About

  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.

  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 around and make the place their home. The bungalows and wooden boardwalks through the little jungle are so well-built and fun, great for little imaginations to run wild. The staff were so kind to the children, taking time to show them how to open coconuts, chatting with them during trips and organising an impromptu fishing session which they loved. As adults we loved the laid-back atmosphere, reminding us of our young traveller days! and the chance to talk to and eat with the other guests. We’ve made friends for life during these four days. The food was simply beautiful and the trips - snorkelling, Eden Island, Bird Island, fishing more than met our expectations. I hope we will have the chance to return one day. As mentioned in other reviews, bring mozzie spray and reef shoes. More

  Stayed for 3 days at the Ninamu end of Jan 2021 (beginning of our 2 week trip to FP). As others have stated, it is on a... read more small motu/island that you can walk around in 15-20 mins. As we were there off-season, and during the pandemic, we pretty much had the island to ourselves (closest we'll ever come to enjoying an almost private island!). I would not belabor the points made by other reviewers--the place was beautiful! The owners Chris and Gretta have build this resort unlike any other than we've been to. Each cottage is unique. Enjoy noticing how they've used locally sourced wood and materials to make each cottage (we stayed at Miki-Miki). Every small detail is architectural beauty! Chris told me that he was a carpenter in his previous life and sees a window or a doorway in trees which then he uses in the construction of his cottages. If anything, just go there to enjoy the uniqueness of this resort. Food was good. Certainly you'll not put on weight nor will you starve. Cheffy the chef, is engaging and seems to enjoy cooking for his guests. Fixed menus which are tasty and enjoyable! Excursions--make sure you go to the corral garden--that is something that Chris has "planted" and is one the most beautiful we've seen (even better than the one in Tahaa). We went there twice as we really enjoyed it!! Finally about the hosts Gretta... Stayed for 3 days at the Ninamu end of Jan 2021 (beginning of our 2 week trip to FP).

As others have stated, it is on a small motu/island that you can walk around in 15-20 mins. As we were there off-season, and during the pandemic, we pretty much had the island to ourselves (closest we'll ever come to enjoying an almost private island!).

I would not belabor the points made by other reviewers--the place was beautiful! The owners Chris and Gretta have build this resort unlike any other than we've been to. Each cottage is unique. Enjoy noticing how they've used locally sourced wood and materials to make each cottage (we stayed at Miki-Miki). Every small detail is architectural beauty! Chris told me that he was a carpenter in his previous life and sees a window or a doorway in trees which then he uses in the construction of his cottages. If anything, just go there to enjoy the uniqueness of this resort.

Food was good. Certainly you'll not put on weight nor will you starve. Cheffy the chef, is engaging and seems to enjoy cooking for his guests. Fixed menus which are tasty and enjoyable!

Excursions--make sure you go to the corral garden--that is something that Chris has "planted" and is one the most beautiful we've seen (even better than the one in Tahaa). We went there twice as we really enjoyed it!!

Finally about the hosts Gretta and Chris--they were fantastic hosts! Remember, you are their guests and you will be treated as you treat them. They have built this beautiful place that have agreed to share with us. We truly enjoyed our stay and look forward to being back! More

  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

  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

  This is a tough review to complete. Ninamu is a very unique resort and this makes a “normal” review and comparison difficult. I should first start by identifying... read more that we have traveled to FP 7 times and have stayed in many different resorts including Le Taha’a, Vahine Private Island, Tikehau Pearl, Hilton Moorea, and a few others. Our goal in our travels is to be able to relax, enjoy the physical environment and snorkel. We are not foodies nor do we use any spa services. We stayed at the Tikehau Pearl for 4 nights prior to coming to Ninamu for 7 nights. As other reviewers have stated, Ninamu is very unique and I would say quirky. This is a gorgeous private island, fully treed with hundreds of palm trees all surrounded by a gorgeous lagoon. The owner (Chris) did a fantastic job carving out just enough space for the 10 units as well as the required infrastructure. All of the units are connected to each other via a very well-conceived and designed wooden walkway. Most of the units are two level with the bottom level being an open-air living room and the upper level being an open air bedroom. Open air does not mean that there are not walls. Downstairs the walls may only go up a couple of feet while upstairs the walls are almost standard size but with openings at the top allowing for both privacy and ventilation.... This is a tough review to complete. Ninamu is a very unique resort and this makes a “normal” review and comparison difficult. I should first start by identifying that we have traveled to FP 7 times and have stayed in many different resorts including Le Taha’a, Vahine Private Island, Tikehau Pearl, Hilton Moorea, and a few others. Our goal in our travels is to be able to relax, enjoy the physical environment and snorkel. We are not foodies nor do we use any spa services.

