Things to Read Before Traveling French Polynesia
French Polynesia is paradise.
I mean, just look at this:
That's Bora Bora and it was even more than spectacular than I'd dreamed information technology would be.
But you know what? Information technology was actually the islands outside of Bora Bora that captured my middle, and that was a big surprise.
I visited five different islands over my two weeks in French Polynesia and was thrilled to discover just how much each private island had to offer travellers — and they were all and then unlike! I spent my fourth dimension in this island territory hiking volcanoes, swimming with manta rays, learning how to crack open coconuts, skipping through lagoons, feeding sacred blue-eyed eels, and sunbathing on some of the all-time beaches I've always seen.
French Polynesia was nothing like I'd expected. In some respects, island-hopping my way around was far easier than I'd thought information technology would be, merely in others, it was frustratingly hard. More on that in the post.
Here's what information technology's like to travel independently in French Polynesia:
French Polynesia is Enormous and You'll Never See it All
Click here to see an Air Tahiti map of French Polynesia overlaid across Europe — they're essentially the same size. That'southward a whole lot of islands, a whole lot of distance, and a whole lot of ocean!
When I first started planning my French Polynesia jaunt, I was overwhelmed past the sheer number of islands I could visit. How could I possibly cull but a few?
There's the Society Islands, just to the west of Tahiti. These 14 islands attract the most number of tourists, thanks to Bora Bora, and they were ultimately where I decided to spend all of my time. Even when dedicating ii weeks to this group of islands, I only managed to get to a third of them. And I was moving fast. If you're visiting French Polynesia for the first fourth dimension, I recommend sticking to these islands as an introduction, as they're easiest and cheapest to get to, with the most infrastructure for tourists.
What did I skip over?
The Tuamotos, a cord of 80 atolls stretching roughly over the size of Western Europe. These are all low islands: sand bars atop coral reefs and look ridiculously beautiful.
There'sthe Marquesas, one of the most remote island groups in the earth, 900 miles and a 3.5 hour flight from Tahiti. Unlike the Tuamotos, these are mostly tall, volcanic islands, and unlike well-nigh of French Polynesia, aren't surrounded by coral reefs.
Finally, at that place's the even-lesser-visitedGambier Islands, which consist of 14 volcanic islands inside a large lagoon, and the Austral Islands, quiet islands with a few guesthouses and (supposedly) the almost authentic Polynesian culture.
Reading through that list, yous can see how you lot could easily spend three months in French Polynesia and go out withal having seen so fiddling of it. Which gives me many, many reasons to render!
The Best Fourth dimension of Year to Visit is Between June and Baronial
French Polynesia is in the tropics, so rather than jump, summer, autumn, and wintertime, it has a dry season and a wet flavour. The former is what you desire to aim for.
Between June and August, the odds that you'll experience rain is well-nigh as shut to zero as you can possibly get. Temperatures are reasonably warm, at between 22 and 28 degrees (71-82 Fahrenheit), only not likewise uncomfortable. Really, the but downside is that prices are at their highest and crowds are at their largest, because this is the well-nigh popular time of year to visit.
What if yous can only visit during the northern hemisphere wintertime?
Don't let that put y'all off: I visited French Polynesia in Jan! And I had an incredible trip with fantastic weather throughout. I simply experienced ii days of rain over my 2-week trip, although temperatures were stifling at an boilerplate of effectually 33 degrees Celsius and 80% humidity. The bonus was that everything was super-cheap! Prices were about one-half what they typically are in June, and that made travelling on a budget a whole lot easier.
The biggest downside was the risk of cyclones. The moisture season in the South Pacific usually brings a few cyclones each twelvemonth, so you're running the risk of torrential downpours, flooding, and a ruined vacation. I'd similar to stress that I visit South Pacific islands every January and February and accept yet to run into a cyclone, simply of form, I could but have skilful timing. It'southward something to go along in heed.
If you want the more than settled weather, but will be travelling on a tight budget and looking to avoid the crowds, the shoulder season is naturally the best option for you. Call back: March, April, May, and September, October, November.
Effort to Travel as Slowly every bit Possible
I know, right? There I am, talking about how I tried to visit as many islands every bit possible, and the next minute I'k saying to slow downwardly.
Island time is existent and in French Polynesia, it'south especially present. This is a identify where everything happens slowly. It's where the locals ride bicycles and sing out bonjour! to anybody who passes, no matter their nationality. Information technology'southward a place to unwind and meditate; to aroma the flowers and laze in turquoise lagoons.
One of my biggest regrets was moving and so fast during my two weeks that I didn't get to properly cover that way of life. I'd go far at one guesthouse and be leaving for a new island three days later.
