Ninamu Resort
Six handmade bures on a Tikehau motu, run by a big-wave surfer for divers and kitesurfers.
Ninamu occupies a private motu on the rim of Tikehau atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago, reached by flight from Papeete and then boat. The motu is small, pink-sanded and holds one property. Tikehau's lagoon is the one Cousteau's team surveyed and found exceptionally rich in fish.
Six bures built by hand from coral, driftwood and thatch make up the accommodation, taking a maximum of around eighteen guests. The property was built by an American big-wave surfer and is run informally: kitesurfing, spearfishing, diving the pass and manta cleaning stations, with meals communal and improvised.
Built by hand, without a plan. The bures were made on site from what the motu and the lagoon provided, and they are unlike anything else in Polynesia.
Activity rather than service. Guests come for the water and the wind; the property makes no attempt at hotel polish and does not pretend to.
Who it is not for
Ninamu is wrong for guests expecting hotel standards, since the accommodation is handmade and basic. It is wrong for travellers who want to be waited on rather than joining in. And it is wrong for those needing connectivity or a spa. And it is wrong for guests who want privacy, since the property is communal by nature. Those wanting Tikehau with a resort behind them should look at Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts.
Sources
- Open sources — six handmade bures, private motu, Tikehau atoll, French Polynesia
- Bure count, capacity and current operation unverified. Confirm before publication.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
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