Ahhhh, the South Pacific! I have dreamed since I was a little boy of visiting the islands, swimming in the blue waters of the lagoon, sunbathing,… All this came true recently. We spent a few weeks in French Polynesia. Our first stop was Moorea. We didn’t want to completely empty our bank account, so we opted not to stay at one of the big resorts with overwater bungalows. One night in these places would have cost us more than our entire stay on Moorea. This is what we think of Linareva…

We arrived by plane from Tahiti early in the morning. We had previously arranged the transfer to Linareva. Upon our arrival, we were immediately greeted with Linareva’s wonderful location. The water was crystal smooth, there were more goldfish here than in most aquariums, and the backdrop of the volcanic peaks wowed us. Our choice was a room with air conditioning (recommended). It can get hot here and some fresh air is welcome. The Tahitian grass bohío or “tarifa” as they call it, that we had was very basic. It had all the amenities we wanted, but they were modest. At night we were bothered by all sorts of critters such as large cockroaches, spiders and the like. Somehow interrupted our sleep if you know what I mean… We didn’t mind the geckos… The little kitchen that was included was valuable as there are no restaurants around here (other than the one owned by Linareva). We opted not to have breakfast included (it didn’t include a lot of protein that we need). Instead we would bike to the nearest grocery store, buy eggs, baguettes, cheese, milk, etc. and prepare it ourselves. There is a small eating area outside the fare overlooking the Pacific. The beach here was not that great. We would paddle out to the reef and swim in the most wonderful blue waters. There is a nice swimming area next to the small pier. You will swim alongside very exotic fish here. Kayaks and bikes at Linareva are free for guests. However, the bikes are really horrible. The reception is in the restaurant boat. At night, there seemed to be no one there. This was a bit strange as you were usually used to having a 24 hour reception at your disposal.

Nature is beautiful around Linareva. Unlike most places on Moorea, here you can be the only person in the water, enjoying the scenery for yourself. There is a certain isolation. The sunsets are some of the best I have been to in the world. If you like this and don’t mind bugs this is a place for you. We appreciate it more; more we stay here. It definitely felt like we were at least a little immersed in the South Pacific lifestyle… Recommended for people who would like a taste of the real South Pacific