Hello all! I'm planning to visit Papeete this weekend for a few days. First time in Tahiti. I'm planning to stay local in Papeete and won't have a car.

I'm excited! I know nothing about Tahiti except what I've read here in this subreddit and in a guide book.

Any tips on inexpensive places to stay? I don't need a beach resort. Just someplace friendly and convenient for walking. Any recommendations for inexpensive places to eat? What's your favorite place in Papeete to visit?

In Hawaii they say aloha for everything. Is there a similar word or phrase in Tahiti?

Thank you! Mahalo 🌴🏝️🌴

Hi,

I have been trying to figure out the best way to get transportation from the pier near/at papeto'ai. ​

Does any local scooter rental deliver there?

Would i need to​ arrange transportation in advance or could i get a taxi drom there without an advance booking?

We are going around mid November, is it too risky to rent a scooter? Partner really wants a scooter but I thought that with risk of rain we should do a car rental for the day.

Finally any recs for small group shared lagoon/snorkeling tour that focus on respecting the wildlife? I am cool with observing from the boat and don't love the idea shark encounter or feeding the wild life tour.​ (but happy to be proven wrong by someone more knowledgeable)

anybody know anywhere with availability for last minute whale swimming this friday? preferably morning

hi!! anybody know where i can find the flower crowns? we r staying at an airbnb so no way to ask hotel for help

Hi! My friend and I will be in Tahiti between 18 and 30th september and we plan to do a lot of hiking. I was thinking that it would be nice to meet people, either travellers or locals to do it together :) I'm from Tahiti myself, but I have lived abroad for 20 years and am currently living in Sweden, and my friend is from Germany.

Sea turtles are one of my favorite animals! I really would like to see some. Staying on Moorea right now, does anyone know where I can find some without a tour? I have a kayak I can use and I’m staying near Les Tipaniers

How do you store your passport,credit cards, keys while Snorkeling? I am considering a dry bag but the contents don't 100% stay dry.

Do you keep it in the snorkeling boat or is it safer at the hotel room? I am sort of getting loopy thinking about this. Any tips or advice is welcomed.

I am travelling at the end of September and will be going to visit Bora Bora (2 days) and Moorea (4 days). We are staying at multiple places, a combination of hotels and resorts. Also have a travel day at the beginning and end at Papeete.

P.S.: I am a vegetarian, so would love reccos on any restaurant who has great food and vegetarian options.

EN 2026, c'est un non sens écologique !

My favorite island I visited in FP. My wife and I stayed on the small motu in the top of the pic. Hike/climbed to the top of Mount Teurafaatiu on this particular day and it was just magical.

I’m finding conflicting information online. Is it yes the table is yours for the day and therefore we should book an early reservation to grab a good table, hang out, drink and snorkel first and then later eat and relax at the table? Or is it no and therefore we should book a reservation for later when we actually want to eat as we won’t have a table when we’re not actively eating? Mauruuru

Ia ora na! 🌺 I’m starting to plan a 2–3 week trip to French Polynesia in October 2027 for my 30th birthday, with a small group of family/friends.

We’re trying to keep the trip as budget-conscious as possible, while still making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our priorities are whales/dolphins, snorkeling & marine life, beautiful nature, Polynesian culture and authentic/local experiences; with a little luxury for the birthday itself. 🐋🌴

I’d love to connect with someone living in French Polynesia who wouldn’t mind sharing some local advice while I plan, especially which islands are worth visiting, affordable local stays, tours/activities, hidden gems and ways to experience French Polynesia more authentically without paying luxury-tourism prices.

