For most of our travels we look for affordable AirBnBs that don’t break the bank and spend our money more on activities. Every now and then though we find a place that is worth the splurge and go big! This magical slice of paradise in the middle of the Pacific ocean was definitely one of those places. Kia Ora Resort in Rangiroa, French Polynesia is easily my favorite place I’ve ever stayed at while on vacation!

Getting Here

Kia Ora Resort is located on the small island of Rangiroa which is located in the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia. Rangiroa is the world’s 2nd largest atoll (a ring shaped coral reef) which attracts abundant sea life to its natural lagoon.

Travel to the island is by air. You will first fly to Tahiti – Faa’a International Airport (code PPT), the hub for all island destinations in French Polynesia. From Tahiti you can book a direct flight to Rangiroa through Air Tahiti. They also offer a few options throughout the week from Bora Bora, Moorea, Fakarava and Tikehau Atoll to Rangiroa. If you are planning to travel to a few other islands you can check flight schedules here which will likely drive your overall itinerary.

The resort will pick you up directly from the Rangiroa Airport where you will be welcomed with a flower lei and transported in a shuttle with other guest arriving on your flight.

The Resort

Kia Ora is located on the lagoon side of the island. Upon arrival you will drive through a field of palm trees and will be immediately struck by the turquoise waters of the lagoon. The resort has a beautiful beach area adjacent to the pool, restaurant and bar. It also has a spa and fitness center available for guest.

The resort offers overwater bungalows, beach bungalows and private villas with pools. You can view all accommodation options here. We splurged for one of the overwater bungalows which was definitely worth it. Waking up to fish, sharks, and rays swimming right under your private deck and being able to go snorkeling right out your door was an experience I’ll never forget.

Things To Do

#1. Relax in your villa. This place is the ultimate relaxation destination. Enjoy the fluffy robes provided with your suite, order room service, and listen to the waves as you dive into a book or just take in the peaceful scenery of sailboats passing by.

#2. Go Scuba Diving. Rangiroa is known for having some of the best scuba diving in the world. The island has a population of less then 3,000 people, but boast 6 dive shops if that’s any indication of the demand for scuba here. You can scuba dive the famous Teputa Pass where you will find large sharks, dolphins, eagle rays and more. Being 24 weeks pregnant during our trip I was not able to dive, but my husband said it ranked in the top 5 diving he’s ever done. He dove with Top Dive Rangiroa which is conveniently located right next to Kia Ora.

#3. Go Fishing. This was one of my favorite activities that we booked directly through the resort. We opted for a private 4 hour lagoon fishing trip which was very reasonably priced at 40,000xpf (approximately $400 USD). Our captain took us out on a boat and we caught Longnose fish, Snapper and Grouper.

#4. Explore the island on Bikes. You can rent bikes from the resort and bike the length of the island. Outside of the resort there is not much on the island, but you can make your way to Teputa pass- a very short ride where you can view dolphins jumping every evening. You can also check out the beach on the ocean side of the island.

#5. Enjoy the pool and Miki Miki Bar. We found the pool was never busy and a great place to cool off with a delicious Pina Colada (mine the mocktail version). It was also a perfect spot to watch sunrise and there is a long dock to a gazebo next to Miki Miki bar which is nice to walk out on.

#6. Go Kayaking in a traditional outrigger canoe. The resort has one outrigger canoe that you can take out free of charge. They also offer regular kayaks and snorkeling equipment complementary.

#7. Dine at Te Rairoa Restaurant. We ate all our meals here. Breakfast was a plentiful buffet and the dinner menu included delicious seafood options as well as pastas, steak, lamb and pork entrees.

#8. Watch a Polynesian Dance Show. The resort host a show twice weekly on Wednesday and Sunday evenings. The show is accompanied by a grand buffet for dinner with local specialties.

#9. Book a boat tour through the resort. The Resort offers full day or half day shared and private tours to Blue Lagoon, Reef Island, Otepipi Island or a combination of stops. Since we chose to do a fishing trip we did not book any boat tours.

#10. Massages or Spa treatments. The Poekura Spa located at the resort offers massages, facials, waxing and full body treatments. Unfortunately, they are not able to treat pregnant women so we did not book any of the spa services.

We had such an amazing stay here and will definitely be back one day when I too can scuba dive! The resort does offer onsite baby sitting for an hourly rate of 2000 xpf (approx $20/hr for one child), each additional child is 1000 xpf so it’s kid friendly 🙂