We loved our stay at Vanira Lodge. The view of Teahupoo's waves and the sunset watching are the first things I think of. But my first reaction when we arrived was a squeal of delight when I saw our treehouse, a la Swiss Family Robinson, but cleaned spotlessly on idyllic, well-manicured grounds that succeed in feeling natural while also enhancing the landscape for use and enjoyment. The best part is simply enjoying the view from the amazing setting, but there's plenty on offer here as well. We loved our half-day boat excursion where we got to see the famous Teahupoo waves up close and catch some surfers in action before cruising over to a quiet sandbar for some snorkeling among the coral. Before that, we spent a day playing ping pong in the sun with a view of the sea, hiking up the awesome (and very steep!) 45-minute trail on the grounds, reading in our treehouse nook, and taking in the sunset from the small but well-kept pool on the property. The attention to detail is hard to miss at Vanira -- everything is carefully maintained and the staff is both friendly and hard-working. The on-site restaurant was great for dinners under the stars, too! The way natural elements and tasteful furnishing come together make you feel like a classy Tarzan and Jane enjoying the island life. And the management went above and beyond to make our departure smooth and easy. We loved everything about it!

We booked the Vanira lodge based on a recommendation from one of the local tour guides. The place is very highly regarded on the island. It is a unique place with beautiful views from its plush green hillside vantage point. Here you find the many unique bungalows described on their website. However, the “lodge” is not what many foreign guests would conjure in their mind. And it is certainly not a resort. The property, while quite picturesque, has a small pool and a designated yoga bungalow. The onsite restaurant serves delicious food, but the menu is limited. Staff are helpful, friendly and this is the only place to get wi-fi. We stayed in the Vai Here bungalow one of the air conditioned units with a jacuzzi, although it was too hot to really enjoy the jacuzzi. The deck of the unit faces west, so even with the large deck cover it was too hot and humid to be on the deck in the heat of the afternoon. For some reason we did not even get much of a breeze. Finally, an hour or two after sunset things started cooling down. The bedroom air conditioner did cool things down sufficiently for sleeping but was noisy. The bedroom consisted of a king bed and a small refrigerator. We brought in two deck chairs to have some place additional to sit. Shelf and hanging storage seemed sufficient. Since there were many ways for bugs to get in the room, we did sleep using DEET on arms and legs and that seemed to keep the critters at bay. The shower, sink and toilet were on the deck. Privacy was ample, but we would burn mosquito coils to keep the pests away while we tended to our daily routines. We also burned them when we just hung out on the deck. You are on the hillside of a subtropical rain forest---there are a lot of mosquitos. We were there in mid-April and we had rain showers every day. Everything felt damp, even in the bedroom. Towels and linens are changed every three days. We would sweep down our deck daily to cut down on the leaves and flotsam we would track into our room. There is only a tiny garbage can near the wash area that gets emptied every 3 days, a larger can away from the deck would have been nice. We used our deck for drying, but, with high humidity it took a while. The multitude of geckos did not really bother us, but you had to keep an eye out as they could be anywhere. Everything in your room had to be zipped tight or sealed. It would have been nice if the lodge provided an umbrella in the room to help with the walk to the restaurant which was essentially uncovered and who wants to arrive for dinner or breakfast all wet. Our bungalow also could use some light maintenance. I already mentioned the air conditioner. The hook that held the shower head was loose and the shower curtain needs replaced. One of the deck chairs had a couple broken ribs. If you book here, two maybe three nights are adequate to do and see what Tahiti Iti/Teahupoo have to offer. We recommend hitting the west coast highlights on the way from Papeete. Take a ½ day to go out to the reef to watch surfers and explore some of the lagoons and caves (book ahead). One day to explore the east side of Iti and up the east side of the main island. The driveway/road to the lodge is steep and unpaved. It is not two-way. If you are a person who usually stays in 4 or 5 star hotels/resorts, I think you are going to be disappointed.

