Introduction: A Priceless Anniversary Trip To French Polynesia

Welcome to my next trip report, which will recount my priceless anniversary trip to French Polynesia with my precious wife Heidi. It was a trip that was easily one of my best ever and also quite a splurge…but with no regret. I’m not a splurging type of guy, but our five nights in the Society Islands were worth every penny and the perfect blend of meaningful and relaxing.

My First Trip To French Polynesia Was A Simply Stunning Way To Celebrate 10th Wedding Anniversary

Once more I wish to thank all of you who offered suggestions about where we should stay during our trip to French Polynesia. Both Heidi and I greatly appreciated the input. Deciding where to stay was no easy task…our original plan was to split the time between the Hilton Mo’orea and the Four Seasons Bora Bora but we also toyed with the idea of spending the entire trip on the Tuamotu Islands, known for the diving and coral reefs.

Back on our (delayed) honeymoon to the Maldives, Heidi wanted to go scuba diving but we never got around to it…and a decade later, we still have not.

But in the end, my wife and I decided to split our time between two resorts. We spent the first two nights at the InterContinental Tahiti and then spent the last three nights at The Brando on Tetiaroa.

The InterContinental Tahiti was about $400/night…the Brando 10x that. I’ve never come close to spending that much for a hotel or resort. But this was not an ordinary trip and I’ve got to say two months later…this was worth the splurge! It was worth every penny and I hope that I’ll be able to explain why with my pictures and commentary.

This trip was the gift. There was no jewelry or other trinkets. And I’m thankful that Heidi was fully onboard with that tradeoff.

I used 70,000 United miles + $5.60 to book the outbound journey from Burbank (BUR) in Southern California to Papeete, Tahiti (PPT) via San Francisco (SFO) on United miles. The flights to Tetiaroa and back cost €500 per-person. The return was on Air Tahiti Nui from Tahiti to Los Angeles (LAX) for 60,000 Alaska miles and $65.30 in taxes/fees.

Here are the segments that will make up this trip report:

• United Express Embraer E-175 First Class Review
• The Amazing Rowena
• I Received The Global Services Treatment On United Airlines…And I Loved It
• United Airlines 787-8 Business Class (SFO-PPT)
• Our Drive Around Tahiti Nui
• Great Coffee In Papeete, Tahiti
• InterContinental Tahiti
• Air Tetiaroa Terminal + Lounge – Tahiti (PPT)
• Air Tetiaroa Britten-Norman BN-2 “Islander” (PPT-TTI)
• The Brando: Overview
• The Brando: Dining
• Is The Brando Worthwhile?
• Air Tetiaroa De Havilland Canada Dash 6-300 “Twin Otter” (TTI-PPT)
• Restaurant Bar L’Aviation (Priority Pass) – Tahiti (PPT)
• Air Tahiti Nui Lounge (PPT)
• Air Tahiti Nui 787-9 Business Class (PPT-LAX)

Once again, this may have been a once-in-a-lifetime trip. We loved every moment of the trip and especially The Brando–we’d love to return and even take the kids along. But for now, who knows…we’re just thankful for the time we had.

Thanks for reading!

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

SUBSCRIBE!

You have Successfully Subscribed!