French Polynesia Travel Forum

My wife and I are flying in to Papeete at 6AM local time and taking a ferry to Moorea later that afternoon. Does anybody know of a locker or anywhere else where we could stash our luggage for the day?

Anyone knows whether it is possible to rent a sailboat large enough to sleep on it (28ft+)? Could be a rather fantastic way to enjoy the place over a couple of weeks..

Has anybody of you travelled around Tahiti by public bus and can tell me how long such a circle island tour takes? (Net travel time, please)

I have contacted Tahiti's Tourism Office but they have not reacted to my request of emailing me a timetable or at least answer the question I have posted above.

Hi all!

I've read all those copious postings on Bora-Bora, and now I am really considering going there. However, the comments on the prices are a bit less copious...

I wonder if there's anyone who could advise me on how to plan a budget priced trip to Bora-Bora from Paris. Would be thankful for tips both on how to get there cheap and where to stay.

Thanks!!

are there any stores in papatee that sell mens shirts on line? I purchased a white on white shert at the market last year and I would like to order a few more.

I'm planning my honeymoon. Please help me name the resorts on the map in the link below. All you have to do is reply with "Placemark 1 = "Name of the resort".

(be sure to click on the satellite view)

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=107961129946289467450.0004656b9f76d4e5c0efc

We are going to the French Polynesian Islands in August. We plan to have one island to stay on primarily and travel with public ferries to nearby islands for day trips or one night stays.Where should we stay primarily and which islands would be best for day trips. Which ones would be best staying overnight on? Thanks for your advice. Dres

I have been enjoying everyone tips and photos. They add to my anticipation and excitement of my upcoming trip.
I still have a couple questions:

What is the conversion rate for GFP? I've seen GFP referred to in the tips but when I use VT travel tools it's not shown nor is it shown on my swing thru google.

Where have most of you traded your dollars for GFP?

I see so many tips about searching out deals on Black Pearls. I've been doing some homework but would still appreciate any further thoughts anyone may offer.

Thanks all!

I heard someone said that it was renovating last summer. I was wondering whether it is completed? I'm planning a trip there in May... and don't want to be disturbed by noise... Thanks!

I am looking for places to send our son and his bride for their honeymoon, in October. They would like an over water bungalow somewhere and my first thought was French Polynesia. However, I found out they are not locked into any place specific just would like at nice tropical location with OWB.

Hi,

Can anyone recommend which is best?

1- InterContinental Resort and Thalasso-Spa Bora Bora (Issue I've heard - No fish/snorkeling?)
2- Pearl Beach Resort (Issue I've heard - Lots of cockroaches!?)
3- Le Meridien (Issue I've heard- same cockroach problem and maybe not good snorkeling.)

Thank you so much!

Dara

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We will be flying to Tahiti on 1 August, 2009 and want to visit several islands as day trips and possible stop overs. Can someone give us some information on hotels, ferries and flights? We'll be there for about 14 days.
Thanks, Dres

This isn't a honeymoon, just a romantic trip.Are the garden/oceanview rooms nice? Do you hear road noise at night from traffic? Are the OWB decorated the same as the room?

Hello! I am looking into a trip for late January or early February. I really want to be on a beautiful beach, so clearly Bora Bora is my #1 choice!

I've read multiple sites saying that January is the rainiest month, but that's all relative. HOW much does is rain in January? If I was in French Polynesia for the last two weeks of January, should I expect my trip to be ruined by the weather, or just for a shower every day?

Thank you for your recommendations!

We arrive in Tahiti for half a day from a big cruise ship, and then to Moorea and BoraBora for one whole day each from the ship. The land packages they offer are all very expensive and "touristy". We live in Hawaii so some of the visits like pineapple farms, ( we have 100 growing on our land),etc. are not interesting.
What would you suggest we do to enjoy the islands? what are the highlights?
Can we just take a local cab around the smaller islands? Or a local package?

Hi,

We're going to Bora Bora from Nov. 26th to Dec. 8. From all that I've read, it appears that that is the rainy reason...anyone have any experience over there in Nov? I'm so excited about it and would hate for my trip to get rained out!

I am trying to rent a bike or a scooter in advance in Bora Bora.
Our cruise ship is going to be there only one day (in October), and I want to secure the rental in advance. Thanks for any online info/contacts.

Does anyone know if the Sofitel Heiva Huahine has reopened? At one point I understood that it was closed, but I also understood that it was under new management and would reopen.

Thank you!

How are conditions for diving in September or October?
What are good islands for diving?

