VANIRA LODGE
Our Resort Report
Our Thoughts on Vanira Lodge, Near Teahupoo Village, Tahiti Iti, Tahiti, French Polynesia
For the right person this is a very special place for a very special holiday. The right person is probably someone seeking a totally laid-back and relaxing holiday while enjoying very authentic French Polynesian style accommodations and natural eco-style facilities and surroundings together with some modern creature comforts and superb views. This is not a place for those seeking all the services and facilities of an international resort; Tahiti has plenty of those elsewhere and very good they are too.
Vanira Lodge offers something of an old-fashioned Tahiti experience; the type of accommodation on offer, a location where Tahitians would choose to live 300 metres above the beach on an upland shelf with phenomenal views and as close to nature as possible. Of course, when you live close to nature you do find that nature gets close to you too in the form of a few insects and geckos but even if the thought of that tends to dissuade you from staying at Vanira Lodge, 2 of their 8 bungalows are air-conditioned and in these two the sleeping/living areas close right-up allowing you to enjoy the whole experience of a stay here without having nature coming too close. Now, while we have gone to some pains to present Vanira Lodge to you as it is, there is so much to enjoy here we wouldn’t want to give you the impression that it’s “naturalness” is an impediment to the enjoyment of a stay, indeed that very naturalness is only one of its many endearing features.
Bungalows are spread throughout the grounds for privacy and provide several options for guests from a natural open-sided tree-house style with a kitchen and maybe flowers growing on the roof, to more modern-style air-conditioned bungalows with a private Jacuzzi Pool, to a simple studio. No matter which type best suits your individual requirements, all are a pleasant change from normal resort-style accommodation offerings. Vanira Lodge offers a swimming pool and complimentary Wifi at the Internet Booth. It has a bar which provides bar snacks as well as a restaurant serving a choice of cooked or continental breakfast daily as well as offering a dinner service to guests who pre-arrange their dinner choice during the day.
Teahupoo is possible best known internationally as the location for one of the legs of surfing’s Billabong Pro Series and the surfing off and around Teahupoo is spectacular. Surfing tourism is well catered for with Surf Schools, Surf Guides and Surfing Safaris easily organised from here. A regular Shuttle Boat departs from Teahupoo Harbour to nearby surfing spots. Scuba diving, sailing and stand-up paddle-boarding are also available from this location. Organised hiking to waterfalls in the jungle interior or hiking right across Tahiti Iti is great fun and golf and horse riding are also available nearby. Teahupoo Village boasts a small supermarket and a variety of services, for another shopping/supermarket option, the town of Taravao is 15kms away and has a Carrefour Hypermarket which has a huge range of goods and food on offer.
Half day and full day boat tours are offered which provide guests at Vanira Lodge the opportunity to enjoy several “end-of-road” experiences. They have an interesting half day tour which includes travel within the lagoon and allows for short forest walks. The boat tour includes the internationally famous Hava’e surf spot and a trip up Vaipoiri River and swims in the tide pools. Their Sunset Cruise is also well worth including – sunsets here are usually vibrant and picturesque.
Vanira Lodge is a very popular holiday location for locals from Papeete and weekends get booked out quite a long period in advance, so a mid-week stay would be a good plan especially if you are contemplating a short-notice trip to Tahiti and Tahiti Iti.
What Vanira Lodge Say About Themselves:
“At the end of the world, 90 minutes from the airport, lies the village of Teahupoo, made famous by its legendary waves which annually brings together the world’s best surfers. Here nothing has changed: this is the Polynesia of Yesteryear and Today! Cliffs, lush hills, forests, black sand beaches, caves, dolphins and whales in season…
The Vanira Lodge invites you to discover all these treasures in the comfort of its all-nature bungalows, real sculptures from natural materials, melted into the background… A childhood dream!”
Click here for more information on Vanira Lodge
Your Accommodation Options
This place is spectacularly different in its location, atmosphere, accommodation-style and plain enjoyment factor.
Traditional Polynesian in construction, natural building materials have been used throughout - simply branches stripped of bark, sawed hardwood joinery, floors (some have ceramic tiles) and decks, natural stone and woven bamboo or painted plaster walls, exposed river stone highlighted bathrooms. The lines of the buildings are soft though still nicely fresh with Polynesian-modern interiors and Natural-Polynesian exteriors, rounded walls with split bamboo cladding and spectacular ceilings under a thatched dome or wave-shaped roof. The boundary between the inside and the outside has been kept deliberately vague. Bathrooms are semi outdoor in the French-Tropical fashion with courtyard showers lined with sealed natural stone. The living rooms and bedrooms have an open balcony and are built to merge with the landscape. All Bungalows have sea views.
Over the years we’ve seen similar developments spring up in Pacific Islands which were great when new but have sadly not always stood the test of time. We are very heartened by the way Vanira Lodge has been presented, as the beautiful natural construction has been backed with a very sensible approach to the needs of the modern traveller by providing good facilities such as plentiful hot water, tea/coffee facility in all units, an air-conditioning option, kitchenette option, and bathrooms, while very natural in their presentation and construction, are pretty and comfortable and easily kept fresh and hygienic. Bungalows are services every 2nd day of your stay.
