Cannes, France

Driving into Cannes, France from the Italian Rivieria through Monte Carlo was an experience. The streets sparkle like diamonds, seriously! What do they put in the street to make it sparkle? I want it for my driveway, haha! We first stayed at the Intercontinental Carlton. This is the stuff dreams are made of. This is the 5 star hotel where the elite stay when they come for the Cannes Film Festival. Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, Sofia Loren, Alfred Hitchcock, Sean Connery, Uma Thurman, Sharon Stone, & Sean Penn all have suites named after them and are the rooms they stayed in often. It is located on the famous La Croisette Boulevard, right in front of the beach and sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea. 

The hotel first opened in 1911. In 1954, Alfred Hitchcock filmed To Catch a Thief at the hotel. In the summer of 1983, the hotel and its private beach featured prominently in the music video for the Elton John song I'm Still Standing. (The video also appears in the 2019 film Rocketman.) During the shooting of the video, the Carlton was the scene of a drunken party involving  Elton John and the band Duran Duran that has since become something of a legend at the hotel. Significant damages to the rooms in Elton John's suite resulted. Not going to lie, if I would have realized this video was filmed here prior to staying, I would have for sure recreated scenes from it, haha. I guess that means I have to go back!

The Carlton Cannes has been the target of several high-profile jewelry robberies.  In 1994, three men brandishing automatic weapons entered the jewelry store in the hotel and proceeded to open fire. The thieves made off with over $60 million in jewelry and precious stones. After the investigation, it was determined that the thieves were firing blanks as no bullet holes were evident. The thieves have not been apprehended. In 2013, a thief stole $137 million in jewels from the hotel in a daylight robbery. The jewelry was part of a temporary exhibition. No suspects have been charged with the heist. The heist has been called the biggest heist ever in France, and possibly the biggest heist of all time.

*The hotel is currently closed to undergo a crazy gorgeous remodel and is expected to open in the Spring of 2023.

I took so many photos around the hotel. The staircases were amazing. There are actually amazing staircases on both ends of the hotel! The hotel even shared one of my photos on their Instagram! 

This picture is dedicated to Aubrey and all of her friends lol. I have got SO much crap for having this photo on my Instagram from Aub & her friends. If only they would have seen the music video.....

"Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid"
-Elton John, I'm Still Standing, music video filmed at this hotel

Different staircases on the opposite ends of the hotel

Brian and I got a little bit of alone time in Cannes. We left the girls in the room and went to the Carlton Beach Club, right out front of the hotel. We also walked to where the Cannes Film Festival is and I got to walk the red carpet. 

              

We enjoyed seeing the creative window displays of all the biggest designers. If I had to pick one place in the world that has been my favorite shopping, it would be Cannes. The stores are across from the sea! And there was just something so magical about it. Here, take all my money, happily. After shopping, we had an inexpensive meal at McDonald's hahahahaha. Guys. Seriously, the McDon in Cannes is where it is at. Their food was on another level. Gourmet-looking salads, pasta salads, their chicken...it felt like a restaurant. I guess if you are going to be right next to all these high-end shops and right across from the Mediterranean Sea, you need to up your food game. 

Gucci

       Louis Vuitton window display                                        LV

Dolce & Gabbana 

                    Chanel

                       

Christian Dior

We enjoyed exploring Cannes on foot and finding the hidden gems of the city. There was a carousel by the sea, movie scenes you could insert your face in, interactive art everywhere, fun graffiti, just an all-around gorgeous city, even away from the beach and sea. 

Aubrey and I did a Create Your Own  Signature Perfume class in Grasse, France at Galimard. They have been in business since 1747! It was SO much fun! You start with 127 scents and create your signature fragrance. We had a custom label with the name we chose for our scent applied to the bottle and received a mastery certificate. They even gave little sister, who wasn't old enough to participate in the class at the time, her own vial of perfume that mommy created. The final perfume consists of a blended “Top Note” (peak), Middle Note (heart note), and Base Note (fond note). Your unique formula will be recorded in Galimard's confidential database for you to re-order at your convenience (in Parfum, Eau de Parfum, body lotion, shower gel, or scent diffuser). You can book a similar tour here. Thanks to the precious scents indigenous to the French Riviera, Grasse was named the Perfume capital of the world. Grasse is only 10.5 miles from Cannes. 

