We spent the "beach" portion of our honeymoon at Opoa Beach Hotel and couldn't have been happier. We were met at the airport upon our arrival for the 45 minute drive across the island to the resort. We passed many of the sights on the island during our drive. Upon our arrival, we were told that because a group had just checked out, we would be the only two people staying among the nine bungalows for our first two days. What an amazing start to our honeymoon!

Our beachfront bungalow was spectacular. We spent hours on our shaded porch, either in our hammock or on the lounge chairs. Everything inside the bungalows is exactly as you see it on the resort's excellent website and open to the air. We didn't touch the TV, so I can't comment on that. The living area had a daybed and a small refrigerator / mini bar. The bed is very comfortable and surrounded by mosquito netting. The bathroom is spacious, with dual sinks, a large, open shower and a separate water closet. There is an electronic safe in the closet. We had everything we needed!

Each morning we would wake up with the sun (the resort faces east) and go for breakfast (served from 7 - 8:30 AM). We were on the half-board plan that included breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was simple and great, with pastries, fruit, granola, yogurt and fruit juice. Lunch was served from 12 - 1:30 PM and we ordered off of the a la carte menu. I definitely recommend this option as it is less expensive than the full board and some of the options are large enough to split. Dinner, served from 7 - 8:30 PM, was the highlight of nearly every day. They offer a three course menu with two options for each course. Usually the options were one seafood and one chicken / beef / etc. We enjoyed every meal, especially the "trifecta of coconut" dessert (which we special ordered a second time)!

A few additional notes: 1) This may not be the resort for you if you want a large, sandy swimming beach. The beach itself is finely crushed shells; you can walk on it with bare feet, but it isn't fine white sand like some other parts of French Polynesia. Also, the water isn't very deep until you get 50 yards offshore, and there are rocks and coral. I recommend water shoes. 2) The resort offers a free boat ride to the "motu" (small island) out by the encircling reef. You can spend two or four hours there. We spent just two and it was plenty. The best part was the boat ride, when we saw small sand sharks (two to four feet) and manta rays! The resort also has kayaks you can take out for free. 3) Alcohol was somewhat expensive ($4 for a beer, $8 - $10 for a large cocktail, $40 for a bottle of wine). We brought a bottle of rum from duty free and bought fruit juices from the bar, then mixed our own drinks. 4) The resort keeps track of any purchases for you and you settle the bill at the end, so no worrying about signing for individual meals, etc.

Overall, we had an incredible, relaxing honeymoon and I would highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a romantic escape!