The capital city of Papeete is definitely a non-gentle introduction to the islands, as it is very busy and congested with traffic during business hours. I rented a car on arrival, which was maybe dumb because many hotels and pensions have free airport "transfers" and can also get you a car rental with a lot less stress than doing it yourself after a long day of travel.

I didn't like Papeete at first, and I was glad to leave, but at the end of the trip I did spend more time there and got a more positive sense of it. It's actually a pretty cool place, with good street music and a good market. Its waterfront area is fun to hang out on, and it's pretty easy to get around because it's just not that big.

I should add that I went in February, the hottest month, and when the sun was out it was in fact too hot to function (mainly because the humidity is extreme...) In the evening it cooled to a reasonable level, but AC was still mostly essential. I'd probably recommend going in a cooler season, when you could consider renting a scooter instead of car, and not HAVE to have AC in every pension. Also note that few if any restaurants or public spaces have AC, or even decent fans...so you can't hide from the heat except in the water.

On Tahiti I did two main things, a "Lagoon Tour", and the Museum of Tahiti and its Isles. The tour was fine and (as I came to realize) pretty standard; see the photo section. The museum was excellent and everyone should go see it. The market is also nice, maybe best to visit on the way home since it's hard to avoid buying some souvenirs.

The other thing that I wanted to do, but could not arrange on any of the islands, was an inland 4WD tour (getting on tours as a solo traveler was sometimes challenging). This is the only way to explore inland, unless you rent a 4WD yourself or really want to hike in extreme humidity (and in many cases you have to have a guide to hike anyway). Sometimes you can also rent a kayak and paddle up a river, which looks like fun but I didn't do it. If I return to Tahiti I will definitely look to do an inland tour, because Tahiti is the island with the most inland area, and there are some interesting historical sites to be seen.

As far as renting a car, you kind of have to do it if you want to explore independently, since the bus service isn't sufficient. However, you don't necessarily need to drive all the way around each island (as I did), because there aren't that many places to stop and do things. Most of the tours will pick you up where you're staying, and most places to stay have free airport transfers, so you can get away with just getting a car occasionally. Or a scooter, if it's not too hot (I was there in the hottest month, and the AC of the car was VERY nice, maye even essential).

Home	Tahiti Tahiti was the first island I visited (being the only one with international flights). It is the biggest in French Polynesia, and about 80% the size of Kauai. I drove most of the way around the island, visiting several historical sites and one very good museum, and also took a standard "lagoon tour" with snorkeling. (Click photos to enlarge and get captions)



The capital city of Papeete is definitely a non-gentle introduction to the islands, as it is very busy and congested with traffic during business hours. I rented a car on arrival, which was maybe dumb because many hotels and pensions have free airport "transfers" and can also get you a car rental with a lot less stress than doing it yourself after a long day of travel. I didn't like Papeete at first, and I was glad to leave, but at the end of the trip I did spend more time there and got a more positive sense of it. It's actually a pretty cool place, with good street music and a good market. Its waterfront area is fun to hang out on, and it's pretty easy to get around because it's just not that big. I should add that I went in February, the hottest month, and when the sun was out it was in fact too hot to function (mainly because the humidity is extreme...) In the evening it cooled to a reasonable level, but AC was still mostly essential. I'd probably recommend going in a cooler season, when you could consider renting a scooter instead of car, and not HAVE to have AC in every pension. Also note that few if any restaurants or public spaces have AC, or even decent fans...so you can't hide from the heat except in the water. On Tahiti I did two main things, a "Lagoon Tour", and the Museum of Tahiti and its Isles. The tour was fine and (as I came to realize) pretty standard; see the photo section. The museum was excellent and everyone should go see it. The market is also nice, maybe best to visit on the way home since it's hard to avoid buying some souvenirs. The other thing that I wanted to do, but could not arrange on any of the islands, was an inland 4WD tour (getting on tours as a solo traveler was sometimes challenging). This is the only way to explore inland, unless you rent a 4WD yourself or really want to hike in extreme humidity (and in many cases you have to have a guide to hike anyway). Sometimes you can also rent a kayak and paddle up a river, which looks like fun but I didn't do it. If I return to Tahiti I will definitely look to do an inland tour, because Tahiti is the island with the most inland area, and there are some interesting historical sites to be seen. As far as renting a car, you kind of have to do it if you want to explore independently, since the bus service isn't sufficient. However, you don't necessarily need to drive all the way around each island (as I did), because there aren't that many places to stop and do things. Most of the tours will pick you up where you're staying, and most places to stay have free airport transfers, so you can get away with just getting a car occasionally. Or a scooter, if it's not too hot (I was there in the hottest month, and the AC of the car was VERY nice, maye even essential).