A few specific excursion questions for our June sailing

[theNJR]

I'm finalizing our excursions for a 7 day PG cruise (first time!) this June, and have a few questions. Most of these excursions I picked based on reading a lot here, so thanks for such a great forum. 

 

On the trip will be me and my wife (30s, active and adventurous) and wife's family (generally prefer to hang out on the boat and take it easy, but I want to have a few excursions for them too). 

 

My strategy around excursions is to make sure we hit the highlights, but not have the trip be overly scheduled. We'll want plenty of time hanging on the PG! 

Current plan: 

 

Huahine: Marcs Tour (http://www.huahine-nautique.com)

Motu Mahana: Coral Garden Drift Snorkeling

Bora Bora D1: Pure Snorkeling signature Shared Circle Lagoon Tour

Bora Bora D2: Glass-bottom boat

Moorea D1 eBike Tour w/ https://www.ebikemoorea.com/english/services/

Moorea D2: Maybe ATV or just hike the three coconut trail

 

Questions:

1. Which is the best place to ATV - Bora Bora vs Moorea?

2. Any opinions on the ATV vs ebike tour? My wife and I both have ebikes back home, and I love going on 50+ mile rides so I lean in that direction, but the ATV could be fun. 

3. If you had to skip one thing from the above, would it be Marcs tour, PG Coral Garden Drift or the Pure Snorkeling signature shared lagoon tour?

4. Any feedback on the glass-bottom boat tour (good for the entire family I figure) and the underwater walk (backup if I can't convince my wife to get scuba certified!)? 
5. Any big thing that we are missing? Any other suggestions for fun excursions that the entire family would enjoy? 

6. If anyone has done two excursions on one day I'd love to hear what you thought about it, since I've resisted doing that so far. 

 

Thanks! 

 

[FlightMedic555]

I would skip the coral gardens at Taha’a.  We have been on the cruise 6 times, number 7 in July.  The highlight is the motu at Taha’a.  To be fair, I have never done that snorkel excursion but for our upcoming trip we have a number of nights at Le Taha’a where the coral garden is located.  Reportedly a spectacular trip but very shallow and easy to get cut up by the coral. 

 

Pure Snorkeling is a spectacular trip on Bora Bora.  IMHO Bora Bora is all about the lagoon and I would spend as much time on/in the lagoon as possible and save the ATV tour for Moorea.  On our first trip my wife did the underwater walk and was not thrilled.  The snorkeling in the lagoon is simply spectacular and the underwater walk really does not add much to the opportunity 

[DavidTheWonderer]

On Moorea, if he is available Dr. Michael Poole's boat trip is another consideration.  He is a working marine biologist, very active in preserving whales, etc.  So in addition to a spectacular tour around Moorea you will be supporting his work. We've been three or four times.

 

I agree with FlightMedic555 about Motu Mahana: it is a highlight of every PG trip.

Edited March 12, 2019 by DavidTheWonderer

[sita]

IMO you’re overbooked. Skip the pre motu snorkel tour in Tahaa and please find some time to visit Bora bora motu. 

[theNJR]

13 hours ago, sita said:

IMO you’re overbooked. Skip the pre motu snorkel tour in Tahaa and please find some time to visit Bora bora motu. 

 

Did you just hang out on land in Bora Bora? PG has excursions to hang out on the beach which seems like a strange thing to pay for. I assume you can just tender and find a spot for free right? Any recommendations for that? 

[sita]

The ship has hourly tenders going to the Borabora motu (for free); it's heaven on earth. There will be kayaks and SUP there, small set up with sodas/water/beer/chips and not much else other than white sand and view of the Mt. Probably only need an excursion on one of two days in BB as you'll likely want to walk around on the main island also. 

 

Re Tahaa, in 9 cruises on the PG, we have never scheduled an excursion on the same day as the motu picnic; we arrive on the first tender and leave on the last.... it's a fun day.

 

The lotus are very different in amenities but also in their settings. We joke that the Tahaa motu is like Gilligan's island while the BB one is the Blue Lagoon. I am constantly surprised that people never make it to the BB motu. It is the cover shot on most of their catalogs. There is no bathroom and that is a turn off for some, I guess.

 

You're going to have a great time.

[DavidTheWonderer]

There is a huge bathroom on the Bora Bora motu: it is called the Pacific ocean.

 

Regarding Motu Mahana, some newbies are concerned that they need to take the first tender over or they will miss out.  Don't worry: there is adequate space for whenever you decide to "toddle" over.  But the longer the better for this particular slice of paradise.

