There are so many things to consider when planning a trip to French Polynesia
that it would be difficult to list everything on this web site. What I will do
here is give some suggestions of the best resources to consult and I will also
give some suggestions in areas that I have not seen in print anywhere else.
The main obstacle that most people describe, if they've never been to Tahiti, is
the cost of traveling there. Obviously, it is not the most inexpensive place in
the world to travel. There are many tour companies that have packages
available, through your travel agent or on the Internet. Check with your
travel agent, or visit the Travel page on this site.
I have been traveling to French Polynesia for several years now. Low priced
packages are good ways to become acquainted with the islands if you are on a
limited budget. Once you decide if you like traveling to French Polynesia, you
can graduate to making your own itinerary. Most of the tour companies can
accommodate you for your special itinerary.
If you are considering a trip to French Polynesia, I recommend purchasing a travel
book that covers the area. The following two books are excellent references:
Tahiti-Polynesia
Handbook by David Stanley, published by Moon Travel Handbooks; and
Frommer's South Pacific, published by Macmillan Travel.
These books provide some very useful information for the first time traveller to
the islands.
AIRLINE RESERVATIONS:
There are several airlines to choose from for your flight to Tahiti. From Los
Angeles, you can fly non-stop to Tahiti on the following airlines:
If flying non-stop is not a priority, you can usually find a reasonable fare on
Hawaiian Air, which flies from Los Angeles to Honolulu and then
to Papeete. When booking airfares that are not part of a package, ask your travel agent
to check for the availability of discount tickets. Many travel agents have airline
ticket discounters that they do business with and it can sometimes results in a
substantial savings over the published fare.
Most travel information suggests that you should arrive at the departure airport
for an international flight at least 2 hours before departure. However, my suggestion
is that you make it at least 3 hours before departure. Some airlines, including Air France,
ask for passengers to check in 3 hours before the departure of an international flight.
I have seen passengers who were denied their seat on the plane because they arrived
1 hour before the flight was scheduled to leave. Airlines frequently have a waiting list
for people who do not have confirmed reservations. If you don't check-in in a timely
manner, your seat might go to one of those persons who is waitlisted. Besides, it's
just a good idea to plan your arrival at the airport a little early to make up
for any unforeseen difficulties. On my first trip to Tahiti, I had planned to
arrive at the airport for my connecting flight to Los Angeles 1½ hours before
the flight's departure. About 10 miles from my house, the car I was driving in
started to hesitate as though it was going to quit. I chose to return home and
use another car. We got to the airport about 20 minutes before the connecting
flight departed. My motto, you can never be too early!
WHAT TO TAKE:
The travel books I described above have a lot of good information on this subject.
But I will add a few things here that are missing from the books.
Take at least one credit card with you. First choice is VISA, then
MasterCard, and finally American Express. You will find that
any place, which honors credit cards, will honor the VISA card. Nearly all
honor MasterCard as well. However, not all honor American Express. Having an
American Express card does have other advantages, though. There is an American
Express office in Papeete where cardholders can receive mail, get cash advances,
and obtain other services that are not offered to the holders of VISA or MasterCard.
One of the big advantages of a credit card concerns the currency exchange rate.
When you go to a bank or a hotel for currency exchange, you do not get the current
exchange rate, you get less. When you use a credit card, the current exchange rate
is calculated at the time the charge is posted to your account. This is one
place where you can actually save money by using a credit card. The only problem
is that you have to pay it back when you return home.
There are many places that do not honor credit cards. For instance, there is
a Mobil service station located on the island of Moorea, just south of the ferry dock in
the village of Vaiare. If you happen to be renting a car and have a Mobil gasoline
credit card, don't expect this service station to accept it, because they won't. The
only gasoline stations that will honor gasoline credit cards are located on the
island of Tahiti.
When you travel domestically on Air Tahiti, be aware that
there are luggage weight restrictions. Passengers are limited to 20 kg
(about 44 lbs) per passenger for checked luggage. Be prepared to pay 200
CFP per kg over the weight limit.
Since there are a lot of businesses that don't accept credit cards, it is useful
to have some local currency. Depending on how much shopping you want to do, I
think having about $250-$300 per person per week is a good rule of thumb.
Obviously, you would not need as much cash if you used credit cards more often.
I find it very enjoyable using the local currency for purchases. The hardest
part is learning the value of the different coins without having to read the
value on each.
There are some instances when the locals will accept US dollars
for a purchase. If you are buying from a roadside vendor or paying fare on
le truck, the exchange rate is usually 100 CFP = $1. There is no benefit
to using US dollars to buy goods unless the vendor will give you the current
rate of exchange (which is about 115 CFP = $1 US). Regular business will probably
pull out their calculator and figure something close to the going rate.