Tikehau Island - 10 things to do on the atoll
Last update: 03/12/2024
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Among the islands of which I have very good memories, the Tikehau atoll, is definitely one of them. This polynesian atoll is located about 340 km north of Tahiti, in the Tuamotu archipelago. There are many things to do and see on Tikehau Island in one weekend. The latter is known to be a relatively quiet atoll and much less visited than its neighbors Rangiroa and Fakarava, two well-known world-class diving spots to discover marine life with a rich underwater fauna : turtles, sharks, rays, fishes of tropics and coral reefs. For those who cannot make it to Tuamotu due to lack of time or budget, you have the possibility to discover the superb Tetiaroa atoll. A few hours on a catamaran, departing from Papeete, will allow you to set foot in some of the clearest water that I have ever seen. By the way, if you book a catamaran day trip with Poe Charter, you can use the coupon code “les2pieds” to get 10% discount.
I recommend it to anyone who wants a bit of calm, an authentic island (it’s a full immersion in the Polynesian culture), in a place that is not yet too developed, and who is looking for a little piece of paradise for vacations or honeymoon!
Things to do on Tikehau Island
1 - The visit of the village and swimming on the lagoon side
When you arrive on the main motu (island) where the airport is located, you immediately realise that you’re in a relatively small area! The motu is 9 km long and 300-500 m wide.
Take the time, wherever you’re sleeping, to take a short walk in the charming main village. Nothing really happens here, except the villagers who are taking a nap or watching you pass by. Everyone lives to the rhythm of the atoll. You can even enjoy a small swim at the tip of the village, on the lagoon side with its clear polynesian water and its wonderful white sandy beach! A real natural swimming pool surrounded by coconut and palm trees and perfect for swimming with black tip reef sharks…
2 - Enjoy the beach on the ocean side
Among things to do and see on Tikehau Island, a walk on the ocean side really leaves you dreaming. I think I even appreciated this one more than the one on the lagoon side, which still remains quite “mundane” in the end. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bored by the beautiful blue turquoise lagoons and white sandy beaches, but the ocean side beach has something extra for me, it’s just breathtaking.
You will get to see these huge blocks of dead reefs on the white sand, with which you can imagine all kinds of shapes. In front of you, the ocean with all its power crashes on the island’s reef. One feels so small.
At the end of the beach, you will see, with some imagination, the famous beach of “La Cloche de Hina”. It’s not easy to find but basically you go to the white sand beach on the ocean side and keep going until you get to the tip of the tropical island.
In short, in any case, when you visit the atoll, don’t miss a few hours walk on the ocean side to admire the cliffs and the waves.
3 - Visit Rose Island (Ile au sable rose)
So, figure that even though it’s part of the main things to see on Tikehau Island, I had to Google it to check if we had actually been there or not and on further consideration, I don’t think we did.
In the end, I don’t think It mattered. The island’s famous pink sandy beach is actually on a motu on the reef. We had stopped in the natural area, but I don’t remember seeing this paradise white sand beach, or I would have remembered it. Instead, we had spent a few hours on a superb motu for lunch time. We had enjoyed it just as much as we would have Rose Island.
However, if you go out on the blue turquoise lagoon during your trip to the atoll, perhaps ask the guide or the pension to stop there. It must be worth seeing!
4 - Take a walk on Bird Island (Ile aux oiseaux)
On the other hand, I remember very well having spent time on Bird Island during our day trip to the lagoon. This walk is one of the things to do on Tikehau Island, according to all the guides you can find around!
The particularity of this polynesian island (in addition to the birds I mean!) is that it is located in the middle of the turquoise lagoon, or more or less so. In most atolls, motus, that are sandy islets, (including the one of the main village) are located on the reef barrier of the atoll. Sometimes, as in this case, there are still a few small islets left in the lagoon.
Bird Island is exactly in that case. The uniqueness of this islet, as you may have suspected, is in that it shelters thousands of birds of different species, which come to nest or simply thrive.
A small path lets you to cross the island from both sides. It’s a great little walk and on the edge of the islet, you can see the many reef sharks that are swimming around!
5 - Walk or cycle around the main motu
The tour of the island by foot (or by bike for the lazier ones) is a free activity and it’s very nice as well! Take the time to walk to the village, and then go over to the ocean side to admire the superb coral cliffs mentioned above.
Then come back by the lagoon side to enjoy a swim in the beautiful calm turquoise waters! Who knows, you might even come across a shark on the way back.
6 - Visit the Isle of Eden
I hesitated in putting this in the to-do and see list for Tikehau French Polynesia. Why is that? In fact this island is known on the Internet. If you do a quick search, you will find that a Chinese guru runs the island, if that can be said. Nonetheless, the whole thing looks a little like a cult….
Today, a few families live on the Isle and live in complete autonomy. This is decisively the most interesting aspect when visiting the island. Indeed, they show you how they manage to grow vegetables, make compost, on coral soil, where basically not much actually grows.
It is not a mandatory visit, but it is often part of a day trip (as in our case).
7 - Swimming with sharks!
Whether scuba diving or snorkeling with masks and snorkels, you will easily have the opportunity to swim with sharks on the Tikehau island. They are everywhere, if it is at the tip of the village, on the beach in 60 cm of crystal-clear water, on the banks of the motus, or on Bird Island.
With a little luck, and without being too afraid of the marine animals, you can see them quite closely. At the tip of the village, you can even have fun running after them between the sandbanks!
8 - Diving in Tikehau
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the time or the opportunity to dive or to snorkel on the island, but everyone says good things about both the dive center (Tikehau plongée) and the underwater world in general around the island (with coral and barrier reef). A passionate diver will of course have the opportunity to see all the classic underwater fauna of tropical environments: moray eels, barracudas, white tips, various tropical fish, dolphins, and of course a multitude of corals.
