The Vanilla tour of Taha'a in a comfortable outrigger canoe
Recommended by 99% of travelers
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Raiatea, French Polynesia
- 7 to 8 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
You don’t need to choose between sea- or land-based adventures during this full-day tour of Taha’a Island that includes both. Cruise on a comfortable outrigger canoe, equipped with lounge areas and trampolines. Stop to visit vanilla groves and a family-run pearl farm to learn more about the island’s unique way of life. Enjoy lunch on a private island and spend time snorkeling, swimming, and lounging on the sand.
- Day trip combines activity and relaxation to suit all needs
- Feast on a Polynesian buffet, with fresh tropical fruit, for lunch
- All snorkeling gear is provided so you don’t need to bring your own
- Get the chance to purchase local black pearls where they’re cultivated
What's Included
- LunchPolynesian buffet on an exceptional motu
- SnacksWater, juice, chips and fruit (depending on the season)
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Gratuities
- Private transportation
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
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End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Start time.8:30 am
Itinerary
1
Champon Pearl Farm
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
2
Jardin de Corail
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
3
Domaine Pari Pari
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Taha'a
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
This was an amazing tour! The boat was spacious and well kept. Jimmy, the owner/captain, was a one man show. He was personable, knowledgeable about the area, and appeared to really enjoy his job. The private island was beautiful and the buffet lunch was delicious. It was a very relaxing day, well organized and efficiently run. I highly recommend for an easy and relaxing day on the water.
Reviews
4.9
based on 93 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
This was a very well done tour. The communication between us and the company was excellent. All the guides were very personable and engaging. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to explore the island.
What an absolutely incredible experience! The captains were amazing, sharing fascinating history and knowledge throughout the tour. Their kindness, professionalism, and genuine care for everyone on board truly set this excursion apart.
I had recently injured my back, and the captains went above and beyond to ensure I could safely enjoy the coral reef snorkeling experience. They personally assisted and guided me through the water with such patience and attentiveness. I never expected that level of personal care, and I cannot express how much I appreciated their thoughtfulness.
What impressed me most was how they made sure every single person on the boat had the best possible experience. Their passion, enthusiasm, and attention to detail were exceptional.
The scenery and underwater beauty were simply beyond words, but it was the captains who made this experience truly unforgettable.
An extraordinary excursion with extraordinary people! I cannot recommend it highly enough. Thank you for making such a beautiful experience even more memorable!
Fantastic tour. Our guides were top notch. Always there to help and very knowledgeable. Never felt rushed. This was the perfect tour. Love every minute of it.
Just a fabulous day with our skipper and guide, Jimmy. Our cruise ship docked in Raiatea. The tour boat met us at the pier just a 5 minute walk away. The boat is well designed with easy entry from docks at the side of the vessel or from the stern down a ladder into the water. Seating was cushioned and comfortable. The young people on the tour lounged on the outrigger trampoline.
We did six things:
1. Visit to a pearl farm where we got a great explanation of how Tahitian pearls are created. Beautiful jewelry was available for purchase, but no pressure to do so
2. Drift snorkel at the coral garden. We anchored on the inside, walked along the shore to the channel entrance, then drift snorkelled back through the channel. No fins needed or even desired. Just water shoes for the shore walk. The channel is zigzagged, so following your guide is important. Good coral, colourful fish including a lion fish, colourful clams. A wonderful snorkel experience.
3. A rum distillery tour. A good informative tour. Interesting, and neither of us are rum drinkers.
4. A second snorkel stop. Highlight was many reef sharks.
5. Lunch on a motu with very generous portions of local cuisine in an idyllic setting.
6. Tour of a vanilla farm. Very detailed and interesting explanation of the 4 years it takes to grow a vanilla bean. Vanilla beans and products for sale, again with no pressure to do so.
So, a full day, but relaxed and never a feeling at any stop of being rushed. A great tour. Back to the dock in plenty of time to board our ship.
Hats off to Jimmy.
This was such an excellent tour. We went on 3 different but similar tours while in FP. What we loved about this one was the small group, the tours to the pearl farm, rum distillery, and vanilla farm. They were all very interesting. The snorkeling is a given...so beautiful in all of FP. But Jimmy is the star of the show. His love for nature without spoil was endearing and appreciated. No silly fluff. We did that on another tour and it is fun once but we really enjoyed the relaxed nature of the trip. We cruised around the island of Tahaa (in a very comfortable boat!) and even stopped for the best traditional buffet we had on any of our tours. Thank you for a perfect day Jimmy. 🌸
Excellent value with 6 separate activities including 2 snorkels and a comfortable boat with friendly guide.