We stayed at the Tikehau Pearl for 4 nights prior to coming to Ninamu for 7 nights. As other reviewers have stated, Ninamu is very unique and I would say quirky. This is a gorgeous private island, fully treed with hundreds of palm trees all surrounded by a gorgeous lagoon. The owner (Chris) did a fantastic job carving out just enough space for the 10 units as well as the required infrastructure. All of the units are connected to each other via a very well-conceived and designed wooden walkway. Most of the units are two level with the bottom level being an open-air living room and the upper level being an open air bedroom. Open air does not mean that there are not walls. Downstairs the walls may only go up a couple of feet while upstairs the walls are almost standard size but with openings at the top allowing for both privacy and ventilation. Only three of the units are fully enclosed and have AC. All of the units have mosquito netting around the bed. The bathroom is outside each unit, in what I would describe as a courtyard with 8’ walls for privacy. All of the units (I believe) have a mini fridge and many electrical outlets so you are really not roughing it. Tons of shells and broken coral are used on the walls and ceiling.

While a couple of the units are beachfront the beach at those units is not easy to access. It is very rocky and very shallow so entering the water is a challenge and the water is too shallow to snorkel. In front of the main structure (where meals are served and there is a small shop) is the gorgeous and swimable beach. There are approximately six “huts” in this area that can be used for the day. Each hut has 2 lounge chairs, a table, an electrical outlet, and 2 additional lounge style chairs on the sand in front of each hut. The huts have a large thatched roof so shade is not an issue. Snorkeling in this area is great although there can be a significant current at times.

Ninamu is a very informal resort. Shorts and tee shirts are fine for all meals. Even footwear is not needed at meal times. While there is a bar, seating area and gameroom (pool table that nobody used and a reading library) this is not the type of place that has beach beverage service, nor is it really needed.

The only two negatives that I would identify pertain to the quantity of mosquitos and concerns with the food. Just prior, and during our visit, we had some rain that I was told is a little abnormal for this time of year. The rain did not interfere with any of our activities but it did help to increase the quantity of mosquitoes. In many other places, we found that mosquitoes were predominantly present in the evening. At Ninamu there were here 24/7. Even in our air-conditioned room there were always mosquitoes. The only safe place was on the bed under the mosquito netting. My wife had hundreds of bites (even with using DEET). Probably nothing that they can do about this but in all honesty I would not return simply due to this issue.

This resort is not inexpensive. For the price paid the food service needs to be elevated. Their website lists that they source poultry, beef and pork products as well as fish which is caught locally. We were here for 7 lunches and 7 dinners. For these 14 meals we would have been served fish 14 times until I raised a concern. We then did have chicken once and beef once. During the meals that we had chicken or beef the other guests were served fish. We also had a pizza night. Lunch and dinner were always fish, rice and some vegetables. When it became known that I did not like vegetables and the rice was getting a little old we then had the rice switched out for some meals with potatoes or pasta. We were offered an appetizer and dessert at each meal.

We have been at many resorts where there is not a menu and therefore no choice in the food. In most, the chef identifies the menu for the next day at the prior days’ dinner and then you have an opportunity to ask for some other options. This was not the process at Ninamu. I do give them credit for listing that they can accommodate dietary restrictions such as vegetarian, gluten free, etc. It was also a little strange that they do not serve bread with the meals. Throughout French Polynesia it seems that bread is a staple to go with all meals and most resorts had homemade bread. They did have bread and croissants at breakfast but not at any other meals. When I asked if a hamburger was an option for lunch I was told that they do not have any rolls.

