Travel Guide Tahiti & French Polynesia

By Celeste Brash, Jean-Bernard Carillet and Ashley Harrell

Lonely Planet's Tahiti and French Polynesia is our most comprehensive guide that extensively covers all the region has to offer, with recommendations for both popular and lesser-known experiences. Swim in the sparklingly clear waters, hike to waterfalls, dive into coral wonderlands, then sip cocktails by the beach; all with your trusted travel companion.

Inside Lonely Planet's Tahiti and French Polynesia Travel Guide:

Lonely Planet's Top Picks - a visually inspiring collection of the destination's best experiences and where to have them

Itineraries help you build the ultimate trip based on your personal needs and interests
Local insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - whether it's history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, politics

Eating and drinking - get the most out of your gastronomic experience as we reveal the regional dishes and drinks you have to try

Dedicated Diving plan

Toolkit - all of the planning tools for solo travellers, LGBTQIA+ travellers, family travellers and accessible travel

Colour maps and images throughout
Language - essential phrases and language tips

Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

Covers Tahiti, Mo'orea, Huahine, Ra'iatea and Taha'a, Bora Bora, Maupiti, The Tuamotus, The Marquesas, The Australs and the Gambier Archipelago and more

eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones)

Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges

Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews

Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience

Seamlessly flip between pages

Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash

Embedded links to recommendations' websites

Zoom-in maps and images

Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing

About Lonely Planet:

Lonely Planet, a Red Ventures Company, is the world's number one travel guidebook brand. Providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973, Lonely Planet reaches hundreds of millions of travellers each year online and in print and helps them unlock amazing experiences. Visit us at lonelyplanet.com and join our community of followers on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet), and TikTok (@lonelyplanet).

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781837582525

Book preview

Front CoverLonely Planet Logo

TAHITI & FRENCH POLYNESIA

MapHow To Use This eBook

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Tahiti & French Polynesia: The Journey Begins Here

Tahiti & French Polynesia Map

Our Picks

Regions & Cities

Itineraries.

When to Go

Get Prepared

The Food Scene

Diving

The Outdoors

The Guide

Tahiti

Pape’ete

West & South Coasts

East Coast

Taravao & Tahiti Iti

Mo’orea

Huahine

Ra’iatea & Taha’a

Ra’iatea

Taha’a

Bora Bora

Maupiti

The Tuamotus

Rangiroa

Tikehau

Mataiva

Fakarava

Ahe

Manihi

The Marquesas

Nuku Hiva

’Ua Huka

’Ua Pou

Hiva Oa

Beyond Hiva Oa

Fatu Hiva

The Australs & the Gambier Archipelago

Rurutu

Rimatara

Tubuai

Raivavae

The Gambier Archipelago

Toolkit

Arriving

Accommodation

Getting Around

Money

Family Travel

Health & Safe Travel

Accessible Travel

Food, Drink & Nightlife

Responsible Travel

LGBTIQ+ Travellers

Nuts & Bolts

Language

Storybook

A History of Tahiti & French Polynesia in 15 Places

The Polynesian Cultural Renaissance

This Book

TAHITI & FRENCH POLYNESIA

THE JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

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Woman at the Marché de Pape’ete, Tahiti | MARTINA PELLECCHIA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

I arrived in French Polynesia when I was 19 years old, got married and raised my kids here so, even though I loved our life, I didn’t have the perspective of how blessed it was. After living in the US for 12 years, I get it now. It’s not just going to sleep to the sound of surf, the heady smell of ginger flowers at sunset or the satisfying thud of a ripe mango that’s fallen from a tree, it’s how people here acknowledge each other, even strangers, with respect and a smile, as a constant reminder that we’re on this small rock together and not alone. Then there are the colours. From the un-real blues of the lagoons and the emerald tones of the mountains to the deep shadows of storm clouds and rainbows that appear almost daily. You’d have to drag me kicking and screaming to live anywhere else.

Celeste Brash

@cjbrash

Celeste has contributed to nearly 100 Lonely Planet titles and writes for myriad publications including National Geographic, Wanderlust and the Los Angeles Times. She also farms pearls on Ahe Atoll.

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My favourite experience is hiking ’Ua Pou’s Poumaka Loop that leads to the base of one of the island’s phonolite spires.

WHO GOES WHERE

Our writers and experts choose the places which, for them, define Tahiti & French Polynesia.

