Tahiti An Affordable Paradise For Canadians

There are many words or images that come to mind when someone says the word “Tahiti.” Swaying palm trees. Romance. Crystal clear lagoons.

Those fancy overwater bungalows are all well and great, but the message delivered to travel agents at a Wednesday night Tahiti Tourism event in Toronto is that Tahiti also can be quite affordable. And that agents can make a good commission selling trips to a destination many Canadians only dream about.

“Tahiti is attainable,” Tanya States of TravelBrands told TravePulse Canada. “It is possible for Canadians to go.”

States said TravelBrands has a land-only “Bora Bora on a budget” package that includes seven nights at a three to three-star-plus property for just $1,959 CAD. It’s not an overwater bungalow, but you get the same magical views of those aquamarine lagoons and deep green, spiky ridges of Mt. Otemanu.

States said TravelBrands also has affordable cruise packages and other great deals for Tahiti.

Mike Bertoia of Goway Travel said Goway can look after you or your client’s every detail, from hotels to transfers to air to excursions, as well as post or pre-trip cruises.

“We sometimes have to educate people as they may not realize Tahiti is affordable,” Bertoia said.

One great way to save – and to enjoy authentic Tahitian culture at the same time – is to stay in a Tahiti guesthouse.

“I got to see a bunch of them on my recent visit and they’re really nice, unique properties; very boutique. Most have four or five rooms and you get to dine with the family that owns the house and get a really local, authentic experience,” he said.

Food trucks are a great way to save on a meal in Tahiti, and you’ll find them on both Tahiti island proper and on Bora Bora, agents were told at a dinner at Archeo, in Toronto’s Distillery District.

Nancy O’Connell of Air Tahiti Nui said agents can get 75 per cent off the published fare for flights to Tahiti from Los Angeles. Air Tahiti Nui flies once or twice a day from Los Angeles to Papeete, a trip that takes only eight hours and lands visitors in the same time zone as Hawaii; meaning very little jet lag.

Agents generally get a three per cent commission on Air Tahiti Nui sales, she said.

O’Connell said Air Tahiti Nui will take delivery of four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners over the next eight months or so, with lie-flat beds in business class and a distinct cabin for their new premium economy offering.

French Bee is a new service with good prices on direct, non-stop flights between San Francisco and Tahiti, also an 8-hour journey. And United will soon begin flights from San Francisco to Papeete, which should be good news for Canadians who want to use their Aeroplan points for a trip.

Another great way to really see Tahiti and some of its surrounding islands in an authentic way is to take the Aranui 5, a supply ship that’s been given a lovely makeover and now features balconies on about 60 per cent of their rooms.

“We’re the oldest cruise line in Tahiti, but probably the least known,” said Michael Wong of Aranui 5. “We’ve been around 34 years.”

The Aranui visits not only the main Tahitian islands but also the beautiful Tuamotu island chain and the mysterious, isolated Marquesas Islands, where Paul Gauguin painted some of his best works and where author Herman Melville once lived.

“It’s wonderful for hiking, horseback riding and other activities,” Wong told me. “There are beautiful botanical gardens, the Gauguin museum, old-time villages and more.”

Most trips take 13 days and 12 nights and include 36 meals, with wine at lunch and dinner.

“You can have it breakfast but you’ll have to pay extra,” he said with a laugh.

Paul Gauguin Cruises also are a wonderful way to see the islands of Tahiti, with much larger, more luxurious ships. Canadian residents can get discounts of at least 10 per cent and sometimes 25 per cent, said Gauguin’s Helene Poirier.

Richelle Emefe of Goway Travel said it’s great for folks to stay in a guesthouse for a few nights and then splurge on one night in an overwater bungalow.

One great option is the Four Seasons Bora Bora, one of the world’s most magnificent properties. The Brando is another great option, said hotel spokeswoman Tekura Kelley, a Tahiti native whose father was one of three young men that invented the overwater bungalow a half-century ago.

The property is located on a private island in Tahiti, with villas ranging from one to three bedrooms. All the units have an outdoor tub, a plunge pool, a private deck, private outdoor eating space and their own beach, Kelley said.

They’re not cheap at 3,700 Euros a night (roughly $5,600 CAD) for two people all-inclusive, and the minimum is two nights. But Kelley said that price includes your meals and drinks, as well as an excursion each day and a spa treatment for each villa per day (two treatments a day if you get a two-bedroom villa and three if you go for three bedrooms). If you did the same program at a high-end resort you might end up spending the same amount or more, she said.

Kelley said The Brando, apparently a favourite of Leonardo DiCaprio, has 200 staff for 35 villas and is run entirely on coconut oil and solar power. It’s the only all-inclusive property in French Polynesia, she said.

Canadian visits to Tahiti are up 29.3 per cent this year compared with 2017, officials with Tahiti Tourism said. There’s also a website just for Canada: www.tahititourism.ca.