Amazing day and the perfect combination of time on the boat, tours of local businesses, and snorkelling in places that honestly can’t be described….all with an extremely friendly and knowledgeable host
This tour is a must do if arriving in Raiatea!
We booked this trip because it had the most places listed we wanted to see in one excursion. We were pleasantly surprised that the snorkel part of the sailing included a stop at the Coral Gardens. This is the most beautiful area that we visited on our trip. The water was warm, crystal clear and perfect for snorkeling! (Young kids would have no problem here even if they were not comfortable in the ocean.) The lunch provided was a variety of Polynesian foods. Something for everyone including picky eaters.
Jimmy and his boat were amazing!
Thanks for the great day!!!!
Oh what a trip. I cannot speak more highly of this tour that combines both cultural and geographic wonders. The outrigger canoe/boat is great from being super comfortable on the inside with a max of 12 passengers to being able to enjoy the lagoon from the trampoline. Jimmy is the perfect captain incorporating cultural aspects of Tahitian life with visits to a Pearl farm, Vanilla plantation and Rum distillery. The two spots of snorkelling were undoubtedly best we have ever experienced with drifting in the coral garden with Bora Bora in the background then later in the day with reef sharks at another location. The lunch on a private motu just added to the experience with traditional Polynesian fair in an uncrowded locale.
This tour was the best experience in French Polynesia. A fun memorable full day filled with great views and incredible variety of sites
Fab was an amazing captain and tour guide and made sure we were comfortable and had a great time. Even a sudden downpour didn’t stop the fun. We loved snorkeling at the coral garden, at the lunch spot, and with the sharks. The pearl farm and vanilla plantation were both interesting and fun to experience. We really liked having a smaller tour group, especially after seeing other boats that were packed with people. Highly recommend!!
Personalized experience on a spacious outrigger canoe to several hot spots on the islands. The snorkeling was beautiful and saw lots of beautiful fish and coral- my favorite part!
The pearl farm, distillery, and vanilla farm were very interesting and helped round out the experience. The local lunch was served buffet style and had amazing food- so many new foods to try. I definitely left full!
Would recommend this to anyone! Being on the water and experiencing the scenery even through rainstorms, was unforgettable
Excellent day out. Great snorkling with excellent guides. Interesting visits to a Pearl farm and Vanilla plantation.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the snorkeling, guides, and visits to the pearl farm and vanilla plantation. Hope to see you again!
Jimmy was excellent. The boat is the best out there. Very clean and the hammock off the side makes it. Was great in the snorkeling in showing us paths and things to know and watch for. Made sure I saw my reef shark! Leaning about the Black Pearls, Vanilla, and Rhum was great as well. Lunch on the island was a private barbecue with lots to try that is their food, and we almost picked up and adorable little stowaway haha.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your great review! We’re happy you enjoyed the boat, snorkeling, island visits, and the private lunch and glad you got to see your reef shark! Hope to see you again (with no stowaways next time 😉).
This was an amazing tour! The boat was spacious and well kept. Jimmy, the owner/captain, was a one man show. He was personable, knowledgeable about the area, and appeared to really enjoy his job. The private island was beautiful and the buffet lunch was delicious. It was a very relaxing day, well organized and efficiently run. I highly recommend for an easy and relaxing day on the water.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
So glad you enjoyed such a smooth and relaxing day on the water! From the comfortable boat to the private island and lunch, it’s great to hear everything came together perfectly. Thank you for taking the time to recommend the tour.
The tour was fantastic. The ship is modern, clean, and comfortable. Captain Jimmy is a super tour guide. He is very nice and friendly.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your kind feedback!
We’re happy you enjoyed the modern, comfortable boat and Captain Jimmy’s friendly guiding.
Hope to see you again!
A laid back boat riding day around Taha'a. It's nothing crazy or too exciting, but it's a relaxing way to fill up a day and sightsee basically. The coral garden is cool to snorkel through though, and the lunch is good. Otherwise, you're just doing the classic tourist route of visiting a pearl farm, then vanilla shop, then rum place, then snorkel places. What really sold it for me was the boat--definitely comfortable, modern, and with a cool side net for catching the splash & sunbathing. Jimmy is a really cool captain/host with a diverse background, so totally talk to him when you get down time. Anyways, I had fun and my little Moana moment riding along standing & leaning into the rain+wind (we had a cloudy day).
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thanks for sharing your experience! We’re glad you enjoyed the relaxed vibe of the day, the coral garden, and especially the comfort and design of the boat. And yes—chatting with Jimmy and enjoying the ride (even in the wind and rain!) is all part of the adventure. Appreciate the feedback!
