1) It's small scale
Les Tipaniers has only 31 rooms so you aren’t going to be tripping all over people as they jockey for the best beach lounging position.
2) The location is great for exploring
Buses run clockwise and counterclockwise We took the public bus from the ferry to the hotel and got to see one side of the island along the way. When we left, we took the same bus so we got to see the other side as well.
You can rent kayaks right at the hotel and paddle out between Motu Tiahura and Motu Fareone. The visibility is great for snorkelling and the rays are rather friendly. If you are lucky, the beach restaurant on Motu Tiahura will be open and you can stop for lunch (you can also get here by boat if you don’t want to kayak).
3) It's good value
Everything seems expensive in French Polynesia but it’s a remote location and a very popular one. It wasn’t the cheapest accommodation on the island and it wasn’t anywhere near the most expensive either.
4) There are two restaurants on the property
There’s a bar and restaurant beside the beach and an Italian restaurant near the road. We were there during ‘low season’ and only for a couple of nights. Unfortunately the Italian restaurant was closed but the reviews on it are quite good.
5) You can be self-contained
Some bungalows have kitchenettes that would allow you to be fully self-contained. We opted for a standard room but still had a small fridge and could walk to a grocery store for basics like cereal, milk and fruit. A coffee maker would have been a nice addition, however it wasn’t a hardship to go to the beach restaurant for that.
My bonus reason
There’s a cat at reception! I’m such a sucker for critters.
What you should know
- This isn’t unique to this particular property, but there are chickens everywhere. We found them entertaining and accepted that roosters are part of island life and they tend to make a lot of noise.
- There are actually two parts to this hotel. Hotel Les Tipaniers and Tipaniers Iti which is 4kms away from the main hotel. Tipaniers Iti is made up of self catering bungalows though there are some bungalows with kitchens at then main hotel as well.
- There is a tourist tax of 200xpf per person, per night that is not included in the price of the room and payable directly to the hotel. This tax is collected on all the major islands of French Polynesia.
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