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Guide to Papeete, French Polynesia
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Click to go to Flight Prices for Papeete
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Papeete French Polynesia, a fantastic tropical region with some of the best surf in the known world, is home to the island of Tahiti, a landmass easily said to be circular if it wasn't for the broad peninsula extending from its southeastern corner. All of this is easily ignored if you're traveling to the island's capital, Papeete, though once one finds him- or herself at ground level, what were seen as oddities from above, seem downright attractive when upon the earth. Since we're looking at Tahiti's capital, it's good to know the ease of which one can find necessities here; still, there's far more in the way of natural habitats than developed land. After flying into the semi-trendy Tahiti Faaa International Airport, you'll be whisked to a location, either by bus, taxi, or hotel shuttle, to a location not unlike any capital city found within the tropical regions of the world. With plenty of high-rises, glitzy, suite-topped establishments, and 4- and 5-star restaurants, there's always the first impression that Papeete was designed to pamper. Though there is some true to this today, Papeete does reside on both sides of the line; its waterfront is populated both by high-cost temporary residences and budget-friendly bungalows. Tahiti is now reserved not only for those with limitless checking accounts, but also for folks looking to get a lot without spending a lot.
When to go:
Halfway between Southern California and Australia, the cluster of islands known as French Polynesia resides in the relatively serene Southwestern Pacific. Summer, the ideal time for a visit to Tahiti and the rest of the region, brings lengthy dry spells and light winds, perfect to keep those especially heated days bearable, and not so wet as to prevent outdoor adventures. Spring is your next best choice, considering autumn and winter known for laying the groundwork for quite a few large storm surges.
Getting there and around:
Because of its effectiveness in working with international carriers, Papeete's Tahiti Faaa has come to be known as one of the most easily accessible terminals in the Southeastern Pacific, a label quite difficult to come by. If you're coming to the capital from a location within Europe, you'll find the easiest route to take to be one including a stopover in Australia, preferably to a city within an eastern quadrant of the continent. Papeete has been considered a major port within the region for many years already, so if it has one thing good to show for itself it is its public transit system. Along the waterline you'll find a system of roads which, though busy, are much needed to keep the flow of traffic in this densely populated area steady and moving. It's simply a mistake to rent a vehicle for travel within the metropolitan area, but if you're planning to journey to distant towns and villages, you'll certainly be better off with your own vehicle.
Attractions:
Not the most popular among tourists, but nevertheless the largest social hub in the city, the Municipal Market, or Marche Municipale, boasts an incredibly vast variety of produce from Tahiti's farmland as well as from other islands; even Australian wheat is well represented among the stalls here. If you're a fan of Gauguin (we had to go with the rhyme), the Musee in memory of the artist is a generously stocked collection of his belongings, as well as a number of wood carvings, engravings, and ceramics. To be somewhat biased toward its homeland, the Gauguin Museum mostly geared toward his time in French Polynesia.
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