This Tahiti Travel and Vacation Guide provides extensive vacation information on Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea and Raiatea to help you decide which island to choose for your vacation.

Entry requirements
All passengers entering French Polynesia must be in possession of a valid passport and outbound ticket. (passport must be good for 6 months past return date). Note: US "Green Card" is not a travel document.

Citizens of the following countries can stay 3 months without a visa:
European Economic Community (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom). As well as citizens of the following other countries: Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican.

Citizens of the following countries can stay 1 month without a visa:
Argentina, Australia, Bermuda, Brunei, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, the United States of America and Uruguay.

Visitors from other nations from South America, Africa and Asia need to apply for their visa before entering French Polynesia. Visas for France are not valid.

Since entry formalities may change at any moment, it is strongly recommended that you check with the nearest French Consulate or Embassy. Visas are actually issued in Tahiti and may take up to 3 weeks to be returned back to the French Consulate.

NO WORK visas and NO resident visas are available.

All passengers coming from Fiji and Pago Pago must have their baggage, except hand luggage, fumigated upon arrival in Tahiti. Since fumigation takes about 2 hours, passengers should prepare for their first night's stay in Tahiti by packing sufficient clothing and toilet articles in their hand luggage.

You do not need any Immunization/shots against any local diseases.

Money and Exchange:
The local currency is the Central Pacific Franc or CFP XPF is the currency code) which is pegged to the Euro. It is best to change your currency into CFP when you get to Tahiti. Money can be exchanged at the airport bank upon arrival, even in the middle of the night, or later at a bank in any island ( banks charge a service fee ). Hotels and some businesses will change your currency, but not at the bank rate.

Notes come in CFP denominations of 500, 1000, 5000 and 10,000, and coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100.

The average value of the CFP in relation to the US$ is about 130 CFP for 1$ (Feb. 2002)

Most credit cards are widely accepted and banks will give you a cash advance.

Safety is not an issue, and carrying cash around is not a problem. Just don't be careless, and lock your valuables in the hotel safety box (most of them have one in the room).

Traveler's checks ($US or Euros) are easily cashed (you will have to show your passport).

There are a few ATM machines in all the islands as well.

Luggage Weight Allowance:
On the inter-island flights (Air Tahiti) the weight limit is 20 Kg (42Lbs) per person, not including hand luggage. Unless you have a large excess weight, they will not strictly enforce this limit.

Customs and alcohol:
Each person can "officially" bring 1 liter of wine or spirit into French Polynesia. But, tourists are very seldom asked or searched...

Tipping:
Tipping is not part of the Tahitian tradition and should not be encouraged on a routine basis. All the prices quoted on menus, hotels or shops are all inclusive and you need not add anything for service or tax

The Weather:
This is a tropical region subject to intermittent rainstorms throughout the year, without any pattern or particular location. There is NO "dry" season, and it may rain at anytime during your stay. However, there is no monsoon, there are NO cyclones and there is a LOT of sunshine. The Society Islands ( Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Raiatea ) have a mild tropical climate, mostly sunny and pleasant.

The average annual temperature in the Society Islands is 25C with very little variation through the year.

As a result of vegetation and wind factors, high islands are generally a little more humid than atolls, which are more exposed to the cooling influence of the trade winds.

There are supposedly two seasons: the slightly warmer and more humid period between November and March when rains can fall intermittently, and the dryer season ( with occasional showers ) between May and October. But in fact, there is very little noticeable difference between the months.

Air Conditioning:
Up until recently, very few resorts had A/C in the bungalows as the temperatures do not warrant it. The trend is changing, and most resorts have now installed A/C to keep-up with each other. Depending on your location, you will most likely find the trade winds cool enough and more pleasant, and probably will not use the A/C while still sleeping with a light blanket.

What to Bring:
As far as clothing is concerned, casual is the style, and because of the warm climate clothing should be light, even in the evenings which remain pleasantly mild. Shorts for men seem to be the standard with cotton shirts (no trousers or jacket ever), and light dresses for women as well as sandals. You will need a light plastic raincoat or a windbreaker for the odd tropical downpour, a hat to shield you from the intense sun, lots of sunscreen, some insect repellent, reef or water shoes, a supply of photo film or video tapes, aspirin, Band-Aids etc. You do not need to bring a hair dryer as most hotels provide one. Also, you will need a small flashlight if you want to walk to restaurants in the evening. Roads are narrow and unlit, and it gets dark at about 6:30 p.m.