Or everyone will want to go there! Truly extraordinary slice of heaven, far south on Tahiti Iti's west coast. Absolutely, serenely beautiful, each bungalow is totally private and has a Lost Horizon kind of view down over the rain forest to the sea. Each is a little unique; with perhaps a hot tub on the deck, AC in the bedroom or open to the mountain breezes, maybe a kitchenette to do some of your own cooking, etc. What the bungalows have in common is a rustic, meticulously thought out decor, comfy beds, open air showers and everything else you might need for a quiet, romantic interlude. No stress. Besides the good onsite restaurant, there are a couple of other excellent restaurants within about a 15min drive. A car really is an advantage here; especially if you want to explore or go to the beach. Be Warned: If you are looking for loud boom-boom music and overpriced umbrella drinks by a crowded swimming pool, this is not the place for you. There is no television, the wifi only works in the restaurant and we never saw anyone doing cannonballs into the small pool. This place is all about getting away from it all, including the typical tourist traps. But remember, if you do decide to visit Vanira Lodge, don't tell your friends! Or we won't be able to get in next time...

Vanira Lodge is the consummate get-away if you want to be surrounded by peace, privacy and beauty. The food is over the top for taste and presentation. Each bungalow had its own personality with unique and interesting designs like no other in the world. This location made it for the best vacation ever!

We rented the Vai Here bungalow Jan 2019. The weather was wonderful, the lodge is amazingly put together. The grounds/lodging: Every bungalow is situated in such a way that you feel like you rented your own private house. The bungalow has two air conditioned bedrooms with the other living spaces all outside. The spa, shower, and sink is all outside, which I loved. Everything was very clean. The grounds are immaculate and beautiful. Every one was very friendly and we were able to borrow some snorkeling gear. However, I wish they would also rent boogie boards. The owner did mention that they will have their boat ready in March to start their own tours of the area. Food: We didn't eat dinner at the restaurant but did eat breakfast. The American breakfast is 1900 francs and consists of coffee, juice, fresh fruit, cheese, coconut bread, eggs, bacon and yogurt. Everything was very fresh and delicious and the views are breathtaking. The Area - We found good snorkeling at Maui beach and even better snorkeling about 800 meters down towards the end of the road. Also, there is a restaurant at the very end of the road that is very good and reasonably priced. There are a few little food marts but make sure you take enough cash as some of them don't take credit cards. All in all the lodge was charming, very well put together and very clean. We hope to be back soon.

We arrived later than we wanted due to flight delays. It was pouring rain and dark but the well lit sign gave us plenty of notice to turn.. I did not realize that it was up so high but we made it. We had supper in the restaurant and it was very good, as was the breakfast. The staff were amazing. The power was out in the bungalows when we first arrived but that was corrected and our room was amazing. We had a lower unit, looking out into the forest. It was so private and the outdoor restroom was fun. The bedroom area was air conditioned and the bed was very comfortable. The deck was very large with lots of seating. We had a chirping gecko with us overnight! Our tour we had planned the next morning was cancelled, which was very disappointing so we hung around for a little while longer. I was told that they are soon getting their own boat to take tours so that would be a plus as the rain lifted quickly in the morning and I think our tour could have gone. It was so delightful I wish we could have stayed longer. Good wifi up at the restaurant.

Factory making fiberglass boats right next door. All through the day we suffered the acrid stench of curing fiberglass (epoxy) resin - certainly one of the least natural or outdoorsy smells. The entire pool area and area by the "spa" bungalows were affected by this stench. Certainly nothing "eco" about the smell of this "ecolodge". I spent 20 years working in laboratories. If my laboratory had smelled this bad, I would have complained. Yes, the bungalows are quaint but no reason to stay in a place with a stench. The bathroom was outside and we encountered a giant stinging centipede in our toilet room. The air conditioning is European style - a cool breeze, but not fast cooling. The restaurant is OK and not plagued by the stench. But, after two nights, you will have sampled everything you like on the menu. The breakfast was good.

This place ticked all the boxes for us. The views, the comfort and we were secluded from other guests. I liked that the wifi only worked in the dining area. We enjoyed our breakfasts and you could either choose to dine in which isn’t cheap but the meals are generous in portion and the ingredients are very good quality - the tuna carpaccio was excellent along with the Paraha dish - which was a whole fish. The duck was excellent. We borrowed snorkelling gear for our day trip out on the water and they contacted other tour businesses for us as we didn’t have a phone. The sunset swim in the pool was excellent. Each Villa is different and ours had the spa!

The lodge is situated on Tahiti Its. A bit of a drive from central Papeete. But it is a lovely place to stay! We had a little bungalow called Haari. A nice view of the sea, comfortable bed and a nice shower. There were unfortunately no internet at the room but it worked fine at the restaurant. I did not like either the breakfast or the one meal we had for dinner. I was maybe disappointed with the meals since our travel guide have written nicely about it. Expensive, both of them and not good.