Explore other destinations on Earth French Polynesia Travel Guide


  Oceania EarthDocumentary World Budget travel Guide UNESCO World Heritage Sites  Compare Hotel Room Rates from different Booking Sites
French Polynesia is a collection of islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of several groups of islands, the most famous being the Society Islands group, which includes Tahiti, and which has capital of French Polynesia, Papeete. The size of ocean covered by French Polynesia is as much as the European Union, but the total land area is only the size of the island of Mallorca. As such, only two islands have town on them, Tahili and Moorea. The rest has only small communities, mostly associated with the resorts. To visitors, the French Polynesia represents the quintessential tropical paradise, with coral reefs, atolls, lagoons, jagged peaks and crystal-clear waters. The reality, as would-be visitors quickly discover, is that this earthy Paradise is not for everyone, but only for those with very deep pockets.

Fast Facts about French Polynesia

  • Official Name: French Polynesia
  • Capital: Papeete (27,000)
  • Population of French Polynesia: 275,000
  • Languages: French (official), Tahiti (official)
  • Currency: Comptoirs Français du Pacifique Franc
  • Religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic, others
  • Size: 3,660 sq km (1,413 sq miles)
  • Region: Oceania

    When to visit French Polynesia

    The best time to go is when the weather is best, and it is best when it is dry. That is from May to October. The weather at this time is cooler and there is less rain. The summer is from November to April, when it gets humid, cloudy and wet. The most crowded period for French Polynesia is from July to August, during the school holidays, so avoid this period to enjoy better rates. The peak season, unfortunately, is also when the Heiva Festival is celebrated. To witness it, you need to plan and book your accommodation well in advance. Other busy periods include Christmas to early January, late February to early March, Easter, early May and early October.

    What to wear in the French Polynesia

    This being an outdoor, tropical destination, lightweight clothing is good any time of the year. Don't forget to pack your swimming costume.

    Getting into French Polynesia

    Faa'a International Airport (PPT), 5km west of Papeete, is the main international gateway for the French Polynesia. The flag carrier of French Polynesia, Air Tahiti Nui flies to Auckland, Brisbane, Bordeaux, Cairns, Christchurch, Los Angeles, Lyon, Marseille, Melbourne, New York, Osaka, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, Wellington and many other smaller destinations, in cooperation with Air France, Japan Airlines, Qantas, American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. Air New Zealand connects Papeete with Auckland and Wellington, while LAN Chile, flies from Santiago and Easter Island.

    French Polynesia Entry Requirements

    Nationals of Australia, Britain and the EU may enter French Polynesia for three months without a visa. Nationals of Canada and US may do the same for one month.

    Where to stay in the French Polynesia

    Click on the name of the towns listed below to view hostels and budget accommodation available for booking there.

  • Huahine
  • Tahiti

    Getting around in French Polynesia

    The islands of the French Polynesia are spread over a huge area the size of the European Union. Air Tahiti and Air Moorea provides domestic flights to some of the landing strips on the outlying islands. There are also ferry services between most of the inhabited islands.

    Money matters in French Polynesia

    As everything has to be brought in, things are extremely expensive in the French Polynesia. If you are going there, bring lots of money - you'd need it. The currency used is the French Pacific Franc, XPF. XPF1=100 centimes. Banknotes are in denominations of XPF500, 1000, 5000 and 10,000 while coins are in denominations of XPF1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. The XPF is pegged to the Euro at the rate of 1 euro = XPF119.33. Banking hours are from 7:45am to 3:30pm, Mondays to Fridays.



  • Find lowest price for your Hotel Room

    Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?

    The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!



    Flight Checker

    Our Flight Checker helps travelers compare flights and get the lowest fare for their trips. If you're flying somewhere, use our Flight Checker to compare the rates from different airlines. To use it, enter where you will be flying from, where you will be flying to, your departure date and return date. Select the number of passengers, and then click search.

    Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.





    Return to EarthDocumentary World Budget Travel Guide

    My message introducing God to all the world: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO TIM


    Bookmark and Share   Follow EarthDocumentary on Twitter

    EarthDocumentary and globe logo are trademark and service mark of Timothy Tye.


    EarthDocumentary logo © copyright Timothy Tye 2007-2010. Content and articles in EarthDocumentary are provided in goodwill and are believed to be correct at time of writing. While every reasonable care is taken to check and verify the information shared, EarthDocumentary disclaims responsibility for its use. Text in EarthDocumentary is available under Creative Commons Attribution/ShareAlike License meaning you are free to copy, distribute, transmit, adapt and make derivative works, as long as you attribute your resulting work and apply it under the same, similar or a compatible license. You may use the information on this website on your blog or website so long as you place a link back to the page in AsiaExplorers where it appears. Wikipedia and Wikitravel are cited as among the sources of references. Photographs appearing in EarthDocumentary are available according to the licensing terms specified in its caption. Photographs supplied by Panoramio are governed by the Panoramio API terms & condition, are for display only, and may not be downloaded for use. Photographs belonging to the author are the copyright of Timothy Tye and may not be reused without prior written permission from the author. Contact the author for permission and licensing of the photos.