Testimonials

Te Mana Travels is passionate about providing our guests a first-class experience through the islands of Tahiti.

Here’s what Some of our Amazing guests think…

I can’t say enough positives about our experience with Jennifer and Te Mana Travels. Our 20th wedding anniversary was simply magical as TMT put together the perfect tropical getaway to celebrate ourselves.

I did a lot of initial research and was trying to set this up myself for some weeks before realizing I was in way over my head and needed assistance from someone that knew Tahiti extensively. Jennifer took the time to listen to my needs and ideas. Afterwards she applied her own experience and came up with the perfect itinerary for our two-week tour of a few Tahitian islands. I gave her our budget and we stayed within it perfectly while maximizing our dollars to visit Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and Taha’a.

She was professional and helpful whenever we had any questions and prompted us to reply or follow up with me as needed. The level of detail was spot on from the suggested airport layover times (LAX is so frustrating) to the morning buffets which were a hit and allowed us to sample different resorts’ offerings easily. Finally, her personal touches were apparent with some built-in spa appointments and multiple course dinners.

This trip of a lifetime was a resounding success with the help of Jennifer and TMT. We will be reminiscing about our days of watching the turquoise water lap up on the shore as we sip our Manutea rum drinks for years to come. We would recommend TMT to anyone wanting to plan memorable Tahitian trips that your family and friends will be talking about for a long time. Thank you for everything, Jennifer and TMT.

— Ken Rowlan, June 2024

Jennifer Westfall of Te Mana Travels is truly an expert agent for Polynesia travel. We used her to book a catamaran for a week to Bora Bora and back with hotel accommodations and air transportation on each end in May, 2024. Great crew. Everything was as represented: time, distances, quality of accommodations were spot on. Excellent snorkeling tour on Bora Bora and the Air Tahiti Nui lounge in Tahiti was a nice perk. Highly recommended.

—Steve Strauss, May 2024

Our Family trip to Tahaa and Bora Bora could not have been any better or any smoother. It was the dream of a lifetime to be able to go with my children and their spouses for this nine day vacation and have EVERYTHING planned to perfection. While I thought that nothing could be more perfect than the 80 degree temperature with the great ocean breeze making it feel like 70ish or the clear blue lagoon water being an inviting 80 degrees or the 5-star accommodations in the grass covered bungalows sitting on stilts right in the water. I found that having a travel agent like Jennifer Westfall from the Tahiti Legends agency was equally as PERFECT!  Jennifer was so thorough and efficient to plan EVERYTHING where we were treated like royalty at every point in our adventure and didnt have to wait long for any transfer or anything at all! She even texted and stayed in touch through our travel to ensure everything was smooth. I can’t thank Jennifer enough for such a well-planned and thought-out vacation for us!

— Kent Murdock, May 2024

Great trip. Every detail was planned for us and there were no hiccups. I would give ten stars if I could.

— Darin Knudson, May 2024

I was fortunate to be on the Te Mana Women’s Tuomotu Island Adventure trip, Oct. 25–Nov. 1, 2023. It was an amazing adventure, the result of the detailed planning and seamless support from our charming organizer and guide Jennifer, the owner of Te Mana Travel. She went out of her way to make sure that any concerns were immediately addressed (whether dietary, accommodation or activity-related) and jumped in to help me with travel arrangements for a 3-day Moorea trip before the tour, including transfers, ferries and hotels. She also was right there to help change travel arrangements when one person unexpectedly had to leave early from the tour.

I went into the trip with no real expectations, but came away with so many memories that will last a lifetime. Between four peaceful nights on the catamaran in Rangiroa with a wonderful group of women, an unbelievable cook and fully outfitted cabin, and three relaxing nights on Fakarava in beach bungalows, we explored! We had great barbecues on pristine beaches, saw sea life and spectacular coral reefs on a grand scale while snorkeling, and were able to completely escape from our normal hectic lives. I hope to one day do it again with Te Mana Travels and Jennifer.

— C. G. Schaefer, November 2023

Kodie Redongo:
Wow!! Once in a lifetime experience. Highly recommend, especially for first time travelers. Jennifer, Homai, Dorothy and the rest of the individuals from all the side excursions and tours were very friendly and welcoming. The amenities and activities on and off the boat met far past expectations. 10/10 we’ll definitely be back!

