Description: 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
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