About

  Ninamu Resort is an Incredibly beautiful, tranquil, pristine, place of tropical splendor located on the Tuamotu Archipleago (Atoll) in French Polynesia. It offers calming respite, great food, fantastic... read more service, hospitality and accommodation on a private island in Tikehau! Chris, the owner, has created a great ambience and space for those seeking a bit rustic, private but very beautiful and comfortable surroundings and accommodations in tropical beauty. Chris is a highly experienced professional, a great storyteller and a super nice guy who offers many excellent excursions and activities such as snorkeling, diving, exploring and swimming out on the Atoll (he even took us on a coconut crab safari one night to track and view these very beautiful, endangered crabs!).. His chef, an incredibly talented, gifted French cook named Jean-Francois who goes by the nickname “Cheffy” is a genius in the kitchen. His dishes are the creative outputs of his brilliant mind and heart and are incredibly tasty and well prepared, I would say Cheffy is a star and would be a 5 star award winner in any Michelin restaurant worldwide. Plus he, like Chris, is just the greatest guy, funny, kind and very real. He cooks food out of his passion for cooking, for learning new recipes and his consideration of guests tastes. Cheffy is a great gift to this planet!! I can’t say enough good things about him, Chris, Chris’s local staff and my stay on Ninamu. But I will... Ninamu Resort is an Incredibly beautiful, tranquil, pristine, place of tropical splendor located on the Tuamotu Archipleago (Atoll) in French Polynesia. It offers calming respite, great food, fantastic service, hospitality and accommodation on a private island in Tikehau! Chris, the owner, has created a great ambience and space for those seeking a bit rustic, private but very beautiful and comfortable surroundings and accommodations in tropical beauty. Chris is a highly experienced professional, a great storyteller and a super nice guy who offers many excellent excursions and activities such as snorkeling, diving, exploring and swimming out on the Atoll (he even took us on a coconut crab safari one night to track and view these very beautiful, endangered crabs!).. His chef, an incredibly talented, gifted French cook named Jean-Francois who goes by the nickname “Cheffy” is a genius in the kitchen. His dishes are the creative outputs of his brilliant mind and heart and are incredibly tasty and well prepared, I would say Cheffy is a star and would be a 5 star award winner in any Michelin restaurant worldwide. Plus he, like Chris, is just the greatest guy, funny, kind and very real. He cooks food out of his passion for cooking, for learning new recipes and his consideration of guests tastes. Cheffy is a great gift to this planet!! I can’t say enough good things about him, Chris, Chris’s local staff and my stay on Ninamu. But I will say it was just an excellent visit all around. I highly recommend this beautiful place of peace, beauty and epicurean delight for anyone! It could be a bit rustic for some but the place is so beautiful, the resort and accommodations are so comfortable, so peaceful and beautiful that any minor inconveniences because of its remote location will quickly be overlooked by its great staff, great food, hospitality, and beauty!! Go to Ninamu! It will not/NOT disappoint! More

  The stark landscape, solitude, and infinite horizons refocus your universe inward. Relax and reflect whilst you unwind in one of their our private beachfront day beds or float in the... read more lagoon in an acquatic landscape.
Surrounded by pink sand beaches, abundant marine life, impeccable waves and prevailing trade winds, this secluded retreat is the ultimate paradise for every type of water sports enthusiast. It caters to divers, surfers, fishermen, stand up paddlers and kite boarders. In fact,Chris the owner told us that the name Ninamu, which means 'blue' in Tahitian, was inspired by the surrounding sapphire lagoon.There are only eight unique bungalows at the Ninamu Resort, all handcrafted from natural, locally sourced materials.

Ninamu owner, Chris O'Callaghan, is a man with a back story. Variously a tradie, air steward, yachtie, surf competition founder (not just any surf comp, but Teahupo'o)
Chris is a very sociable and accommodating Australian native who will keep you entertained and pours a stiff drink at the bar.Ninam is just the place to live out your fantasy of a remote island escape. More

  I had the most wonderful experience at Ninamu. There was a large group of us (14 people) booked there to celebrate a birthday. The owner and his wife could not... read more have been better hosts. We were taken on excursions to explore the surrounding islands and...More

