Kia Ora Village - A luxury resort on the remote atoll of Rangiroa
Written: Oct 25 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful location, nice selection of rooms, the biggest shower I have ever stepped into
Cons: Loud motor boats, mediocre restaurant, service is just adequate enough to pass as good
The Bottom Line: If you want luxury in a remote area, this is the place for you!
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| twunschl's Full Review: Hotel Kia Ora Rangiora |
When visiting the atoll of Rangiroa in French Polynesia, your choices of accommodations are very limited. You can either stay at a family owned pensions or at the resort hotel, Kia Ora Village. This large resort offers many activities and a wide variety of room choices.
Arriving at the Airport
The airport on Rangiroa is only about a 5 minute drive from the hotel. After you land, you will enter the terminal and a representative from the hotel will be there to greet you. They will check your name of their list, give you a tiare flower lei, provide you with luggage tags and then direct you to the bus. Once the luggage is unloaded from the plane, your baggage will go onto a truck and follow you to the hotel.
Check In
The lobby of the hotel is a large, open air structure. The floor is tiled and there is a large wooden, spherical structure in the center that is a fountain. There are large chairs and tables to make the check in process more relaxing. As we stepped off of the bus, we were all presented with cold towels and a glass of banana juice. We were all given chairs in the lobby and a short form to fill out. Once we were done filling out the form, we went to the front desk to get your room key. Unfortunately, since we had arrived so early, our room was not ready. We weren't sure what we were going to do, so we went over to the activities desk.
Activities Desk
The activities desk is located just across from the front desk in the lobby. We were a little tired from our flight from Bora Bora and since we had just left the amazing service and opulence of the Sofitel Motu, we were a little on edge about our change of scenery and hotel. All worries were immediately relieved when we met Stephan, the activities coordinator. He was so funny and witty, he made us feel right at home. We had received an activities list upon check-in, but I already knew that we wanted to rent something to get around the island. We needed to get groceries and I wanted to buy a black pearl. There were five options for going around the island; bicycle, scooter, fun car, mini car, Cabrio Aixam and a Daewoo Matiz. It was really hot when we were there so the bicycle and scooter did not seem like a good idea. I had seen pictures of the fun cars and it really did look like, well, FUN. At 5500CFP for four hours, it seemed like the perfect option for us.
There are many other options for activities available at the desk. You can do a Glass Bottom Boat tour, visit the Tiputa Village, go on a dolphin watch or go on a semi-submarine boat. There are day long excursions that take you to the Blue Lagoon, Reef Island or Pink Sands. They also offer lagoon fishing and deep sea fishing. You can charter a private boat for a half day or whole day and of course there are water activities. There is drift snorkeling through the Tiputa Pass and Scuba diving; introductory, fun dives and night dives. If you did not bringing snorkeling equipment, you can borrow snorkel, mask and fins from the activities desk.
Our Fun Car
We had so much fun in our Fun Car that we decided to rent one two days in a row. We enjoyed eating out and stopping at the various shops along the small road. If you are looking for a great way to explore the island, hop in this tiny open car. With only enough room for my husband, I squeezed in the seat next to him and put my feet up on the dash. It is a great experience and every time we look at our pictures, we laugh.
Boutiques
The hotel has two shops that are independently owned. You will not be able to charge your purchases to your room. There is an expensive pearl shop and a small store that sells souvenirs and toiletries. They have shirts and bags, monoi oils and soaps. There was also a wide variety of overpriced suntan lotion, shampoos and bug spray. Every day, except for Sunday, there were two ladies that set up a table in the lobby. They sold beautiful shell pieces, such as bracelets and necklaces. They had some nice pieces at good prices. You will need cash and they are there until 11am.
The Overwater Bungalows
When we returned to the hotel about three hours later, our room was ready. We were given our key and given directions to walk to our room. The walkway to the overwater bungalows is large with a beautiful twisted branch railing. At the beginning of the walkway, there is a circular mosaic tile design set right in the wood decking. We followed the "S" shaped walkway around to our bungalow, number 46.
We entered the room and were immediately shocked at the blue of the water. We had just come from Bora Bora and we had heard so much about the blue of the water there. The color of the lagoon here was so amazingly blue that you constantly thought "How can the water be THAT blue"? As we stood there in shock, I looked down and saw that our bags had already been delivered. We were standing in a small room that contained a couch and two chairs. In front of the couch was a glass box. I remembered reading that the top opened and sure enough, there were hinges. When opened, you could feed the fish below the bungalow. In a small closet behind the front door, there was a mini bar, small coffee maker and coffee and a small safe. There was room inside of the refrigerator that we could put a few pieces of bread and a bottle of water. Like most hotels, you can remove items from the refrigerator to add your own. Just make sure to look over your bill when you check out. Next to the closet with the mini bar, there was a desk recessed into the wall with a large mirror on the wall. Underneath the desk, there were two small cabinets that we used to store our large bottles of water. Upon closer inspection, we discovered that there was not a television. We figured that it would not be a problem since we had only watched a few hours of TV and most of that we did not understand as it was all in French.