Bay of Angels

My Grandmother used to visit Nice, France in the summers of her youth before the war. She had a sibling who had a home there and she would go to stay with them. It was over 650 miles away from her home, but still in France. I was anxious to visit Nice. There was a terror attack in Nice on Bastille Day in 2016. Bastille Day for France is similar to the 4th of July in the States, a day of celebrations. In a few weeks, we would be attending Bastille Day celebrations in Paris and I was fearful that visiting Nice would bring up the fear of being in large crowds during the same event in France. When the attack happened in 2016, I was on Instagram and was looking at the hashtags for Nice and came upon some absolutely gut-wrenching images that stick with you forever. Haunting ones. They were uploaded by supporters of the responsible group, who were proud of the loss of life and destruction. It was such an uneasy feeling to go to the same spot I had seen families killed. The same feeling you get when visiting the 9/11 memorial at the site of the Twin Towers. Somber, but this was still a newer, vivid memory for me. I kept putting the day trip to Nice off but finally decided to do it on an overcast day when beach life and shopping and other site seeing weren't prime. When we got to the Promenade des Anglais (Walkway of the English),  it was bumper-to-bumper traffic. I really only wanted to see the famed pebbly beaches of Nice, and since I was already anxious about being here, I decided to leave the kids in the car with Brian and let them go park somewhere so I could get out and go see the beach full of pebbles and grab a few pictures quickly. Brian was not able to find a place to park and traffic was forcing him to stay on a certain route, so while he tried to find a way to loop back to me, I walked along the Promenade des Anglais all the way up to where it turns into Quai des Etats-Unis (United States Dock) and then up to The Bay of Angels. When walking from the beach back to the promenade, I got a sick feeling and I was kind of out of it realizing I was walking where so much death and tragedy happened. I was not paying attention and almost got run over by a cyclist as I was in the bike lane. I hurried to the pedestrian area and continued to the Bay of Angeles for a great view of Nice. Walking along the Promenade were the French military walking with their weapons out. We have seen this in Paris near famous monuments and in Italy. I am still not used to it, people walking towards you with weapons out, it's a weird feeling. Especially mixed with the other emotions I was having.

I found a huge art installation of a hashtag that said #ILOVENICE. I grabbed my tourist photos of the sign, then went and got back in the car and that was it for Nice. 

                                        

I really wanted to visit a spice market in the South of France. In every guidebook, there is info telling you how to see some of the most high quality spices in the world. We found a smaller market in Cannes. There were many different vendors selling cheeses, seafood, olives, truffles, spices and produce. 

Truffles

We also stayed a couple nights at the Holiday Inn in Cannes, free with hotel points. We all wanted a pool to swim, and the pool at the Intercontinental Carlton was still being built. Can't pass up a free hotel stay in Cannes! 

Check out places to stay in Cannes, here 

Booking.com

What You Should Know Before Traveling to Bora Bora

Our trip to Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti

• How We Hacked Our Trip to Bora Bora, Tahiti and Moorea
•  Air Tahiti Nui Flights
•  Air Tahiti Flights, Plus Airport Reviews
• Intercontinental Le Moana
• Intercontinental Thalasso Bora Bora
• Spa at Intercontinental Thalasso
• Hilton Moorea
• Intercontinental Moorea
• Aremiti Ferry to Tahiti
• Intercontinental Tahiti
• Papeete, Tahiti
• Hilton LAX Day Stay
• What You Should Know Before Traveling to Bora Bora
• Our Kids Travel: How to Save Money in Bora Bora

You do not need to bring shampoo, conditioner or body wash. Save the room in your luggage, especially since the weight restrictions on luggage is so carefully monitored on the smaller planes, like Air Tahiti. The resorts gave me new ones every day. I left a note for extra conditioner since my hair is so long, so everyday I also received multiple conditioners.

Bring your own water shoes. Most areas we encountered coral in the ocean. I have read way too many reviews where someone cut there foot on the coral and it ruined their trip. Apparently there is also a coral looking fish that will ruin your day if touched. 

If you go in French Polynesia's summer season, be aware that a mossy seaweed can grow on the ladders from the bungalow to the lagoon. The resorts try to keep this to a minimum, but it's just the season for it. If you come in contact with it, it can cause an unpleasant rash. Be prepared and pack a lotion for the rash, or maybe benadryl. It happened to me on day 2. Luckily it went away on it's own and was never bothersome, just strange looking when I was trying to look all cute in my swimsuit. 

If you cannot splurge on a spa treatment, ask about day pass rates. At the Intercontinental Thalasso you can get a day pass for $35 or $50 with the steam room. My husband was able to get the pass and spend the whole day at the spa with me using the many amenities. I would highly recommend spending one day at the spa. The views here are the best at the resort.

Use the correct credit cards! For instance, use the Chase IHG card at the Intercontinental Resorts, the American Express Hilton card at Hiltons, the SPG American Express at the Marriott properties.  The amount of points earned when using the correct card are insane! Even on free reward nights, I earned thousands of points on everything I charged to the room, which was then charged to the coordinating card. 

