The French Polynesian Travel Specialists

lush mountains of moorea island

Beautiful French Polynesia is one of the highlights of the South Pacific. With its palm trees, crystal waters, and stunning coastal landscapes, all your South Sea fantasies are made real. You can visit here on a cruise, but French Polynesia is best experienced on a longer visit, where you have time to relax and enjoy the amazing sights. Hotels in Tahiti are famous for its stunning overwater bungalows and luxurious qualities with the iconic island of Bora Bora is one of the most desirable places in the world for honeymoons. The food is great too – thanks to the French influence, you can enjoy fine wines and European cuisine with a local flavour, although you should try the barbecued sucking pig at indigenous-style buffets.

Explore the French Polynesia

beach resort in moorea island
Holidays in Moorea

Tranquil bays, historical sites and beach resorts

over water bungalows in bora lagoon
Holidays in Bora Bora

Stunning lagoon, snorkelling and overwater bungalows

French Polynesia Holidays Guide

The islands of French Polynesia include some of the planet's most beautiful and remarkable destinations. Most tourists arrive as couples, many for their honeymoon. French-speaking, the islands are popular with European tourists and famed for its stunning over-water bungalows. Aside from romantic holidays, French Polynesia is a world famous destination for experienced surfers and scuba divers.

On the downside, French Polynesia is an extremely expensive destination, in almost everything, from accommodation to food to travel. Still not an independent country, the islands are not as genuinely friendly as its Pacific neighbours and there is some crime and friction around the main town of Papeete. Despite this, and if your wallet permits, French Polynesia is a fantastic destination for exploring if you steer clear of the main tourist hubs; or simply accept there will be lots of happy-snapping tourists on Bora Bora!

French Polynesia Travel Guide

French Polynesia is vast. The main island of Tahiti, offshore Moorea and the iconic Bora Bora are all part of the Society Islands and this group is where the majority of the population is found; and in places, heaves with tourists. The Tuamotu Group is the only other mainstream tourist destination but the majority of visitors come here to dive the huge atolls of Fakarava and Rangiroa. The shallow lagoons are also known for its multi-million dollar black pearl farming. Then there's the northern Marquesas, an adventure's paradise, made famous by artist Paul Gauguin, And the even more remote Gambier and Austral groups which are seldom visited by travellers.


Tahiti Island

Tahiti is the main island with the international airport just south of Papeete, the capital town. Papeete has a pretty harbour, colourful market and some excellent restaurants and night-life. Visit Tahiti to see beautiful waterfalls, the black pearl museum, to shop in the atmospheric markets, play a round of golf, or swim off the remarkable black sand beach at Pointe Venus. There's also world class surfing around Tahiti-Iti, the eastern part of the island which is draped in wonderful rainforest with some great hiking trails.

 

 

Moorea Island

Moorea lies off the west coast of Tahiti, but is less busy and budget travellers may want to base themselves here instead of the main island – the sea crossing takes less than an hour, and there are plenty of lookouts, sights to see and tours to enjoy including some excellent Jeep safaris.

 

Bora Bora

Bora Bora is, by many people's standards, the most spectacular island in the South Pacific – but with it has come over-commercialisation which takes some of the shine off it. Visit Bora to snorkel with sharks and stingrays, take a helicopter ride over the island, have a massage on the beach and see if you're sharing your resort with any A-list celebrities.

 

Other Society Islands

There are many other stunning islands to visit in the Society Islands where you can experience the traditional Polynesian attitude to life. Maupiti is a mini-version of Bora Bora, slightly less dramatic, a little more remote and with hardly any tourists. Maupiti also has some interesting archaeological sites and some surfing breaks. Raiatea is particularly relaxed – visit here to see the river, and get around by scooter. Huahine has very little tourist infrastructure, but is arguably the best island to enjoy as nature intended.

 

French Polynesia Travel Info
You can get to Tahiti from LA, NY, and New Zealand – Tahiti is a hub for short-haul flights to nearby islands which is by far the easiest way to island-hop, albeit expensive. Public buses can be taken around the main island of Tahiti and Moorea as well as Bora Bora but here, water taxis are more prevalent. Outside these main islands public transport is pretty limited. Traffic congestion around Papeete is awful, especially heading south along the built-up west coast. Travel between the islands is mostly by small domestic air although there's a regular daily ferry between Papeete and Moorea. There's also a passenger ferry to Bora Bora and the other nearby Society islands; and cargo boats which also take passengers to the Marquesas and Tuamotu islands.