This excursion was absolutely fantastic! The boat was comfortable, the stops interesting and well put together, and the guides attention to ensuring people were having a good time and making the most of the trip was fantastic! We highly recommend this experience!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your kind words! We’re happy you enjoyed the comfort of the boat, the well-planned stops, and the care from the guide. Thanks for the recommendation!
It was informational of the pearl, vanilla and rum industries. In the original chat with the agent I was looking for a Raiatea island inclusion which was from my understanding in the text it was included. It was confirmed by the guide that this particular tour do not include. A mix up somewhere with the booking agent. Also there is only one pickup and drop off on the whole island of Taha which is inconvenient and expensive taxi cost and not included in the price. I learned other operators do pick up at the accommodation I was staying at. All in all it was a fine tour but it was not what I was expecting.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad you found the visits informative and appreciate you mentioning the mix-up regarding the itinerary and logistics. We understand how expectations are important and thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
We loved our tour guide who was super helpful with my older parents making sure they felt safe getting in and out of the boat as well as translating anything from French to English. The rain is unpredictable so our tour guide also expertly navigated us to all the stops before the storm came!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your kind review! We’re happy to hear our guide took great care of your parents and made everyone feel safe, while smoothly adapting the day around the weather.
We’re glad you enjoyed the experience!
We booked a tour for January 22nd nearly two months in advance. On January 20th, the operator messaged me asking if we were on a cruise ship, explaining that we were the only ones booked and suggesting we invite others.
I didn’t see the message until the next day (January 21st) since we were traveling from Tahiti to Raiatea and not constantly checking my phone on vacation. When I replied that we had flown into Raiatea, they informed us they were canceling the tour due to a lack of participants—this was the night before our scheduled trip.
I understand that tours need a minimum number of people to be profitable, but if they suspected they might cancel, they should have reached out earlier in the week. Travelers are required to cancel at least 24 hours in advance, and I believe the same rule should apply to tour operators.
Since we were only in Raiatea for two days, this full-day excursion was our main plan. They didn’t even offer to help us find an alternative. Fortunately, we managed to book another tour last minute, but I found their handling of the situation unprofessional and inconsiderate.
Response from Host, May 2025
Hello,
Thank you, you are the first customer to give us a negative review. However, we had warned you two days before that the tour might be cancelled due to a lack of passengers. Perhaps you would have liked to book a private tour? Sorry, but we can't afford to operate at a loss.
In addition, we had recommended other service providers to you, but you may not have been able to check your message. Please know that we do our best to satisfy our customers and we apologize if you are the first.
Such a fun day! Pearl farm was our favorite and we were so impressed by the Polynesian buffet lunch!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you very much for your feedback on the Vanilla day tour. It's true that the the Polynesian buffet lunch is fabulous.
Jimmy is a great Guide. Super tourguide. Jimmy arranged the stops so that you had the feeling that you were almost alone on the island.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
I think that Jimmy is the best ! ;) Thank again
Really loved drift snorkeling and swimming with sharks. The pearl farm was great and the guides were terrific.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
A fine summary of a perfect day with Blue Lagoon. Thank you
The tour was fantastic. The snorkeling was the best ever and the island and lunch were fantastic. Fab was a terrific boat leader and the boat itself was wonderful. Great tour for the day.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
We also call it Fabulous! Thank you for this beautiful memory.
An exceptional excursion that had, however, started off very badly with the cancellation of our taxi! But Jimmy, the owner, reacted immediately with great professionalism by coming to meet us and even offering to drive us back to compensate for this inconvenience. A very appreciated gesture that testifies to his seriousness and his sense of service.
The rest was simply magical! We were lucky to have Aiko as a guide, a true enthusiast of the sea and navigation, who knows the history and culture of his island perfectly. A captivating guide who made us experience unforgettable moments, between breathtaking landscapes, discoveries, and magical instants.
And to top it all off, an absolutely divine meal on the motu!
A huge thank you to Jimmy and Aiko for this magnificent day. A high-quality excursion that I recommend with my eyes closed! 🌺
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Our guide Jimmy was very attentive and proactive. The excursion is truly comprehensive. The boat is really comfortable and intimate. Thanks a thousand times for this beautiful moment. Add this excursion to your bucket list!
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Snorkeling between the motus: letting yourself be carried by the current like Jimmy and enjoying the coral garden and its dozens of fish species 🤩 literally diving among the sharks: a crazy experience!
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Very successful experience! The boat is spacious and beautiful, the stops are really interesting and beautiful, the guide is top-notch!
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Great day with Fab
Every stopover was perfect!
We've learned a lot
Thank you for everything!
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per personWas $146.64(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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The Vanilla tour of Taha'a in a comfortable outrigger canoe
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