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TOMAS KOTOUC/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Tumakohua Pass on Fakarava is the ultimate dive site, with gin-clear (and warm) waters, a superb background and the guarantee to go nose-to-nose with hundreds of grey reef sharks (pictured). No need to be a seasoned diver to experience such a magical place – Tumakohua is suitable for novices as well. This is the joy of diving in French Polynesia.

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Jean-Bernard Carillet

@jb.carillet_photography

Jean-Bernard is a writer, photographer and videographer about travel and culture – he works for various magazines and his pictures have been used to illustrate Tupuna, a book on French Polynesia.

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RUHAN.TERENTE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

On my first visit to French Polynesia, as I relaxed in a lounge chair on the back deck of an overwater bungalow, the clouds hiding Mt Otemanu (pictured) suddenly cleared just as a double rainbow materialized beside Bora Bora. The framed photo of this life-affirming event now hangs prominently in my kitchen, and whenever someone asks me to go back to French Polynesia, I say yes.

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Ashley Harrell

@where_smashley_went

Ashley is a California-based freelance journalist who writes about travel and the outdoors. She’s co-authored more than 50 Lonely Planet books.

Country Map

A MILLION BLUES

Have you been searching for the most intense shade of aqua? French Polynesia has some of the world’s flashiest coloured lagoons and hopping from one to the next is the stuff holiday dreams are made of. It’s just as spectacular below the surface with sharks, coral gardens, turtles, rays, dolphins, humpback whales, clouds of fish and incredible visibility. Water temperature hovers around 27°C – perfect for an easy, cooling dip.

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Fakarava | NAPA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Making the Most of It

A lagoon tour will zip you around this watery paradise, with plenty of stops to take a dip or lounge on a beach.

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CELESTE BRASH/LONELY PLANET ©

Diving In

Don’t miss donning a mask to explore this underwater wonderland. There are easy spots for first-timers and exciting adventures for seasoned pros.

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POMMEYROL VINCENT/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Fear Not!

Stonefish aside, if you’re not holding a bloody fish or sticking your hands in crevices, there are few dangers in the water here.

BEST LAGOON EXPERIENCES

Take off in a kayak to explore Mo’orea’s vast and stunning waters, stopping for lunch at Coco Beach 1.

Splurge on an over-the-water bungalow in Bora Bora 2 and watch fish underwater through your glass coffee table.

Hop on a lagoon tour that includes Fakarava’s surreal and remote Les Sables Roses 3 to lounge, swim and snorkel.

Spend the day picnicking and relaxing at the sublime Motu Piscine 4 on Raivavae, with views over the intensely coloured lagoon.

Dive with a mask and snorkel into the Lagon Bleu 5, a bright indigo lagoon within Rangiroa’s immense and sparkling lagoon.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ANCIENTS

Spirituality has always been paramount to Polynesian people and the historical vestiges you’ll find in the islands are testament to this. Energy-emanating stone temples, tiki (sacred statues) shaded by giant banyan trees, and crumbling churches hand-built with coral blocks are highlights. There are thousands of unrestored sites hidden in the jungle countrywide.

Polynesian Atua (Gods)

Historically, Polynesians were polytheistic. The main gods included Ta’aroa (god of creation), Tu (man god), Tane (god of craftsmen) and ‘Oro (god of war).

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DEAGOSTINI/GETTY IMAGES ©

Paul Gauguin’s Tomb

Paul Gauguin’s final resting place on Hiva Oa is a dreamy spot to ponder the French painter’s turbulent life and love affair with the Marquesas Islands.

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CELESTE BRASH/LONELY PLANET ©

Ancestral Spirits

Polynesians are great believers in tupapau (ghosts) and most people will have a good story to tell about the supernatural if you ask them.

BEST ARCHAEOLOGY EXPERIENCES

Visit Marae Taputapuatea 1 in Ra’iatea: arguably the planet’s most important ancient Polynesian place of worship.

Marvel at the five impressive stone tiki that dominate the well-preserved Iipona 2 archaeological site on Hiva Oa.

Wander through the remains of mountain temples in Maeva 3 on Huahine.

Discover the remains of archery platforms, dwellings and temples up a jungle hill in Mo’orea’s Opunohu Valley 4.

Admire coral-block churches that were built in the 1880s, seat thousands and still stand today in the Gambier Archipelago 5.

WHALES & SHARKS

French Polynesia is an important breeding ground and nursery for humpback whales, and the glass-clear waters make it one of the best places on Earth to witness them. Meanwhile, coral reefs and passes teem with sharks, manta rays, dolphins, sea turtles and myriad fish species.

