Name: Tapu Lodge
Address: Haapiti -28 pk, 98729 Hauru, French Polynesia, Moorea, Moorea, Moorea, 98729, French Polynesia
Rating: 6

Garden

Terrace

General

Safe-deposit box

Services and amenities

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Airport transportation

Transfer

English

French

Languages Spoken

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Library

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Swimming pool

Outdoor pool

Private beach

Next to the beach

Pool and beach

Children's playground

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Temae Airport

Tahiti Faa'a Airport

Tapu Lodge

Moorea

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

20-beds

21-beds

22-beds

23-beds

24-beds

25-beds

26-beds

27-beds

28-beds

29-beds

3-beds

30-beds

31-beds

32-beds

33-beds

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35-beds

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37-beds

38-beds

39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

We stayed at TAPU Lodge for 2 weeks and this was our 4th time in Moorea so we knew what to expect.
We had exactly what we were looking for : a fully equipped bungalow  with a spectacular lagoon view ;a very quiet place near all facilities and the Petit Village.
Lise,the owner is very kind ,discreet and helpful.
The  small beach is equipped with sunchairs and kayaks for free : we used them every day to reach the lovely Motu near the fare to do some snorkeling among the corals.
The bungalows in particular n. 3 offer a fantastic view on the lagoon and are functional even if some maintenance would be welcome.
Wi-Fi and bikes for shopping are for free and linen are changed every four days, a nice swimming pool is at disposal of the customers.
Keep in mind that these fare are for rent and no housekeeping is provided therefore suitable to families and couples used to do by their own like at home.

TAPU Lodge:fare with lagoon view

Lise and Billy have affordable small and large fares. Basic kitchen but workable. Best sunrise and sunset views. Kayaks, wifi, private jetty, 2 bikes, playground and private beach on motus. Contact them directly as they don't like to be too busy if you want to get in. Long stay >4days get discounts. Stayed quiet a few times. Don't expect the Ritz but is affordable and quiet. 

Excellent value for money.

being americans and traveling french polynesia without a good command of the language, thus finding the lodge and Lise, the manager with a very good command of the english language was a wonderful addition.  we three are from hawaii, so the tropics weren't a new experience. we knew that being at sea level was something we wanted to avoid, as much as possible, as 'the flats' typical can be warmer.  being on the hill even up just 100ft made the trade winds more available and being at the bungalow so much more enjoyable.  the ocean was a mere 100 yards away thru private access.  the views were awesome ... westward facing, thus sunsets galore!
the bungalow itself was perfect for 3 or less and it seemed whatever utensils we thought we would need for meal prep Lise provided quickly.
very kid friendly with a playground and extensive lawn area at ground level.  they are currently 'creating a built/dug-in pool even further up the hill ... something i want to see on our next visit!
we were taken(for 40bux total for the 3 of us) out the next morning for 3-4 hrs to swim with the rays and black tip sharks ... they are darned near tame, the boat 'pilot' knows them well and the waters are clear as glass.  we also spent about an hour on a motu, a small islet part of the atoll, clean and relaxing doing some sun soaking.
we decided to rent a car thru avis at the dock(we came by ferry from papeete and rented on moorea as we weren't heading back to papeete for another 3 weeks and 3 more island destinations ... but if you are heading back, you can rent in papeete and bring it over on the ferry, a nice way to transport bags!)  make sure you let avis know ... for insurance purposes!
you can drive the whole island in 1-2 hrs with stops.  we 'drove' ALOT!  i think the whole weeks worth of gas was like 50bux(half a tank).  with cooking we spent less, but, lunch/dinner for three with wine could easily be 100-200bux in a restaurant you'd want to go back to ... most grocery stores have sandwiches to go and pastries in the early morning.  we brought spices, oils and condiments for creating our own meals and the store down the road(south) 4-5km has somewhat extensive selection of foods(i.e.: portabella mushrooms and american brand bacon!!(got figure that one out!) ... stick to the local/polynesian stuff ... leaner and thicker!) and the shop keepers speak pretty good 'american'!  so keep 'not so nice' comments ... for your time in the car!
all in all it was far enuff off the beaten track, yet close to the tahitian village and the hibiscus restaurant, with its daytime ocean/beach front open air restaurant ... and yes, bar!
it was the perfect situation and we promised to come back in a couple yrs on our next south pacific soiree!

