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.