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Silvertip shark, Rangiroa | STEPHEN FRINK/GETTY IMAGES ©

Dolphin Delights

Dolphins frolic in French Polynesia’s lagoons year-round. Spinners, bottlenoses and rough-tooths play in the boat wakes and make underwater appearances to divers.

Whale Watching

Whales migrate past French Polynesia around mid-July to October. The exact timing varies by year, but August and September are usually the best months.

BEST SEALIFE EXPERIENCES

See dolphins jump through the changing tides at sunset and numerous species of shark at Rangiroa’s Tiputa Pass 1.

Whale-watch at Rurutu 2, with its air-like water visibility and few tourists.

Take a lagoon tour of Mo’orea 3 and stop at a sandy bank where stingrays and sharks cavort with tourists.

Swim with manta rays getting their wings cleaned by wrasses in the transparent water at La Ferme 4 on Tikehau.

Dive the Nordby wreck 5 in Ra’iatea’s lagoon, which is home to weird creatures like leaf fish, nudibranchs and scorpion fish.

TRADITIONAL ARTS

Hips that move like rippling water, men dancing in palm-leaf loincloths and percussion that stirs the primordial soul are reason enough to visit French Polynesia. Upping the ante are unique woodcarvings, fine basketry, local paintings and tattoo ink on tanned skin. Traditional arts are not a thing of the past but are thriving and evolving. The performances you see and the crafts you buy are contemporary as well as being a proud link to the past.

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Marquesan tattoos | HEMIS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Where to See a Dance Performance

Outside of the Heiva and Marquesas arts festivals, resorts are the best places to see authentic and top-notch dances.

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SARAYUTH3390/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Island Shopping

Most smaller islands have artisanat – craft centres where local artists sell their wares. The Marche de Pape’ete is the best stop on Tahiti.

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DAVID PARKER/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Local Music

Local music performances happen almost nightly in and around Pape’ete. Check club websites or ask around. Big shows are held at To’ata Amphitheatre.

BEST TRADITIONAL ARTS EXPERIENCES

Catch the country’s most important festival of dance, song and traditional sports at the Heiva 1 – it’s the biggest in Tahiti.

Enjoy the powerful, wild, visually stunning and emotional Marquesas Arts Festival 2.

Find a talented tattoo artist 3 for the ultimate souvenir – Marquesan designs are the most popular.

Seek out high-quality pearls which are cultivated in the lagoon in Mangareva 4 in the Gambier Archipelago.

Shop for fine woodcarvings at ’Ua Huka 5, the island of woodcarving masters.

WHITE, BLACK & PINK BEACHES

White sands are what Instagram is made of, but French Polynesia will open your mind to other hues. Find dark-pewter-toned ‘black’ to silvery grey beaches on geologically younger high islands like Tahiti and in the Marquesas Islands. Shimmering pink beauties are hidden around the Tuamotu Archipelago, the most famous being in Fakarava. And yes, most beaches in the country are a glorious pale gold that sugar-coats the rims of turquoise lagoons.

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Les Sables Roses, Fakarava | ITPHOTO/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Why So Many Colours?

Black sand comes from volcanic lava rock while white and pink sand is the result of different species of naturally eroding coral reef.

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VLADIMIR3D/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Big & Small

Most beaches in French Polynesia are slim, with the exception of a few wider beauties in the Society Islands and on motu (coral reef islets).

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MALOFF/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Aftersun Care

Locally produced monoi (coconut oil) and tamanu oil are excellent for calming over-sunned skin. Aloe vera is also grown in many hotel and home gardens.

BEST BEACH EXPERIENCES

Take a lagoon tour that stops at Fakarava’s Les Sables Roses 1 for one of the best photo ops in the country.

Lafayette Beach 2 on Tahiti’s east coast is the blackest you’ll find anywhere, plus it fronts scenic Mataiva Bay and is rarely crowded.

Bora Bora’s Matira Beach 3 is a white stunner that’s perfect for toddler water fun to glamorous beach lounging and swimming.

Beaches don’t get more perfect than palm-fringed, deep-blue-pool-fronted Temae Beach 4 on Mo’orea, with coral gardens to snorkel just beyond.

Plage de Taharuu 5 on Tahiti is a real crowd-pleaser for its wide, black banks, surfing waves and great little restaurant.

HIKE RIDGES & VALLEYS

Imagine waterfalls tumbling down fern-carpeted basalt cliffs, wild passionfruit vines draped over beach hibiscus trees, and dark caves, each with an ancient legend. Then there are the island silhouettes, from the iconic square top of Bora Bora to the crazy shapes of Mo’orea and otherworldly spires of Ua Pou.