If I could practice it again, I'd have cut out Raiatea (it was besides big to explore on pes) and spent my ii weeks in Maupiti, Huahine, and Bora Bora. 3 islands (plus a night or two in Tahiti) over ii weeks sounds perfect.
An Air Tahiti Pass is the Style to Get
Because everything is so spread out, ferries just run between a couple of the islands and they're commonly infrequent and hard to find whatsoever information for. To go anywhere in French Polynesia, then, your only real pick is to fly.
I picked upward an island hopping pass from Air Tahiti, which gave me close to a 50% discount on what I would take paid if I'd booked all of my flights individually. In total, I concluded up paying just over $400 for seven flights. There are several options for island hopping passes, ranging from around $280 for 3 stops in the Gild Islands to a whopping $750 to visit several islands in the remote Marquesas.
And the Best Way to Go Effectually is by Bicycle
The islands in French Polynesia as pocket-size, so there's no demand to hire a car.
Similar the island time I mentioned above, cycling slows you down, chills you lot out and ensures you don't miss anything. I was always moving slow enough that the locals could call out to me as I passed, I was able to stop every few metres to snap a photograph of a colourful flower or deserted beach, and the roads were well-paved, so it wasn't painful to ride.
If you travel around in a car or on a scooter, you miss a lot of that. You don't run into as much, odor equally much, or feel as much.
At that place are, of course, exceptions, like Raiatea. The main road on the island runs for 92 miles effectually the coastline and the attractions are spread out, so exploring on foot or by cycle was difficult. In dissimilarity, Maupiti is just seven miles in circumference, so hands explored by walking or cycling.
It's Cheaper Than People Think
When I announced that I was going to be visiting Bora Bora on a budget, people seemed skeptical. Large travel bloggers told me information technology wouldn't exist possible because it was the nearly expensive identify on the planet. After having been there, that statement just isn't truthful.
Bora Bora is dwelling to a dozen decent guesthouses with nightly rates that starting time from $50 (encounter my Bora Bora on a budget postal service for more details) and that'south pretty inexpensive for somewhere that's one of the prettiest places I've ever been.
And yeah, I'll exist honest, there are some hurting-in-the-ass-rip-off expenses that I totally expected for a place that attracts so much luxury tourism. My guesthouse in Bora Bora, for instance, charged $20 a twenty-four hours for breakfast that comprised a croissant and some fresh fruit.
Having said that, some things on Bora Bora were cheaper than I expected: Air Tahiti offers a costless ferry shuttle from the airport to the mainland for anyone who isn't staying at a fancy resort. Nigh guesthouses offer free transfers from where that shuttle drops yous off. Nutrient wasn't crazy-expensive and I usually ate for $10-15 a twenty-four hours. You lot tin rent a cycle for $ten a mean solar day to explore the isle.
When information technology came to the other islands, things got even more affordable. My guesthouse in Maupiti was $70 a night, just that included all of my meals, an airport transfer, and a gratuitous snorkelling trip to swim with manta rays, and then I didn't take to pay for anything else while I was there. In Huahine and Raiatea, I averaged $50 a solar day in total, and that's as a solo traveller, which usually works out to be more than expensive.
French Polynesia is stunning, merely you don't have to pay a fortune to come across it.
The All-time Parts of French Polynesia are Outside of Tahiti
I was so freaking excited to get to Tahiti, because even simply the name made it sound like this mystical, magical, tropical island paradise.
Compared to the other islands I visited, it wasn't. It'south built up, it'due south adult, at that place's traffic and trucks and it's busy and there are enormous shopping malls and supermarkets. And a Mcdonald's. When you compare that to a place like Maupiti, which has no ATMs, where everyone rides bicycles, where in that location's a population of 1000, and where there's not a single resort, in that location's no competition. I much preferred the laid-back, get-slow, mode of life outside of Tahiti.
Tahiti felt a bit like beingness in a French Hawaii.
Arriving is Incredibly Easy if You're From the EU
French Polynesia is, obviously, a French territory, so arriving was just as unproblematic for me as it is to travel inside the European union. I know this really shouldn't accept been a surprise, but it was simply then piece of cake!At the drome, I was commencement off the plane and ambushed past two singing ukulele players along with a girl in a grass skirt. They performed a Polynesian dance for anybody as we trundled past them. I felt as far away from Europe every bit I could possibly get.
At clearing, the guy took my passport, glanced at it, then handed it back a second later. No stamp, no questions, nothing!
The Linguistic communication Barrier was Ane of the Highest I've Ever Run into
Speaking of French, if you can't speak more than a few words of it (similar me), you're going to struggle. I've rarely come up against such a high linguistic communication barrier in a place then fix for tourism, so this was a real surprise.
