Everything you should know before coming to French Polynesia.
The islands that make up French Polynesia are:
Tahiti – part of the Winward Islands in the Society Islands
Moorea – part of the Winward Islands in the Society Islands
Tetiaroa – part of the Winward Islands in the Society Islands
Bora Bora – part of the Leeward Islands in the Society Islands
Huahine – part of the Leeward Islands in the Society Islands
Raiatea – part of the Leeward Islands in the Society Islands
Rangiroa – part of the Tuamotu Islands
Manihi – part of the Tuamotu Islands
Tikehau – part of the Tuamotu Islands
Fakarava – part of the Tuamotu Islands
Hiva Oa – part of the Marquesas Islands
Nuku Hiva – part of the Marquesas Islands
Rapa – part of the Australs Islands
Tubuai – part of the Australs Islands
Mangareva – part of the Gambier Islands
Geography
With 118 different islands making up French Polynesia that are divided into five different archipelagos in the South Pacific Ocean. These five archipelagos are: The Socitey Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Marquesas Islands, Australs Islands, and the Gambier Islands. Although the total surface area of the islands, 4000 km2, put together covers only about 1/100 the surface are of France, they are spread out over an area that is larger than all of the countries in Europe combined. Over 200,000 visitors come to Tahiti each year from all over the world, including the U.S., Japan, France, England, and all over Europe.
A Short History
Tahiti is the largest of the French Polynesian Islands that are nestled in the Society Islands in the south Pacific Ocean. With a population of around 169,000 people, it is also the most populated island in the chain. The capital of Tahiti is Papeete, and holds most of the tourist attractions and resorts. The main island of Tahiti is about 28 miles long and covers around 400 square miles altogether. The French Polynesian Islands consist of two major, round portions that are centered on volcanic mountains and connected together by a small isthmus. These islands boast some of the most beautiful rain forests in the world and offer guided tours through them daily. The wet season here in Tahiti is from November through April, with the drier months being May through October.
It is believed that the earliest Polynesians settled here sometime between 300 and 800 AD, but some scholars place that date earlier. The unique combination of tropical weather and ample fishing allows Tahitians to enjoy a wide variety of dishes and an abundant supply of food. Though these islands were originally spotted by Spanish explorers as early as 1600, they didn’t make any attempt to trade with or colonize the islands. Instead, an English sea captain named Samuel Wallis, is credited as the first European to visit Tahiti in 1767. After Wallis sailed back home, a French explorer came across the islands on his first circumnavigation of the globe in the name of France. Louis-Antoine de Bourgainville was just a couple of months too late to be credited with discovering the islands, but he did make the chain famous when he returned home to write “Voyage autour de Monde”, an account of his travels. In this published account, he describes the islands as a paradise where the people live happily, away from corruption and greed, and paints a picture that anyone living in Europe in the late 1700′s would love.
Captain James Cook landed on the island in 1774, and his accounts here have made for movies and books due to the fact that his ship, the HMS Bounty’s crew mutinied right after leaving Tahiti. This European influence began to change the shape of Tahiti, as it brought about prostitution, diseases, and alcohol to the natives who lived here. The diseases ran so rampantly through the islands that the population of Tahiti dropped from over 121,000 to 16,00 by 1797.
In 1842, Morocco’s European crisis gained momentum between France and Great Britain when a French Admiral managed to convince Queen Pomare IV to accept a French protectorate, against the wished of France. When news of this leaked out through Europe, the French claimed the islands but a war began to brew between the Tahitians and the French and lasted until 1847. In 1880, the French Polynesian Islands gave the sovereignty of Tahiti to France.
Today, Tahitians are French citizens with full rights. Both French and Tahitian is spoken on the islands, along with Japanese, English, Italian, German, Chinese, and several other languages since this is a very popular tourist spot. Lately, most Tahitians have become angry with the French government and the ways that they run the islands. Most have even rioted or protested the French rule in hopes of regaining their freedom.
Tourism is one of the main sources of industry in the French Polynesian Island.
Helpful Information to Know
Weather and Climate
Welcome to the islands where it is summer year-round! With the wonderful Trade Winds that blow through the islands, the temperatures don’t fluctuate much throughout the year. Average temperatures here usually range around 25 – 30 degrees Celsius or 78 – 86 degrees Fahrenheit, so it is never too cold or too hot to enjoy our wonderful scenery and customs.
Lagoon waters stay a constant 25 – 28 degrees Celsius or 78 – 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and are always a great way to relax and enjoy Polynesian life. Although if you are diving in a lagoon, you need to be aware that the water will begin to get a little cooler about 10 meters deep or so, and continue to cool the further down you go, so be prepared!
For the summer season of November through March, the weather is usually warm with rain showers that drench us during November and December. But these showers are never longer than 30 minutes and are more like a warm shower than anything else. The winter season from April through October is a little cooler, but only by a couple of degrees. This is also the driest time of the year here in Tahiti, although it does rain occasionally.
