honeymoon, and it took our breath away. You arrive at Raiatea airport (where the luggage claim are angled stainless steel racks, and a rope demarcates the 'secured area') and they fetch you to your personal slice of paradise. The first thing we did is jump into the lagoon from our overwater bungalow- the blues are almost unreal. The lagoon is incredibly calm - something we only realized later after seeing how the currents can make swimming from your bungalow less than appetizing. Because you're on an island, you do have to plan ahead for any excursions to Taha'a, and this means you have limited culinary options, but the solitude is worth it. Having a beach (or a motu) to yourself, watching the sun set behind Mount Otemanu of Bora Bora, you'll feel worlds away from the crowded beaches of Hawaii or the Riviera. Take a tour of the vanilla plantations on Taha'a, the scent will haunt your dreams. We stopped at a roadside restaurant for Steak Frites, and were treated with Steak Frites a la Vanille - steak, fries, and vanilla sauce. Bliss. The only way I left Le Taha'a was with a promise of a return trip.

We stayed in an OWB at Taha'a for 6 nights for the last leg of our Honeymoon. I cannot say enough good things about Taha'a. The grounds are manicured every day, the maid service came at least two times a day and restocked our room with more towels than we could use, the views are amazing, and the OWBs at Taha'a are huge, well built, and classy. I honestly cannot see how the OWBs could be improved. The OWBs even have electricity converters in the rooms.

We just got home, so we were there in mid January, which was perfect because the resort was empty. There were literally 5 or 6 other couples there and everyone kept to themselves.

The resort has free snorkel gear, kayaks, ping pong, etc You can pay for jeep tours, jet skis, water skiiing, etc. My wife and I mostly hung out on our balcony or in the water all day. This is a beautiful place to unwind and relax.

Here are some tips that I would recommend for anyone staying at Taha'a:
1) On your first day, take the hourly shuttle from the resort to the town on the main island and go to the grocery store and buy as much bottled water as you think you will need during your stay. There is NOTHING to do on the main island (literally there is a gas station and a small grocery store- which is closed on Sunday's and also from 12:00 to 2:00 PM each day). Tell the captain of the shuttle that you are going to the grocery store and for him to wait 5 minutes. Trust me, you will be done in 5 minutes and be grateful that the shuttle is there to take you back- instead of having to wait an hour until it returns. Buying water at this store is 3 times cheaper than at the resort. We brought our water to lunch each day and saved a bundle by doing so.

2) The breakfast in the morning is awesome- coffee, freshly squeezed juices, pastries, bread, eggs, omelets, pancakes, fruit, spreads, french toast, etc. We left stuffed each morning. We soon learned that the portion sizes for lunch and dinner are huge!! I am 33 years old and love to eat- so trust me on this one. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND splitting a sandwich at lunch (the chicken club sandwich was aweome) and then split an appetizer and entree at dinner. By doing this, you will save tons of money AND not feel uncomfortably bloated the whole time. The wine can get expensive and we sometimes just opted for a couple of beers at dinner. By doing this, our meals were between $50 and $100 each time.

3) Bring as much sunscreen and bug spray as you think you will need. The sun is intense (so you will use a lot of sunscreen) and it is expensive (at least $20 to $30). We never had a problem with bugs, but we did spray our legs, arms, neck with Off bugspray (25% deet) before going to breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our thought was that it is better to be safe than sorry and, as I said earlier, we did not have a problem.

4) We loved completely relaxing and not having to do anything, but if you are easily bored, I recommend bringing some books, games, etc. You can always pay to jet ski, do a jeep tour etc. This is not Bora Bora (which a decent town and many restaurants), it is a separated and completely private resort. That is what I wanted for my honeymoon and is exactly what I got!!
5) We got a massage one day which I was not impressed with because it felt like more of a rub down than an deep massage. There are 4 or 5 different types of massages offered, and perhaps we chose the mild one. I would clarify with the spa in advance if you want a deep tissue massage- otherwise, save your money.

All in all, this is a first class resort. You can make your stay expensive if you want, but if you follow my tips above, you can save some cash. Our final bill at the end (6 nights) was around $1,200. I would recommend this resort to anyone who wants a classy and romantic escape. If you want a spring break atmosphere, find another place!!!