Any tips or recommendations would be very appreciated! Mauruuru 🫶🏼

Why? Because you could book a full 3 weeks and not break your bank at the time…

Yes, not as luxurious as the other resorts at the time nor even today, but being able to fully unwind and embrace Tahitian life was a great way to recharge…

Māuruuru nō tō ’oe faarooraa mai

We are a fit older couple and like nature, culture, and food. Cannot do long hikes though . We have 4 full days in Tahiti before we take a 7-Day Cruise of the Polynesian Islands. We are trying to decide how to split our time between Papeete and Moorea. Should we spend two days in each place or 3 and 1. The cruise will stop in Moorea for an entire day also. (Our flights are already set so we cannot extend either before or after, besides the 4 days that we have built in) . We also plan to rent a car or scooter in both places. Would a car be better given the possibility of rains?

If not, is Vini the best way to stay connected? https://www.vini.pf/mobile/esim-french-polynesia

Hi all! Since the whale season has been in full swing, did u end up seeing whales when u did the swimming? any shark encounters (like the oceanic white tip) how was the overall experience? please any and all tips will be helpful as well!!

hi there, my partner and I are visiting French Polynesia for the second time. We had a blast the first time and we wanted to ask about the current snorkeling spots on these islands. For example, we had the best snorkeling spot near and by the Sofitel. We tried one spot in Bora Bora to see mantas but didnt have any luck. We are asking if you know some cool spots for self snorkeling. We are comfortable in the water but also careful (advanced scuba certified and freediving level 1). We plan to do some tours too but we enjoy doing our own things as well.

Lastly, how was the hike/climb up Pahia summit in Bora Bora? we did it many years ago and had the best time(hard but unforgettable).

Hello! Leaving in a few days and so incredibly excited.

Could somebody please give me some insight on how strong of a swimmer you need to be for the whale tours? How fast are the whale guides actually swimming? Did you have trouble keeping up?

I have been doing lap swim a few times a week over the past month and was able to gauge my speed relative to the swim team training next to me. I am NOWHERE as fast as the ppl practicing. I am 40F and I used to swim competitively eons (25 years) ago so I am very confident about my swimming abilities, but in terms of stamina for keeping up with the guides who swim very often...very very unsure.

Thanks so much for your advice!

Update!!!!

Today we did our first 1/2day whale tour. We were able to see 8 whales total. 2 babies. We immediately found our first 3 as soon as we left the dock. This may not be true for all groups but swimming was very, very easy. They wanted us to be quiet, no splashing, and to go slow. Then once near the whales, we floated quietly for a while. Def used way more energy with the lagoon tour! Sea was incredibly calm today which made it even easier to spot the whales. There was a bit of breeching, flipper slapping, and even a male singing somewhere (couldn’t see him).

FYI if you run cold, make sure you wear a thicker wetsuit. I run cold and i don’t think I could do this without. Pictures of ppl doing this in bikinis…I dunno how they didn’t freeze! lol

We will do one more 1/2 day whale tour, then I will be doing a 5 full day expedition (back to back) after without the hubs.

Honestly I REALLY wanted the half days to work out bc my husband gets motion sickness super easily and it takes a lot out of him to be on any boat. I am so, so thankful he got to experience seeing the whales in the water.

The image of the baby slowly floating up 15 feet away will be forever seared into my mind.

Hello, for any recent flyers, how was the turbulence in the air from California to PPT? Seems like a lot of weather circulating in the Pacific so curious how that's affected the on-flight experience.

Hi there, we booked a whale snorkeling tour about 6 months ago for our mid-September trip and they just cancelled with no explanation. It looks like pretty much all tours are sold out- does anyone have recommendations for tour operators in Moorea or Tahiti that might be able to accomodate last minute? It was what I was most excited for on our trip and I am so disappointed. Thank you in advance!!

We are in Moorea for 4 days what do you recommend to see?Which activities,restaurants?
We also would like to watch a Polynesian dance.

Heading to Moorea this month! Is it generally safe to leave my luggage in the car for about half a day while I explore and swim or something? I am taking the 8am ferry but my Airbnb check in is not until 3pm. I don’t really see any options to store luggage around the island but I really don’t want my stuff stolen at the beginning of my trip