If you are planning a trip here during July or August, you need to remember that these are the busiest times of the year for tourism here, and you will need to make accommodation arrangements in advance to avoid being sold out.
If you are planning a trip here during January through April, you should be aware that this is the hurricane season. But, there are very rarely hurricanes here, in fact the last hurricanes that hit Tahiti were in 1998.
The main weather danger is from cyclones that usually spring up at the end of a very humid summer. While the water and the air are warm, a cyclone can form and carry winds up to 188 mph, although once it hits cooler water and air, it quickly falls apart. The surf is the main problem when cyclones spring up here, since the massive flow of waters that are lifted by the winds of a cyclone produce major waves, and can actually begin to hit the shore before the storm does. In these instances, lower lying areas are evacuated for higher ground. But, the Polynesian people seem to be able to predict when these storms are springing up and are more than willing to help neighbors and visitors to be safe and gain higher ground.
Time Differences
Due to the fact that Tahiti and the islands are a full 10 hours behind the Universal Time (GMT), no matter where you are traveling from, you will experience jet lag when you arrive. So you won’t have to sit and figure time differences where you live, here is a short list of some major cities and the time differences between them and Tahiti, based on Tahitian time, when it is 9:00 am here, it is:
9:00 pm in Paris and Continental Europe in the Summer and 8:00 pm in the Winter
12:00 noon in Los Angeles in the Summer and 11:00 am in the Winter
9:00 am in Honolulu
3:00 pm in Santiago7:00 am the next day in Auckland
4:00 am the next day in Tokyo
4:00 am the next day in Sydney
Languages
There are two official languages spoken here in Tahiti: Tahitian and French. English is also spoke and generally understood in most of the shops and hotels around the islands. In major tourist areas, a wide variety of other languages are also spoken.
Currency Exchanges
The local currency here in Tahiti is the Pacific Franc and it has a fixed rate when it is related to the Euro. 1 Pacific Franc (CFP) = 0.0008 Euros. 1 Euro = 119 CFP. So, a 10,000 CFP bill is worth 84 Euros.Online currency converter : www.xe.com
Credit Cards
Since tourism is becoming a main source of business here in Tahiti, credit cards are also becoming more prevalent. Most major credit cards are accepted, like Visa, Master Card, and American Express, but you should bring along enough cash just in case. If you are planning on using an ATM machine while in Tahiti, make sure that you carry an international Visa instead of a Master Card, Amex, or Cirrus as most ATM’s here don’t work with these cards. Some shops and taxis don’t take credit cards, so it is always a good idea to make sure that you have a little cash on you when you go out exploring. If you are planning on heading down to the local bank or post office, keep in mind that they close from 2 to 3:30 pm each day.
Normal Business Hours
Most shops stick to these regular business hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 am through 11:30 am and 1:30 pm through 5 pm. Most markets are open from 7:30 am to 11 am on Saturdays as well. Depending on the shop and the area that you are in, some will reopen on Saturday afternoons too.
Post Office
The post office in Papeete is located near the Territorial Assembly and most locals will be happy to point you in the right direction. Their hours are from 7 am to 3 pm each day, with one window remaining open from 3 pm to 6 pm for rush items. You can check around the town that you are staying in for their postal services and the hours that they keep as well.
Telecommunications
Tahiti boasts one of the best networks anywhere in the world due to the amount of travelers and visitors to the islands from all over the world. Telephone calls are done by satellite, and there are all forms of other communications available such as fax, operator,voip, and telex. There are phone booths that are located all around Papeete and the main island of Tahiti, and you can ask around to find them on the other islands too. All phones on the islands are accessible through phone cards, which can be purchased at most stores in Tahiti.
To call Tahiti from Europe, you will need to dial “00” and then “689”, which is Tahiti’s country code, and then the six digit phone number. To call Tahiti from the United States or Canada, you will need to dial “011” and then “689”, then the six digit telephone number.
To call from Tahiti to the United States, you will need to dial “00”, then “1” and the full telephone number. To call France from Tahiti, you will need to dial “00”, then “33” which is France’s country code, and then the nine digit telephone number without the first “0”.
Most of the overseas rates for telephone calls are reasonable, at about 0.84 Euros a minute to call France, the United States, New Zealand, Japan, or Australia. For other European countries and other countries around the world, the rates are usually around 1.39 Euros a minute. When making phone calls home from Tahiti, remember the time difference where you live.
Transportation
Inter island flights:
We recommend you booking an all inclusive package with our partners rather than booking on Air Tahiti site for your convenience.
All islands: Air Tahiti (check for flight schedules and destinations)
Inter Island ships:
Moorea: Aremiti Ferry – Moorea Express
Aranui, a 14 days adventure cruise in the French Polynesia, Marquesas islands, begins the journey from Tahiti to Fakarava, Ua Pou, Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Fatu Hiva, Tahuata, Ua Huka, Rangiroa and back to Papeete.
Cruises:
Paul Gauguin, Luxury cruises in French Polynesia