Room Categories
Standard Bungalow:
A cute little stand-alone bungalow of 18m2 This Bungalow is a little beaut with its white painted rough-plastered walls and ceramic tiled floor, rustic joinery and earth roof with flowers growing out of it – reminded us of something a little bit like a “Hobbit” House. Bathroom with shower. No cooking facilities, room for a small table and 2 chairs.
Maximum Occupancy: 2
Existing Bedding: 1 Double Bed
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.
Bungalows with Kitchenette:
There are 4 of these and each one is quite different from the other, each is approximately 55m2 . One is a single level bungalow, 2, which are more open to the natural surroundings, are raised around 2 metres on stilts and comprise a main floor and a loft bedroom and 1 has the main room on the ground floor and a loft bedroom. Views provided are out to sea or of the surrounding gardens and hills. The Bathrooms have a shower. The kitchenette comprises fridge, electric hob, microwave oven, coffee machine and kettle, cloth, sponge, dishwashing liquid, salt, pepper.
Maximum Occupancy: Up to 5 guests plus a baby aged up to 2 years
Existing Bedding: 1 Double Bed in the loft (or separate ground floor bedroom) and 2 Single Beds in the main room.
Additional Bedding: 1 Single Bed can be added to the loft in 1 of these bungalows for the 5th guest.
Family Bungalow “Lichee” with Kitchenette:
The 70m2 Family Bungalow Lichee is reached via a bridge. The roof is vegetated: flowers growing on the roof! The bathroom is a feature; great attention has been put into the detail with its pebble mosaics and river-stone shower walls. Enjoy the private garden with barbecue overlooking the ocean. The large upstairs room is certainly big enough to house 2 Double Beds and opens seamlessly to a nice big terrace. From this bungalow thee are ocean, mountain and garden views. The kitchenette comprises fridge, electric hob, microwave oven, coffee machine and kettle, cloth, sponge, dishwashing liquid, salt, pepper.
Maximum Occupancy: 6 guests plus a baby aged up to 2 years
Existing Bedding: 2 Double Beds in the upstairs bedroom and 2 Single Beds in the ground-floor main room.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding provided.
Vai Ora Air-Conditioned Bungalow with Spa:
A nice modern-rustic interior of 18m2 but it’s the veranda/terrace which makes it really special. The interior space is air-conditioned. The Jacuzzi Spa is housed in an alcove which opens wide on to the veranda deck facing a hammock and the ocean view. The veranda is furnished and is a wonderfully relaxing place to be. The Vai Ora Bungalow does not have a kitchenette, but a tea/coffee making facility is provided.
Maximum Occupancy: 2 guests
Existing Bedding: 1 Queen Bed
Additional Bedding: A cot for a baby can be accommodated
Vai Here Air-Conditioned Bungalow with Spa:
Two Separate rooms and indoor/outdoor living at its best. You enjoy 55m2 of space and a huge covered deck onto which opens the Jacuzzi Spa bath. The deck is big enough to include a 4 place dining setting as well as sun-loungers and there’s still space left over. The view of the lagoon, ocean and mountains is stunning. The interior space is air-conditioned. The Vai Here Bungalow does not have a kitchenette, but a tea/coffee making facility is provided. Vai Here Bungalow has a green “growing and flowering” roof.
Maximum Occupancy: 4 guests
Existing Bedding: 1 Queen Bed in 1 room and 2 Single Beds in the second room.
Additional Bedding: A cot for a baby can be accommodated
Getting To and From Vanira Lodge
Vanira Lodge is located 70kms from Papeete in rural Tahiti Iti. Return seat-in-vehicle transfer will be included in holiday arrangements. Due to the fairly remote location it is not advisable to alter the normal arrival and departure arrangements.
To get the best out of a stay at Vanira Lodge we recommend all guests include a rental car for the duration of stays here. Rental cars may be booked to be picked up and dropped off at Tahiti Iti and we are happy to make bookings and include costs in our arrangements. Driving in Tahiti is on the right hand side of the road, but in these islands and especially in such a quiet location, this causes little grief to those who normally drive on the left-hand side and in our opinion, actually adds something to the holiday experience.
It takes about 15 minutes to walk down to Teauhupoo Village and its famous off-shore surfing. The Village has a local supermarket and there are roadside stalls on the way to and from the village selling fruit and vegetables and freshly caught fish. Roulottes (food vans) can often be found near the harbour especially during weekends. The closest main town is Taravao which is 15km away on the narrow isthmus between Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti. Taravao has a full range of services, medical centre, hypermarket, cafés, shops etc.
Kids’ Policy
Kids Stay Free
Children aged under 12 years stay free of charge when sharing a room with adults and using existing bedding.
Conditions:
- Subject to individual room maximum occupancy policies.
- An infant (aged under 2 years) in a cot stays free in any room category.
Children usually have a great time at Vanira Lodge enjoying the unusual accommodation style, the swimming pool and the wide open spaces.
Check-in/Check-out
Check in time is 3:00pm
Check out time is 12:00 noon
Cancellation Policy
All cancellations must be made in writing
Cancellations made any time after a booking has been
confirmed incur a cancellation fee equal to the cost of
one night stay at the accommodation reserved.
Cancellations made up to 15 days prior to scheduled arrival
date, no-shows and early departures incur a cancellation
fee equal to 100% of the cost of the accommodation booked.
Travel Insurance is recommended
OUR Specialists can advise on all aspects of Travel Insurance
Information is correct as at 16 August 2019. All information shown is subject to change without notice.