  Ninamu is paradise, it has to be the most relaxing and enjoyable place on earth. We were originally booked to stay for 4 nights, but when the lockdown on the... read more Society Islands was extended, we extended our stay by 2 nights. Chris was very helpful and accommodating as we were trying to figure out what to do given the lockdown. We did 3 nights in vini 1 and 3 nights in teahupoo. Both were fantastic and would make for great stays, though we were very happy with upgrading to teahupoo for the last 3 nights, the big day bed on the deck over looking the water and the roofdeck for amazing views of the stars at night make it worth it. My wife gets eaten alive by mosquitoes so we booked vini originally to help combat that, but the mosquitoes were not bad at all. We brought deet repellent, and had no issues. There are so many incredible things about Ninamu it will be hard to capture them all, but here are a few… the food is absolutely fantastic. Breakfasts have a great mix of options (the best croissants we’ve had). Lunch and dinner was a great mix of fish, always prepared different and always incredibly delicious, and steaks one night. And of course the highlight for us, a pizza night. Cheffie made incredible pizzas in the wood pizza oven, pick your own toppings with a ton of options. It... Ninamu is paradise, it has to be the most relaxing and enjoyable place on earth. We were originally booked to stay for 4 nights, but when the lockdown on the Society Islands was extended, we extended our stay by 2 nights. Chris was very helpful and accommodating as we were trying to figure out what to do given the lockdown.

We did 3 nights in vini 1 and 3 nights in teahupoo. Both were fantastic and would make for great stays, though we were very happy with upgrading to teahupoo for the last 3 nights, the big day bed on the deck over looking the water and the roofdeck for amazing views of the stars at night make it worth it. My wife gets eaten alive by mosquitoes so we booked vini originally to help combat that, but the mosquitoes were not bad at all. We brought deet repellent, and had no issues.

There are so many incredible things about Ninamu it will be hard to capture them all, but here are a few… the food is absolutely fantastic. Breakfasts have a great mix of options (the best croissants we’ve had). Lunch and dinner was a great mix of fish, always prepared different and always incredibly delicious, and steaks one night. And of course the highlight for us, a pizza night. Cheffie made incredible pizzas in the wood pizza oven, pick your own toppings with a ton of options. It was a fun night to hang out and have some drinks as the oven heated up, watch cheffie make them all, and then enjoy some of the best pizza we’ve had. I have never eaten so well on vacation, but also felt so good. The portions were always plenty to fill you up, but not have you feeling gross after like in in the US.

The excursions were always so much fun, you can tell Chris really cares about making sure it’s a good time for all of the guests. We got to snorkel with the manta rays (saw a bunch of very big ones), at the coral gardens and the pass. All were awesome. We also got to do some fishing one day with these deep water electric rods that were super cool. Similar excursions on a lot of the other islands (moorea, bora bora, etc) would have cost a fortune, but it’s all super reasonable at Ninamu. On top of that, just snorkeling out front of the beach huts on Ninamu was some of the best we’ve ever done.

The beach huts were one of our favorite parts. They are all super shady and cool with a breeze, but just steps back from the water.

I’ve got to hit the bar too. Given the location we were expecting very high prices, but it was very reasonable. Chris has put together a great wine list, there a bunch of fun cocktails and of course hinanos always served in an ice cold mug.

We can’t thank Chris, Greta, Claire, Cheffie and everyone else at Ninamu enough for a wonderful stay. We are already trying to figure out our return trip! More

  We have just returned from a two-week trip to French Polynesia (Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Tikehau) and the four nights in Ninamu were undoubtedly the highlight. With three kids age... read more 10, 8 and 5 the motu was perfect as they had the freedom to run...More

  We loved everything at out stay on Ninamu! The Cabanas and the snorkeling just in front was a blast! The Staff was always friendly and the kitchen was exquisit. They... read more have always good free activities everyday(all the gear you need is available and free of charge) whether its snorkeling, visiting the village or fishing out in the atoll.
The best was that its not that crowded like other „fancy“ resorts out here.
We can recommend this Resort to everyone who is looking for an unique experience in French Polynesia!
Thank you for having us and greetings to Cheffy, Melanie, the 2 dogs and everyone of the Staff at Ninamu

  This is going to be a hard review to write, because for me, Ninamu was perfection. We fell head over heels in love with this place and plan to return.... read more But, before you book, you need to know a few things as I know this place is not for everyone. This was our second resort on our 12 day trip to French Polynesia. After doing the traditional Overwater Bungalow at Le Taha’a, we wanted something different, so I was eager to stay at Ninamu. We arrived at the miniature Tikahau airport and were greeted by a woman who didn’t say anything, but smiled kindly, gave us flower lei’s and motioned us to a van. We put our luggage in the back and she drove us less than a mile to the dock. We were met by a young man who was also quiet, but loaded our bags, had us sit in the boat and proceeded to take us to the island. When we got off the boat, we were greeted by a very soft spoken young lady who said very little, but gave us a brief introduction and showed us to our bungalow. It was clear that they were glad we were there, but we had a slight language barrier because we don’t speak French. This place is the definition of relaxed and casual. It’s quiet, peaceful, private and romantic. Our days consisted of getting up, having a leisurely breakfast... This is going to be a hard review to write, because for me, Ninamu was perfection. We fell head over heels in love with this place and plan to return. But, before you book, you need to know a few things as I know this place is not for everyone.