If staying at Intercontinental Resorts, pay the $200 to become an ambassador. You get a guaranteed upgrade whether you are staying on a points stay or you are paying. The difference in room categories  are over $300 a night, so you would make your money back on the first night. After all, the view is why you are coming here. It also gets you other perks, like a fresh fruit plate every stay. We were able to snack on it throughout the evening then save the rest for breakfast. You never know what other perks it will bring. We also received a nice IC Thalasso beach bag and Tiare Monoi, valued at about $38. There is also a special area for Ambassadors to check in. A chic seating area with incredible views. We received welcome drinks and refreshing hand towels. The manager came out to welcome us at each resort as well, making us feel really special. 

Another Ambassador perk is you get a Buy 1 Get 1 free on a weekend night stay. It could come in handy if you are paying for this trip and staying over a weekend.  A free night in Bora Bora could save you over $1,000 easily! 

If you are staying near Viatape, go off the resort and check out the snack shack on the beach! It has the most amazing view and on one of the best beaches in the world! It's called Snack Matira. It is also the perfect place to watch the sunset. They do not keep usual hours, so have your concierge call in advance to see if they are open. Also make sure they are serving fish that day, if that interests you. 

Everywhere seemed to accept Visa and most of the time Mastercard. But other cards like Discover or American Express weren't always accepted. Be prepared. Also alert the credit card companies of your travel dates to prevent declines based on possible fraudulent charges. Ask the credit card company if they charge a foreign transaction fee. 

Everywhere accepted American dollars, but you lost out on a few cents here and there. If an item was 1500 xpf, they would charge $15 instead of $13.84, if paid by American dollars. 

Out of respect you should try to learn some basic French and Tahitian sayings. It only takes a few minutes to learn and it will make you feel comfortable to be able to speak greetings with locals and the staff.

To find hotels, apartments, and hostels in Bora Bora, click here.

Intercontinental Tahiti Review

Our trip to Bora Bora, Moorea & Tahiti

•  Air Tahiti Nui Flights
•  Air Tahiti Flights, Plus Airport Reviews
• InterContinental Le Moana
• Intercontinental Thalasso Bora Bora
• Spa at Intercontinental Thalasso
• Hilton Moorea
• Intercontinental Moorea
• Aremiti Ferry to Tahiti
• Intercontinental Tahiti
• Papeete, Tahiti
• Hilton LAX Day Stay
• How We Hacked Our Trip to Bora Bora, Moorea and Tahiti
• What You Should Know Before Traveling to Bora Bora
• Our Kids Travel: How to Save Money in Bora Bora

We took a taxi from the Aremiti ferry to the InterContinental Tahiti. It was about $45. We arrived just before 1pm. We were thanked for our loyalty and handed two fruity drinks. 

I was a tad sad there were no complimentary hand towels in that wonderful tiare scent and also no special place for ambassadors to be taken during check in. We used the front desk. But we were still treated very well amd thanked often. I try to use my French as often as possible.  The front desk agent asked where I learned French as not many Americans speak or try to. Our room was ready for us. They had upgraded us from a basic room to a premium garden view room. Since this was our last night in Paradise, we asked what the rate was to upgrade to a bungalow.  A regular over the water bungalow was $150 to upgrade to, and the new Motu Overwater Bungalows were $180. We toured the motu one and once I saw it I didn't want to look any further. It was perfection. When they say new it is really really new. It still had the fresh wood scent and everything was immaculate. I would love to know the designer of these bungalows as they are far superiorly decorated than any of the other hotels I have ever been in. Ever. They really tied the outdoors into this bungalow, making it feel serene like a spa. They used all different materials all with a natural color scheme. The door was etched wood that matched the desk. On the desk was a Nespresso machine. This location charged $4 for a pod. There was also an electric water kettle, glasses and coffee cups provided. Above the desk were outlets. There were several USB outlets and also built in outlets that work with American plugs! I thought that was a great idea, although the USB outlets are a perfect solution for everyone.  The night stands and table were wood with mother of pearl tile inlets, there was a sofa bed built out of wood with amazing canvas like colors and floral palm pillows, set perfectly with two hanging brown lamps with dim lighting for ambiance at night. The head board was white with crystal pieces, the curtains were beautiful and the window to the ocean was a whole wall that slid all the way open. There was a see through natural colored curtain that could be ran all the way across to keep the mosquitos out, but with the wind from the storm while we were there, we were afraid they would get in as it kept blowing the curtain up. Even with the door-window closed, you could hear the waves crashing. This bungalow is actually in the Pacific Ocean, where the others were in a protected lagoon with no crazy waves. I really appreciated a night of listening to the waves in a completely peaceful environment. It rained for a couple hours overnight and I was bummed  because I could only hear the rain hitting the bungalow and not the waves crashing. The bathroom was a spa itself. It is an all white luxurious room with mother of pearl tile covering everything. The shower was a dual rain shower. The bathtub had a nice view through a window in the bedroom out to the ocean. Robes and slippers were provided. The bath amenities here were different than the other French Polynesia IC resorts. The fragrance was lemongrass, and my guess is that they have chosen this scent to help detour the mosquitos. I have read they do not like lemongrass. There is an amazing large spa light above the sinks. There were two closets, one with nice wood built in dressers. I love that they use different types of wood throughout. The builtins were more of a grey wood that is really in style now. This bungalow has really inspired me to redo our master bedroom. I need it to have this spa retreat feel since I spend more time there than any other room. I am going to completely copy the style. 

