Tahiti

Ever since the famous French impreionist painter Paul Gauguin painted the Tahitian
maidens, Tahiti has always ha a mysterious allure. Officially known as French Polynesia,
it consists of 118 islands spread over four million square kilometres of ocean in the
eastern South Pacific.

Grouped into five archipelagos, they are the Society Islands, Austral Islands, Marquesas
Islands, Tuamotu Atolls and the Gambier Islands. The main islands are Tahiti (Papeete),
Moorea and Bora Bora. Well worth a visit also are the Outer Islands.

CAPITAL AND MAJOR CENTRES

Papeete is the capital of Tahiti, the largest island, nicknamed "the island of love". It is a
visitor's first port of call because of the International Airport which is located here.
Moorea is the sister island some seventeen kilometres north west of Papeete. Here the
tranquil of Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay lap at its majestic volcanic peaks which thrust
into the sky. Bora Bora is 240 kilometres north-west of Tahiti and is in the Society
Islands, as is Huahine Island, which comprises two islands joined by a narrow isthmus
and enclosed by a protective necklace of coral. Rangiroa with its 42 mile long turquoise
lagoon in the largest atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago, and Tikehau atoll in the same
archipelago is an almost circular atoll with an interior lagoon, twenty-six kilometres
across and a safe pass for small boats through the coral reef Tahiti is a multi-racial mix
of Polynesians of Maohi (Maori) extraction, Europeans, Asians and mixed races. A
handsome people, they are noted for their hospitality, friendliness and easy going nature.
They speak French and Tahitians which are the two official languages, but English is
spoken in the hotels and shops.

HISTORY

Hundreds of years after the ancient Polynesians created a Pacific base for their huge
voyaging canoes, explorers like Mendana, Quiros, Le Maire, Schouten, Roggeveen and
Byron made brief unplanned visits to the Tuamotu atolls and the Marquesas islands in
the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Later in the 18th century, explorers such as
Bougainville, Wallis, Vancouver and Cook "discovered" Tahiti and called it the "Garden
of Eden". Captain Cook returned three times to study the transition of Venus, Captain
Bligh came to collect seedlings from the breadfruit tree and insubordinate Fletcher
Christian returned to the island that caused the Mutiny on the Bounty.

Before the arrival of Europeans, the islands were divided into districts each governed by
a chief when Pomare V abdicated in 1880 the islands, previously a protectorate of
France, became a French Colony, and in 1957 French Polynesia became a French
Overseas Territory.

NATURE

Lush vegetation grows high above the lagoons and bays and floral scents permeate the
tropical air. A myriad of tropical flowers grow throughout the Tahitian islands. The
national flower is the Tiare, a heavily scented gardenia which forms the basis of the
traditional lei necklaces. You can visit Point Venus where Captain Cook camped to
observe the transit of the Planet Venus in 1769, visit the Faarumai waterfalls, and at
Taravao on the strategic isthmus joining the two Tahitis, wander through an old fort
built by the French in 1844. Don't miss the Gauguin Museum which is set in exotic
botanical gardens and the fruit, vegetable and flower market in central Papeete.

WHERE TO STAY

International resorts and hotels rest alongside motels, lodges, small pensions and for the
budget conscious, rooms for rent in a family home. There are also huge hostels and camp
sites with cooking facilities.

GETTING AROUND

Le Truk is Tahiti's public bus service. The destination is posted on top of each le Truk,
which always begins and ends its round trips at the public market in the centre of
Papeete. It is possible to travel between islands not only by plane, but by high speed
ferry, the Ono Ono. It takes approximately six and a half hours to get to Bora Bora from
Papeete.
FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT

Tahitian 'tamaraa' or feasts can be arranged through local tour operators. Most hotels
offer regular Tahitian entertainment and there are nightclubs, bars, and sidewalk cafes
open all hours.

ACTIVITIES

Diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, sailing, deep sea fishing and surfing are available
throughout Tahiti. Tennis is played at many resorts and at the country club. There is also
squash, golf and bowls, bush walking, horse riding and mountain climbing. Speed boats
are available for water skiing and there are glass-bottom boats for viewing the coral
reefs.

SHOPPING GUIDE

Bright 'pareus' or T-shirts are popular souvenirs, and also Polynesian fashion, shell
jewellery, the famous black pearls, French perfume and handicraft.

DIVE TAHITI

Tahiti, the largest of the isles in French Polynesia is a place for beginners or rusty divers
who wish to brush up on their skills. Tahiti's dive sites offer an average of 30 metres
visibility along with masses of coloured fish life, canyons and caves. Hand feed the
moray eels or even dive the wrecks of an ocean schooner or seaplane. Dive operators
here are Tahiti Plongee, Yacht Club of Tahiti Diving Centre, Tahiti Aquatique and
Ta'itua.

MOOREA, the perfect South Sea Island is ten minutes by air or 30 minutes by luxury
catamaran from Papeete. Moorea is probably best known for its fish and shark feeding.
During feeding time, the marine life is so dense that the view of your dive guide can
become somewhat obscured. Dive sites include the blue island, Napoleon Plateau
offering large 80lb Napoleon fish plus sharks, the Canyon, and Shark Dining Room
where you will be pleased to know that they are on the menu - but the shark and eel
feeding is quite exciting. Taoiaha Pass, Atiha, Bathy's Club, M.U.S.T. and Scuba Piti are
your operators here.

BORA BORA, the jewel of the Pacific, is a central emerald island surrounded by a
myriad of islets. The colours of the lagoon vary from pale turquoise to deepest cobalt,
and the range of depth almost assures you of sighting the gentle manta rays. The reefs
are home to a great deal of smaller lagoon dwelling species, and locals can introduce you
to the 1.5 metre barracuda named Romeo. Operators are Calypso Club and Bora Bora
Diving Centre.

RAIATEA-TAHAA, the two sister islands, attract large schools of pelagic fish. Dog-
toothed Tuna, Barracuda, Leopard Rays and sometimes Manta Rays when in season.
Divers can assist with shark feeding - a hair-raising experience! The operator here is
Raiatea Plongee.

HUAHINE, the garden island, is where Pacific Blue Adventure can take you to see
Avafehia Pass, Coral City notable for formations rising 3 metres off the bottom and the
7kg red snapper. Yellow Valley rich in multi-coloured fish, the aquarium for beginners
and the dive school. At Huahine you can see giant Jewish or Black Sea Bass weighing in
at 180kgs.

RANGIROA is the place where drift diving or shooting the pass can be done any day.
The steady five knot current offers an exhilarating dive and the regular scheduled dives
are run on a 12 hour cycle so as to get the slack water. This cycle advances 45 minutes
each day. Rangiroa dive sites include Napoleon Manta Point, Motu Fara Pass, Mahuta,
The Avatoru, Tiputa Aquariums and Tiputa Shark Cave. All of these sites and more are
offered by Scuba Diving Centre, Raie Manta Club and Paradive.
TIKEHAU was declared to contain the most fish by Jacques Cousteau in 1987. Raie
Manta Club - Tikehau, can show you those along with providing night diving, photo and
video services.

MANIHI, famous for the black pearls, has an array of sites offering frequent
encounters with Manta Rays, drift dives or the Pass Entrance. 'Grouper City' has a
notable aggregation of marbled grouper. Manihi Blue Nui are the people to see.

HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS

March 5 Gospel Day

May 1 Labour Day
May 8 Armistice Day 1945
May 13 Ascension
May 23 Pentecost Sunday
June 29 International Autonomy Day
July 14 National Day
August 15 Assumption
November 1 All Saints Day
November 11 Armistice Day 1918