Do you know if Air Tahiti still has the carte famille to get around to the other islands without breaking the bank? Is this limited to Tahiti residents, or can others (EU passport holders) get those, too? We have two kids, 5 and 10, so if those cards still exist and are available to us, that would be great!
(We could not find any info on the Air Tahiti web site)

We've read alsewhere to book ahead, however, since we read that the carte famille must be obtained in person, we wonder how well this will work?

We'll appreciate any suiggestions and pointers for ino, and in particular anybody who has had experience in travellin in PF with kids!

I am currently thinking of traveling to Tahiti,would like some advice as to what to do? what to eat and what food is like? what to see?
Just any information...

Hello everyone!

I“m from Spain and I“m planning my honeymoon and my dream is going to Tahiti for a week. What is the best place? I“ve heard of Bora Bora and Moorea... does anyone know of any great hotel? of course, with overwater bungalows? when is the best time to go there? thank you so much!!!!!!

Can anyone tell me more about the Novotel Bora Bora? I'm used to stay in Novotels when I travel to Europe and South America... and they're just what I expect from a hotel. While surfing the web in my search for hotels in Bora Bora I realized their rate is way less then other properties in that island.
Appreciate all your help.

We're from Vancouver BC Canada and thinking of taking a 10 cruise that includes Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatea, Moorea, Tahaa, and Rangiroa.

What is of concern is that this cruise is in mid December 2008 and during the "wet" season.

Can anyone tell me if they have experienced any negative rainfall? I'd like to know your personal experience. If you have traveled recently (eg. Dec 2007), we'd like to hear from you.

I've seen various postings stating from "rainy everyday" to "brief rainfall and then sunshine".

We want a reasonable winter getaway with Sun, lying on the deck of the ship, and able to swim in warm water. Since Vancouver's winter is very rainy and damp, I'm hoping that the rain is brief. I think I suffer from lack of sun and get depressed easily.

Can someone please enlighten us? There are too many websites that say different things and some of the rainfall graphs are scary. So if it's brief rain with lots of sun afterwards, then I can handle that.

Thanks

I've read on this site that candles are hard to come by in Tahiti. My wife and I will be there in June and I was thinking about bringing a few handmade taper candles. Is this still a good idea for gifts for locals?

(I posted this question earlier in a different location but was told I'd be more likely if I posted it here.)

The main island is about 3 miles wide by about 5 miles long (not counting the wavy roads). My wife and I will be staying at the northern tip of the main island so we won't have the luxury of hotel transportation. Is it possible to walk the island? The island is small but I don't know if the curves of the main road double the distance from our place to the touristy spots. I know a car can be rented for 2 hours for around $100 but after that 2 hour period, we'd still need a way to get from the rental location to our home.

Any chance there is a place to rent kayaks (especially tandem)? I've been kayaking for 10 years and could easily paddle around the island with a passenger. Any transportation advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

we will be taking a cruise (tahitian princess)in april that includes tahiti, moorea, bora bora, huahine, raiatea, and rarotonga. i don't know if we should book tours through the ship or try to book them privately. it certainly would be a lot easier but probably more costly to book them on the ship. any suggestions? we're not into 4X4's or safari type trips, but i do want to go snorkeling a lot and see the sights. also, should we change money locally (nyc) before heading to LAX and Papeete? i don't want to waste time looking all over papeete for francs, but i also want a good exchange rate with a low commission charge! any advice would be helpful.

What is the weather in October like? Is there a lot of rain?
If we are going for 3 weeks, which places besides Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti, etc.. should we consider? This is for our honeymoon.

Thanks!

need to know the name, telephone # of the wonderful restaurant which is way up on the top of the mountain....you can see Moorea from it........thanks

Hi, my husband and I will be spending 5 nights in Bora Bora end of December 2007 and were wondering which of these is the best place to stay - Pearl, Sofitel or Le Meridien. Is there any other resort you would recommend? We want to stay in an Over Water Bungalow and are willing to spend up to USD 1000 per night. Also, in all these places, are the Premium Over Water Bungalows worth the extra price compared to the regular Over Water Bungalows? Thanks!

We are getting married in early April and are going to be spending our honeymoon in Tahiti. We are currently reviewing packages and had a quick question for the group. We can either do:

1. 2 nights in Tahiti (Intercontinental), 2 nights in Moorea (Pearl), and 5 nights in Bora Bora (Lagoon)...

or

2. 1 night in Tahiti, 3 nights in Moorea, and 5 nights in Bora Bora (same hotels).

We enjoy being active and exploring the absolute must-dos of the island. We are not scuba certified, and probably will not be at the time of the trip.

Should we spend two days in Tahiti? Thanks for your feedback!