PARADISE FOUND!

Guest: Sabrina (Ottawa, CANADA)
Date of Stay: 11/24/11 Review Submitted: 12/17/11

We were looking for a romantic and relaxing vacation to escape the horrible Canadian winter and that is exactly what we were treated with. We rented Villa Vahimanui for 2 weeks and had a fantastic time. Dealing with Pierre (the owner) was extremely easy. We emailed Pierre several times before choosing his villa and he answered all our questions. He was very helpful, patient and supplied us with such great information about the area. The location is spectacular with a beach front and gorgeous views of sunrise and sunset. The view from the balcony is breathtaking! The villa was found to be exactly as described in both photo and text formats. The house is well-decorated and in excellent condition. It is very clean and comfortable. We cooked most of our meals at the villa and everything worked just like at home... All in all, it was just like being at home instead of a hotel room...The house has everything you could need, from many cooking implements to cable and internet. I recommend getting a car to explore the island like we did. It gave us freedom to come and go. We rented Pierre’s car and saved a lot of money (car rental companies are very expensive on Bora Bora). We found all the locals to be very nice and we felt quite comfortable, safe, and relaxed everywhere we went. We stayed at Villa Vahimanui for 14 days and couldn’t be happier! Waking up every morning to the lagoon breeze and amazing sunrises was something we will remember forever! Stop looking!!Paradise found!!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

2 WEEKS IN PARADISE!!!

Guest: Helene (New Jersey (USA))
Date of Stay: 10/11/11 Review Submitted: 10/31/11

Dear Pierre! We just wanted to say thank you for everything! You were fantastic to deal with: you know everything about the island and gave us many helpful tips and great ideas. Your villa and its views were amazing. This whole experience was wonderful! Thank you so much for your phone call during our stay. Your local correspondents, Eulalie and David, have to be some of the nicest people we've met. They were so friendly and helpful. The 18th was my birthday and they came with a beautiful necklace for me! Even with the language barrier, we still all managed to share some laughs! We enjoyed your beautiful paradise: everyday as we drove around and saw the lagoon and all its shades of blue, it took our breath away! Snorkeling was everywhere excellent! We came back home with many happy memories and of course 900 pictures of the villa and lagoon! Again Pierre THANK YOU for sharing your world with us and if we ever have the opportunity to come back, we will certainly look you up!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, romantic getaway.

MARVELOUS VILLA IN BORA BORA

Guest: Jose (MADRID)
Date of Stay: 09/12/11 Review Submitted: 09/28/11

We had a great time at "Villa Vahimanui". The house was beautiful and very confortable. Everything was clean and functional and the information on the website was extremely helpful. The internet high speed connection was very useful as I had to work and send emails to my company in Madrid. Elena and I enjoyed snorkeling in the lagoon and sitting on the porch with a drink admiring the sunset. It was so nice and quiet on this side of the island and the view was just stunning! We really enjoyed our stay in this villa on Bora Bora and are already thinking about coming back one day. I will definitely recommend your house to my family and friends in Spain. Thank you again for everything! Elena and Jose

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Beautiful home, horrible construction noise!

Guest: Renter37 (USA)
Date of Stay: 09/01/11 Review Submitted: 09/22/11

My husband and I reserved this home in March, 2011 for a vacation in September, 2011. About ten days before our departure, we were notified by the owner that there was construction going on by the house. I emailed with my concerns about the noise and was assured "none of the guests had complained." Upon our arrival, we found the home to be lovely and just as described. It was clean and spacious. However, within a stone's throw, a four story cement apartment building was being constructed and construction had obviously been underway for some time. Although we had been told by the owner construction took place only from 7am-5pm each day, the whole time we were there, it started before 7am and ended between 6 and 6:30pm. It also took place from 7am-12pm on both Saturdays. The noise was terrible (hammers on metal, jackhammers, yelling, cement mixer, crane noise) and we were unable to sleep in or enjoy the balcony. And, if the drapes were open, you could see eye to eye with the crane operator, so there was no privacy. Since it gets dark at six, we pretty much had to leave the house during all daylight hours. I would not have rented the house had I known about the construction. I hate to be negative, but our trip was a once in a lifetime experience and each day was marred by the noise. We made the best of it and left the house for most of the day, but I was very disappointed. We realize the construction was not under the owner's control, but, it was definitely much worse than we were told it would be. If there is not construction, I think anyone would enjoy their time in this well-appointed home with a great view (when a crane does not obstruct part of it).

Owner response:This construction was not under the owner's control. It is the last authorized construction in the area. It is not next to the Villa but 80 meters below. The construction does not and will not obstruct in any way the view of the villa or damage the beauty of the location. The construction will be completely finished at the end of October 2011.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, romantic getaway.

Best lodging deal on the island

Guest: Jaque (Garden Valley, ID/USA)
Date of Stay: 10/10/10 Review Submitted: 11/10/10

We stayed at this villa for two weeks and had a wonderful time. For the price, I think it is the best deal on the island. Eating out is expensive and we saved a lot of money by being able to shop at the grocery store and have meals at home some of the time. It was often more convenient, private and pleasant to have our meals, particularly breakfast, on the large dining table on the porch with a stunning view of the lagoon. We spent quite a lot of time on that porch. It was always cool and shaded. It often had a nice breeze, but it never got too windy, even when it was very windy right down on the road. The house sometimes got a little warm in the afternoons, but the porch was always pleasant. Everything cooled down enough at night for sleeping, sot the AC in the one bedroom was not really necessary, but a nice plus. The house is set up from the road far enough that there is almost no road noise. It is within sight of the airport, but we almost never heard the planes. The view is gorgeous and the location is convenient. I was able to have one of the dive companies pick me up on "our" dock so I didn't have to drive to go diving that day. I think you get a lot more for your money staying in a house than in a motel or even in one of those overwater bungalows. Those things look cute, but are pretty small and set very close together. We liked our big two bedroom house with its huge airy porch much better. Be warned that the driveway is steep and scary at first. And parking is challenging up there. I got used to it pretty quickly and was soon an expert parker. Just don't rent a big car. Andif you are troubled by mosquitos on the porch (mostly early morning and evenings), they sell those mosquito coils in town. They worked well enough for me that I never had to spray bug stuff on myself. I just sat near the coil, read my book and enjoyed the view. Lovely.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Great Property !!

Guest: Bibi06 (Nice/FRANCE)
Date of Stay: 06/26/10 Review Submitted: 08/25/10

We spent wonderful vacations in this lovely place. The description and pictures of the property are totally accurate and the house is very clean. The bungalow is situated in a great spot, right in front the sea. The beach is located a few meters away. Vaitape, the main city, is a few minutes drive, with all the shops. We suggest this place to anyone who wants to come, this is a great place for families (the size is okay for 4/5 people, not more) or romantic getaways. The owner has been very helpful and answered all the questions, he is a really nice man, thanks for everything!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.