I can count the number of locals I had a conversation with on ii hands. Well-nigh of the guesthouses owners only spoke French, aerodrome officials couldn't sympathize my questions, and the motel coiffure on Air Tahiti rarely used English language. Even on Bora Bora, it was rare to find a local who spoke more than than a few words of English. On Maupiti, my guesthouse possessor spoke so lilliputian English language that whenever she wanted to inquire me a question or talk to me, she'd have to elevate an English language-speaking guest to my door to translate for her!
I don't listen language barriers, and I definitely won't complain about them, only it was isolating every bit a solo-traveller-who-couldn't-discover-any-other-solo-travellers and I did feel lonely at times. Information technology also made it harder to get things done. When a guesthouse owner forgot to option me up from a ferry terminal, for example, on an isle with no taxis and where nobody seemed to speak English language, I struggled to go out of the situation.
But the Locals are Lovely
I've never been to a place where literally every unmarried local you pass calls out hullo to you lot. That was French Polynesia for me. Everywhere I went, I was greeted with, "bonjour!" "bonjour!" "bonjour!" I felt so welcomed and safe, even with the big linguistic communication bulwark that meant we couldn't exchange much else.
On Maupiti, one of the guesthouse owners motioned for me to follow him subsequently breakfast and proceeded to teach me how to cleft open a coconut to launder downwards my repast with. He didn't speak a word of English, merely still took one-half an hour out of his day to teach me a new skill.
On Raiatea, my apartment owner offered to take me dancing in the master town with her friends one night.
On Huahine, a local I cycled past told me about a hike that isn't well publicised, and insisted that he prove me where the island's sacred eels were, so that he could help me feed them.
On Bora Bora, a group of local paddle boarders took me nether their wings, plied me with a homemade lime-coconut liquor, and told me everything I could possibly want to know about what it's similar to grow up in a identify and so isolated from the rest of the world.
Hostels are Rare
I stayed in a dorm room in Tahiti, just didn't find whatever hostels on any of the other islands I visited. And to exist honest, at $25 a nighttime for a crappy dorm that was total of mosquitoes, information technology offered far worse value than the $twoscore-70 a night guesthouses I stayed in elsewhere.
Exterior of Tahiti, if yous're visiting on a upkeep, y'all'll exist staying in fares, pocket-size guesthouses with a single-digit number of rooms. They're really lovely places and offer great value for money. They're also kind of similar resorts for budget travellers: you'll frequently swallow your meals at that place, take a bout with the owners, and borrow their bicycles or machine. It fabricated everything really easy and had such a family-manner vibe.
Solo Travelers Are Also Rare
I met a handful of solo travelers in my hostel in Tahiti — staying in a dorm room no dubiousness helped — but as shortly as I left, I didn't encounter whatever others. Just like I experienced in the Melt Islands, this felt very much like a destination for couples (especially honeymooners!) and families.
Different in the Cook Islands, this wasn't equally much of an issue in French Polynesia. Because the fares are ready to exist far more communal, I wasn't eating solitary every night and having nobody to chat to. Dinners were often included in the price of the guesthouse and were at a set fourth dimension, and so I got to hang out with other travellers and chat, which I loved.
Bora Bora Was But as Spectacular as I'd Hoped
Information technology'southward funny: I was so unenthusiastic virtually going to Bora Bora. It was my concluding cease on my trip and I'd already fallen in love with so many wonderful islands. I fully expected Bora Bora to look exactly the same as them, but to be full of tourists and overpriced everything.
But Bora Bora is special and yous should totally go there.
Was it my favourite island? No. It had me feeling a little too much similar I was existence ripped off, the food wasn't as good, and the beaches actually weren't equally dainty as the ones I'd spent fourth dimension on on other islands. But it was 100% the prettiest island overall. Existence in Bora Bora is like being in a dream.
And then, Which Island Was My Favourite?
It's tough to choose between Maupiti and Huahine, only I think the latter wins it for me. Huahine was gorgeous. It had the best beach I found in French Polynesia, it had tons to do, from exploring old abandoned hotels to feeding bluish-eyed eels to hiking up a volcano. The locals were welcoming, the lagoon was beautiful, and the seafood was delicious. My favourite guesthouse was also in Huahine.
Dorsum when I was planning out my South Pacific jaunt, I believed that spending ii weeks in French Polynesia would exist enough for me. I thought that all of the islands would be like, so if I could see a few, I'd be fix for life.
Every other twelvemonth, I spend Christmases downwardly in Oceania, which gives me the perfect opportunity to add on some South Pacific exploration either on the manner at that place or later on. I idea that my next trip would be all about visiting Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu, but now I'm not so certain.
Now, I'yard fairly certain I'k going to return to French Polynesia for at to the lowest degree a month. I miss it already.
Accept you lot always visited French Polynesia? Would yous similar to?
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Source: https://www.neverendingfootsteps.com/whats-it-like-travel-french-polynesia/
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