Having your own car on the island is a great way to explore the island at your own pace and see the surrounding sights and attractions. The is one main single road that circles the coastline running for 37 miles total encompassing the entire island beginning at the airport. It is a good idea to rent a car with multiple options found at the Tahiti airport and the option to ferry over to the island. Avis Pacific Car has its main branch situated across from the ferry terminal with special offers, open Sundays, and holidays.

There are taxis available on Moorea, but they can be expensive costing around 4,000 FCFP for short rides.

Yes walking the beach and walking around the area where your hotel or resort is located is possible, but this is a big island, and walking long distances is not possible. The main town is walkable with restaurants, shops, and attractions to explore.

The island boasts a newly paved bike lane that travels the entire coastal road, making for a nice ride with breathtaking views and the options to stop off and see different sights. Many of the accommodations on the island have bicycles available for rent and other rental companies are available in the main town. Some places will rent scooters, which provide visitors with a speedier way to travel.

Moorea is known as one of the safest places to travel to. Crimes against visitors are practically unheard of. Keep your wits about you and practice street smarts when out sightseeing, pickpocketing and purse snatchings do occur.

There are plenty of unique items to shop for on Moorea including art, jewelry, Tahitian Black Pearls, and Tamanu oil. There are many long-established pearl shops located on the island with prices that can be better than on Tahiti or Bora Bora. Look for shops in the main villages such as Maharepa for reputable sellers. The Champion Toa is a supermarket located in Vai`are just south of the Ferry Terminal with the largest selection of goods and groceries. Maharepa also has a fairly decent sized grocery store. The Le Petit Village and Maharepa have a great variety of souvenirs stores with the iconic black pearl stores and pareo shops (sarongs).

The official languages spoken in Moorea are French and Tahitian, many people speak English especially in the service industry at hotels and restaurants. Most of the island’s inhabitants have a good comprehension of the English language. French Polynesians move at a relaxed pace, their philosophy is called `Aita pea pea` which translates to `not to worry`. We recommend you get a good English-French Polynesian guidebook and learn the common phrases such as hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and numbers 1-10.

The tropical climate of Moorea makes it an ideal destination year-round with average daily temperatures around 80 degrees and water temperatures in the lagoons at 79F. The summer months from November through April can be warmer and bring along higher humidity levels and wetter weather with afternoon downpours and thunderstorms. May to October is the best time to visit with warm sunny weather and less humidity, this time of year tends to be clear and dry.

The currency in French Polynesia is the French Republic, also known as the franc and abbreviated as CFP. Be sure to exchange your currency for francs before arriving in Bora Bora. There are currency exchange desks at the airport and some banks on the island.

The food in Moorea is dominated by seafood being surrounded by the beautiful South Pacific Ocean, served up cooked and raw there are many options for delicious fresh fish from the local lagoons and all kinds of delicious seafood options. Most of the menus in Tahiti will offer a plethora of fish such as mahi-mahi, grouper, tuna as well as seafood varieties such as giant clams, octopus, squid, and sea urchins.

`Poisson cru` (raw fish in french)is a popular dish, the national dish of Tahiti, which is raw tuna marinated in coconut milk and lime juice with vegetables similar to ceviche. The island grows some of the tastiest pineapples, coconuts, and bananas. Other popular Polynesian style dishes include suckling pig, crab, taro, umara, Uru, ufi, fafa, and more. There is also a french spin on many dishes due to the island nationals connection with France and baguettes can be found all over the island and the baguette sandwich is very popular and delicious.

Visit the Tiki Theatre Village located in Haapiti for an authentic evening that includes a delicious local Buffett feast and live entertainment including traditional dance and music. Many of the resorts and hotels offer some of the best nightlife options with live shows and delicious food, check out the InterContinental Resort and Spa Moorea who put on an elaborate Saturday night lagoonside show. Club Bali Hai by Cook`s Bay offers a free show on Wednesday nights each week at 6 pm. Muk McCallum, one of the original Bali Hai Boys who can be found at the Club Bali Hai with his `bring your own happy hour` from 5:30-7 pm Thursday to Tuesday nights.

In the event of an emergency call 20 for police, 120 for fire, and 15 for an ambulance.

Hospital:

Hospital Moorea tel. 56-23-23 or 56-24-24

Dominique Barraille tel. 689-40-56-27-07