In summary, Ninamu is a gorgeous resort in a gorgeous location. The rooms are stunning and quite quirky. Chris, the owner, is a superb host who will try and make any request happen. I would hope that the will look at elevating their food service and I realize that the mosquito issue is out of their hands. I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out and super thanks to Chris and his wive who went above and beyond in helping us when we realized we may have left a wallet at our previous resort. More

  What a gem! Just back from Ninamu with a group of 13 friends and it was quite a magical experience. Chris and Greta are lovely hosts, eager to help make... read more the most of your time at their home, arranging activities as frequent or infrequently as...More

  We throughly enjoyed our 8 day stay at Ninamu, the daily excursions were exactly why I chose Ninamu Resort. The snorkeling on the reef outside the passage way contained the... read more highest concentration of tropical fish I have ever seen in a lifetime of freediving. All the meals prepared by Cheffy were excellent!! Breakfast consisted of fresh baked bread, tropical fruit and juice plus eggs cooked to order. Lunch and dinner was excellent tasting local fish plus a French dessert and espresso and Cheffy would come out of the kitchen and converse with us about his life and the dishes he prepared. Where else could you ever experience this type of interaction. Our Miki Miki room was an awesome open air benchfront treefort style room built with island wood and coral. The owner Chris was the most down to earth, interersting, entertaining, one of a kind personalities that we couldn't get enough of. His stories and comments were hilarious. I appreciated he was always in the dining room each evening to talk with guests and joined us for dinner at our table one night. If you are looking for a St. Regis/Four Seasons style resort Ninamu is not for you. But if you want the freedom to explore the surrounding reefs on your own and create adventures and unforgettable memories then this island is spot on. Note to self: be sure not to bring sand onto the captain's boat unless I... We throughly enjoyed our 8 day stay at Ninamu, the daily excursions were exactly why I chose Ninamu Resort. The snorkeling on the reef outside the passage way contained the highest concentration of tropical fish I have ever seen in a lifetime of freediving.
All the meals prepared by Cheffy were excellent!! Breakfast consisted of fresh baked bread, tropical fruit and juice plus eggs cooked to order. Lunch and dinner was excellent tasting local fish plus a French dessert and espresso and Cheffy would come out of the kitchen and converse with us about his life and the dishes he prepared. Where else could you ever experience this type of interaction. Our Miki Miki room was an awesome open air benchfront treefort style room built with island wood and coral.
The owner Chris was the most down to earth, interersting, entertaining, one of a kind personalities that we couldn't get enough of. His stories and comments were hilarious. I appreciated he was always in the dining room each evening to talk with guests and joined us for dinner at our table one night. If you are looking for a St. Regis/Four Seasons style resort Ninamu is not for you. But if you want the freedom to explore the surrounding reefs on your own and create adventures and unforgettable memories then this island is spot on. Note to self: be sure not to bring sand onto the captain's boat unless I want to swab the decks. In closing the staff became as close as family members with their interesting and fun conversations and we learned some French, "Vola". We actually shed tears and exerienced emotion separation when we departed. Can't wait to return to the most special place on Earth. Chris and Colleen Machado
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  Ninamu Resort was the first stop on our honeymoon in French Polynesia and we absolutely loved the experience. We booked our trip through Tahiti Legends- Noy was our travel agent... read more and planned our stay absolutely perfectly. If you're interested in visiting Ninamu, we HIGHLY recommend working with Noy and Tahiti Legends because we didn't have to worry about a thing and they handle all the logistics for you.

Ninamu is a beautiful, rustic, gem of an island where you're able to relax, do water activities (snorkeling, fishing, swimming, boating), and enjoy all the magic the island has to offer, and the resort staff is excellent all-around.

