Thursday, June 17, 2010

French Polynesia Over Water Bungalows for $220 USD!

Amazing but true! A combination of the falling Euro (to which the Tahitian currency is fixed to) and years of declining tourism is finally producing bargains.

I went to Expedia, selected Manihi (in the Tuamotus), entered November 13 - 17th and Voila! A real over-water bungalow - with the glass coffee table that you can see the fish through, your own stairway to the the lagoon at the Manihi Pearl Resort at a rate that a budget traveler, such as myself, could consider splurging on. Just 220.18 US dollars per night. (Expedia also adds $34.36 taxes and fees per night.) When I shortened the stay to three nights the rate went up to $264 per night.

Is there a catch? Yes, it's the food costs. The only restaurants are the resorts and the prices are high. The 2008 food rate sheet is posted online.

American breakfast 2600 xpf
Lunch (set menu) 7900 xpf
Dinner (set menu) 10900 xpf
but MAP (half board) is only 3200 xpf
and AP (full board) is 5600 xpf

Transfers are 1000 xpf each way from the nearby airport. (Again'08 rates).

There is a daily tax of 150 xpf per person, per night due direct to the hotel.

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