The picturesque lagoon island of Maupiti in the western end of the Society Islands is a mini version of Bora Bora. At 11 sq. km it is about a third of the size of Bora, its highest peak of 380metres is about half as high as Bora and its population of 1,271 is less than a quarter that of Bora. More importantly for tourism though, is that there are just a handful of guesthouses on the islands, no resorts and no organized tours. For some, this is paradise.

The main island of Maupiti in the centre of the lagoon takes about two hours to walk around. The island is dominated by the 250metre high Mt. Hotu Paraoa at the southern tip of the island which tumbles dramatically into the sea. Along the eastern side of the mountain is the twin settlement of Vaiea and Farauru where the majority of Maupiti's inhabitants live. At the northern end of the island are some interesting petroglyphs carved into rock and further along the east coast are the remains of ancient marae. The western point of Maupitui has the delightful Tereia Beach. Several families here offer rooms for rent.

maupiti island

Mt. paraoa

vaiea village

tereia beach

The best snorkelling in Maupiti is around Onoiau Pass the only boat access to Maupiti sandwiched between Tiapaa and Pitiahe. Tiapaa has lovely beaches surrounding the island - it takes about an 40 minutes to circumnavigate the island. There are two guesthouses here, the delightful hand crafted traditional bungalows at Pension Kuiri and the standard A-frame bungalows of Pension Papahani. The island is home to several fishermen who can organize boat trips, fishing excursions or snorkelling trips at will.

motu tiapaa

tiapaa beach

onoiau lagoon

motu pitiahe

On the north side of Maupiti, close to the airport, is tiny Motu Paeao. The island has been fully excavated by archaeologists who found some of the oldest clues of Polynesian civilisation here. Chez Janinne offers six A-frame bungalows and there's also good snorkelling in the passages either side of the island.

motu tunai

motu paeao

paeao beach

parrot fish

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Readers may also be interested in the following destinations:

Cook Islands Travel Guide
Fiji Travel Guide
Samoa Travel Guide
Tonga Travel Guide
Hawaii Travel Guide

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Recommended Websites: South Pacific Resorts ; Cook Island Resorts ; Hawaii Resorts ; Samoa Resorts ; Fiji Resorts ; Tonga Resorts ; Tahiti Resorts