  My expectations of Ninamu were very high, and yet they were still exceeded. My husband and I stayed there in early November for 4 nights and the whole experience... read more was seamless, exhilarating, and relaxing. We loved the feel of the resort and enjoyed getting to know the other guests on the excursions and in the time leading up to meals in the dining room. I highly recommend Ninamu if you are up for a little bit of an adventure and you really want to get away from it all. ARRIVAL: Upon arrival at the tiny airport of Tikehau, we were greeted with flower leis (note: sit on the left side of the plane flying in and you'll see Ninamu as you come in to land), transferred in a vehicle to the marina, and then taken by boat to the island. Black-tip reef sharks followed us to the dock in our wake. THE RESORT: Our bungalow was fantastic! Each one is unique and I don't think you can go wrong. The mosquitoes were quite active while we were there, but staff will put mosquito coils in your room if you ask and that helps a lot (bring bug spray!). For being open air, the bungalow was very clean and the view of the water from the porch was perfection. We found the bed to be very comfortable, and between the breeze and the fans, the temperature was also comfortable at night.... My expectations of Ninamu were very high, and yet they were still exceeded. My husband and I stayed there in early November for 4 nights and the whole experience was seamless, exhilarating, and relaxing. We loved the feel of the resort and enjoyed getting to know the other guests on the excursions and in the time leading up to meals in the dining room. I highly recommend Ninamu if you are up for a little bit of an adventure and you really want to get away from it all.

ARRIVAL: Upon arrival at the tiny airport of Tikehau, we were greeted with flower leis (note: sit on the left side of the plane flying in and you'll see Ninamu as you come in to land), transferred in a vehicle to the marina, and then taken by boat to the island. Black-tip reef sharks followed us to the dock in our wake.

THE RESORT: Our bungalow was fantastic! Each one is unique and I don't think you can go wrong. The mosquitoes were quite active while we were there, but staff will put mosquito coils in your room if you ask and that helps a lot (bring bug spray!). For being open air, the bungalow was very clean and the view of the water from the porch was perfection. We found the bed to be very comfortable, and between the breeze and the fans, the temperature was also comfortable at night. The beach is a beautiful orangey-pink, you can walk out to the break from the island (bring sturdy water shoes!), and you can walk around the whole island in about 30 minutes. The staff were very helpful and cheerful, but not in your face at every turn, which I really appreciated (don't come here if you want to be waited on hand and foot). Cedric cracked us up with his dry humor, Cheffy checked in on us daily, and Marco answered questions for us about the rest of French Polynesia. We also loved having the two dogs around (Coleman and Poi) as it made us feel more at home.

FOOD: Wonderfully delicious! Meal times are set at 7:30am, 12:30pm and 7pm. The breakfast buffet consisted of meats, cheeses, lots of fruit, homemade breads, pancakes, and eggs made to order. Lunch was always a hearty meal that hit the spot after active mornings in the water. Dinner included an appetizer, entree and dessert. Upon booking, you will be asked if you have any dietary restrictions. I don't like the taste of fish (lame, I know!), but it wasn't an issue for the kitchen and my meals of chicken and beef were amazing. We brought a bunch of snacks with us on the trip because we always worry we'll be hungry, but we didn't eat any of them!

EXCURSIONS: The fact that a daily excursion was included in the price is one of the main reasons we chose Ninamu (that and the food reviews). The excursions did not disappoint and the boat captains/snorkeling guides were awesome. They are quiet guys (Mana and Noha), who know their stuff, but they are quick to laugh and just added to the chill vibe of the whole experience. We went out every morning and in our 4 days we were able to snorkel with the manta rays twice (dream come true!) and also saw three other snorkel spots. Noha found an octopus, a moray eel, a Napoleon fish and so many other cool fish for us to see. One of the days we had snorkeled in two places already and Mana stopped for us to snorkel in a third spot. Everyone was a bit tired at that point, so Mana and Noha suggested we fish from the boat instead, which was a great suggestion and we had a lot of fun. My husband got together with some of the other resort guests to go deep sea fishing one afternoon and he said it was awesome. We snorkeled in the lagoon right off the beach of Ninamu every afternoon and found something new each time. We saw black-tip reef sharks, sting rays, eels, flounder and even another octopus!

The only disappointment suffered was that Chris and Greta were traveling elsewhere during our visit. I would have loved to meet the people who dreamed Ninamu into reality. We went into this trip thinking it was a once in a lifetime experience, but now we can't stop talking about wanting to come back some day. More