Maitai Lapita Village Hotel "excursion" or Marc's on Huahine

[markser]

Is the snorkeling really as good at this Huahine hotel as the PG description says it is? Is the beach pretty? How is the food, since lunch is included? Would your recommend this excursion on Huahine?

 

I was planning on taking Marc's tour until I just read that the snorkeling is drift snorkeling, which I don't think my girlfriend would like. She's enjoys snorkeling but isn't very confident.

I would hate for her to have a run-in with coral on her first excursion. Are there other snorkeling opportunities on Marc's tour in addition to the first drift snorkeling?

 

I was psyched up for Marc's tour because of all the rave reviews but now am having second thoughts.

[Tikiintahiti]

The drift snorkel with Marc isn't anything like Bruno's on Tahaa meaning I've never had an issue with it being so shallow that I had to worry about the coral.

 

Fact is the boat follows you. Your girlfriend could hold on the the outrigger and just enjoy the float. You can place your head under the water while hanging on to the outrigger.

 

The area in front of the MaiTai has a bit of snorkeling, go out to far and your in the channel which has current. If you go to your right from the resort about 500 feet and then out you will be further from the current.

[Emdee]

Markser, I dont snorkel but still enjoyed Marc's excursion. I am vacillating between Marc's excursion and the Maitai myself for next Jan.

 

The advantage of Marc's is the circumnavigation of the island and if she is not a strong snorkeller why dont you do the 4x4 in the morning.

 

Some years ago when we first went to Huahine the boat ( not Marc's) stopped for a swim. the current was so strong that my DH was being pulled away from the boat and he is a strong swimmer who used to play water polo in younger days. Huahine has some strong currents.

 

I liked the food and the rest of Marc's excursion.

[Leejnd4]

We're having a discussion about this very thing in this thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1673153

 

I just did Marc's tour a couple weeks ago. I would definitely do the 4X4 part - the snorkeling was, to be honest, not that great, so I would have been disappointed to do only that and miss the land portion of Huahini.

 

As for the snorkeling, as I said in the other thread, the issue is not that it's shallow...in fact it's pretty deep, well over your head. It's that there are tall coral heads that, if you're not careful, you will bump into and scrape up your legs. You do have to be able to fin well to keep yourself from veering off-course and avoid the coral heads. You also have to be able to keep your face in the water and breathe from your snorkel so you can see the coral heads coming up ahead.

 

One of the people with us on our tour, Karen, was a beginner snorkel and she did exactly what Emdee suggests: held onto the outrigger of the boat. That's definitely an option for your girlfriend, especially if the current is strong that day.

[Tikiintahiti]

As Tiki suggest :p

[caa]

Is the snorkeling really as good at this Huahine hotel as the PG description says it is? Is the beach pretty? How is the food, since lunch is included? Would your recommend this excursion on Huahine?

 

I was planning on taking Marc's tour until I just read that the snorkeling is drift snorkeling, which I don't think my girlfriend would like. She's enjoys snorkeling but isn't very confident.

I would hate for her to have a run-in with coral on her first excursion. Are there other snorkeling opportunities on Marc's tour in addition to the first drift snorkeling?

 

I was psyched up for Marc's tour because of all the rave reviews but now am having second thoughts.

 

As an alternative to the excursion, you can easily walk to the hotel's beach from the PG's tender dock in Fare. When you come off the tender, turn immediately to the left and walk along the beach. Don't go up the road. You'll come to another pier and the Maitai Lapita beach is just on the other side. You'll see their swimming pool and the sign that says the pool facilities are for hotel guests only. The entire walk takes less than 10 minutes. You will probably want to walk past the hotel's beach to the other side of the point where there's some coral to snorkel on. We didn't find anything interesting right off the hotel beach.

 

Here's the link to their map. You can zoom out to see the coral just to the north. http://www.huahine.hotelmaitai.com/our-huahine-location

[markser]

On Trip Advisor, people who have stayed at the hotel have thought the beach was pretty but small and liked swimming in the lagoon. They also said the lake on the property is attractive (but not used for swimming).

However, at least two reviewers warned that if one swims out too far off the hotel heach, he will be in the boat lane. That's not reassuring.

People did like the food, which matters since lunch is included in the PG excursion.

And the property is not far from "town."

The resort went through a total renovation and was reopened by new owners last year.

[Tikiintahiti]

It's all new, down to the foundations. That is correct, to far out and you are in the boat lane. Best to go west 500 feet and then into the water.