[theNJR]

8 hours ago, sita said:

The ship has hourly tenders going to the Borabora motu (for free); it's heaven on earth. There will be kayaks and SUP there, small set up with sodas/water/beer/chips and not much else other than white sand and view of the Mt. Probably only need an excursion on one of two days in BB as you'll likely want to walk around on the main island also. 

 

Re Tahaa, in 9 cruises on the PG, we have never scheduled an excursion on the same day as the motu picnic; we arrive on the first tender and leave on the last.... it's a fun day.

 

The lotus are very different in amenities but also in their settings. We joke that the Tahaa motu is like Gilligan's island while the BB one is the Blue Lagoon. I am constantly surprised that people never make it to the BB motu. It is the cover shot on most of their catalogs. There is no bathroom and that is a turn off for some, I guess.

 

You're going to have a great time.

 

Ok that sounds awesome. Are the sodas and snacks free? I wonder if the bar on board will give me a fruity drink to go 🙂

[sita]

9 hours ago, theNJR said:

. Are the sodas and snacks free?

Bien sur! 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

22 hours ago, theNJR said:

 

Did you just hang out on land in Bora Bora? PG has excursions to hang out on the beach which seems like a strange thing to pay for. I assume you can just tender and find a spot for free right? Any recommendations for that? 

 

The tender (the regular one, to the dock), doesn't go anywhere near a beach.  The main beach is some distance away, either a cab or some kind of rental.  But as others have said, the BB motu is tendered-to separately, is free, and absolutely beautiful.  Take your camera for an iconic shot of Bora Bora.

[justmeindustland]

19 hours ago, sita said:

 

Re Tahaa, in 9 cruises on the PG, we have never scheduled an excursion on the same day as the motu picnic; we arrive on the first tender and leave on the last.... it's a fun day.

 

You're going to have a great time.

 

‘I agree.   Tahaa motu  day is one of our favorite.  We kayak and snorkel and eat and socialize and drink out of coconuts and just have a wonderful day.

[fedexretiree]

On ‎3‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 5:46 PM, FlightMedic555 said:

I would skip the coral gardens at Taha’a.  We have been on the cruise 6 times, number 7 in July.  The highlight is the motu at Taha’a.  To be fair, I have never done that snorkel excursion but for our upcoming trip we have a number of nights at Le Taha’a where the coral garden is located.  Reportedly a spectacular trip but very shallow and easy to get cut up by the coral. 

 

Pure Snorkeling is a spectacular trip on Bora Bora.  IMHO Bora Bora is all about the lagoon and I would spend as much time on/in the lagoon as possible and save the ATV tour for Moorea.  On our first trip my wife did the underwater walk and was not thrilled.  The snorkeling in the lagoon is simply spectacular and the underwater walk really does not add much to the opportunity 

I am trying to plan our trip for August and saw this thread.  Couple of questions please..

1. We are experienced snorkelers and  we were thinking about doing an underwater walk..(in Moorea).Is this underwater walk more or less for just the experience of walking underwater for inexperienced snorkelers or is there a lot of coral and things to see. If you would please tell me what your wife didn't like about this.   

2.  We are thinking about taking the Pure Snorkeling tour as well but debating between the all day or 1/2 day any advice there?

3.  When you said snorkeling in the lagoon is spectacular is that the lagoon that PG takes you to?

Sorry for all of the questions, but I know we will have 1 shot at getting this right and any advice is appreciated.

[sita]

Can't imagine experienced snorkelers enjoying the underwater walk. I think best for people who don't snorkle or scuba and you'd mainly be walking around a coral head while the operators attract fish with food. 

 

For experienced snorkelers... if you have ever dreamed of making the leap to diving, the discover scuba program is a winner. 45 minute class followed by about the same amount of time in the pool trying out the gear (done in Huahine) and then qualify for 2 dives. Inside the reef in Bora bora and outside in Moorea. Spectacular! Just a thought. 

 

Plenty of good snorkeling to be found in FP. We spent about an hour giggling at a clownfish nursery coral head covered with anenome at the picnic motu. Hundreds of juveniles guarded over by some dedicated parents. And eels, a turtle, etc. So much fun. At the bora bora motu we have seen rays, schools of pelagic fish and of course all the tropicals you could hope for.

 

The coral took a hit a fews years back with the crown of thorns but appeared to be recovering last time were were there.

 

August is prime whale spotting time.... in all of our trips we have never seem them... a good reason to go again; have fun!

 

 

[theNJR]

14 minutes ago, sita said:

 

For experienced snorkelers... if you have ever dreamed of making the leap to diving, the discover scuba program is a winner. 45 minute class followed by about the same amount of time in the pool trying out the gear (done in Huahine) and then qualify for 2 dives. Inside the reef in Bora bora and outside in Moorea. Spectacular! Just a thought. 

