FRENCH POLYNESIA
French Polynesia is an overseas country of France, which is located in the South Pacific Ocean. The country is comprised of 130 islands which are grouped into 5 archipelagos: the Society Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Marquesas Islands, Gambier Islands and the Austral Islands.
The Polynesians were organized in loose chieftainships until significant European contact in the region began in 1767, when British explorer Samuel Wallis came upon what is now Tahiti, which is part of the Society Islands group.
The members of the London Missionary Society, who arrived in 1796, were the first settlers of the islands.
The Marquesas Islands and Tahiti were declared French Protectorates in 1842. Subsequently the colonization of other islands by France followed.
In 1946 the islands became a French overseas territory and in 2004 an overseas collectivity of France.
Papeete is the capital of the country and is situated on the island of Tahiti, the largest of these islands and the first to experience European conquest.
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
The total area of French Polynesia is 4,167 sq. km scattered over 2,500,000 square km of ocean and consists of 35 volcanic islands and more than 180 low-lying coral atolls. The islands lie south of Hawaii and halfway between New Zealand to the west and South America to the east. The Polynesian Island groups were formed by undersea volcanoes and include steep volcanic peaks, high islands with fringing coral reefs and large lagoons, and coral atolls surrounding submerged volcanoes.
The climate of the islands is tropical. Since it is located south of the equator, its winter season falls between May and October and the summer season is November through April. However, the Marquesas Islands are much closer to the Equator, so their weather tends to be warmer with more rainfall.
ECONOMY AND CURRENCY
The CFP Franc is the monetary unit of French Polynesia. The former the mainstay of French Polynesia’s economy, subsistence agriculture, was replaced by tourism and nuclear testing, in the mid 1960s. The economy of French Polynesia is dependent on imported goods, tourism, and the financial assistance of mainland France and is moderately developed.
PEOPLE, CULTURE AND LANGUAGES
According to the latest census the population of the country is 259,596 and out of this almost 70% of the inhabitants live on the island of Tahiti. Over 80% of the population is of Polynesian or mixed Polynesian ethnicity and the remaining is of European and Chinese decent.
The Polynesian society is a mixed society as race mixing has been going on for over a century but despite a long tradition of race mixing, racial tensions have been growing in recent years.
The main religion of the people is Christianity.
The official language of the country is French and majority of the residents speak both French and Tahitian, the dominant Polynesian language.
HOW TO REACH
The only Tahiti-based international carrier is Tahiti Nui. The main airport is Papeete (PPT) (Faaa), on Tahiti, which is 6km (4 miles) from the city and buses run regularly to and from the airport. Alternatively there are metered taxis also, but are expensive.
TRAVEL DESTINATIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Visit Papeete, the capital of the island Tahiti, and explore its public market, Le Marche, which is open all week but really comes to life on Sunday mornings when out-of-town merchants come to sell their wares. For more than 150 years traders bring to the market a vast array of exotic goods from Tahitian arts and crafts, to fragrant oils, flowers, fruit, straw hats, seashell jewelry and pareus (sarongs).
Tahiti has some remarkable watery wonders, from the Blowhole of Arahoho, which throws water skywards, to the Faarumai and Vaipahi waterfalls.
Visit the Paul Gauguin Museum at Tahiti where the famous French painter, Paul Gauguin, spent the last 12 years of his life, and the island sports a museum dedicated to his life and work. The exhibits include some original sculptures, engravings and gouaches.
Another museum to visit in Tahiti is the Pearl museum where you can view the cultured pearls, particularly the famed Tahitian Black Pearl, which is French Polynesia's main export and the best buy for visitors to the islands. It would be wise to first stop by the Pearl Museum, if you are planning to shop for pearls, because here you can find out all about these 'gems of the sea' and learn to judge their quality.
Tahiti has an exotic beaches- laze around on the island of Moorea's dazzling white-sand beaches and clear lagoons, ideal for swimming, diving and snorkeling, and surrounded by volcanic peaks and a winning mixture of tradition and touristy entertainment. Sheltered by the surrounding coral reef, discover the Leeward Islands, with their coastal waters and lagoons, all good for encountering the local aquatic life. For deep-sea fishing, scuba-diving, snorkeling or swimming, one can go on a nearby motu, which is a small sandy atoll within a reef. For viewing the lagoons of Bora Bora, its best to take a trip by glass-bottomed boat. The sea around the South Pacific islands provides a visibility of almost 40m making it excellent for scuba diving. Other water sports the can be indulged in are windsurfing, waterskiing, surfing and kite-surfing.