The room was separated from the bedroom by a large set of sliding doors. Inside the bedroom was the large king size bed (actually two beds pushed together). It was covered in a bright blue bedspread with pretty flowers painted on it. Next to each side of the bed, there were nightstands and table lamps. There was a ceiling fan over the bed and an air conditioner on the wall. We closed the sliding doors at night to make the air conditioner more efficient. The entire wall next to the bed was glass with a sliding glass door out to the balcony. The opposite wall was a large closet that had shelves on one side and a large area for hanging clothes. Since my bathing suits did not need to be hung up, I put our suitcases in the closet to get them out of site.
Off of the bedroom, was the entrance to the bathroom. As you entered the bathroom, there was a very large counter that had two sinks and a mirror over each sink. The light was very dim in the bathroom and with no make up mirror, it was difficult to put on the little amount of makeup that I was wearing on vacation. Next to the counter, there was an area with coconut palms and flowers growing. Suddenly, I realized that this wasn't decoration, this was the screen for the shower. There was a small wooden deck that was a step up and then you stepped down into the largest shower that I have ever seen. You could have honestly put ten people in the shower and no one would have ever touched. The water pressure was not that great and I ran out of hot water once. On the opposite side of the bathroom, there was a small room that contained the toilet.
Out on the deck, there were two very large lounge chairs with bright blue cushions. There was a small table for holding drinks. The railing of the deck was made of the same twisted branches as the walkway had been. It was so different and beautiful from the other hotels that we had been. The balcony was curved and along the left side, the stairway down to the lower deck curved around it. On the lower deck, there was a fresh water shower to rinse off the salt water and metal stairs that led down to the lagoon.
The Freebies
This hotel was very limited on their freebies. The only thing that they supplied in the bathroom was hibiscus scented shampoo, conditioner and soap. There was a hair dryer for your use on the wall. There was not a robe, so make sure to pack one.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling from the overwater bungalows and the beach bungalows was amazing. There were so many coral heads and the fish here would come up to you the second that you put your feet in the water. We saw a sting ray go up close to the shore and there were some very large fish that hung out all of the time. Near the overwaters, the water is quite deep. You will want to be comfortable with blowing the water out of your snorkel. It looked as if you swam a little closer to shore, that it became shallower and you could stand.
The Boats - Loud and Louder
My one big complaint about the hotel is the amount of boats that speed past the overwater bungalows. The boat dock is just beyond the overwater bungalows and the hotel obviously does not have a policy about the speed of the boats or the distance that they keep when going to the dock. We woke up at all hours as boats sped past our room. The other problem that we had with boats were the large number of yachts that were anchored right off the overwater bungalows. Our view from our deck was of the yachts, not the lagoon. Many of them played loud music and had parties at all hours.
A very short note about the Kia Ora Sauvage
This hotel has a satellite hotel on a remote island, the Kia Ora Sauvage. There are only five bungalows and there is no electricity, hot or fresh water. This is the ultimate in relaxing and was a life changing experience. I have written a review about our stay http://www.epinions.com/content_2691276932. If you want to get away from it all, I highly recommend that you check into the Sauvage.
The Garden Bungalows
After we left the Kia Ora Sauvage, we spent one night in a Garden Bungalow. The furniture and lay out of the bungalow was very similar to the overwater bungalows. There wasn't a couch, but there was a coffee table and two chairs. The shower was not nearly as big, but it was similar, with a deck that you stepped up and then down into the shower. The layout was poor since the shower was completely open and if you opened your sliding door to go out, you could see right into the shower. There is a mosquito repellent device in the room. The extra cartridges are in one of the drawers. There was no view from this room, except the back of other bungalows. Since this was the end of our vacation and we had seen wonderful views for almost two weeks, we did not mind. We just wanted a room with air conditioning and a warm shower, so this room was great.
The Overwater Bar
Behind the restaurant and next to the boat dock, is the entrance to the overwater bar. It is open from 9 am to 11 pm. At lunch time, they had sandwiches that were kept out in the open and did not look very appetizing. There are couches and chairs inside and floor in some sections was glass. Outside, there were a number of tables with large green umbrellas to protect you from the hot sun. There is a nice selection of cocktails. The Chi-Chi was especially good. I do recommend that you point to your selection on the menu when you order. My husband ordered a Manhattan one night. The waiter had no idea what my husband was saying. Finally, my husband pointed to it on the menu. The waiter said, "Oohhhh, a Man Hat Tone!". We are still laughing about it two weeks later. Another time, he ordered a Long Island iced tea. He got instead, you guessed, real iced tea. If you want ice for your room, this is the place to get it. Make sure that you carry your ice bucket with you or you will get it in a large plastic bag.