This was our second resort on our 12 day trip to French Polynesia. After doing the traditional Overwater Bungalow at Le Taha’a, we wanted something different, so I was eager to stay at Ninamu.

We arrived at the miniature Tikahau airport and were greeted by a woman who didn’t say anything, but smiled kindly, gave us flower lei’s and motioned us to a van. We put our luggage in the back and she drove us less than a mile to the dock. We were met by a young man who was also quiet, but loaded our bags, had us sit in the boat and proceeded to take us to the island. When we got off the boat, we were greeted by a very soft spoken young lady who said very little, but gave us a brief introduction and showed us to our bungalow. It was clear that they were glad we were there, but we had a slight language barrier because we don’t speak French.

This place is the definition of relaxed and casual. It’s quiet, peaceful, private and romantic. Our days consisted of getting up, having a leisurely breakfast and then going on an excursion to snorkel, or swim with the manta rays, go fishing, and then return for lunch. The afternoons were spent snorkeling, kayaking, lounging, reading and relaxing around the resort. We headed to the main area at about 6pm, sat and had a cocktail and then dinner was at 7pm. We were always in bed by 10pm. By the second day, I wasn’t even wearing my flip flops to meals. It was during the first excursion that I paused and realized that this was a true Polynesian experience beyond my wildest dreams. I had disconnected from technology and modern day life, and was in heaven.

We stayed in the air conditioned bungalow Teahupoo. It was so quirky and cool. The bathroom is outdoors, which my partner and I love! We love outdoor showers, and it also had a hottub, but it’s not heated. However, the water warmed up quite a bit with the sun, and it was super refreshing to sit in it at night and look up at the stars or relax in after an excursion. The bed was super comfortable, the room was extremely spacious and the deck facing the water was where we lounged and read books every day, watching sharks hunt right outside our room! The rooftop deck was fun to go up and look out at the scenery. Yes, there are mosquitos, a few bugs, cute lizards, coconut crabs and hermit crabs all over the island, we wore brought bug spray used it daily. This was not an issue for us.

The meals we had here were simple, but really good. Breakfast consisted of pastries, toast, fruit, pancakes, juice and they offered eggs every morning. Lunch was usually rice, veggies and fish. Dinner was usually a potato item, fish and veggies. All were very tasty, and you literally ate the fresh fish you caught during the day. Portions were reasonable, but your typical American might not think it’s enough food. I would also note that I think it would be ridiculous to expect or want to eat red meat or chicken here, so I would expect to eat fish daily.

In speaking with Greta, the owner, she explained that they see themselves more as a pension, not a resort. It really feels like you are a personal guest on someone’s private island. Personally, I think that Ninamu is not for high maintenance people. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you book:

Do you need a hair dryer? Do you need to wear make up? Do you have to dress up for dinner? Will you be miserable if you get mosquito bites? Do you require several choices at every meal? Do you need complex meals? Do you need to control and schedule out every activity you do on vacation?

If you said yes to any of these, I would pause before booking.

Ninamu is for people who are not fussy, who are flexible and adventurous. If you get joy from going with the flow and being delighted and surprised, you’ll love it. If you want to get away from it all, and see some of the most beautiful parts of French Polynesia, this place is a dream come true.

Until next time Ninamu. More

  My wife and I spent 5 days/4 nights at Ninamu as part of our honeymoon trip to Tahiti. The first part of our trip was spent at Moorea in an... read more Overwater Bungalow and then we came here. Wow was this paradise. We loved everything about our stay here, especially:
- The beauty
- The seclusion
- The limited # of other guests
- The FOOD

Flying into Tikehau was easy. The domestic terminal at PPT was a breeze and we boarded the propeller plane (still fairly large plane) with mostly locals. Landing on Tikehau is surrounded by beautiful palm trees and you know you're really in paradise. Ninamu welcomed us at the airport with a freshly made lei, and shuttled us over to the marina where the boat met us and took us to the private island (or "motu"). The boat ride was about 5-10 minutes since the Ninamu motu is pretty much next to the main part of the island.