Keanu Redongo:
One of the best vacations I’ve ever taken! Jennifer, Homai and Dorothy were amazing hosts. From the food to how everything was timed out, everything was more than what I expected! Definitely a bucket list vacation and would most definitely come back! 6 out of 5 starts😊

Chad Redongo:
A once in a lifetime experience. We were greeted by Dorathy, Homai, and Jen who immediately made us feel at home. The views were unbelievable, the food was amazing, and we were constantly entertained. Highly recommended, would go again in a heartbeat.

Joyce Redongo:
AMAZING! Thank you Jen, Dorothy and Hotmai! I would definitely recommend Te Mana. Had a wonderful time and thanks again!!

— The Redongo Family, November 2023

Wow! No words to encompass how wonderful this trip is. From Jennifer’s kindness and hospitality to French Polynesia’s beautiful landscapes, water, and culture. If you’re looking for a way to experience it all, this is the way to go. Not to mention how delicious all the food was! Thank you Jennifer and Te Mana Travels!

— Lesley G, November 2023

I cannot say enough about Jennifer. She was absolutely wonderful to work with. She helped make our dream vacation come true. She was quick to respond to any questions we had (there were many) and give us great recommendations. Jennifer went above and beyond to help us make sure everything was perfect. It was our first time using someone to help plan a vacation and she made this such a positive experience. Thank you Jennifer!

— Theresa Bailey, October 2023

For all those who already know French Polynesia and want to discover it even more in depth, and for all others who would like to travel there to discover it, Te Mana Travels and Jennifer’s talent will make your stay a sum of unforgettable moments. My 5th stay in Polynesia, the 1st with my family, perfectly organized by Jennifer who loves Polynesia, it shows!

— Romain Darcos, October 2023

What a holiday. It was a true bucket list time for us. From the first moment of communication with Jennifer, it was seamless. We stayed at two resorts and had many taxi transfers as well, on time every time. Jennifer is a fantastic cook and an extremely personable hostess. All of us are sailors and with the hire of a catamaran, skippered by Richard it made our sailing holiday the best experience. We would highly recommend Te Mana Travels for your Tahitian holiday. We will be back next year.

— Anthea Broad, August 2023

We hit the jackpot when we booked with Jennifer at Te Mana Travels. She looked at our specific wants and needs while traveling to Tahiti and created an itinerary that was perfect! We flew into Tahiti, had a private driver take us to the hotel. The next morning we were greeted by a private driver who took us to the airport. We then flew to another island and took a boat to Ta’haa. We stayed on a private island at a resort and had a very romantic, quiet stay in an overwater bungalow. While on this island we did an excursion on the main island of Ta’haa. We visited a Pearl farm, vanilla farm, rum factory and did an atv tour. It was the perfect mix of history, education and fun. We would definitely recommend a tour of the main island while visiting. The resort was beautiful and had a coral garden that was so unique.

After a few days we flew back to the island of Mo’orea and stayed a few nights at the Hilton. We didn’t choose OWB this time and I’m happy about that choice. It seemed a little busier and had a restaurant in the middle. Not as quiet as our previous stay. We loved the land bungalow with private pool. We did an atv tour on this island as well and it was so different than the other island. We would highly recommend it. We then took a ferry back to the main island and flew home.

Jennifer was amazing. I couldn’t recommend her more. It was a perfect trip of a lifetime.

— Susan Delahunty, June 2023

Jennifer of Te Mana Travels put together a most amazing trip for our group of five couples for our one week adventure on board a Lagoon 62 catamaran. The only responsibility on this trip was to not fall into such a relaxed state that I forgot what part of my body I placed sunscreen on and where I hadn’t. Just amazing snorkeling, brilliant coral, vibrant colored fish and bathtub temperature water set you up for the three healthy champion meals a day, all prepared by your chef. Games at night with family or friends and early to bed because you would hate to miss the sunrise the following day. My only complaint is that I wish our one week catamaran trip would have been two weeks. However, who could really complain about the Le Taha’a resort and their bungalows over the water. Everything just awesome! Then again, the catamaran allows you to see so many changing landscape and water gardens that in my opinion, this is the best way to go. What an adventure! Thank you Te Mana Travels!

— John Gonzalez DDS, June 2023

This was our first boat charter, of any kind, and it was everything that we had hoped it would be. The crew was top notch, the excursions were well planned, the catamaran comfortably slept five couples and the coordination of everything, from Te Mana Travels was excellent. The result was a one-of-a-kind, beautiful, stimulating, carefree vacation in a stunning part of the world.

