Mutiny to Tahiti and French Polynesia, by David Stanley
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Tahiti has tickled imaginations worldwide. More recently, Tahiti
became the most famous Polynesian island of all when Clark Gable
(1935), Marlon Brando (1962), and Mel Gibson (1984) played the role of
Fletcher Christian in three blockbuster Mutiny on the Bounty films.
Even the horrendous French nuclear testing program from 1966-1996 did
little to dampen this image.
For the modern traveler, there's no getting around the fact that
French Polynesia is expensive. Bora Bora is easily the most upscale
tourist destination in the South Pacific with 17 resorts charging over
US$250 double a night without meals. Yet it's also true that you can
greatly reduce your costs if you book your top end hotel rooms as part
of a package tour. Another option is to stay in small locally-operated
pensions. Bora Bora has seven hostels and pensions in the US$50-100
range and Moorea has 11. On Moorea you can also camp.
Most visitors get around the islands by air, and Air Tahiti operates
efficient services to 46 islands and atolls in French Polynesia. Here
again, you can save money by purchasing one of Air Tahiti's 28-day air
passes. A Society Islands air pass will cost around US$400, or US$550
if you add on the Tuamotu Islands. The only interisland boat trip
which is easy to do is Tahiti to Moorea which operates every two hours
and costs US$10. Passenger-carrying cargo boats do ply from Tahiti to
Bora Bora several times a week, but they're basic and the overnight
trip can be rough. If you want to experience the boat trip one way,
you're better off flying from Tahiti to Bora Bora and then returning
to Tahiti by boat. I explain why in my guidebook, Moon Tahiti.
Car rentals in French Polynesia average US$100 a day - expensive!
Options include renting a bicycle instead of a car (on Moorea and Bora
Bora) or traveling by le truck or public bus (on Tahiti). Four-wheel-
drive safari tours are offered on all the main islands and these are
also cheaper than renting a car. On Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, and Bora
Bora, there are sightseeing tours by outrigger canoe.
When to go? May to October is the cooler, less humid time, although
prolonged rainfall is possible yearround. An optimum time to be there
is for the Heiva festival on Tahiti, Huahine, and Bora Bora in early
July. Whatever, don't miss attending at least one Island Night at a
fancy resort for the wild tamure dancing and drumming. These happen
several times a week. You can often avoid the high cost of the buffet
by settling for a drink at the bar.
One thing you won't encounter in French Polynesia - unless you spend
most of your time at a large resort - is a tourist glut. French
Polynesia gets only 200,000 tourists a year compared to the six
million who visit Hawaii. Geographically, Tahiti is actually east of
Hawaii, and the flight from Los Angeles to Tahiti takes only 7.5
hours, just 2.5 hours more than it takes to fly to Hawaii. My most
memorable experience in French Polynesia? The cruise to the Marquesas
Islands on the Aranui, something I hope to do again very soon.
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David Stanley is the author of Moon Tahiti http://www.southpacific.org/tahiti.html
published by Avalon Travel Publishing of Berkeley, California.
Stanley's travel photos of French Polynesia may be perused at
http://www.pacific-pictures.com/
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