Ninamu Resort

Magical Paradise…. Ninamu is that place. Leave your work, laptops, devices and shoes behind and emerge yourself in true Tahitian storybook island life. This magical piece of Tikehau will release you from it all, if you let it. Our 2nd time here and 10 days is still too short for us. We cannot get enough of the hospitality, staff and of course Mr. Coleman the fuzzy island director of activities. Already missing our lazy days in the cabana, paddle boarding out to the reef and snorkeling in the lagoon. This staff really feels more like family to us. Chris, Manoa, Keone, Moon, Chef, Ava Colman and The Mayor are incredible ❤️. They go out of their way to help wherever they can, however we witnessed so many guests that were impossible to please and made the trip uncomfortable for themselves, the staff and other guests. All the guest who make things difficult are the ones that do not read about the island and what is offered and what is not offered. Understand what you are booking instead of arriving at this magical place and ruining it for everyone else because you failed to read (Allen). We cherished every moment of our trip and can’t wait to do it again next year. ❤️

The first thing that struck me about this remote property was the small, dimly lit bungalow I was initially shown—along with the comment, "If you pay more, I can show you a better one." I paid more to get a "rustic, primitive" bungalow facing the lagoon, which had no A/C ("just leave the door open for the breeze, I was told") and only a few electrical bulbs and outlets. Be aware that while Ninamu is advertised as an "All-Inclusive Resort," they charged for every drink except water. As for the meals, the first dinner was an excellent BBQ—but only because they had VIP guests that night. Once the VIPs left, the next meal consisted of chicken, noodles, and a half-grilled banana for dessert. The stay there was a major disappointment.

This was our favorite place in FP and one of our best vacations ever. I have been trying to get here with my family for several years because I had heard amazing things from friends of mine that had gone before, but things kept on getting in the way- we were finally able to pull it off and will be back for sure. The team working there from the manager and chef (Cheffy) to the island staff (especially the bar/restaurant team) and boat guys were super friendly, accommodating, helpful and fun to be around. Re a lack of communication mentioned in other reviews I am not sure what that is about...we booked directly through the resort. Chris was super helpful answering all of our questions prior to the trip and I had a ton of them. They were there waiting for us at the airport as expected and I don't think I even sent them my flight info until the day before. We went during the "rainy" season. Like most tropical destinations this meant maybe a quick downpour in the afternoon a couple of days which was actually refreshing despite the forecast looking like it was going to rain all day everyday. The weather was tropical hot, but overall great- just spend a ton of time in the water. Would recommend the cabana's with the A/C if available. I don't care as much, but for the rest of my family that was very enjoyable- the units are quiet and get the room very cold when they wanted a break and at night. The cabanas over all were nice- comfortable beds and furniture, very spacious compared to a hotel room or overwater cabana we stayed in at other resorts- we stayed in Teahupoo which we really liked- mainly because of the back deck. Kids were in Vini which was perfect for them. The "hot tub/wading pool" wasn't working, but that didn't bother us at all- the calm ocean was right off the back of our deck and we would not have used it anyway. There are also black tip reef sharks (friendly) right off the beach which was cool. The motu is beautiful- turquoise blue water immediately off our cabana. Checking out the Cocoanut crabs cruising around at night was fun. We did all the excursions and enjoyed them all as well as some private ones we arranged through Cheffy and Keon (boat guide and awesome guy). It is quiet and peaceful, but we were able to find a nice balance of activities and also just unplugging and chilling out. The pool table is terrible (haha), but my son and I had some great games at night...no way anyone is stopping a pool table from warping in that weather so we didn't expect anything more- it was just a nice diversion and the bar space area is cool. They also have a nice book library - we took a couple and left a couple behind. The food was amazing- almost exclusively fish except for a couple of meals and breakfasts, but you are in the middle of the ocean so it's super fresh and we never got tired of it. My son needed more food than was coming with the meals because he's a teenager and an athlete and Cheffy was super nice and made him extra for each

We made a reservation at Ninamu back in October, excited to stay at this property. However, as per their policy, guests are required to contact the hotel 72 hours prior to arrival to arrange transportation. This is where the nightmare began. We tried to reach the hotel through every possible channel—WhatsApp, the owner’s direct WhatsApp, email, the website contact form, multiple phone numbers, and even Instagram messages—countless times, but we never managed to speak to anyone. After dozens of attempts over several days, we were left completely in the dark. The lack of response forced us to spend an entire morning working with my credit card insurance to secure a last-minute alternative hotel. This was incredibly stressful and time-consuming—exactly what you want to avoid while on vacation. This experience raises serious concerns about whether Ninamu is even operational. At best, it’s poorly managed; at worst, it could be a scam. Either way, I strongly advise travelers to avoid this property if they want an stress-free and reliable vacation.