Catching first glimpse of Ninamu is breathtaking. You see the beautiful beach bungalows, the Ninamu sailboat and a pink sand beach. Once off the boat, we were welcomed with free drinks. It happened to be lunch time when we arrived and we immediately sat down in the absolutely beautiful lodge for our first delicious meal.

On the topic of food: Breakfast consists of delicious croissants (as other reviews rave about. The plain was good. I preferred the chocolate which was above average), pancakes, bread, jams, yogurt, fruit, cheese, salami and made-to-order eggs. Lunch has a main meal plus a desert (which is always a scoop of delicious ice-cream with some fruit). Dinner usually had an appetizer, main meal and dessert (also usually with ice-cream, though the dinner deserts varied from cannolis to chocolate cake and in between). Cheffie outdid himself every day. The food was top notch and unique every meal. I will note that every meal is pretty much TUNA (though we had swordfish once or twice). Our last meal with a BBQ lunch with fish and steak.

The bungalows are absolutely gorgeous. As other reviews mention, each one is hand crafted. They will blow your mind how someone was able to build such well constructed buildings out on the middle of an island in no-where. Each one is super impressive. Initially we had rented the garden room 'Varo' but it is quite small and the oceanfront Kaveka room was open for only a bit extra, and we instantly upgraded. The room is amazing. I will point out that each of the bungalows are open-air, meaning they don't have air-conditioning and bugs, lizards and crabs can get in, except for the 2 fancy rooms with air-conditioning. The rooms all have walls and doors, it's just that the roof is open in spots to let the breeze in. The rooms were warm at night but with a fan and the window open, we slept very well. Mosquito nets cover all the beds but we didn't end up needing them. There were surprisingly little bugs during our stay. Each room has a private bathroom and shower, which I'm still amazed at the amenities given the remote nature of Ninamu. WiFi worked well throughout the rooms, lodge and beach.

The beach is beautiful, looking out over pink sand and turquoise blue and green water. There are 6 beach huts built right next to the beach, each with 2 soft laying chairs inside the hut, and 2 plastic chairs outside on the sand. It was nice to alternate between shade and sun. Snorkling was great right off the beach as there's a bunch of corel. Some black-tip reef sharks patrol the area and are friendly. I even found an octopus one day. The water can get a little rough outside of the main beach area, so we stayed fairly close. Similarly with kayaks and SUP's, we stayed close to avoid the stronger current. The kayak's are very heavy (but sturdy), so we didn't want to test more open-water and stayed close by. We only brought flip-flops but I recommend reef shoes that go around your ankle, as the rocks and things are sharp and flip-flops left me in pain a few times.

The entire island is about 0.6 miles (1km) around and we walked the island several times each day just to stretch our legs. Other than one part where you get your feet wet (up to your ankles) you can walk on sand the entire time. Throughout your walk you'll find tons of hermit-crabs all over. It was fun to see what different kinds we could spot. The north end of the island was my favorite spot, as it had 2 palm trees that jutted out at an angle over the water -- a PERFECT spot for a photo of true paradise.

Due to an unnatural windy set of days, we didn't get to go on any excursions. Chris, the owner, was great, however, and did his best to keep us busy. One day he brought us to the main island with bikes and let us bike around for 2 hours. Another day he braved choppy waters to take me to see the manta rays (which was amazing to snorkel with them. Thank you Chris for risking it. I really appreciated it!). The wind died down after we left so I can't comment on the excursions -- that was the one sad part of our trip, we had been looking forward to them. If the weather is bad, there's not much to do and things can get boring. We did wish there were a few more activities on-island for the days when excursions can't happen.

Overall the staff was great. Every person was friendly, gave us attention when we wanted it, but also left us to just relax and enjoy on our own.

Ninamu was wonderful and we'd love to go back, especially with a group of friends where it could be even more fun. But it's also great as a honeymoon or just a relaxing romantic getaway.

  My wife and I just returned from the most spectacular vacation to Ninamu resort in Tikehau, French Polynesia. The location is sublime, being a private island surrounded by crystalline clear... read more turquoise water and abundant coral, it is a true snorkelers paradise. Although a bit off the beaten trail, it is well worth the trouble getting there. Personal attention and daily excursions were provided by the resorts Aussie owner Chris which included fishing, sailing, snorkeling, and my personal favorite, spearfishing. A truly incredible and memorable experience! Thank you so much Chris, Greta, Melanie, Cheffy, Ari, Ramana and the rest of the wonderful staff. Hope to see you again soon!

  We just returned from a five night visit to Ninamu and had a wonderful experience. We did a buy-out of the property for a birthday celebration and it was truly... read more the perfect choice. Chris and Greta are the consummate hosts...and the service from the staff...More