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Papenoo Valley, Tahiti | JOSIP PASTOR/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Paradise on Horseback

Many islands like Tahiti, Mo’orea and all the Marquesas Islands have horseback guides to lead you from mountain to sea.

What to Wear Hiking

Pack long, lightweight trousers and thin socks with breathable hiking shoes to protect yourself from prickly ferns and the stray fire ant.

BEST HIKING EXPERIENCES

Hike windswept ridges into spectacular waterfall valleys and along the coast to lost-feeling, uninhabited beaches in Nuku Hiva 1.

Delve into the lush interior of Tahiti’s Papenoo Valley 2, with soaring mountains, archaeological remains and majestic waterfalls.

See waterfalls, caves, petroglyphs and leaping dolphins on the coastal trail from the Fenua Aihere to Te Pari 3 on Tahiti.

Hike the high and often misty Temehani Plateau 4 in Ra’iatea to search for rare tiare apetahi flowers.

Walk the lush Opunohu Valley Loop 5 in Mo’orea through archaeological sites to one of the country’s most spectacular viewpoints.

TROPICAL FRUIT & FISHY DELIGHTS

Food literally falls from the trees in this lush island paradise, and local fishers bring in big hauls of tuna, lagoon fish and more daily. All this bounty gets prepared with Polynesian, French and Asian flair to create dishes so delicious you’ll be dreaming of them long after you return home.

Fruit Seasons

Most fruits are ripe between November and May, with February to April being the real sweet spot. Bananas and papayas are always in season.

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PIYARAYA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Roadside Shopping

The best fruit, fish, snacks, ice-cold coconuts and more can be bought on the side of the road. This also supports small families.

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PASCALE GUERET/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Hinano & Beyond

Iconic local Hinano beer is available in several varieties and other local brews like Tabu are also great on a hot day.

BEST FOOD & DRINK EXPERIENCES

Start your trip with a Mo’orea Food Tour 1 to learn how to eat local and well for the rest of your stay.

Try exotic ocean treats you’ll likely not find elsewhere at the seafood barbecue feast on Maupiti 2.

Enjoy the cheapest eats with the most local atmosphere at Pape’ete’s Vaiete Roulottes 3 (mobile food vans) in Tahiti.

Indulge in fantastic liquor at Huahine’s Distillerie Huahine Passion 4, with fruits so exotic you’ve never heard of them.

Taste Marquesan specialties that will fill your belly and warm your heart at Chez Marie-Antoinette 5 on Hiva Oa.

REGIONS & CITIES

Find the places that tick all your boxes.

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ITINERARIES

A Glimpse of Paradise

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Allow: 7 Days Distance: 518km

This itinerary is perfect for a quick getaway, taking in island highlights that will likely inspire a return visit. You’ll go to the most spectacular and best-known high islands, cruise some of the bluest waters on the planet, plus sample a slower pace of life on lesser-visited Huahine.

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Huahine | MARIDAV/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

1 Tahiti 1 day

Rent a car and tour Tahiti, hitting the Marché de Pape’ete to stock up on fruit and snacks, then stopping at white- or black-sand beaches, waterfalls, lush gardens and the fabulous Te Fare Iamanaha museum to get the scoop on everything from the country’s geology to outrigger canoe construction. Dine at the Vaiete Roulottes (food carts) on the Pape’ete waterfront.

45 min

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EQROY/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

2 Mo’orea 2 days

Hop on the ferry to Mo’orea, which boasts soaring peaks, lush verdant hillsides and aqua waters. It’s considered by many to be the most beautiful of the Society Islands. Take a food tour to learn how to eat for the rest of your trip, explore the island’s archaeological sites in stunning, view-filled Opunohu Valley then tour the aquamarine lagoon before chilling on the beach.

1hr 10min

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REINHARD DIRSCHERL/GETTY IMAGES ©

3 Bora Bora 2 Days

Fly to Bora Bora to live it up for a night or more in an overwater bungalow (if your budget allows) and partake in a variety of water excursions on the vast, blue lagoon, with views of the island’s iconic, square-topped peak. Dine by candlelight, relax in a spa and look out for celebrities. From July to October go whale watching in crystal clear waters.

25 mins

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SILVIAN007/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

4 HuAhine 2 Days

End your holiday with two days of complete relaxation and a taste of authentic Polynesian culture on Huahine. Go diving or snorkelling, take an island tour, wander the scenic archaeological sites around Maeva, enjoy near-empty beaches and wander around the sleepy town of Fare. If you’re around on a Sunday, don’t miss trying Ma’a Tahiti (traditional-style food) at Chez Tara.

