Renting a car is one of the easiest and most popular ways to travel around Tahiti. Most cars will be manual transmission and could cost around 9,000 CFP a day. Traveling and exploring the island by car is a great option allowing you to go at your own pace and stop and check out sights and attractions along the way. Cars can be rented at the airport or arranged through your hotel concierge.

Taxis are available in Tahiti and are best ordered over the phone with the help of your hotel concierge. You may find taxis on the main streets of Papeete close to the downtown area and the ferry docks.

Yes walking around the main town of Papeete is possible on foot with plenty of restaurants, shops, and more to explore. The beaches are one of the most beautiful places to take a walk along with the scenic lush verdant interior of the island.

Yes riding a bike in Tahiti is a popular way to get around and soak up the stunning scenic surrounding of the island. Riding a bike is a great exercise and many accommodations have bicycles available to rent or lend out to guests. There are several different rental options available also.

Tahiti 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.

The main shopping opportunities in Tahiti are going to be found in the main town of Papeete. There are a good amount of shops found here including boutiques, souvenir shops, and grocery stores. Hotels also have shopped with a large selection of souvenirs from the islands. There are art galleries found in the main town along with arts and crafts and a popular market selling typical Polynesian products. There is a 2 story Vaima shopping center located in the heart of Papeete offering a wide variety of souvenirs, shops, and galleries to explore. Some of the popular items purchased in Tahiti include pearl jewelry, sarongs, monoi oil, and wooden carved objects.

The official languages spoken in Tahiti 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 Tahiti 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 at some banks on the island.

The food in Tahiti 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.

Tahiti’s national dish is `Poisson cru` (raw fish in french) 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.

There are many bars and nightclubs found in Papeete with bar-hopping available with the locals. Other than that this is not a big party island, many hotels and resorts will offer bars, restaurants, and evening entertainment, but the primary entertainment on the island consists of traditional dancing and enjoying delicious island food.

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

Hospital:

Centre Hospitalier Territorial tel. 689-46-62-62

Clinique Cardella tel. 689-46-04-00