Skip to content
X Days In Y
  • Home
  • Travel Guides
  • Top 10 List
  • Blog
  • About
  • Travel Gear
X Days In Y

French Polynesia

Home / Travel Guides / South Pacific / French Polynesia

Welcome to paradise! With its 118 tropical islands and coral atolls sculpted by nature’s finest artists, friendly locals wearing exotic flowers in their hair and shades of blue like nowhere else – you’ll be pinching yourself throughout the day to check if you’re really awake. In fact, visiting French Polynesia really is a dream, and you’ll be living it! Explore the best of paradise with detailed travel guides to islands in all five archipelagos along with  sample itineraries and helpful tips and tricks.

Quick Finds

Travel Guide Book

Tahiti Tailor Made

Accommodation

Top 10 Islands

Tahaa travel guide - post cover - hammock on lagoon

Tahaa Island Travel Guide

Faaroa - Raiatea - French Polynesia

Raiatea Travel Guide

children playing at Fare beach - Huahine

Huahine Travel Guide

nterContinental-Bora-Bora-Resort-Thalasso-Spa-aerial-view

Where To Stay In Bora Bora

Pofai Bay - Bora Bora

Top 10 Things To Do In Bora Bora

InterContinental Le Moana Bora Bora - overwater bungalows

3 Days In Bora Bora Itinerary

Sharp cliff in Raiatea south coast

Top 10 Things To Do In Raiatea & Tahaa

inland-road-in-Tahaa

5 Days In Raiatea And Tahaa Itinerary

picnic motu lunch lagoon tour Huahine Island French Polynesia

Top 10 Things To Do In Huahine

bora bora french polynesia

Bora Bora Travel Guide

Cathedrale Notre Dame Papeete Tahiti French Polynesia

3 Days In Tahiti Itinerary

Faraura-Valley-Hike-Tahiti-waterfall-pool

Top 10 Things To Do In Tahiti

Copra competition - Heiva Festival in Tahiti

The Best Festival You’ve Never Heard Of: Tahiti’s Heiva Festival

Taiohae lookout - nuku hiva - marquesas islands - french polynesia

Top 10 Things To Do In The Marquesas Islands

top-10-tropical-islands-in-the-south-pacific-post-cover

Top 10 Tropical Islands In The South Pacific

Page navigation

Previous PagePrevious 1 2
1

When to go?

Weather is a critical ingredient of this once-in-a-lifetime journey to paradise. Seasons vary between wet & dry, each with its pros and cons. The shoulder months of November and May are good options as well.

Dry season (June – October): temperatures are moderate and often just perfect. The easterly trade winds are blowing, keeping the mosquitos and the clouds away and making the nights a bit chilly. Though rain is less frequent, it will still happen. This is the tropics, after all. The Heiva Festival begins in June, culminating in the July celebration in Tahiti.

Wet season (December – April): hot, humid with frequent rain that can last for a few minutes or a few hours. Hiking can be dangerous, and some inland tracks might be closed. Cyclones are developing not too far away but hardly ever hit French Polynesia. Fear not the wet season if you’re coming for a long stay. There is plenty of sunshine! Clouds tend to form around the mountainous interior, leaving the lagoon side sunny and gorgeous.

2

Which islands to visit?

With 118 islands to choose from, this is the million-dollar question! You will spend some time in Tahiti as it’s the only international gateway, but, as for the other islands, each is unique, and that’s what gives this destination its extra points. Here are my top 10 islands in French Polynesia, and below is a breakdown based on what you desire to get out of this journey to the South Seas.

  • Beaches: Moorea, Maupiti, Bora Bora, Huahine, Fakarava, Tikehau
  • Culture: Tahiti, Moorea, Nuku Hiva, Hiva a, Rurutu
  • Archeology: Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Huahine, Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Ua Pou
  • Markets: Tahiti
  • Water sports: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora
  • Luxury: Moorea, Bora Bora, Tahaa, Tikehau
  • Diving: Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Rangiroa, Fakarava, Tikehau
  • Hiking: Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Ua Pou
  • Laidback: Moorea, Maupiti, Raiatea, Huahine, Tahaa, Fakarava
  • Off the beaten track: the Marquesas Islands, Huahine, Maupiti, Fakarava, Tahaa, the Gambier Islands, the Austral Islands
3

How long do you need?

French Polynesia spans a huge distance, and If you’ve already come this far, take your time. Who knows when you’ll have the chance to visit again? A week would be the absolute minimum, but I strongly recommend spending at the very least 10 days in French Polynesia. If your time is limited, do not (I repeat, do not), try and see as many islands as possible. Choose a maximum of three and try to spend at least 3 nights on each island. Keep in mind that the first and last nights will probably be spent in Tahiti. I personally spent three months in French Polynesia, and that wasn’t even enough. If you’re the kind of person who works a busy full-time job and has the time (and money) for one big vacation per year – do your best to spend at least 2-3 weeks in French Polynesia.

4

Where to stay

Though the overwater bungalow was invented in French Polynesia, this isn’t a destination just for the rich. Here’s an overview of the popular accommodation options in French Polynesia.

Resorts: ranging from ultra-luxurious to 3-star properties, resorts are pampering yet very expensive, especially if you’re opting to stay in a dreamy overwater bungalow. There are ways to save on resort accommodations if you know the tricks of the trade.

Pensions: family-owned guesthouses ranging from ultra simple to boutique-style. In most pensions, half-board options are available (or required) and communal meals are the norm. This is the best option for travelers who seek to get to know the locals and for those who do not plan to lounge by the pool the entire day.

Lodges: somewhere between resorts and pensions as far as luxury and amenities.

Camping: many islands do have a camping option. This can even be in the backyard of a pension.

Vacation rentals: lots of simple and fancy units are available for rent on most islands.

5

Getting around

The easiest easy way for visitors to get from one island to the next is by air. French Polynesia’s islands are relatively well-connected and you can purchase travel passes from Air Tahiti based on your itinerary. Some islands can be conveniently reached via public ferries and all inhabited islands are served by cargo ships but this mode of transport is reserved for flexible travelers.

Getting around the islands may pose a challenge since very few have reliable public transportation. Renting a car for a day or more is the best way for do-it-yourself travelers. On some islands, scooters are also available and cycling options are always possible. Hitchhiking is very safe but unreliable. Every island offers guided land or lagoon tours with some islands more geared towards self-catering travelers.

Travel Guides

  • Hawaii
  • Rome
  • Paris
  • Portugal
  • French Polynesia
  • Thailand
  • California
  • Spain
  • Yosemite

Travel Resources

  • Top 10 List
  • Travel Gear
  • Travel Guides
  • Travel Blog

Site Resources

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact

Spice Up Your Inbox

Join the growing XDAYSINY.COM community and receive inspiring travel stories and useful news from time to time

SUBSCRIBE FOOTER

© 2024 X Days In Y
Exclusive Member of Mediavine Travel

Facebook Instagram Pinterest YouTube
Scroll to top
Paradise:
The Way You Want It!
Plan your trip to Tahiti with a destination expert. Tailor your once-in-a-lifetime trip to paradise. Make all your tropical dreams come true. I've already helped over 150 Tahiti-bound travelers.
Take Me To Tahiti
Paradise:
The Way You Want It!
Plan your trip to Tahiti with a destination expert. Tailor your trip to paradise. Make your tropical dreams come true. I've already helped over 150 Tahiti-bound travelers.
Take Me To Tahiti
  • Home
  • Travel Guides
  • Top 10 List
  • Blog
  • About
  • Travel Gear
Search