Tourism and Information Center in Tahiti The main tourist office is in the center of Papeete., on the waterfront where the cruise ships dock. It is very easy to find across the street from the Vaima Shopping Center, in a large traditional Tahitian building. They have maps and info on most islands with accommodations and excursions. They are very helpful and speak excellent English.

Internet Access in French Polynesia:
Internet communication is via satellite relay to France, which is why it is slow and expensive. Please check out this website: "Help for World Travelers" gives all the info you need regarding telephone and electrical adapters and how to set your modem before you go http://kropla.com You can set up a per minute connection to the Internet from a laptop in your hotel ( a few have a modem port). However, you will incur per minute charges from the IP (33 CFP/Minute) as well as from the hotel for a local call. Ask the hotel about this service/charges.

Cyber Cafes in Papeete:
- TIKI SOFT CAFE :
Email : tikisoft@mail.pf

- CONSO +
Email : consoplus@mail.pf

Business Hours:
Offices and shops are usually open from 8 am to 12 noon and from 1.30 p.m. to 5 or 5.30 p.m. In the suburbs, smaller family corner stores may not close until 10 p.m. Shops close at 11 am on Saturdays. Banking hours are 7:45 am to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, and some banks (e.g. the Bank of Tahiti) are open on Saturday from 7:45 to 11:30 am. Currency Exchange counters are available at Faaa International Airport and are open for all arriving flights, no matter the time.

Post Office:
The French Polynesian postal system is on par with any standards. The mail delivery is efficient, but count on one week to ten days for mail to and from the US (USPO can't figure-out where French Polynesia is..). The main Papeete post office is very modern and located on the waterfront boulevard. It offers all types of services including photocopying, fax and telegrams as well as and "poste restante" where you can have your mail delivered and waiting for you. They also sell sets of beautiful collectors stamps. Hours are 7:30 am to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 7:30 to 11:30 am on Saturdays.

Telephone:
The telephone system in Tahiti is excellent. There are public phones (multilingual) in all the islands and most of them are operated with phone cards (telecarte ) which can be readily purchased at the airport coffee shop, in some bars (bar- tabacs), at some magazine stands and of course at the Post Office. All the hotels have direct dial, but they may charge you up to $10 per minute to the USA.

Time:
French Polynesia is 10 hours behind GMT, two hours behind US Pacific Standard time (same time as Hawaii) and 21 hours behind Australian Eastern Standard time.

Voltage:
The standard current is 220 volts AC with European-style plugs. If you come from the USA, you need to bring a plug adapter. The better hotels have hair dryers in the bathrooms. To recharge your camcorders, you only need the plug adaptor, as most chargers are multivoltage.

Water:
The tap water is good tasting and safe to drink in hotels, restaurants etc. Bottled mineral water is readily available in food shops around the islands.

Health, Medical Care and Critters:
No need for any type of inoculation against exotic diseases when going to Tahiti. French Polynesia enjoys a high standard of health, with excellent medical and dental services, pharmacies, private clinics and a large hospital in Tahiti.

There are NO snakes, poisonous spiders or any land critters that can hurt or sting you. There could be some mosquitoes and sand flies (called nono) depending where you are, but their bite is very mild and the itch doesn't last (rub lime ). It is a good idea, however to pack some bug repellent.

Sharks:
The lagoons of French Polynesia have a few species of sharks, mostly the harmless black tip shark which makes for wonderful entertainment during the Shark Feeding excursions (a must!). There has not been any shark attack in French Polynesia in recent memory.

The Sun:
One thing you must not forget is lots of sunscreen, as the sun is VERY strong and will burn you after only 1/2 hour of exposure. Wear a T-shirt and waterproof sunblock when snorkeling. Also a good idea: reef shoes if you are going wadding in the shallows or the reef. Beaches are all coral, with chunks which can be sharp.

Personal Safety:
Tahiti is very safe by any standard and violent crime is a rarity. Theft does happen occasionally, but you need not be concerned. Just don't be too careless. Women can wear as much jewelry as they want anywhere (as the locals do) with no fear.

Travel Insurance:
Travel insurance is always a good idea, if for no other reason than a plane delay and the loss of a few (expensive) nights of accommodation. Cost and coverage may vary depending on the cost of your trip.

Car rentals:
They are available everywhere...At the airports, the hotels, in the islands, etc...

Work and Work Permits:
No, there are no jobs in Tahiti, and work permits are impossible to get, unless you have an employer who can be responsible for you, as well as having been granted a residency permit (also hard to get).