Why go to French Polynesia? The 10 good reasons to go French Polynesia
Outdoor activities hot-spot
Lagoons and rugged terrain provide an ideal playground for the practice of nature sports.
The ancestral culture
With a history of more than 3,000 years, Polynesia has an incredible heritage.
The unequalled welcome of the Polynesians
Polynesia remains synonymous with a people of legendary hospitality.
The superb craftsmanship
From carving to weaving, local crafts are rich, varied and of excellent quality.
Postcard landscapes
Turquoise lagoons, white sandy beaches, coconut palms and sunshine all year round: you are there.
A romantic destination
A paradise of honeymoons, French Polynesia is a romantic lagoon paradise.
The sweet smell of flowers
The floral fragrances of the tiare, flamboyant and hibiscus bewitching, barely disembarked.
The exuberant nature
The volcanic soil and tropical climate are conducive to an opulence of greenery.
El Dorado of diving
Beautiful underwater encounters all year round thanks to the richness of the marine fauna
Meeting with the whales
Fenua is one of the last six countries in the world where people still swim with whales.
What to visit French Polynesia?
Good to know to visit French Polynesia
Timetable
Most of the places to visit in French Polynesia are free to enter, with no entrance fee or schedule. When this is not the case, the opening hours vary from 8 or 9 am to 4 or 5 pm, with a possible break at lunch time. The markets - especially the one in Papeete - are very early and open their doors at 5 am or even earlier! The activity is sometimes restricted on Sundays, but the places of visit are usually open, with slightly lighter hours.
To be booked
Pearl farms generally offer guided tours at fixed times and/or by appointment: please inquire on a case-by-case basis. On some islands - Rangiroa with Gauguin's Pearl in particular - a shuttle bus can even pick you up free of charge if you have booked it. As for visits to vanilla plantations in Tahaa - the Vanilla Valley for example, at Brian and Moeata's - it is best to call ahead to make sure the owners are available. Otherwise, you can go through a local guide, who will organize all your visits without you having to ask yourself these kinds of questions.
Main events
The months of July-August are perfect for a visit to Fenua: cultural, sporting and traditional Heiva celebrations are numerous throughout the territory and bring to life some of the most beautiful archaeological sites. Every Saturday in July in particular, the tamure shows at Tahiti's Marae Arahurahu allow you to combine a visit with a plunge into ancestral culture. To be booked in advance at the Carrefour Punaauia ticket office.
Guided tours
If they are not systematically proposed by the places of visit themselves, they nevertheless bring a real added value to your discovery. Where you might only see a pile of stones nicely aligned, a guide will be able to transmit to you the sacredness of a marae, the history of these thousand-year-old archaeological sites, and might even succeed in making you feel the mana that emanates from the place... Not all hikes are perfectly marked or secured (we specify this on a case by case basis in the pages of this guide): calling on a professional can also prove invaluable to penetrate the exuberant Polynesian nature and to survey its steep reliefs.
Tourist traps
As everywhere else, it is preferable to use certified guides, or at least experienced guides, for your guided tours and other tours of the islands. This rule is all the more valid for your dolphin and whale watching tours: unfortunately, guides and pilots do not always respect the regulations applied for the approach of cetaceans. Those mentioned in this guide have been tested and approved by us!
