This list of travel tips will help you plan your trip to Tikehau as part of your visit to French Polynesia.
Tikehau is a great place to both scuba dive and unwind. Apart from the day of arrival and diving, you should dedicate at least one full day for a lagoon tour and one day for exploring the main motu. Add to that any days that you want to do nothing plus your diving days, and you have your grand total. Due to the travel time needed to get to the dive sites at Tuheiava Pass, you can do a maximum of two dives per day. My recommendation is to spend 5 days in Tikehau which include two days of scuba diving.
Every island in French Polynesia is different, so choosing the right mix of islands can be a challenging task. The same is true for the Tuamotu Atolls. Though similar in look, they each offer something slightly different. Listed below are what I consider the pros and cons of the “big three”, the most visited stops in the archipelago. For a more in-depth look, here’s a guide on how to choose which atoll to visit in French Polynesia.
Tikehau
Fakarava
Rangiroa
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Tikehau is best visited during the dry season (June – September). This is the period when the trade wind blows and offers a steady and constant breeze, and when persistent rain is less plausible. That said, the blowing trade wind does make the lagoon a bit choppy so snorkeling isn’t as pleasant though very much possible. Diving is possible year-round in Tikehau and visiting during the rainy season is possible. You simply need to be prepared for hot and humid weather along with the possibility of rainy days that lead to cancellations. I visited Tikehau during September and the weather was excellent.
Another thing to look out for is the local school holiday season, a period that brings domestic travelers to Tikehau. It might be challenging to find a good place to stay or to book a dive on the exact dates you want.
By Air: the most convenient (and scenic) way to get to Tikehau. Direct flights are available from Tahiti, Rangiroa, and Bora Bora. Usually, Tikehau will be one stop in a longer visit to French Polynesia, so purchasing the right air pass from Air Tahiti is recommended.
By Boat: it isn’t very common but it might be possible to get to Tikehau on a cargo ship. You’ll need to be very flexible with your time, have luck on your side, and speaking French will go a long way. The Saint Xavier Maris Stella IV serves the Tuamotus from Papeete and it may or may not carry passengers.
(1) divers get an extra 5kg on checked luggage if you show your gear (such as BCD). (2) When flying from Tahiti, grab a window seat on the left side of the plane. The same is true if you fly from Tikehau to Rangiroa or back to Papeete via Rangiroa.
To/From Airport: this will be arranged with your hosts and may come with an extra charge. If you are not staying on the main motu, this will also involve a boat trip.
Around Tikehau: the main motu can be explored on foot if you’re looking for adventure or with beach bicycles, usually supplied free of charge by your accommodation. You can rent bicycles from Tikehau Plongee for about 1,000 XPF/per day ($10/day). It’s also possible to rent kayaks and head to the white and pink sand beaches to the northeast of the airport.
Most accommodations consist of family-owned pensions but there are a few high-end resorts on the island. Do keep in mind that when staying in accommodations, not on the main motu, you will most likely really be “off the grid”. Some will offer paid boat trips to the main village but some may not.
Resorts: if seeking luxury, look no further than the Pearl Beach Resort. The resort is located about 20 minutes by boat from the main village and boasts overwater bungalows (though over shallow waters). Apart from luxury in the middle of nowhere, the main appeal of the resort is its location. Guests can skip across white and pink sand motu or kayak and get lost for the day.
On the other end of the airport, the Ninamu Resort is located on a private motu just 10 minutes by boat from the main village. The resort is Australian-owned and offers an all-inclusive experience.
Pensions: by far the most popular option in Tikehau. Pensions are family-owned and operated guesthouses that range from simple to pampering. Your stay will usually be half-board, meaning communal breakfast and dinner are included in the price. On the high-end, Relais Royal is the best option and you’ll be fortunate to find a vacancy. It is located on a motu just across from the main village but it’s not challenging to cross there and back. Next are the island’s most popular pensions, clustered around a long string of white sand. Worth mentioning are Pension Hotu and especially Tikehau Village, both solid options. Other options in this cluster include Pension Justine and Pension Aito Motel Collette.
