F.A.Q. / QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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F.A.Q | |
CONTACT & LINKS |
In this page you can find answers to the most frequent questions asked by our guests to be.
1- TRANSPORTATION
Q: How do we get from the airport to Manureva House ?
A: From the airport to VAITAPE (Bora Bora most important village)
The airport being located on a motu, one of the off shore islet circling Bora Bora's lagoon, AIR TAHITI will provide you with a 15 minutes free catamaran ride on the lagoon to drop you at VAITAPE's pier .
From there I kindly recommend you rent a car to reach Manureva House located 6 miles (10km) away. Before heading to your final destination don't forget to stop at one of the supermarkets to get your groceries and other useful items.
Alternatively you can take a cab ($30 one way). No tipping is necessary in French Polynesia.
Q: What about renting a boat
A: Boats of different sizes can easily be rented with or without a license. This has become increasingly popular amongst Manureva House guests to substitute to a car rental allowing you to go shopping to VAITAPE from our private pontoon or to cruise the magnificient lagoon at your own pace.
2- COST OF LIFE
Q: Are prices really high in Bora Bora?
A: Consider that except coconuts and fish almost EVERYTHING has to be shipped from California, France or New Zealand. Fresh products have to be flown daily from these faraway destinations.
Most prices actually compare with HAWAII ones.
To save money on beach gears, post cards and other artifacts I suggest you take advantage of your Tahiti stopover by riding the Truck -a very cheap public transportation- to CARREFOUR PUNAAUIA, an hypermarket located 2 miles west of the airport .
Q: Are there any sales taxes in French Polynesia ?
A: Yes. Those sale and lodging taxes range between 5 and 16%. But you don't have to add them to the price tag when checking out. All taxes are already included. Positively no tipping in restaurants or hotels. It is contrary to Polynesian hospitality.
Q: What is the price of ? in Bora Bora in USD:
A: Meals : Lunch $7 to $12. Dinner $25 to $75. Deluxe buffet with Polynesian show $75 to $85.
A: Boat trip to surrounding islands R/T: Maupiti $50, Raiatea $45, Tahaa $40.
A: Air travel to other islands O/W : Tahiti $150, Rangiroa $200, Marquesas $380, Huahine $90, Raiatea $65
A: 1 night in a 3 * hotel, room with garden view, without breakfast from $300; 1 night in a 5 * resort, over water suite from $5000.
A: 1 liter of milk $1, Kellogs Corn Flakes $5, 2 liters of Coca Cola $4, 1kg of tomatoes $6, 1kg of red tuna $12, 1kg of rice $1, ...
A: 1 pareu from $10, 1 postcard $0.5, 1 air mail post card stamp to the USA $1
A: 15mn of ADSL internet connection : $4.
3- SAFETY
Q: What about safety in Bora Bora
A: The island is a VERY safe place. Like in any other touristic places don't tempt thieves by leaving valuable items unattended at the beach, in the house, or in public places.
Q: Is it safe to swim at the onsite little private beach ?
A: Yes it is very safe to swim at either the beach or around the overwater bungalows. There are no sharks INSIDE of the lagoon. However, like on every tropical beach don't touch corals or wildlife. Use plastic sandals to walk in shallow waters to protect your feet.
4- MISCELLANEOUS
Q: Is there an internet connection available in the house ?
Sorry no internet connection is available at this time in the house. I am currently actively working on setting up a WiFi ADSL connnection that should be available sometime in 2008 should you bring your WiFi laptop along.
Please go to the post office or an internet cafe (ALOA Cafe) to connect to the net. Keep in mind that internet access is somewhat expensive and not as fast as on the mainland. This should improve sometime next year with a new undersea cable linking Tahiti and HAWAII.
Q : Is there a telephone is the house ?
Yes there is a cell phone available in the house allowing you to be called by friends, relatives or business partners from everywhere in the world at no charge for you. You can also place phone calls on a pay per use basis using prepaid VINI cards available in most shops.
Q : What kind of weather can we expect ?
Summer is from November through April, when the climate is slightly warmer and more humid. Winter is from May through October, when the climate is slightly cooler and dryer.
Bora Bora’s weather falls in line with the general parameters of all tropical locations – entirely predictable for most part and with definite seasons. Broadly, it can be classified into a warm rainy summer season and the dry season.
The summer – between November and April, can get quite hot and humid on the island in this period – temperatures can go up to 30 degrees Celsius -87 F-. The generally pleasant north-northeasterly trade winds blow during the monsoons.
In contrast, the dry season, which also lasts for five months (between May and October) is far more amenable to the tourist trade. Humidity is down. Usually, temperatures will fluctuate between 24 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius -74 to 80 degrees F- and the weather generally remains pleasant. This season also features the southeasterly ‘mara amu’ trade winds, which can reduce daytime temperatures without warning.
