Pacific Adventure Travel

Tahiti and French Polynesia

Tahiti has swaying palms, soft sands, crystal waters, and friendly locals. It is also the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia which lies in the southern Pacific Ocean. The capital of Tahiti is Papeete and if you go downtown you will find it is pulsing with traffic going back and forth and reggae music blaring out from the shops and cars. The wharf at Papeete has these roadside snack bar vans which are called roulottes by the Tahiti locals. Hungry locals and famished tourists feast on a mixture of Chinese, French, and Polynesian food.

To get to Tahiti, Air Tahiti Nui flies in to Papeete from Sydney twice a week. The temperature in the islands of French Polynesia is a constant year-round average of twenty seven degrees. But be aware that between November and April Tahiti has a higher level of rainfall. Most visitors to Tahiti and French Polynesia want to experience pre-historic landscapes, azure lagoons, and long beaches. Papeete nevertheless is a vibrant, chaotic town that throbs with life. You might want to get out to the outer islands to experience some of the more traditional aspects of tahitian luxury and relaxation.

Tahiti is forty five minutes from Bora Bora. Most of the people of Polynesia live on Tahiti. It is expensive but you can eat at the mobile restaurants. There is chinese food, roast lamb, and poisson creu - which is a tradtional tahitian meal. It is right by the sea and it is like eating sushi for half the price. The Mister Tahiti contest is held to find the most traditional skills such as dance , climbing the coconut tree, and they have to lift stones up to hundreds of pounds. The French had suppressed the polynesian traditions but the locals are keeping their culture alive. The painter Gaugin lived on Tahiti and made some of his most memorable paintings there.

To get to the island of Moorea is a ten minute flight from Tahiti. The mountainous island rise from a clear blue sky and sea. When you get to Moorea you can take a joy ride along lush hidden paths chock full of tropical fruits and swaying palms. You can also swim with the friendly dolphins at the Moorea Dolphin Center. After a fun time on the island of Moorea, you can take a two hour flight to the tiny atoll of Manihi. The luxurious Pearl Resort has gorgeous over the water bungalows where the sea laps at your doorstep and you can jump out of your window for a swim.

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