TAPU LODGE  very good!

As the Hotels around are really expensive we search for a comfortable hotel, and I can tell you this was really good, don't worry if it doesn't say that it doesn't have a beach because it is really across the street and is closer than other Luxury hotels around the world so its like if the hotel had a beach, its ideal for families but we went as a couple and we got a big apart, and an incredible view, the person who received you is very kind and as it has kitchen you can buy breakfast ( there is a little bakery near by, my husband went all the mornings to bring some croissants) and you can have breakfast in the terrace with a nice view.
I don't know if they still recommend the massage but if so….you have to try it… it is a women who bring her our therapeutic bed and do the massage in your terrace…i slept it was the best massage ever.
There are some bees but they don't do anything… I really recommend it if you are looking for a relaxing and not luxury hotel.

Relaxing little hotel

We were very glad to find a little place like Tapu Lodge on Moorea, where we rented one of their small bungalows for a period of six nights. We liked the layout of bungalows shown on their website and all the convenient features that would come along with it (e.g. kitchenette, balcony with views, snorkeling equipment, ...) which promised a comfortable stay. 

Unfortunately our stay at Tapu Lodge was not as comfortable as expected. Due to a missing pickup service from the ferry dock we took a bus to the other side of the island, which took quite a lot of time and is not at all convenient if you are travelling with suitcases. We did not consider to take a taxi, the fares on Moorea are outrageous. Taking into account the price per night as well as the remote location one could definitely expect a pickup service (like others on Moorea do). On our arrival we were greeted by a friendly lady who first of all charged our credit card for the remaining balance, then send us to our bungalow without showing the room. An unprofessional first impression, underlined by numerous signs at the reception. One of those said their bungalows would come with only a minimum equipment, "we charge you all extra". We only got to know that this even includes toilet paper after having seen the room itself. The bungalow had stained walls, rund-down plastic furniture and was generally filthy all over the place (there were even dead insects on the bed). Most annoying was a strong smell of urine in the bathroom.

The lodge in general was situated nicely on a hill with a beautiful lawn facing the main road. It is very quiet and the sunsets in the evening can be enjoyed from at least the top of the hill (not from the bungalows in the first row, like ours). Nevertheless the location is quite far away from anything. The next small supermarket is a 15 minute walk away, they offer one bicycle for all guests, which is useless if you are not travelling alone. Many of the restaurants in the area are closed, as are lots of the beach resorts. This limits your possibilities of going out as long as you do not have your own wheels. The advertised beach does practically not exist at high tide, it is only possible to relax on the concrete pier. At the bottom line we did not find any of the lodge's features in the condition they were advertised.

The owners are currently building a swimming pool on top of the hill, above the property. Considering the condition of the bungalows this is the wrong priority. It would definitely be better to invest in renovation than putting something new in place.

Polynesia is an expensive holiday territory but expensive does not automatically mean shabby rooms and rund-down places. Lots of resorts, including Tapu Lodge, might once have been well worth the price they charge you. But without maintenance the lodge is simply not recommendable anymore. On top of that there are many other alternatives on Moorea, in the same price category, which offer much better value. We learned it the hard way as we did not check the lodge on Tripadvisor before our booking (which we will certainly do for the next accommodation). 

We finally decided to check out early in the morning after the third night and to look for an other place.

Tapu Lodge

Main amenities of the hotel

Location

Available rooms

Location

Description of the hotel

What other amenities are there?

General

Services and amenities

Internet

Transfer

Languages Spoken

Tourist services

Recreation

Parking

Pool and beach

Kids

Pets

Policies

Check-in terms and conditions

Additional information

Payment