Honeymoon Blog

Capturing Underwater Honeymoon Moments

If you are headed to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, French Polynesia, Turks and Caicos, the Maldives or any other destination known for excellent snorkeling you may want to pick up the new Kodak PlaySport HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera to capture your underwater adventures. 

It's a reasonably priced video camera (about $150 at Best Buy and on Amazon.com) and with its underwater features, you can plunge up to 10 feet below the surface to shoot 1080p video or take still photos.  Also, since the price point is reasonably low and this small pocket camera is designed with "adrenaline junkies" in mind, it's a good backup option to bring on tours or excursions where your camera might get wet or banged around a bit.

Since the depth is limited to 10 feet, this option is best for snorkelers as opposed to divers.  Divers headed further below might want a heavier duty and more sophisticated underwater camera.

If only I had known about this before my recent French Polynesian adventure - my most recent post would have been supplemented with great videos and photos!  I sure there is plenty more great snorkeling Ms. M's future so next time, I'll have this on hand and the pictures and video to share!

Snorkeling from French Polynesia's Overwater Bungalows: A Misconception?

When people think of French Polynesia they usually think of turquoise lagoons with charming bungalows perched directly above the water.  People from all over the world (honeymooners in particular) travel here to experience the unique feeling of sleeping directly above the water.  Since French Polynesia's lagoons are also well known for their excellent marine life some visitors expect to check in to their accommodations, strap on a snorkel mask and fins and dive directly from their overwater bungalow to greet schools of colorful fish.

  
  

In some of French Polynesia's resorts, these expectations will be met, but it’s important to note that not all resorts and overwater bungalows sit above great reefs for snorkeling. 

First, many overwater bungalows reside in shallow water, simply too shallow for snorkeling!  Snorkeling from the beach is often a better alternative, considering many resorts have a reef or “Lagoonarium” within their grounds.  Granted, it’s often located in a more enclosed area in order to guarantee great snorkeling as opposed to in the open water near the bungalows.  

Some overwater bungalows do reside right at a reef.  In theory, great, but coral is quite sharp, and you may have to wear reef shoes whenever swimming or wading.  If this is less than appealing to you, do look for a resort with a Lagoonarium to ensure good and comfortable snorkeling.  Alternatively, you can choose bungalows within the resort that are classified as “deep overwater” or “end of pontoon”.  These categories, although pricier, are deep enough such that most guests' feet won't touch bottom.

If your dream is to be able to snorkel directly from your overwater bungalow for at least part of your honeymoon in French Polynesia, you may want to consider a few nights at The Sofitel Ia Ora Resort on  Moorea, which has an excellent reef situated right below the overwater bungalows.  During a recent stay here, I had the opportunity to snorkel right from my overwater bungalow and it was truly fabulous. 

A glimpse of some of the fish I saw:

No matter what, a honeymoon in the idyllic French Polynesian Islands will offer beautiful scenery, fantasic resorts with overwater bungalows and excellent snorkeling either directly from an overwater bungalow or within a nearby Lagoonarium.