SUNDAY, AUGUST ,8 2010 GOINGOURWAY It’s hard to honeymoon over the water without taking a bath BY K.C. SUMMERS You’ve seen the photos. The
thatch-roofed bungalowon stilts, perched over water so clear you can see the coral reef below. Glass floor panels that turn ocean life into a 24/7 reality show. A private balcony with steps leading right to the water. Over-water bungalows are
magnets for honeymooners, and Michael Woodbridge and Jenny Martin are no exception. The Ventura, Calif., couple is plan- ning an April wedding trip and asked for our help in finding an affordable Pacific island getaway. “Affordable” and “over-water
bungalow” would appear to can- cel each other out; after all, rates can run upward of $1,000 a night. Then there’s the littlemat- ter of getting to French Polyne- sia, where the over-water con- cept originated and where there are the most options to choose from. Might as well get the airfare
out of the way first. For travel in mid-April, expect to pay at least $1,000, and probably closer to $1,200, per person for round-trip tickets from Los Angeles to Pap- eete, the capital of Tahiti. (Wash- ington residents can plan on $1,400 to $1,600.) That’s two- thirds of our young couple’s trav- el budget right there, so they’re already in trouble. Still, they could get lucky and
hit a sale. As always, we recom- mend signing up for fare alerts from sites such as Yapta (
www.yapta.com), Smarter Trav- el (
www.smartertravel.com) and Airfarewatchdog (
www.airfare
watchdog.com). This has been a recording. Now, how to find a bungalow deal? Here are a few tips.
l Get real. Right off the bat, you can cross certain properties off the list: Te Tiare Beach Resort on the island of Huahine, with pan- danus-leaf balconies and in- room Jacuzzis ($769 per night); the Bora Bora Lagoon
TRAVEL FAMILY PHOTO
Who: Michael Woodbridge, 34, and Jenny Martin, 33, of Ventura, Calif. Where: An over-water bungalow in the South Pacific Why: Honeymoon When: April for five nights Budget: $3,000
“Our dream trip is to stay in an over- water bungalow.”
mals and hygiene. But many other reviewers have positive things to say, and there’s no denying it’s a gorgeous location. The hotel is offering a five-
HEMIS/ALAMY Le Taha’a Island Resort&Spa has deals on over-water bungalows. But if you’re thinking $3,000 for two, including air, better think again.
Resort & Spa, where your break- fast is delivered by outrigger canoe ($797); and, farther afield but worth throwing in for the drool factor, Fiji’s Likuliku La- goon Resort, with its separate bathing pavilions and horizon- edge pool ($1,389 per night). You’ll just have to save these for your silver anniversary.
l Talk to a large-volume travel agent with experience in the region. Travelscene (800-345- 3504,
www.travelscene.com), a California agency that specializ- es in trips to the South Pacific and Asia, has several air-hotel packages on offer, including a six-day Deluxe Sweet Tahiti & Bora Bora Getaway that starts at
$2,299 per person double, in- cluding taxes. That’s for travel in the fall (spring prices aren’t post- ed yet), but it gives you an idea of what’s available: round-trip air fromLAXto Tahiti, one night in a garden roomat theManava Suite Resort in Papeete, four nights in an over-water villa at the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa, round-trip airport transfers and inter-island transport by air. To- tal: $4,598 per couple for air and hotel, and the price will only go up.
idays’
Another option: PleasantHol- (800-742-9244,
www.pleasantholidays.com) five-night Taha’a Overwater Dream package, which includes one night in a garden roomat the
Manava Suite Resort, four nights in an over-water bungalow at Le Taha’a IslandResort&Spa on the island of Raiatea, daily breakfast for two and a complimentary upgrade to the next roomcatego- ry, based on availability. Spring prices aren’t available, but an agent said the land portion of the trip would be $2,900 for two people; she estimated that inter- national and inter-island air would run about $1,600 to $1,900 per person, for a total of $6,100 to $6,700 per couple for air and hotel. Formore packages, see theAir
Tahiti Nui Web site,
www.air
tahitinui-usa.com.
l Be willing to compromise. “A
$3,000 budget is really tough—I would say impossible” for a five- night over-water bungalow trip, said Travelscene’s Amanda Beh- re. But she said she could put together a package that included regular hotel rooms with per- haps one night over water.
l Ratchet down your expecta- tions. For a cut-rate deal, consid- er the family-owned Club Bali Hai (877-426-7262,
www.clubbali
hai.com) on the island ofMoorea, about a 30-minute high-speed ferry ride from Papeete. Its bun- galows go for a relatively aston- ishing $295 per night, including all taxes. The place draws some rants on hotel review sites, with recurring themes of insects, ani-
night deal for $1,475 per couple in April, including full American breakfast daily and an all-day snorkeling excursion with picnic lunch. You must pay in full in advance to lock in this rate, but an agent said you can cancel up to seven days before arrival, and all but $50 is refundable. Esti- mating $2,400 for airfare, the total would be $3,875.
l Rethink thewhole over-water thing. Travelscene’s Behre, who has stayed at some of the best over-water hotels in the South Pacific, said you might be just as happy at a nice on-land property in the region, such as a beach- front suite with individual plunge pool. “I actually prefer thatmyself,” she said.
Interested in having us help plan your trip? Go to www.washington
post.com/goingourway.
Editor: Joe Yonan • Deputy Editor: Zofia Smardz • Art Directors: Marty Barrick, Alla Dreyvitser • Staff Writers: Andrea Sachs, Nancy Trejos • Editorial Assistant: Becky Krystal • Travel Advertising: Joseph E. Teipe Jr., 202-334-6250 • To respond to one of our articles: E-mail
travel@washpost.com, call 202-334-7750 or write us: Washington Post Travel section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Manuscripts: Because of the volume of mail we receive, the
Travel section cannot return or acknowledge unsolicited manuscripts, article proposals or photographs.
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