 

2

 

Thank you for this suggestion! I was trying to convince my wife to get certified before we leave (two full day classes on the weekend) but it's hard to get schedules lined up to do it. Two hours of training and then a two hour dive sounds amazing! It's a little concerning though that the intro is only 2 hours, compared to the 16 hours required here to get certified. I assume the PG class gives you bare minimum and I'd still need to take the full 16 hour class later if I want to pursue this further?

 

Edit just found the detials on the PG site https://www.pgcruises.com/scuba/certifications

Edited March 15, 2019 by theNJR

[Wendy The Wanderer]

19 hours ago, theNJR said:

 

Thank you for this suggestion! I was trying to convince my wife to get certified before we leave (two full day classes on the weekend) but it's hard to get schedules lined up to do it. Two hours of training and then a two hour dive sounds amazing! It's a little concerning though that the intro is only 2 hours, compared to the 16 hours required here to get certified. I assume the PG class gives you bare minimum and I'd still need to take the full 16 hour class later if I want to pursue this further?

 

Edit just found the detials on the PG site https://www.pgcruises.com/scuba/certifications

 

I don't dive, but thought seriously about it some years back and decided that if I did, it would be better to get certified at home, rather than waste my time in Tahiti doing a class in a pool.  I regret now that I didn't, but have had lots of great times in FP snorkeling.  The coral has definitely deteriorated over the years, however.

Edited March 16, 2019 by Wendy The Wanderer

[sita]

I agree with Wendy that I would not waste precious time on PG to get fully certified on board but the two hours to make 2 dives definitely worth it. To answer your concern re the 16 vs 2 hours. A full certification course will ready you to dive 90 feet without any supervision, learn how to set up all of your equipment, gage water conditions, etc. A discover scuba course (2 hours) readies you for highly supervised dives to 30 feet on first dive in Bora Bora (Toopua/'TableTop') and 40 feet outside the reef in Moorea (Rotui/'Shark Gallery'). You will be separate from the certified divers and HIGHLY supervised. Your equipment will be ready for you and placed on you. It wil be removed from you in the water at the boat so you will not be stepping up the ladder with tank, etc. Of course, the conditions and navigation will be determined for you. I think there will be at least 3 dive masters for 4 divers... possibly 4 for 4, can't remember when you're in the water. The dive masters on the PG are top notch, this is resort diving at its finest.

 

15 years ago we took the discover scuba course on the PG and we were hooked. Became certified, our vacations became diving vacations etc. 

 

Have fun!

 

 

 

 

[FlightMedic555]

What date in August is your cruise?

 

we have done Pure Snorkeling half day 6 times, it is great. The boat is super fast and you stop at 4 locations. Plenty of time on the water and a full day for me would be too exhausting.  The underwater walk, as my wife described it, was really an underwater stand on the bottom while the guides fed the fish which swarmed around you.  Tons of tropical fish but not the variety you will see when snorkeling.

 

i also dive and now I am pretty content just to snorkel.  You don’t usually see some of the bigger stuff like nurse sharks when snorkeling nor can you readily see the tiny creatures in coral when snorkeling but you do see virtually everything else.  The water is crystal clear.  

[fedexretiree]

3 hours ago, FlightMedic555 said:

What date in August is your cruise?

 

we have done Pure Snorkeling half day 6 times, it is great. The boat is super fast and you stop at 4 locations. Plenty of time on the water and a full day for me would be too exhausting.  The underwater walk, as my wife described it, was really an underwater stand on the bottom while the guides fed the fish which swarmed around you.  Tons of tropical fish but not the variety you will see when snorkeling.

 

i also dive and now I am pretty content just to snorkel.  You don’t usually see some of the bigger stuff like nurse sharks when snorkeling nor can you readily see the tiny creatures in coral when snorkeling but you do see virtually everything else.  The water is crystal clear.  

Our cruise is Aug 14..10 day trip... Thanks for the info on the underwater walk and Pure Snorkeling as well.  From both comments on this thread sounds like the underwater walk is just for the experience.    Does Pure Snorkeling take you to the coral garden and to see the Eagle and Manta Rays?  The only trip with Pure is showing up on Trip Advisor and it is a 6 hour tour for 127.28.  Is that the one that you took?  Or is there another one that I am not seeing. 

 

Is the snorkeling pretty good off the shore at the private motu that PG takes you to in Bora Bora?  Thanks..

[FlightMedic555]

Off shore at the private motu there is some OK snorkeling but not great. Pure Snorkeling does go to the mantas. We have seen the 4 out of 6 times.   They also visit the coral gardens and 2 other places. Ask them to stop where there are some clown fish, they know the location.  Our tour has always been a 4 hour tour starting in the morning.