— Ann Vry, June 2023

My husband and I just returned from two weeks in the paradise of French Polynesia. It was an amazing trip thanks to Jennifer at Te Mana Travels who coordinated all of the details of our trip! We spent three relaxing days at the lovely Intercontinental Hotel in Papeete, Tahiti before boarding a plane and flying to Raiatea where our catamaran awaited us. We spent seven glorious days sailing around the islands of French Polynesia. There were stops for island tours, snorkeling, a barbeque on a motu and even a swim with black tip reef sharks! It was a perfect itinerary and the meals cooked for us on board were so fresh and delicious. And to top off our once-in-a-lifetime trip, we flew to Bora Bora after leaving the catamaran and stayed in a dreamy over water bungalow at the Le Bora Bora Resort. We loved every bit of our trip and can't thank Te Mana Travels enough for putting it all together. We hope we get to go back and do it all over again someday!

— Cathy Waltrip, June 2023

My husband and I and eight of our friends just returned from an incredible 7-day catamaran charter organized by Te Mana Travels. The whole experience was exceptional! Beautiful islands, Raitea, Tahaa, Huahine with stops near small motus’ for snorkeling, swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding. Our all-female crew was awesome and we had the freshest, most delicious meals! Te Mana Travels and Jennifer Westfall seamlessly organized our full stay in the Tahitian Islands and we are so grateful for her support, professionalism and local knowledge!! An unforgettable trip!

— Christie Chambers, June 2023

This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! A trip of a lifetime! A big thank you to Te Mana Travels and Jennifer for making everything so special.

— Emmy Trudell, June 2023

This was the trip of a lifetime, thanks to Jen! We spent a week on the catamaran with two other families (close friends of ours) and Jen organized daily activities for both adults and kids. We had four kids on the trip ranging in ages from 10-16 years old and I’ve never seen my daughter so happy on a vacation before! It was the perfect mix of adventure (snorkeling, helmet diving, hiking, rides on the wake board, diving for oyster pearls, vanilla farm visits, paddle boarding…the list goes on) and also relaxation and amazing meals. Jen took the time to ask what each of us wanted from our time in French Polynesia and used that to create the ideal itinerary. She also accommodated our different arrival days and departures, recommending places to stay and things to do before the catamaran trip started. I can’t recommend Te Mana Travels highly enough — book your trip NOW!

— April W, June 2023

Don't hesitate! Hire Jennifer Westfall of Te Mana Travels if you want the perfect French Polynesian vacation.

 I first reached out to Jennifer in a panic just two weeks prior to or planned departure for a 7-day catamaran trip with five couples to celebrate my partner’s birthday. We had a captain, but no chef, and I had just a vague idea of where we wanted to sail and the names of a few restaurants, but no firm plans. After a delightful 30 minute phone conversation, Jennifer took the reins and took care of everything. She is exquisitely knowledgeable about the islands and knows how to navigate the challenges of small restaurants and businesses that close frequently, especially on Sundays.

His birthday (a Sunday!) was the perfect day. She started it by getting us off the boat in the morning for a private guided snorkeling tour of The Coral Gardens, followed by a delicious bbq lunch on a private motu. We then arrived back to the boat which was beautifully decorated with hand woven Polynesian flowers. Our evening began with three local musicians to serenade us during cocktail hour, flower crowns presented in a birthday ceremony, and a phenomenal chefs dinner. The chef was so lovely and talented we invited her back the next night. It was a perfect day.

The rest of the week we enjoyed trips to a wonderful vanilla farm, a pearl farm, and incredible dinners on Taha'a, Raiatea, and Bora Bora. All reservations made by Jennifer. She also directed us to some great local artists who became fast friends.

In additions, Jennifer was amazingly helpful securing additional provisions (food and adult beverages) that we could not obtain from our charter company. She must have made three or four trips to the markets before our arrival to secure some of the crazy things we asked for. She also communicated with the charter company in advance of our trip and met us at the marina on day one.

The trip was ideal and I was completely care free. Most importantly, besides being a serene and lovely human, Jennifer's fee for all of this help was modest. She truly loves the islands and enjoys sharing them with those who are lucky enough to visit. She would certainly help you experience French Polynesia by land or by sea.

Once again. Don’t hesitate. Jennifer will save the day.

— Holly Gunn, June 2023

For all those who already know French Polynesia and want to discover it even more in depth, and for all others who would like to travel there to discover it, Te Mana Travels and Jennifer's talent will make your stay a sum of unforgettable moments. My 5th stay in Polynesia, the 1st with my family, perfectly organized by Jennifer who loves Polynesia, it shows!