Q: What do we need to bring in our suitcases?
- Sunblockers
- Beach towels since they are not provided with this vacation rental.
- Beach gears
- All your medications to prevent you from going to the local doctor, get a new Px and go to the pharmacist.
- Books, DVDs, DiVXs , CDs . There are a CD player and a DVD-DIVX player plus a TV set for your convenience in the house.
- Special food if you need any
- Power adaptor from your country's to Europe's round plug.
Q: Is there any daily housekeeping or cooking service available at Manureva House?
There is no daily housekeeping coming with this vacation rental. Only house preparation and cleaning before your arrival and full laundry and cleaning when you leave. Extra housekeeping is possible as well as baby sitting, on request BEFORE your arrival.
Q: What is the time of check in and check out ?
Check in is 3 pm and check out is 11 am to allow same day turnover. Unauthorized late check out will be charged.
A: Our Vacation Rental offer tremendous advantages when compared to Hotel Rooms. Our privately owned vacation rental property offer more room, flexibility, amenities, freedom and privacy than a standard or even first class hotel rooms for much less money.
For example: Our Luxury 2 bedroom, 1 bath villa home with a world class view, private little beach, gourmet kitchen, cathedral living room, laundry in the basement -available fo long term rentals only- and community amenities can be rented for as little as $1699/week. With a vacation rental property you can prepare meals and snacks anytime in our modern kitchen fit for a chef, enjoy swimming or lounging by our roomy lanaii, unpack your bags and have room to spread out. As the number of travelers in your group increases, the savings continue to grow and grow! A comparable 2-bedroom accomodation in a Bora Bora hotel would cost you from US$3900 and up for a week. Of course there are deluxe overwater suites located in prestigious off shore resorts but seriously who can afford to stay in such places that cost from 2,000to 10,000 dollars A NITE ?
More Room: Most hotel rooms offer a king bed , or two queen beds at best along with a dresser, small closet and bath. There is usually one TV which can be viewed by sitting or lying on the bed or using one of two small chairs provided in the room. These rooms become quite cluttered when a family of 4 staying for a week struggles to keep unworn clothes neat and dirty clothes separated. Usually the television becomes a war zone with small children battling over channels. Adults often can't even enjoy any late night program for fear of waking the children.
Manureva House offer incredible room to spread out and relax. Yes, you read that correctly! Along with comfortable sleeping & closet space, our property also have fully equipped kitchen and living area, laundry rooms, lanais, large yards and more. When the average size of a hotel room is about 300 square feet our house boasts 1200 square feet of living space plus a huge tropical garden offering much more value for your money.
Freedom & Flexibility: Want a late night snack in a Hotel room? This is not always an easy thing to do! If there is room service and the restaurant is still open you shouldn't have any trouble. Want to go for a late swim after dinner? How about an early morning dip in the lagoon? Be sure to check the hotel beach hours. You might not have the option. Our Manureva House allows you the flexibility to plan your day the way you want. Eat when you are hungry, swim when you feel like taking a dip, or simply relax without feeling that you are interrupting the rest of your family's plans. Often times the expenses of eating out can far exceed the daily expenses of lodging on a vacation. With our full kitchen, these expenses are greatly reduced in this vacation rental even if you only use the kitchen for breakfasts, drinks and snacks!
Amenities: Manureva House offers more amenities than most Bora Bora hotel rooms. You will find a satellite TV, 2 DVDs, & Stereo with great audio and video libraries, books, a cell phone and much more. Fully equipped kitchen, large spacious bath, A/C and laundry in the basement.
Privacy: There are some things that can't be compromised. A sense of privacy is one of the main reasons Manureva House is so popular especially amongst Honeymooners. In a hotel you will hear the comings and goings of those around you. Often even in the best of resorts, it is difficult to escape the sounds of water pipes and shutting doors as well as noisy guests in an adjacent room! Manureva House provides your own sanctuary away from crowds. You might choose to take a moonlit swim at our private beach, or enjoy the sunrise while you lounge with a cup of coffee with French pastries. In a hotel room the concept of privacy is never the same feeling as in a privately owned vacation rental property.
Savings: There is no comparison between the two. The old saying applies "it's like trying to compare apples to oranges". Manureva House offer more room for less money, more freedom, more flexibility, more amenities, and much more privacy for your money. When you rent our house you will also find an attention to detail and comfort that many other overlook. Owners who rent their properties "by owner" want you to return year after year to enjoy their property. Your satisfaction is extremely important to us.
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F.A.Q | |
CONTACT & LINKS |