Budget: I visited Tikehau during a week of school holidays and it was impossible to find a vacancy in one of the pensions mentioned above. So I stayed at Pension Coconut Beach at the very tip of the main motu. If you’re traveling on a budget, this could be a good option as the location is superb and your host, Jean-Louis, is very caring once you get to know him, even if he has a few “house rules” which must be followed. You can either stay in one of the rooms inside the main house (where Jean-Louis lives) or book the exterior en-suite unit. Prepare for a very basic stay but, once again, the location is perfect. Read more about my stay at Pension Coconut Beach on this blog post.
Click here for all Tikehau accommodations that can be booked online on booking.com.
I did see an ATM at the local post office but it is possible that the machine does not accept international cards. Even if slowly, things do change around here so by the time you visit Tikehau, there might be a bank branch that offers ATM services. It’s highly recommended to bring enough cash for your entire stay on the island and always have some extra Euro or U.S. Dollars for emergencies. Credit cards are not accepted at restaurants but might be accepted by dive shops and some accommodations.
All residents collect rainwater in tanks and the same goes for accommodations. While the high-end resorts probably purify tap water, pensions and guest houses may not offer drinking water to guests. Be prepared to purchase bottles at local shops.
Though dive centers advertise a variety of dive sites, the reality is that you’ll be doing your diving in Tikehau in and around Tuheiava Pass, the only way for boats to get in and out of the lagoon. It takes about 30 minutes by boat to get to and from and pass, so a two-tank dive will take almost a full day. You also need to factor in the tide, which means that on certain days, departure and return will be late.
There are currently three dive centers on Tikehau. Raie Manta and Tikehau Plongee are located in the main village, while the high-end Topdive is located in the Pearl Beach Resort (it was not in operation when I visited Tikehau). The first two dive centers are part of the Te Moana diving pass but Topdive also offers dive packages via its network of centers on the popular islands.
There isn’t an abundance of choice when it comes to dining out in Tikehau, but it’s usually only lunch that you need to take care of. Most pension stays are half-board, meaning communal breakfasts and dinners are included in your accommodation price.
The main restaurants in Tikehau are Snack Tikehau next to the quay, Snack Ohina next to the pharmacy in the village (sometimes open for dinner), and the restaurant at Pension Tikehau Village, where nonguests can make reservations. Expect to pay between $12-18 for a main dish but be prepared for slow service and not having everything on the menu available.
As far as nightlife in Tikehau, there is a bar at either Pension Hotu or Pension Tikehau. It’s a nice spot for sunset drinks. Some pensions might throw a small party, depending on the mood and the season. Other than that, purchase your own alcohol and enjoy it on the beach.
Here are a few more tips to help ensure you don’t go hungry or thirsty in Tikehau:
Apart from scuba diving, add some spice to your Tikehau visit by joining one or more excursions. The most popular excursion is the full-day lagoon tour but other excursions offered on the atoll include half-day visits to the manta ray cleaning station and bird island, fishing expeditions, and visits to Eden Island, a self-sufficient organic farm on the far side of the lagoon. Scuba diving and lagoon tour outings will be described in more detail in the next section, and I also recommend checking out this 5 days in Tikehau itinerary to see how everything fits in together.
(1) book your dives in advance and get them done on the first days of your visit. (2) The lagoon tour should also be the first thing done if not diving and, if diving, the next thing. This is because a minimum number of passengers need to book in order for the tour to take place and it might be canceled due to weather conditions. You want to have a buffer to rebook the tour for the following days. (3) Scuba dives are easy to directly book online by email but lagoon tours are best booked through your pension hosts.
Vini is the only mobile network with coverage in Tikehau (my Vodafone roaming package did not work). WiFi is available in most if not all pensions on the main island (and likely in the high-end resorts well). The WiFi connection was quite good and I did not experience any issues.
Here are a few tips for keeping you safe in Tikehau:
Never travel without the right travel insurance, especially if you plan on scuba diving or visiting remote places where you may need evacuation. Check out the various travel insurance plans offered by World Nomads, specifically designed for independent travelers.
You’ll be spending a lot of time in the water and under the sun in Tikehau so keep that in mind when packing. Listed below are a few essential items to pack, specifically for Tikehau. Check out the X Days In Y Packing List for recommended products.