— Romain Darcos, December 2023

Jennifer at Te Mana Travels did an extraordinary job planning and executing a month-long trip to Tahiti (including the Society & Tuamotu archipelagos) for me and a friend. Not only did she get us booked on some extraordinary excursions with fabulous local guides but she also acted swiftly and effectively when a unforeseeable disruption occurred which required that she completely rebook an entire week of our itinerary with only three days notice. I would work with her again and would recommend her without hesitation to anyone looking for a trip to French Polynesia that goes beyond the ordinary.

— L. C. Putnam, 2022

I can’t express enough how wonderful of a time me and my friends had with Te Mana! Jennifer was an exceptional host and assisted our group of six with the entire process of booking the catamaran and figuring out how to make our vacation a very special one. She was very communicative while we were planning our trip. She provided great recommendations about where to go, what to do, what activities would be most interesting to our group. And once we got to Tahiti, she made our vacation easy and relaxing. We didn’t have to worry about anything! She and our captain Tomas were very sensitive to our group's needs and always had an activity prepared so that we could have the very best time at each island. We snorkeled as much as we wanted, we learned so much about the Tahitian culture, and made many friends along the way. We really felt like a little family on Jennifer’s catamaran. The entire trip feels like a dream thinking back on it now. We had the vacation of a lifetime with Jennifer and Tomas. We highly recommend booking with Jennifer for your next Tahiti adventure!

—Amanda Lee, 2022

A trip of a lifetime! Our friends and I booked a Tahiti charter with Te Mana Travels for late September. We stayed on the six person catamaran for 8 days/7 nights. I originally was weary about going because it is a more luxurious trip. However, this trip was so, so worth it! Prior to the trip, we worked closely with Jennifer Westfall to make sure we had all our dietary needs, excursions, and documentation planned and ready. She was easily accessible and very detailed to make us feel comfortable with going on the trip. She helped customize our itinerary to fit our needs as well as planed activities for the rest of our stay in French Polynesia, since we stayed five days after the charter.

Jennifer was our host, and Thomas was our captain for the entire charter. The charter included travel between three islands: Raiatea, Taha’a, and Bora Bora (your pick). Each day was packed with activities! We were able to snorkel 2-4 times each day at each of the islands. Some snorkels we rode out with our captain on a dinghy, while others were organized with snorkel tour companies. The reefs are so alive and beautiful, and you easily encounter many cool fish, various rays, and reef sharks.

While in Bora Bora, we had tweaked our itinerary so that three of us could scuba dive. Jennifer had organized our dive (scheduling, on-day pick up), which made the whole process much easier. On land, we had the opportunity to explore private motus, a vanilla farm, a pearl farm, and local distilleries. I highly recommend getting drinks during happy hour at Bloody Mary’s (so so good!!). We definitely wouldn't have been able to see all that Tahiti had to offer if it wasn't for Te Mana Travels. They definitely knew all the cool spots and made sure we were in the water most of the time.

Lastly, I highly recommend working with Jennifer and having Thomas as captain! Jennifer made us feel at home and cooked delicious Tahitian meals that I miss so much. Two of us don't eat fish typically, but vouched that the fish dishes Jennifer cooked were amazing! Thomas is also very fun and socialized with us throughout the trip. He gladly took us everywhere, and would wait patiently in the dinghy while we snorkeled for hours (sorry Thomas!).

Thank you Jennifer and Te Mana Travels for a trip I’ll never forget. Still dreaming about Tahiti...until next time!

—Carol Chen, September 2022

I am excited to give a review for Te Mana Travels and Jen and talk about the excellent experience I had in the Society Islands in French Polynesia.

The Women’s Tahitian Retreat included Jen and ten others, who weren’t all acquainted prior to trip. She created an environment where we could relax and not have to think about any logistics. Everyone was open to the adventures she put before us. I would have described us as high maintenance, but Jen made it look easy, no doubt she was working tirelessly behind the curtain.

We had a tour around (literally) the island of Huahine by boat and visited many locations by Jeep.

We snorkled multiple times each day. I was amazed to see the variety of colors and sizes of clams growing in the reef. They looked like exotic flowers offering nectar and withdrew into their shell if there was unexpected movement (by the visiting humans).

While on the catamaran and speed boat we were visited by dolphins, sharks, manta rays, eagle rays and on the last morning pilot whales!