The Restaurant
The restaurant was very disappointing. Breakfast is from 7 to 9 and your only option is the "American Breakfast". You had a selection of boxed cereal, toast, French bread, croissants, cheese, cold meat and fresh fruit. I tried my hardest to make my breakfast as un-American as I could and had toast with pineapple jam and French bread with brie and cold ham. I could have added eggs and bacon to my meal for an added charge, but I had been warned that the eggs were runny and the bacon undercooked. Lunch is served from 12 noon to 2 pm. Selections were salads and sandwiches and fish. We normally ate out of the hotel, but we did have a club sandwich and very good french fries for lunch one day. After we returned from the Sauvage, all we wanted was a shower and lunch and I did not want to eat in the dining room. I had gotten used to only being with eight other people and the last thing that I wanted was to eat in the dining room. I begged and pleaded for room service and I was told no. I finally said that I was going to order it and take it back to my room. The manager finally agreed to do room service but I was charged almost $25 for it. Dinner is served from 7 pm to 9 pm. The selection is cold and hot appetizers and then main dishes of fish and meat. I was very disappointed with the expensive mediocre food. I would recommend finding other arrangements at local restaurants.
Organization
This hotel was very organized. They knew when you were arriving and when you were leaving. The hotel calls the airlines to double check your flights so they know who is coming and leaving each day. We received a letter telling us when our plane left, when we needed to get the bus to the airport and the time that we needed to check out. A porter automatically came to our room to get our bags. After we arrived back from the Sauvage, there was a cart waiting for us and they immediately took us all to our rooms and our luggage followed immediately after that. The luggage that we had left behind was already waiting in our room.
Things that you should know
There is only one bank on the island and hours are limited. Make sure that you bring enough cash with you before arriving here.
There are no robes in the rooms.
There are no TVs in the rooms.
There is a 110 shaving outlet in the bathroom. The front desk as an adapter, but you should bring one with you.
We had a problem with ants in our overwater bungalow. Make sure that any food you have in your room is sealed in tight containers.
Read my Rangiroa review for advice about the island. http://www.epinions.com/content_66400063108
There is internet service at a small home just off the Village property. Go to the main road, turn right and it is the next driveway. The charge is 400CFP for 15 minutes. If they offer you coconut tea to drink, accept it, it is wonderful.
There are ten overwater bungalows. Number 40 is closest to the dock and walkway and as the numbers increase, you get farther away from shore. I doubt that the sunset is viewable from numbers 48 and 49.
The Beach bungalows looked very nice and would be a perfect alternative to the overwaters. Snorkeling is right outside of your bungalow. Numbers 50 through 57 are beyond the restaurant and as the numbers increase, you are farther away from the action. Numbers 1 through 8 are between the dive shop and walkway to the overwaters. They would probably offer the most noise and activities of the beach bungalows. Number 9 through 18 are past the walkway to the overwaters and as the numbers increase, you get farther away from the action. It looks like numbers 9 through 12 may have only a view of the overwaters.
The Garden bungalows and suites are located behind the beach bungalows. Numbers 58 through 64 are beyond the restaurant and as the numbers increase, you get closer to the restaurant. From my map, 19 through 27 look the most remote along with 38 and 39. Numbers 28 through 37 are closer to the main lobby but the only ones that look close enough to be effect by noise are 31 through 33.
For pictures and video of our trip, visit my website
www.tahiti.wunschl.com
Read my other reviews from our French Polynesia Trip
Moorea
http://www.epinions.com/content_70580276868
Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort
http://www.epinions.com/content_66105675396
Bora Bora
http://www.epinions.com/content_66986806916
Sofitel Motu
http://www.epinions.com/content_66291601028
Rangiroa
http://www.epinions.com/content_66400063108
Kia Ora Village
http://www.epinions.com/content_2687869060
Kia Ora Sauvage
http://www.epinions.com/content_2691276932
Tahiti
http://www.epinions.com/content_66968260228
Tahiti Beachcomber Inter-Continental
http://www.epinions.com/content_66996309636
Sheraton Tahiti
http://www.epinions.com/content_66102398596
And for more great reviews, read LordBalfor's reviews and visit his website at
http://community.webshots.com/user/lordbalfor
Recommended:
Yes
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twunschl
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Location: Wishing I was back in Tahiti
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Our Tahiti pictures and video are on-line. Go to www.tahiti.wunschl.com
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