Frequently asked questions
If your question is not here, write to us. Kathy or Franck answers personally, usually the same day.
Booking & payment
Why should we book direct instead of through a platform?
The direct rate is our lowest, because it carries no platform commission or guest service fee. You also get free cancellation up to 14 days before arrival, the specific Fare you chose, and 24/7 concierge service through our partner OmniVillas. Find a lower rate anywhere and we will match it.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation up to 14 days before check-in on every direct booking. Inside 14 days the booking is non-refundable. Payment is taken securely online when you book, and your reservation is confirmed instantly.
When am I charged, and how?
Your card is charged securely online when you complete your booking: the full quoted total, with every fee and tax shown before you pay. Payment is processed by OmniVillas, Fare Oaoa's booking and management partner, and appears on your statement as FARE OAOA.
Is there a minimum stay?
No. One night is enough, at any time of year, including the July, August and December high season and the New Year period.
What is included in the total I see?
The nightly rate, one cleaning fee per Fare, and the estimated Polynesian visitor tax. There are no booking or service fees. Breakfast delivered each morning, the self-service kayaks and the shared pool and jacuzzi are already included at no extra cost. Dinner, bar service and excursions are extra and settled on site.
Getting here
How do we reach you from the airport or the ferry?
We are about 25 minutes from the Vaiare ferry terminal and 30 from Moorea airport, on the west coast at Haapiti. Send us your arrival time and we will have a taxi waiting, or arrange a rental car for pick-up at the terminal.
Do we need a car?
Not necessarily. The grocery store is across the road, with a smoothie stand and a pizza truck a couple of minutes away, and the beach is your front yard. For any real choice of restaurant you will want a car, and we can also cook dinner for you here. Most guests take a car for two or three days to circle the island, which we can book for you.
What are check-in and check-out times?
Check-in from midday for the Fare, and from 2:00 pm for the Main House. Check-out by 10:00 am for all of them. Early arrival and late departure are often possible outside high season. Ask us and we will hold the Fare for you if it is free.
When is the best time of year to come?
May to October is the dry season: cooler, clearer, and best for surfing the Haapiti break. Whale season runs roughly August to October. November to April is warmer and greener, with short heavy showers and lower rates.
Your stay
What is included in every Fare?
Breakfast delivered each morning, free self-service kayaks, the shared garden pool and jacuzzi, air conditioning, fiber optic Wi-Fi, a large TV with Netflix, an equipped kitchen and a private bathroom.
Is the beach private?
The stretch in front of the Fare is ours, with sun loungers, upright chairs and hammocks, enough to find sun or shade. The lagoon itself is public, as all Polynesian lagoons are.
Are children welcome?
Very. The lagoon in front is shallow and calm, kayaks and snorkel gear are free, and the Main House sleeps a family of six. Tell us ages and we will add a cot or extra bed.
Can we do laundry?
Yes. There is a shared machine on the property, free to use, plus a line in the sun that dries a swimsuit in twenty minutes.
Do you take pets?
We cannot host pets, mostly because of the island import rules and our resident cats.
Food, music & services
Can we eat on the property?
Yes. Dinner service runs any night when ordered by 4pm: Tahitian home cooking served on the sand or brought to your Fare. Bar service runs from 11am until late, poolside or delivered to your sunbed.
When is the live music?
Two to three evenings a week at sunset, on the beach terrace: local musicians on ukulele and guitar, no cover charge. The schedule shifts with the season and we send the week ahead before you arrive.
What can the concierge arrange?
Whale swims, snorkelling with rays, private boat days, 4x4 tours, restaurant tables, transfers, cakes and celebrations, and anything unexpected. Direct guests get a WhatsApp line to OmniVillas, answered 24 hours a day.
Is breakfast really included?
Every morning, at no extra cost: local fruit, fresh bread, jam, cheese and charcuterie, coffee and tea, left at your terrace at the time you ask for.
Working remotely
Is the internet good enough for video calls?
Yes. The property is on fiber optic, fed by the Honotua submarine cable, typically around 180 Mbps down and 40 Mbps up. Guests run all-day calls and screen shares from their terrace. There is 4G+ as a fallback.
Is there a desk, and somewhere quiet to take a call?
Some Fare have a desk indoors; in the others you work at the shaded terrace table. Either way there is a desk-height surface, a proper chair and sockets within reach, and the TV takes HDMI as a second screen. With only six units on private sand there is no resort noise, and the inverter air conditioning is quiet on a microphone.
Does the time zone work for my team?
Moorea is UTC−10. Start at 6am and you cover a full Los Angeles morning, midday in New York, and the end of the Paris day. Most remote-working guests work early and swim from noon.
Do you discount longer stays?
Yes: 10% off from seven nights, 18% from fourteen, and a monthly rate from twenty-eight nights. Long stays are quoted by email so we can put you in the quietest Fare available.
Groups, weddings & the whole property
Can you host our whole group?
The Main House and five Fare together sleep up to 24 guests. Search your dates and we will suggest combinations you can book as one reservation, or write to us and we will hold the whole property for you.
Can we book two Fare side by side?
Yes, and it is the usual answer for families of five or six. Fare 1 and Fare 2 sit next to each other on the sand and can be reserved together in a single booking.
Do you host weddings and vow renewals?
We do: traditional Polynesian ceremonies on the beach with flower crowns, island music and the lagoon as your witness. Just the two of you, or the whole family. Write to us and we will build it around your dates.
Still wondering about something?
Ask us anything before you book. No question is too small, and there is no booking pressure from us.