On the catamaran the food was fit for a Queen, thank you Noelene and Captain Manea, I felt very pampered. Many in our group of ten women expressed pre-trip that we didn't like raw fish. On day one we were served Poisson Cru and after watching the preparation of it we tasted it. Every one of us was converted. We ate a variety of delicious fish all week and Poisson Cru many times!

I enjoyed learning about how vanilla is grown and harvested and had to take some home.

At Champon Pearl Farm on island of Taha’a, I found the process of cultivating pearls very interesting especially how black-lip pearl oyster are chosen to produce the variety of beautiful colors. Of course, I had to take some pearls home, too!

One of the best parts about the trip was that most of our time was spent in areas where there were few, if any, tourists thanks to Jen's knowledge, planning and relationship with locale.

Polynesian music and dancing...I could write a book about all our adventures and time enjoyed getting to know everyone. It truly was an experience of a lifetime.

Nui maururu.

—Pamela Ossorio, November 2022, Women’s Tahitian Escape

Te Mana Travels and Jennifer arranged itineraries that checked all boxes: cultural immersion, relaxation, “a surprise” on-board evening’s entertainment that added perspective to island life. Jen and Sebastian, our captain are both such lovely people. Our time spent on-board getting to know them was as much a highlight as the docent land tours and immersion experiences, which were phenomenal, our guides were exceptional. The people, cultural richness and traditions of French Polynesia are a treasure most visitors barely experience. We love that TeMana Travels supports FP by curating tour packages supporting local island life. I am native Hawaiian and recall a childhood spent in similar verdant valleys and turquoise waters abundant with life, and evenings with neighbors for “kanikapila,” “to make music” late into the evening. What an amazing trip this has been. We’ll be back for sure, Jen. I believe you knew it before I did.

Me ke aloha pumehana, ame a hui hou! •Te aroha ‘ia rahi! •À bientôt!

—Jana Myers & Ohana, July 2022

If you’ve never vacationed by catamaran or charter (and I hadn’t), I don’t think you can overemphasize the importance of a host and boat captain. We had the dream team. Jennifer Westfall cares for her guests like cherished family members. The menus were uniformly fantastic, varied, and felt like they were curated to go with the days’ activities. The activities when outsourced were local experts in everything from ecology and environment to traditional culture — every single one fantastic. Manea our captain was equally great. His love of his country, his knowledge of the sea, his eye for spotting wildlife, and his sense of humor was the perfect fit. 

Our last day is a case study in the richness of living that may make my heretofore pleasant life now unbearable. 

We woke up and had another perfect breakfast — the full moon over the water, table loaded with fresh tropical fruit, yogurt and granola, French toast, hot coffee, and sparkling water. 

Snorkeling at Joe Dessin beach, perhaps the best beach on Taha’a coral gardens, at the edge of a striking wall that drops off the turquoise and into the blue. We were the only people there! 

Returned to the boat, drank champagne and had sautéed local fish sandwiches with sweet potatoes and salad. 

Post lunch we traveled to a pearl farm where they explained how they grow the pearls, how pearls are classified, and when they get to eat the oysters. Their jewelry was fantastic and I’ve been prettier ever since.

— Jeff Groh, June 2022

My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful sailing trip around the Islands of French Polynesia in August 2019. This was a perfect time for us to escape the severe cold at home and enjoy the best of French Polynesia’s climate. Jennifer was an exemplary tour organiser, very attentive to our comfort and preferences. The resort accommodation at Papeete and Huahine was excellent and local flights to Raiatea and Huahine were booked to best suit our schedule. We met our traveling companions and established good camaraderie before boarding the yacht. Our skipper Richard, a very experienced navigator in these waters, was a great raconteur and supportive host. Jennifer provided many delicious gourmet meals including fresh fish, tropical fruit, french bread, cheese and wine. The cooked breakfasts were a special treat. We also enjoyed the best local cuisine at various island yacht clubs and night spots. Highlights included the authentic cultural show at Taha, with traditional hula dancing and music, and the wonderful island talent at Bloody Mary’s, Bora Bora. Stocking up on supplies at the food stores and markets in Raiatea gave us an insight into local cuisine. We experienced local life by touring a family tropical garden with a biologist, visiting a vanilla farm, ancient fish traps, a black pearl farm, snorkeling and swimming in the lagoons and learning about Polynesian culture at museums and galleries. Sailing highlights included an impromptu trip across open water to a remote atoll with a turtle sanctuary and arriving at Bora Bora lagoon under full sail. A most memorable and enjoyable holiday. Thank you, Jennifer.

— Robert and Noelene Fraser, August 2019