pensions rangi & fak,a also dive ops

[mike jj]

I know everyone has there favorites. I will be traveling alone from the U.S. I do not need luxury, (I do a lot of bicycle touring & camping). I think I can squeeze 9 days instead of 8 in early July, I will be gone late July (RAGBRIA) & early Aug (sea of Cortez) so those two really cramp any FP trip. I can not change those dates, I probably shouldn't be going anyway. I was thinking 3 days Rang, 3days N Faka. & 3days S Faka. If this seems like to much moving please advise. I've looked at several pension websites and really like Teina & Marie, on Rangi, (some sites are only in french & it's like they have a different word for everything) but I know there are others. I've read every post on this going back 3 years, but I know things change. Wingy - Boiler - wet pup- wico & others please chime in. Oh heck just plan my trip for me.

Thanks Mike


PS: would like to get some traditional ink while I'm there any suggestions? Wingy Also will my SSI divemaster card let me dive every were.

 

[Wingy]

I Love Tiena and Marie - Marie speaks great english anyway so thats not a problem and cooks massive amounts. Great value, great food, sure the bungalows arent flash but theres bora bora just a direct flight away if you wanna do that. If you want to dive and experience Polynesian life and laughter I cant recommend them highly enough.

Have never heard anyone complain that has gone onto stay with Marie - all say they would stay there again. You are walking distance from the store, the jetty and the 2 restaurants and just inside the pass. Sitting on your deck after a day diving watching the sun set and sharks hunting is magical, i love this place.

Tattooing - Theres really not much of a village in Rangi and I didnt see anyone doing any 'commercial tatu' which doesnt mean to say you wont find someone doing ink out of their garden shed. A lot of its asking around. I had mine done traditional style on Moorea ...you have to fly in and out of Tahiti anyway so you may as well take the ferry across the sea of the moon and spend a day on Moorea if you can or get some done in Papeete. There are some pretty good artists in the marche. If you have a long enough layover from Papeete to LAX you should be able to grab a locker and quickly take a taxi (watch out for cruise ship docking days..you will not get a taxi anywhere) and get something done. Most of the tattooists who do traditional work in Papeete Marche have reviews on tripadvisor so you can pretty much get sorted out what you want before you arrive and have an appointment. I did all that and still ended up finding the artist had gone to LA and ended up having mine done down a track towards a beach to meet a lovely man with 6 freakin pit bulls and great danes as a home security system. I thought seeing id been brave enough to walk through the dogs and knock on his door I could manage pigs bone.

Im pretty sure your SSI DM card would be accepted everywhere - just email first - FP has some interesting laws on diving. CMAS cards are most common.

Fakarava....i cant give you any recommendations sorry as the plane I had booked to Faka had an engine fall off while on the runway at Papeete which spoiled my plans somewhat but I guess if they insist they need that other engine then they know what they are talking about more than I do. Just made me more determined to get there sooner rather than later.

 

[Manuel Sam]

In North Fakarava, I usually stay at Tokerau. Havaiki Pearl Resort is also very nice, a bit more upscale, and therefore more $$$.

As far as I know, Rescue Diver certification alone will be recognized as CMAS II, so Divemaster might buy you even more.

If your 9 days includes travel time between each site, I think 3, 3 and 3 is a bit ambitious, but that's up to you. In essence, it gives a max of two days of diving at each place.