Fare Pae'ao

The lagoon outing on Saturday was a real highlight. We shared a Tahitian-style lunch with visitors from the other motus and saw manta rays and lots of fish. The family was friendly and helpful throughout, and Nelson showed us to our clean bungalow and helped with our bags. It had a ceiling fan and a floor fan, though the old floor fan was broken and had to be replaced. The welcome at the boat and airport was pleasant, and we were given a lei, something we hadn't experienced on the other islands. Meals were a mixed point. Lunch and dinner were cooked for us, with a good range of fish dishes that we enjoyed. Breakfast was the advertised basics of bread, jam, and fruit. We paid for half board and paid separately for lunch. Lunch portions felt small for my American appetite, and getting into town for food can be unreliable, so bring something along or plan to eat here. Nelson's daughters were around to answer questions when he wasn't, and we learned the family also owns the small airport cafe. We were advised to try a coconut with vodka there. We rated service two stars because of the alcohol-related comments we mentioned. There isn't a lot to do beyond relaxing, which is pleasant for a while, but after three or four days we were ready for a change. The advertised massage wasn't available, there were no kayaks, and snorkeling from the front wasn't very good, with poor visibility. Maybe the season makes a difference. Activities offered at dinner were limited, mostly to the lagoon tour. We were told there would be rum and beer on the lagoon tour. There was plenty of free beer but no rum, and no one told us to bring cash if we wanted to buy some with lunch. On a motu, where drinks including rum are offered for purchase, they should try not to run out or provide an alternative. Our flight coincided with a delayed cargo ship, which may have affected supplies, so bring extra alcohol. We asked Fare Pae’eo about wine and were told it was “complicated”; Lilli’s in town apparently has it, while Homani didn't. We'd asked about fishing before arriving, but were told the waves in the passage to the village meant deep-water fishing wasn't possible. Wi-Fi was patchy, as it seemed to be everywhere on Maupiti, but good enough for photos. An international plan may be useful; we used T-Mobile. Bring plenty of CFP and cash, since we didn't see an ATM on Maupiti.