 

we are on the cruise right before yours. 

[fedexretiree]

1 minute ago, FlightMedic555 said:

Off shore at the private motu there is some OK snorkeling but not great. Pure Snorkeling does go to the mantas. We have seen the 4 out of 6 times.   They also visit the coral gardens and 2 other places. Ask them to stop where there are some clown fish, they know the location.  Our tour has always been a 4 hour tour starting in the morning.

 

we are on the cruise right before yours. 

I just looked up Pure again and it does show 4 hours.. Not sure where I got the 6 hours from but I have been researching so much stuff that I probably wrote it down wrong.  Thanks for the info... Looking for something to do on day 2 at Bora Bora as well.  Have you ever taken either Patricks tour (Maohi Nui) or Monaadventour tour?  IF you don'e mind me asking how many times have you been to Tahiti and do you always take PG?

[FlightMedic555]

We’ve been to Tahiti 6 times, always on the PG.  number 7 leaves 8/3 after 6 nights precruise.  The Bora Bora motu is a gorgeous spot but there is little shade and few chairs.  We have not taken any other tours other than scuba diving. We will probably go to Maitra Beach in August. 

[mmarche]

The Pure snorkeling excursion was one of the highlights of our trip. If I had to skip one, it would be the glass bottom board tour on your second day in Bora Bora.

[SeasickLikely]

With regard to the Coral Garden Drift Snorkeling on Taaha, pay attention to the disclosure for experienced snorkelers. 

 

Please note: This tour is only recommended for experienced snorkelers that are extremely comfortable in the water. Novice/beginner snorkelers are strongly encouraged to snorkel on the Motu. Please wear a swimsuit under a cover-up with reef shoes, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and bring snorkeling equipment and a towel from the ship.

 

I would offer up the additional information: In the excursion there is time for 3 runs through the coral gardens. Each run involves walking over uneven ground (coconut crab holes - like gopher holes), jagged coral for about a 1/4 of a mile each time - reef shoes are absolutely necessary. We had to wade into the current and wait in between incoming wave swells. If you missed the timing, you got bashed into the coral. The coral heads are a beautiful maze that extend from the sand floor to the the surface of the water. You follow the leader in an single line through the maze. If you don't follow the leader, you might find yourself in an area that you cant float between or over the coral. The current at the beginning of each run was strong and then eased off as you approached the lagoon. If you are a person that needs to stop and stand during the run, this excursion is not for you. The tour operator was frustrated that Paul Gauguin didn't tell us to wear long sleeved shirts and also did not disclose the walk. Luckily the tour operator had a few extra shirts for some of the folks on the excursion. Women would do well with a pair of old yoga pants as well.

The tour operator drops you off at the Motu Picnic.

 

 

[SWFLAOK]

I had considered this excursion on a previous PG cruise. I had read a review about the walk along the shore, but that seemed doable. I decided not to do it because I had enjoyed spending the whole day on the motu, so we decided not to do the extra excursion.

After seeing this, I am so happy that I didn't do it. I love snorkeling, but that water is way too shallow for a drift snorkel. I would want to wear a full 3 mil suit and gloves. Getting scraped up on coral in warm water isn't anything I want to do so far from the US.

[fedexretiree]

21 hours ago, SeasickLikely said:

With regard to the Coral Garden Drift Snorkeling on Taaha, pay attention to the disclosure for experienced snorkelers. 

 

Please note: This tour is only recommended for experienced snorkelers that are extremely comfortable in the water. Novice/beginner snorkelers are strongly encouraged to snorkel on the Motu. Please wear a swimsuit under a cover-up with reef shoes, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and bring snorkeling equipment and a towel from the ship.

 

I would offer up the additional information: In the excursion there is time for 3 runs through the coral gardens. Each run involves walking over uneven ground (coconut crab holes - like gopher holes), jagged coral for about a 1/4 of a mile each time - reef shoes are absolutely necessary. We had to wade into the current and wait in between incoming wave swells. If you missed the timing, you got bashed into the coral. The coral heads are a beautiful maze that extend from the sand floor to the the surface of the water. You follow the leader in an single line through the maze. If you don't follow the leader, you might find yourself in an area that you cant float between or over the coral. The current at the beginning of each run was strong and then eased off as you approached the lagoon. If you are a person that needs to stop and stand during the run, this excursion is not for you. The tour operator was frustrated that Paul Gauguin didn't tell us to wear long sleeved shirts and also did not disclose the walk. Luckily the tour operator had a few extra shirts for some of the folks on the excursion. Women would do well with a pair of old yoga pants as well.

The tour operator drops you off at the Motu Picnic.