Best Time to Visit French Polynesia
When is the Best Time to Visit French Polynesia? French Polynesia is one of our favorite places we have visited. It reminded us of what Hawaii must have been like, a hundred years ago. While it is not the easiest place to get to, we highly recommend it as it is a place you will never forget, anytime of the year. So, don’t worry about the Best Time to Visit French Polynesia.
Okay, The Real Best Time to Visit French Polynesia
However, if you want a detailed explanation of when festivals occur and the weather by month, we suggest you check out Audley Travel.
Getting to French Polynesia – “Best Way”, Not “Best Time” to Visit
Traveling to Tahiti and French Polynesia can be a challenge. Flights from the USA leave from the west coast. We flew from San Francisco where the options were United Airlines and French Bee. Flights may only go on certain days of the week, so it is best to check out the schedules before you make hotel or cruise plans. All flights into French Polynesia land in Papeete in Tahiti.
Getting to the other islands can be done by cruise ship, airline or in the case of Moorea, by ferry. See our Post on Ferries, Trains and Other Transportation for details on getting to Moorea.
The airline service is provided by Air Tahiti Nui. They have a monopoly on air flights in French Polynesia. As a result, airflights can be somewhat expensive. We recommend a cruise as the best way to get to the other islands.
Best Time to Visit French Polynesia – Arriving in Tahiti
Okay, hopefully, you believe us that there is no best time to visit. Anytime is a good time to visit French Polynesia. However, as we said earlier your first stop will most likely be in Papeete, Tahiti. Papeete is a very laid-back kind of place. We were there twice during our visit, at the beginning of our cruise and the end. When we first arrived, we stayed at the Intercontinental as it was rated the best on the island.
However, while in Moorea we learned that Hilton had just renovated an older, great-location hotel, closer to town. They told us it was opening before we got back to Papeete. So, we stayed at the Hilton on our return and were impressed. We recommend staying at the Hilton in Papeete.
French Colonial Rule
One fact that we have found very interesting as we travel around the world is the way the former French colonies have stayed married to and are dependent on the motherland. This is true in The Caribbean (see DIY Travel in The Caribbean) and in French Polynesia. This gives those former colonies a much more developed feeling and enhanced social safety net than the former British and Spanish Islands. This also makes Tahiti and the other islands a great place to visit. We toured the islands on a Windstar cruise ship, the Star Breeze. As a smaller ship, we were able to visit many of the islands with smaller ports. Another cruise line that travels around the islands is Paul Gauguin, named after the famous French painter who left his mark on the islands. For more cruise information, see our post on DIY Cruise Travel or check out the cruise lines on Cruise Critic.
Geological Formation of French Polynesia
As we toured the islands, we learned a lot about the geological formation of volcanic islands. The French Polynesia volcanic Islands are older than their counterparts and as a result after millions of years have shrunk into the ocean. This has created beautiful reefs surrounding the islands which further results in well protected lagoons. This is great for diving and snorkeling. Some of the islands have become atolls with only parts of the former volcano still visible.
The French Polynesia Islands
During our cruise we traveled mostly in the Society Islands. While we enjoyed visiting Bora Bora and Tahiti, the two better known islands, we found Moorea, Huahine, and Raiatea to be very pleasant. We also visited Rangiroa and Fakarava in the Tuamoto Archipelago which were little more than atolls, but also very interesting.
One of our more fascinating adventures was swimming with the sharks, which we did in Bora Bora and one of the other islands. The lemon sharks, which are pictured here, were most friendly.
People of French Polynesia
Much like Hawaii, the people of French Polynesia are friendly, and they love to dance. We also found that the fresh fruit and the fish were abundant, and easily obtained, right on the streets.
The indigenous people of French Polynesia are a distinct ethnic group with their own culture, language and beliefs. The traditional Polynesian lifestyle is based on fishing, gathering and agriculture. They were gifted navigators, using the stars, the sun and observing birds, ocean swells and wind patterns with remarkable results. In addition, they are also known for their unique art forms such as tattooing, wood carving and basket weaving. We visited several marae which are being reassembled and restored. (A marae is a sacred site that was used as a place of worship and ceremony.) Recently, public schools have incorporated lessons on Polynesian language and culture along with standard curriculum.
Best Time to aVisit French Polynesia – Overwater Bungalows
French Polynesia is well known for its overwater bungalows which can be found on both Moorea and Bora Bora. We stayed at the Hilton on Moorea and found the overwater bungalow to be particularly romantic and charming. At night, we got to watch baby sharks swim under our bungalow. The overwater bungalows on Bora Bora are a good bit more expensive, so we highly recommend spending some time on Moorea.