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SEBASTIEN BUREL/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

ITINERARIES

Island Mana Tour

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Allow: 11 days (including an overnight stopover in Tahiti) Distance: 4154km

Explore French Polynesia’s fascinating past and modern-day cultural renaissance on this itinerary that visits three archipelagos. You’ll meet Society Islanders, Paumotu (people of the Tuamotus) and Marquesans; see high islands and an atoll, plus feel the remarkable mana (spiritual energy) at some of the most powerful ancient sites in the country.

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Tahiti | Matteo Colombo/getty images ©

1 TAHITI 1 DAY

Discover the most inspiring mountain scenery on Tahiti by taking a 4WD tour into the mysterious Papenoo Valley. Here you’ll visit the crystalline Papenoo River, archaeological sites, waterfalls and the glorious, high-elevation Lake Vaihiria. At night, catch a Tahitian or Marquesan dance performance at the Intercontinental Resort & Spa and gorge on their Tahitian buffet with a lagoon view.

45min

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JOSIP PASTOR/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

2 Ra’iatea 2 days

Fly to Ra’iatea and hire a guide to help you understand UNESCO-listed Marae Taputapuatea, one of the most important spiritual sites of ancient Polynesia, and feel its powerful energy. Hike up to the Temehani Plateau in search of the tiare apetahi, one of the world’s rarest flowers. Dive or snorkel the lagoon and kayak up Faaroa River, the only navigable river in French Polynesia.

35min

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MARIE POURCELOT/GETTY IMAGES ©

3 Taha’a 1 day

Take a day tour or stay a night on Ra’iatea’s smaller sister island, Taha’a, to experience its very quiet and laid-back vibe. Visit a Tahitian black pearl farm to see how the gems are made and learn how flowers are pollinated by hand to grow French Polynesia’s famous, fragrant vanilla. Head to an empty white-sand beach for a dip in the dreamy lagoon.

2hr

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ANDREA IZZOTTI/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

4 Rangiroa 2 days

Fly to Rangiroa, the largest coral atoll in the country and the second largest in the world – its vastness is palpable. Dive with sharks, live in your swimsuit and quench your thirst with coconuts. Don’t miss a tour of the immense lagoon to see pink-sand beaches and the surreally beautiful Lagon Bleu (Blue Lagoon). At sunset, watch dolphins frolic in Tiputa Pass.

1hr to Tahiti, then stay overnight

3½hr to Nuku Hiva

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LKPRO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

5 Nuku Hiva 2 days

Change cultures entirely when you fly on to the Marquesas (with an overnight stay in Tahiti). Travelling here is like stepping back in time. Start in Nuku Hiva, the largest island, to hike across windswept ridges into ancient volcanic craters before checking out the island’s archaeological sites, including Hikokua, Kamuihei and Tahakia. Ride a horse to a white-sand beach over a remote island pass.

40min

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LE BOUIL BAPTISTE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

6 hiva oa 2 days

Take a plane to Hiva Oa to visit French artist Paul Gauguin’s final resting place at Calvaire Cemetery and the Espace Culturel (pictured) dedicated to his works. Don’t miss the giant stone tiki (sacred statues) at Iipona and several other ancient sites on the island, then take a day tour to neighbouring Tahuata for its ancient stone ‘royal road’ and a chance to buy beautiful bone carvings.

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CAROLYNE PARENT/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

ITINERARIES

Lagoon Hopper

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Allow: 14 days (including overnight stopovers in Tahiti) Distance: 4212km

Here’s a trip that brings you to more shades of blue than you ever imagined, via some of the most impressive lagoons in the country. Divers, snorkellers and land lubbers will be equally dazzled. Pack a sweater for this voyage since it dips below the Tropic of Capricorn for chillier temperatures.

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Tikehau | SHEN MAX/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

1 Tahiti 1 day

Get to know the lagoon and beyond in Tahiti on a boat or hiking tour to the Fenua Aihere and

Reviews for Travel Guide Tahiti & French Polynesia

[desiree_reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent guide to the unbelievably beautiful South Pacific (this is not your average Hawaii).

Includes topics such as:
- Planning your trip
- An overview of the various islands in the Tahitian Islands, the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, and the Australs & the Gambier Archipelago.
- Understanding Tahiti & French Polynesia

Very handy when planning your dream vacation, as well as to have on hand while deciding your next move when in your island paradise.