After staying at Le Moana for a week, I can say it would be my choice if I return to Bora Bora. When you stay in Bora Bora you have the option of staying on the island itself or on a motu (smaller island) that rings the outside of the lagoon. Le Moana is on the island itself, on the southernmost point called Matira. Because of that, we were easily able to move about the island as we wished. The Martira Point area has many restaurants, snacks (their version of a lunch-only fast food place), and a roulotte (supper-only like fast food). The point is also home to the only public beach on the island, and the sunsets from Matira Beach are lovely.
If you chose instead to stay on a motu hotel, you will be at the mercy of the free shuttles that move back and forth to the mainland, and then you will most likely need a taxi to get you the rest of the way.
As for the resort itself, we took advantage of the free kayaks, snorkels, and body boards. The lagoon is lovely and easy to paddle around. You can snorkel among lovely fish under the bungalows and also near the Sofitel motu east of the Le Moana. We rented bicycles from the resort. They were not in the best shape, but worked just fine. We rode bikes around the entire island and it took 3 1/2 hours or so. There is only one large hill since the road circles around at sea level so it was pretty easy. We started at the hotel around 8:30 in the morning and worked counter-clockwise, hitting Vaitape for lunch around 11:00. We also renter a scooter from the Roulotte Matira people where local point drive hit the circle road. We were very pleased. The scooter was in good condition, we did not have to refill the gas, and they gave us a cell phone and their number to call if we had problems!
The concierges were friendly and helpful. They were great with dinner reservations each night. Most of the island's restaurants send a taxi to pick you up and take you back home. Sometimes you are the only rider, but more often, they will have a set pickup time for your resort and there will be more than one couple riding with you. We actually enjoyed visiting with others and learning what they had enjoyed on the island. The concierges also made our excursion reservations for us. We hiked, snorkeled with sharks and petted stingrays, and parasailed.
Our room, a bungalow, was beautiful. I don't think I would change a thing there. It had a living room with a desk and small mini fridge, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The bathroom had a large bathtub, an exposed shower, and a toilet in another smaller room with a vent open to the outside. The whole place had A/C and a ceiling fan so we were very comfortable. The resort provides shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, body wash, and other fun things that I won't spoil for you. Outside, we had a deck with two comfortable lounge chairs and two built-in chairs with a small table (perfect for breakfast on the lagoon#. Then there were stairs leading down to a lower deck, great for laying out. The second deck also had an freshwater shower nozzle where you can rinse off after getting out of the lagoon. A simple ladder led from the lower deck to the water and the water was waist deep, clear, and very warm. Wear water socks because the sand is coraline and can be sharp.
The cons of the resort would be only the price of everything. Bora Bora ships everything in so it is all very, very expensive. The motu hotels jack the rates up even farther since you are stuck there. We ate breakfast at Le Moana twice. It was wonderful: many frest fruits, pancakes, french toast, crepes, waffles, meats, sandwich makings, toast, bagels, omelets, and ethnic specialties such as jasmine rice. It is also around $40 pp. We bought french bread, nutella, fruit, and fruit juice at a small market nearby #Tiare Market) for much, much cheaper. If price is a concern, find a pension or smaller hotel on Matira Point. There are several. They are smaller, may not have A/C, and don't have the concierge services. Even so, expect to pay at least $10 for a hamburger at a snack and $20 at a restaurant. More expensive snack meals will run up to $30 and restaurants will be $30-50 pp. Bottled water is everywhere and you must pay for water any place you eat. However, Bora Bora had a good water purification system and it is clean. I tiptoed into drinking out of the tap and had no problems. By the end, I was guzzling tap water only. The resort also did not have a gym, but the sister property, the Thalasso, does have one. We could have ridden the shuttle boat over there and used those facilities, but it was easier to go out on the road every morning and run there.
This was an amazing place. I recommend it highly.
Posted by FarmerJen, from Nebraska, USA on Dec 7, 2012