The outside of the bungalow needs its own review. It was crazy beautiful. First off, when the golf cart brings you to your bungalow, you get dropped of at your "porch." Its a large covered area with a bench. There is a covered walkway to your bungalow that has lighting built in to the wood. You use your room key to get into an outside door, which opens to the actual door to your room and also continues your wrap around porch. If you walk straight ahead you will walk to your deck. The deck had brand new top of the line and top style seating. There was a huge deep outdoor sofa with great pillows, what I call a King's thrown chair, two sun loungers, a table and two chairs, a side table, and wood shelves. The view looked out to the island of Moorea, which is an extinct volcano. There is a lower deck that has a ladder to climb down to the water for swimming. While we were there the waves were pretty severe. We saw no one swimming there and I would not feel comfortable being in that water. We did see plenty of locals rowing back and forth. They also tell you to keep your window door locked so that no one comes up from the water and steals your belongings. 

Sadly the mosquitos were noticeable so we hid inside the bungalow. We attempted to have coffee on the sofa outside in the morning but they were landing on us even after we had sprayed Off bug spray, so we went inside. The same view but I was just bummed not to be able to use the amazing outdoor furniture. The locals told us how bad the mosquito flu is. Especially this time of year when it rains, then the next day is sunshine, then rain again. It is making their breeding ground triple. And they say the flu lasts at least a week. We did not see or worry about mosquitos in Bora Bora. I never even used bug spray there.  But we did see them in Moorea, especially at the Hilton when we were in the garden bungalow. But Tahiti had many. With my autoimmune issues I was pretty scared to add any other illnesses to my plate. Especially since some of the "mosquito flus" cause joint issues.  I don't need any more of those!

Our bungalow, #486 was right in front of the Lagoonarium. The Mister took his underwater camera and went snorkeling there and took some nice videos of fish and coral. The pool was behind the Lagoonarium and was large and had a great view. There was a little grotto with a waterfall where one could hide from the sun but still have amazing views of the ocean. Next to that was a jacuzzi but sadly it is a cold water jacuzzi. Cold as in the same temperature as the pool, not a hot jacuzzi. None of the resorts had a hot one except in the spas. They are called "steam baths" not jacuzzis here. 

We had a fresh fruit plate and a souvenir tin of Tahitian cookies left for us as a Thank You for being Platinum Ambassador. The tin was selling for $15 at the market. The pears in the fruit plate were the same color as a sweet potato. It was so so delicious. I am going to search out that type at home. 

Ambassador Gifts

We were allowed a 4pm late checkout since we are Ambassadors. That was worth the whole membership right there. Our flight wasn't until 11:55pm, so if we would have had to check out at 11am that would have been a miserable day with our luggage. So at 4pm we checked our luggage with the hotel and hung out in the lobby's comfortable seating enjoying the view of the volcano (Moorea.) I eventually wandered down to an ocean front hammock and relaxed while it sprinkled, until the mosquitos appeared. 

We ate at the Tiki Bar, leaving 15 minutes before the Polynesian Show started. I was hoping to watch some of it, but we were worried that it would take a while to call a taxi to get us (it didn't.) If you were to do the buffet, it was $79 per person but included better seating to watch the show. We ate a la carte. 

I am so glad we decided to switch our last night in Moorea for this night in Tahiti. Our reasoning was we would be able to use the 4pm late Ambassador checkout, instead of checking out at 10am to make the 11:30am ferry to Tahiti. Then wandering all day with our luggage. I have read that there is a luggage storage facility at the airport in Papeete that charges $9 a bag for 24 hours, but I did not see it. Instead we were treated to one of our favorite rooms and a relaxing day. I seriously enjoyed this room and I believe it was decorated better than IC Thalasso. Of course Thalasso as a resort was nicer, the room was way larger and the waters are prettier, but the decor was so nice at the IC Tahiti, again it was like a spa trip. 

So we made it to all 4 Intercontinental Resorts in French Polynesia. Hopefully we can help you make your decision of what is best for you.