Renting a slice of heaven on Moorea

Chris Carter heads to French Polynesia in search of his own private paradise

Temae Beach, Moorea
Still waters at Temae Beach

When you rent a villa or a holiday cottage, you can stay almost anywhere. You are free to find your own quiet tropical beach, Alpine retreat, or sleepy hilltop town on the Mediterranean – whatever takes your fancy. Bora Bora, for example, is a French Polynesian ideal. Its luxury resorts are no doubt very fine. They cater to the legions of honeymooners who come in search of its white sand and clear waters every year – and it is a cliché.

If only there was somewhere less busy and more authentic – somewhere a little less commercial, and not too far out of the way. As a matter of fact, there is. It’s called Moorea. And it lies just a short ferry hop from Tahiti and its international airport. It’s also arguably better for watersports.

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.