Destination of the Week: Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort

Photo credit: Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort.

This week, Daily Travel Source is featuring the gorgeous Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort in French Polynesia. We caught up with the Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort Team to learn about the resort’s unique cultural experiences, breathtaking beach of Tamae, and delicious dishes!

The Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort looks absolutely stunning! It’s so important that the resort honors its French Tahitian culture and heritage. What are some unique cultural experiences that travelers can enjoy at the resort?

The resort’s culture is deeply rooted in Tahitian tradition and history, with more than 90 percent of its staff from the island of Moorea. Guests can immerse themselves on property in Tahitian music, dance, traditions and cuisine. 

Cultural workshops are offered daily, including the famed Tahitian dance ‘ori Tahiti,’ the art of the hei (Tahitian flower crown), and the communal ahima’a Saturday roast and gathering. The Sofiel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort is the only hotel on Moorea to offer the ahima’a to guests. Fish, pork, taro, fe’i bananas and ‘uru (breadfruit) are wrapped in banana leaves and slowly steamed on red-hot stones until succulent and ready to eat. 

The Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort combines design and tradition throughout the property with sacred wood, bamboo, pandanus, palm leaves, mother-of-pearl, and shells - creating an authentic sense of place and culture.

And the island itself is naturally built on coral, and the lagoon’s fringing reefs are a critical focus of sustainability in the islands. The Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Resort has created a coral nursery strategically located beneath the overwater bungalows, with an eye on education and understanding for guests of Moorea's exceptional marine biodiversity through a partnership with a local eco company focused on the reef and water. Guests can work side-by-side with marine biologists and learn the history of coral, the current state of the reefs in the islands and learn to graph coral in the nursery.

The resort is based on the white sand beach of Tamae. I really need a photo of this breathtaking beach at my home! Why is this beach an ideal location to find relaxation and what activities do guests enjoy? 

Tamae lines the island’s lagoon, designated a marine reserve in 2002, is home to an exceptional array of marine life – including rays, coral, and other marine fauna. Fishing and removing coral and all motorized water activities are prohibited, allowing the stunning natural marine environment to flourish, making it some of the best snorkeling in the world. 

The island of Moorea lies just 11 miles across the Sea of the Moon from its big sister, Tahiti—both part of the Society Islands archipelago in French Polynesia, most often called the Islands of Tahiti. Moorea is known for its jaw-dropping mountain peaks, an abundance of fruits and flowers, and an encircling lagoon where blues, greens, and turquoise intertwine as far as the eye can see.

Beyond the sugar powder sand beaches, the island offers endless adventures, including canoeing, paddleboarding, jet skiing, snorkeling with rays, sharks, and sea turtles. It is the ideal getaway for hiking or exploring stunning verdant green mountains and lush tropical valleys on 4x4s; world-class golfing, and culinary and cultural adventures, offering an authentic taste of  Polynesian life.

All the foodies out there want to know about the delicious food they can try while at the resort and on the island! What are some of your favorite dishes?

Fresh fish, tropical fruits, and vegetables grown on the island abound everywhere on Moorea and throughout the Islands of Tahiti. Moorea is famous for its small and sweet pineapples, which are heavenly. A must-try is poisson cru, fresh raw fish marinated in coconut milk, given a slight tang with a zest of lime juice, considered the national dish of Tahiti.

Also, ‘Uru is the fruit of the breadfruit tree and is a main ingredient of Tahitian meals. Fried, boiled, roasted or cooked in an earth oven, it takes the place of potatoes or bread in western cuisine. It is especially delicious when cooked on an open fire until the outer skin is blackened. ‘Uru can even be eaten cold with corned beef, pâté or if you’re feeling decadent, with foie gras. 

The Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort offers incredible spaces to eat and drink including: 

Pure Restaurant welcomes guests in a contemporary setting with a panoramic view overlooking the lagoon and the island of Tahiti. This special space includes a large outdoor terrace and a pontoon where romantic dinners are offered, local dance group performances twice a week, and the famous Polynesian buffet. Refined cuisine with fresh, local ingredients is offered daily for lunch and dinner, as well as a variety of breakfasts (continental, American, Asian, and Polynesian), which can be private, served on the beach, or delivered by canoe on the terrace of guests’ overwater bungalows.

Vue Bar is a magical and Instagram-worthy spot where guests can imbibe cocktails while enjoying the magnificent Moorea sunset over the lagoon. Located on the waterfront, it is the ideal place to relax after a day of swimming or exploring the island. With its breathtaking ocean view, it offers an idyllic setting to enjoy the natural beauty of Moorea. And there is also the Beach Bar, which is everything you can imagine - toes in the sand with a French elegance. 

K Restaurant is the property’s signature fine dining restaurant – transforming dining into an intimate and purely Polynesian chic experience. Known for its iconic elegance in the islands, the restaurant welcomes guests with their feet in the sand under a majestically peaked cathedral ceiling made of rare Kahaia wood from the Tuamotu archipelago. Dining experiences are offered on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings to just twenty guests. During these special evenings, guests are invited to follow the "tasting trail" of five or seven exquisite dishes paired deliciously with wines. 

When it comes to families that have not traveled to Moorea, can you share how they can travel to the island? And what makes the island so family friendly?

There is something for everyone - Scuba diving lovers will be amazed by the splendor of the sea floor; land lovers will be entranced by the intoxicating scent of tiare permeating the island, while jagged peaks and ridges ripple across the landscape with jaw-dropping beauty – creating the most stunning vistas in the Pacific. From the infinity swimming pool facing the lagoon to the nautical activity center and diving club, guests can discover the underwater riches of the waters of Moorea. A marine biologist is available to educate and inform guests about the hotel’s coral preservation program, and guests can participate in coral restoration activities.

An 18-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus Design is just five minutes from the hotel, enticing players to enjoy spectacular greens facing the South Pacific.

The hotel offers activities and excursions, including quads, 4×4 safari, jet-ski, hikes, zip line, eco-museum visit, street food tour and history and culture excursions around the island. Also, Air Tahiti Nui, the national carrier, often offers "kids fly free" for children aged 11 and under (check with your preferred tour operator for deals). 

And for all the love birds out there, especially the honeymooners, what makes a travel experience to Tahiti so special? 

Just a seven-and-a-half-hour, direct, non-stop flight from Los Angeles and in the same time zone as Hawaii, the Islands of Tahiti are not only a paradise of clear blue lagoons, dramatic, majestic green mountains, lush gardens, and incredible Tahitian culture, but also a perfect place for a “closer than you think” destination. 

Guests can relax on a private white sand beach, snorkel in the lagoon's turquoise waters, explore the coral reefs, or unwind with a massage at the world-renowned spa. 

Each bungalow, or "fare" in Tahitian, has been influenced by Polynesian architecture reflected in the traditional décor but refined with luxurious modern touches and appointments. Invented in French Polynesia in 1967, the overwater bungalow is the paradise dream for travelers from around the world. Inspired by traditional Polynesian homes and fishing huts, the overwater bungalow has become the destination’s signature accommodation. Guests can relax and be lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves or slide into the water in privacy from the terrace of the bungalow to swim in the warm lagoon or watch the sunset with a glass of champagne in hand. 

From the bungalow’s glass floor, guests can watch the incredible array of lagoon fish that have taken up residence in the coral below.

From a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach, a champagne toast at sunset, breakfast served by canoe, picnic on a motu, to the spectacular and unforgettable culinary experience at K Restaurant where diners slip their toes into the sand for an intimate and purely Polynesian chic experience under a majestically peaked cathedral ceiling made of rare Kahaia wood  - it truly is a South Pacific paradise. 

From the moment the plane's door opens and you can feel the warm South Pacific air, you know you are somewhere truly magical.