We absolutely loved staying at the Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort. We stayed in overwater bungalow #15 which is right at the end of the pier facing the ocean. It allows for total privacy and tremendous sea-breezes. We never felt the need for air conditioning. The snorkeling near our bungalow was great, and it improved about 100 yards away from the bungalows -- towards the airport. We saw more than 100 species of fish (we highly recommend picking up a waterproof fish-identification guide at the airport in Tahiti or elsewhere), many luminescent giant clams, eels, and lots of coral. Much of the coral is thriving here, though there were some parts that appeared to have been damaged in the past but were recovering. There is some current in the water under the bungalows, but we found that we could safetly snorkel -- much of the water is only a few feet deep and one could simply stand up if necessary. We had breakfast included, and the continental breakfast was very impressive. All kinds of pastries, cereal, fruit juices, bread, yogurt, eggs, meat, etc. We filled up on breakfast and saved some bread and Nutella to have for lunch. Dinner at the hotel was very nice -- they do a great job setting up a beautiful service and the food was good too. We took kayaks from the hotel and paddled a couple of miles to a completely deserted island. It was spectacular! One day we went with the dive group Blue Nui to snorkel outside the reef. The water was deep for snorkeling (> 10m), so I would recommend this trip only for advanced snorkelers and scuba enthusiasts. We highly recommend visiting Tikehau if at all possible. Avoid Tahiti all together, and also try to visit Moorea or one of the other Society Islands for a change of pace/scenery.