Tiki Village

jenandfrank
jenandfrank
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
Reviews
6
Photos
Editor Pick

Moorea Tiki Village Theater

  • January 13, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Nicole-san from Tokyo, Japan
Moorea Tiki Village Theater

A visit to Moorea would not be complete without a night at the Tiki Village. The locals serve up the perfect combination of culture and cuisine without being too gimicky or predictable.

The village is open Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Transportation and dinner packages can be arranged through your hotel and run about $90 per person for the show, dinner, and shuttle service. You can also purchase a package for the show and transportation only for $75, but I highly recommend the dinner. It is a buffet of mouthwatering, authentic Polynesian food. Amazing!

When you arrive, the sun is just beginning to set and the view is simply breathtaking. There is a brief cocktail hour with freshly squeezed fruit juices and some alcoholic mixed drinks. Then you are ushered into the main theater, in which I recommend sitting in the upper rows if you don't want to be dragged into the show as an unwilling participant (personal experience). There is a demonstration by the coconut master, and then you are led to the underground oven where your dinner is unearthed. Heated one meter below ground and cooked for eight hours, the oven holds enough food for 100 people. There was fresh mahi mahi, chicken with spinach, sweet potatoes, and banana french fries. Dessert included a local Tahitian treat...baked pumpkin pieces mixed with warm coconut milk and a kilo of sugar. To die for! You feel as though you've gained a pound just looking at it!

Before dinner you are led around the Village and get a peek into traditional Polynesian life and culture. And at the end, a sales pitch stop at the Black Pearl shop, which the islands are famous for.

Dinner follows. White and red wine are complimentary, and an assortment of fruity drinks are also available for an extra charge. After you have stuffed yourself to oblivion and vowed to begin your diet immediately upon return, you are lead back to the theater where the show begins. The show lasts about an hour and 15 minutes and features beautifully tanned, hip shaking Tahitians that put Shakira to shame. There are also fire dancers and musicians. The whole show is beautifully choreographed with an underlying story.

We found that many of the souvenirs in the Tiki Village were surprisingly cheaper than out in town. There is a wider variety, and they didn't seem as cheesy. Also, you can come back during the week to browse the shops and vendor booths in the village, or even get a permanent souvenir at the village's tatoo parlor. It is a wonderful evening that you don't want to miss.

For more information, check out their Web site:
http://www.tikivillage.pf/english/english.html

From journal Moorea - More than the Beach

Editor Pick

Tiki Village

  • December 28, 2004
  • Rated 3 of 5 by jenandfrank from New York, New York
Tiki Village

The Tiki Village, best known for its elaborate Polynesian review and exotic traditional weddings, has the largest luau in Tahiti. It is opened Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only for the dinner shows.

We arrived and were immediately given local punch and seated in an open-air theater where ukulele players were performing. After about a half an hour, you are taken to the sand pit, where your food is dug up from the ground (surrounded by banana leaves) and you are educated on ancient Polynesian culture and cooking. We were then escorted in groups through the Tiki Village and had the opportunity to see the different "areas" of how they lived, what they created, and how they tattooed each other (tattoos there are taken very seriously, and all of them have specific meanings to their village or family).

Among the areas were basket-weavers and stone- and wood-carvers. That was followed by a delicious and very authentic Polynesian buffet (which was included in the price).

During dinner, Tahitian women were onstage, showing you different ways to tie pareos (wraps). That was all followed by the big show, which was an hour of music, dancing, flame throwing, singing, and a Tahitian wedding.

It was very different then any of the luaus we attended while in Hawaii, with a lot more excitement and more authentic (it didn't feel like a typical cheesy tourist thing). These are considered the best performers in all of Tahiti, and they take their performances very seriously as well.

From journal Moorea and its lush surroundings

Compare Moorea Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Moorea Travel Deals