Tahiti & Bora Bora

Currency

The CFP franc is pegged to the euro at a fixed rate, so there is no rate risk for European visitors and mental arithmetic is easy — knock two zeros off and add a fifth. Cards work at hotels and restaurants, less so at roulottes and markets.

ATMs & cards

Banque de Tahiti, Banque Socredo and BNP machines on Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. The smaller atolls have one machine or none. Withdraw on Tahiti before island-hopping, and expect fees on both sides.

Withdraw on Tahiti before island-hopping. The CFP franc is fixed to the euro, so there is no rate to shop around for — only fees.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe, with petty theft from cars and beaches as the main issue. The risks are the water and the cost of getting help: currents through the reef passes are strong, and a serious medical problem means an evacuation to Papeete or, for anything major, to New Zealand or Hawaii. This is one of the most expensive destinations in the world, which is its own kind of hazard for an unplanned trip.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

• Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid for longer stays on remote atolls

Getting treated

Tahiti has a modern French-standard hospital in Papeete and a recompression chamber. The outer islands have small clinics and little else, so anything serious means an evacuation flight to Papeete and, for the most severe cases, to New Zealand or Hawaii. That flight is the reason to hold real insurance.

Dengue, zika and chikungunya all occur in outbreaks. Ciguatera poisoning from reef fish is a genuine local risk — eat what the locals eat. Stonefish and sea urchins mean not walking barefoot on the reef.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Poisson cru — raw tuna in lime and coconut milk — is the national dish and is everywhere. Eat at the roulottes, the food trucks that fill Papeete’s waterfront in the evening, for a fraction of restaurant prices.

Getting around

• Domestic flight — Air Tahiti between the islands; Bora Bora is 50 min from Papeete and there is no other practical way
• Ferry to Moorea — 30 min from Papeete, frequent, and far cheaper than flying
• Rental car on Tahiti and Moorea — the island roads are single loops, so you cannot get lost
• Le Truck and buses — limited on Tahiti, effectively non-existent elsewhere
• Airport: Faa’a (PPT) on Tahiti, then a connecting flight or ferry to everywhere else

Must-see

Things to do

• Circle the Bora Bora lagoon by boat and snorkel the coral gardens
• Drive Moorea’s loop and climb to the Belvedere lookout
• Watch surfers at Teahupo’o from the shore
• Eat at the Papeete roulottes after dark
• Dive the Tiputa pass at Rangiroa for sharks and dolphins

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Tahitian

• HelloIa ora naya o-RA na
• Thank youMāuruurumow-roo-ROO
• Thank you very muchMāuruuru roamow-roo-ROO ro-a
• Yes / NoE / Aitaeh / ah-EE-ta
• WelcomeMaevama-EH-va
• How are you?Maita’i oe?my-TIE oh-eh
• Good / fineMaita’imy-TIE
• GoodbyeNanaNA-na

French is the working language and English is common in resorts, but ia ora na is used constantly by everyone and answering in kind is noticed.

Religion

Protestant and Catholic

Christianity arrived with missionaries in the nineteenth century and is now deeply woven into island life. Sunday church, with its singing, is a genuine event, and visitors are usually welcome if they dress properly.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Say ia ora na — it is the greeting and it is used constantly
• Accept a tiare flower if offered; behind the right ear means available, the left means taken
• Ask before photographing people, marae sites or ceremonies
• Cover up away from the beach and resorts; islanders dress modestly in villages

Don't

• Do not walk on or take anything from a marae, the sacred stone platforms
• Do not touch or stand on coral, and never take shells or coral home
• Do not sunbathe topless outside a resort beach
• Do not haggle. Prices are what they are and bargaining is not part of the culture here