There seem to be 3 diving clubs (Raie manta diving Tikehau, Coco Dive in the Hotu pension and Tikehau Diving) on the island, which can be fully booked very quickly. So remember to make your reservations as soon as you arrive by plane if you plan to dive on the atoll.
You can expect to pay around 12,000 xpf for a first dive and between 10,000 and 12,000 xpf for an exploring dive.
The atoll is particularly well known thanks to Commander Cousteau who, according to the 1987 study, described it as “the most fishy atoll in the lower islands of French Polynesia”.
So test it out for yourself if you like diving!
9 - Swimming with Mantas rays
After swimming with sharks, one of the things to not miss on Tikehau Island is of course to swim with manta rays. As on the island of Maupiti, rays are more or less around all year.
You will then have a very good chance of seeing them during your day trip to the lagoon. Swimming next to these sea monsters is an incredible experience! To be enjoyed without moderation!
10 - Take a day trip to the lagoon
Finally, to bring to an end the list of things to do on Tikehau Island, I think you should book a day trip to the lagoon. On the program: a guaranteed change of breathtaking scenery and a white sandy beach, is that fine with you? I hope I’ve given you a good overview of the Tikehau activities.
In addition to the things already mentioned above (swimming with manta rays, visiting bird island, pink sand beach), you will enjoy a stroll in the island’s lagoon.
If the weather is good, this is still a great day trip if you’re on Tikehau island.
Most guesthouses offer this service, so don’t hesitate to book a day. Alternatively you can go with some of the local operators such as Hititemanava Tikehau Excursion or Tikehau Ocean Tour.
So here are my top 10 things to do in Tikehau Atoll!
Tips to remember when travelling to Tikehau Island
How to get to Tikehau
- If you have arrived from outside French Polynesia, just like when going to Tahaa Island or the Gambier archipelago, you will have to land first in Tahiti. I invite you to read the article on how to get to Tahiti cheaply! For Americans, the cheapest solution is to flight from San Francisco to Papeete with Unites Airlines or Frenchbee.
- Once in Tahiti, you will fly to Tikehau from Tahiti (Papeete) with the local airline Air Tahiti. It will cost you about 55 000 – 60 000 xpf.
There are almost daily flights to Tikehau from Tahiti. You can find the updated schedule here. You can also integrate the visit of the island into one of the company’s multi island passes.
For those who have time and are looking for an inexpensive way to travel around the area, there are cargo ships that occasionally call at the atoll as part of their tour. Check out my inter-island travel page for details. Since Covid 19, these options no longer seem to exist.
For those who sleep in guesthouses, remember to book your stay with the site “Séjour dans les îles” which offers flight packages + accommodation with half board (for locals only or if you book when in French Polynesia). In any case, it is always cheaper than booking things separately (I checked). You will need to be on Tahiti Island to do so.
Where to stay in Tikehau?
Tikehau Island has many guest houses. I personally stayed at Aito Motel Colette. The location is splendid, nothing to say about that. We were surprised when we were told of the additional fees that needed to be paid… (invoiced excluding taxes and credit card fees). So be careful to clarify everything beforehand with the pension. Otherwise, we had an excellent stay there.
There are several excellent places to stay on the atoll for those who want to treat themselves on a much larger budget, in “Bora Bora” mode, but without the mass tourism. I’ve heard nothing but good things from friends, although I haven’t tried them myself (I wish I had!).
Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort
Very beautiful bungalow on stilts. A superb experience to live away from the mass tourism that can be found on other islands.
Ninamu Resort
The place was recommended to me as magical, timeless? Beautiful bungalows on the beach surrounded by nice vegetation and a great team!
There are many other options for accommodation at Tikehau. In general there is a choice between half board and full board accommodation. Here are some of the places we’ve recommended:
- Tikehau Glamping & Camping: The only official campsite on the island, in a dream setting!
- Tikehau Cosy Lodge: A studio on the main motu offering the ambience of a small holiday home, equipped for 3 people, with private terrace, full kitchen, large bathroom, free internet connection, free airport transfers and bike hire included,
- Pension Hotu: with direct access to the lagoon, six fully equipped bungalows for 2 to 6 people, free activities including diving, games and quality meals, with the possibility of organised excursions,
- Hiti Tikehau: an ideal holiday home for families, close to Hina Bell, offering 50m2 of accommodation with 2 double beds, sofa bed, bicycles, terrace, air conditioning, fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, at an attractive price and appreciated for its sunsets,
- Relais Royal Tikehau: offers bungalows on the lagoon for 2 to 6 people, with half board available, activities included, and positive feedback despite the need for a little refurbishment!
Where to eat?
As often when we go on a trip to the Polynesian islands, for meals, we opted for half board. It was good, we had no worries. At lunchtime, you can eat in one of the motu’s small snacks (if they are open). Otherwise, you’ll have to go to one of the local stores to buy food!
Moving around the island?
The main motu is very small which means no travel worries, so everything is done by foot here, or by bike for those who don’t want to walk. All guesthouses generally offer bike rental. If you don’t know which Pacific islands to go to in French Polynesia, I strongly advise you to read the article on the Gambier Islands, the most beautiful islands I’ve had the opportunity to encounter since I’ve been here.
So, I hope you now have a good idea of the things to do on Tikehau Island. With this, you should have a very nice stay on the Tikehau atoll.
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See you soon,
Sylvain
Written by Sylvain PONS
From 2015 to 2021, French Polynesia was our home, with Mélanie and our children. I'm happy to share my experience and advice to help you organize an unforgettable stay in French Polynesia, based on my in-depth knowledge of the territory.
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