On Moorea there is a beautiful valley, the Opunohu Valley, which is an ancient dwelling place, uninhabited for 150 years, with 500 ancient structures including temples or marae, some of which have been restored. Once upon a time these marae used to be sacred buildings, or funerary sites, of a rectangular shape on which religious and social ceremonies would be performed.
Visit the Vanilla Island' of Tahaa where the breeze constantly carries the aroma of vanilla, from the island's numerous vanilla plantations. There is also a coral reef that the island of Tahaa shares with the island of Raiatea, and offers a tranquil and relaxed lifestyle.
There are two mountains of Otemanu and Pahia on the island of Bora Bora, which offer great opportunities for indulging in mountain climbing.
On the Marquesas Islands, at Hiva Oa, visit the burial spots of both Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel.
The numerous valleys of Ua Huka are great for horse riding and hourly and day-long horse riding tours can be arranged through Club Equestre de Tahiti and Centre de Tourisme Equestre de Tahiti, both at the Hippodrome, Pirae, Tahiti. The island of Fatu Hiva, with its valley of Hanavare, hidden between volcanic rocks on the Bay of Virgins, is Tahiti’s most beautiful locations.
Tahiti and Her Islands has some spectacular under water life; on Moorea and Bora Bora There are shark and ray feeding demonstrations and humpback whale watching is possible between July and October in the waters of Rurutu.
SHOPPING
Shopping facilities are concentrated in Papeete and special purchases include Marquesan woodcarvings, dancing costumes, shell jewelry, Tahitian perfumes, Monoi Tiare Tahiti (coconut oil scented with Tahiti's national flower), vanilla beans and brightly patterned pareu fabrics that make the traditional Tahitian pareo.
NIGHTLIFE
In the evenings, the capital city of Papeete is full of life with many restaurants and nightclubs. Tahitian dance shows, bands and other traditional entertainment is provided by most of the hotels.
CUISINE
Most of the hotels have good restaurants which serve Chinese, French, Italian and Vietnamese food, as well as the Polynesian specialties. The Chinese and French cuisine is especially good in Papeete. Steak, chips, chicken, poisson cru, brochettes and shish kebabs are sold on trucks or lunch wagons parked on the waterfront. To get a taste of the local cuisine, sample some of its specialties like: Smoked breadfruit, mountain bananas, Fafa or spinach, served with young suckling pig, Poisson cru, which is marinated fish, for example raw tuna served with coconut cream and limes and Poe, which is a starchy pudding made of papaya, mango and banana. Wash down these national delicacies with local drinks- Noni Juice, which comes from the Noni tree and is famous for its health-enhancing effects and Hinano the Tahiti beer. All kinds of alcoholic drinks are also available.
HOW TO GET AROUND
Air
The neighboring islands of Tahiti like Bora Bora, Huahine, Maupiti, Moorea and Raiatea and remote archipelagos like Tuamotu East and North with Manihi, Rangiroa, Takapoto and Tikehau; Austral Islands of Rurutu and Tubuai; Marquesas Islands of Hiva Oa and Nuku Hiva are all connected to Tahiti by Air Tahiti which runs the domestic flights.
Water
Inter-island connections on the many ferries, catamarans, copra boats and schooners make regular trips throughout the islands. Additionally at most of the major islands Yacht and sailboat charter is available.
Water
Le truck or open air buses, and RTC white coaches operate frequently in Papeete and the other islands offering an inexpensive method of road travel. Taxi and car hire facilities too are available.
WHERE TO STAY
A vast variety of accommodation styles are available on the islands, ranging from air-conditioned, carpeted, deluxe rooms with telephones and room service, to thatched-roofed bungalows. There are resort hotels too and these have individual gardens and over-water bungalows and rooms.
Papeete has one youth hostel and for a genuine experience it is possible to rent a room in a family room.
Click to Hide