Vaima Shopping Centre
Vaima Shopping Centre The Vaima Shopping Centre is the largest shopping mall in Tahiti, French Polynesias main island. This multilevel mall opened in 1977 and is located in the capital city of Papeete. At the Vaima Shopping Centre, visitors can shop at high end stores for clothing, jewelry, shoes,
Arahoho Blowhole (Trou de Souffleur de Arahoho)
Arahoho Blowhole (Trou de Souffleur de Arahoho) Located in Tiarei, Arahoho Blowhole is one of Tahitis most popular roadside attractions. A lavatube or tunnel that opens into the sea, the geological oddity was created by liquid lava flowing under cold and hard lava. When water crashes into the tunn
Vaiete Square (Place Vaiete)
Vaiete Square (Place Vaiete) Located in downtown Papeete, Vaiete Square is a nice place to take a relaxing waterfront stroll during the day. At night, however, the atmosphere becomes much more lively at colorful food wagons (roulottes) offering local cuisine and decadent desserts open to the masse
Moorea
Moorea Few would disagree that Moorea offers better beaches than nearby Tahiti. But this tropical paradise is also cheaper than its better-known big sister, making it the ideal destination in French Polynesia. You’ll be pinching yourself as you drive around the island looking out on the dazzling t
Moorea Dolphin Center
Moorea Dolphin Center Located in the turquoise waters of the InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa Hotel, the Moorea Dolphin Center is a natural habitat home to three bottlenose dolphins. Two male dolphins, Lokahi and Kuokoa, were born at Hawaii’s Dolphin Quest Facility, while the female, Hina,
Papeete
Papeete No one comes to French Polynesia looking for big city buzz, but there are at least a day’s worth of distractions to be had in its compact capital Papeete, on the island of Tahiti. Any exploration of the city starts at the waterfront, where locals and tourists promenade at an island pace, d
Coral Gardens
Coral Gardens Bora Bora is one of the most famous islands in French Polynesia. The main island is surrounded by a lagoon, a barrier reef, and tiny islets that help keep the water calm most of the time. On Bora Bora across from the main island, youll find the fascinating Coral Gardens. This coral r
Waterfront Esplanade
Waterfront Esplanade Reminiscent of the French Riviera, the Waterfront Esplanade stretches from the ToAta Square to Vaiete Square and is where you can enjoy a scenic stroll and watch the beautiful boats sail by. In the distance, you can view the volcanic island of Moorea and its rugged mountains,
Opunohu Bay (Baie dOpunohu)
Opunohu Bay (Baie dOpunohu) Located 20 miles west of Papeete and dominated by Mount Tohiea, Opunohu Bay is a beautiful narrow bay surrounded by lush green and jagged mountains and littered with sailing vessels and tour boats. The bay is also historical, as it where the HMS Bounty moored to search
Mt Rotui
Mt Rotui Separating the beautiful Cooks Bay and Opunohu Bay, Mt. Rotui is an iconic mountain in Moorea that dominates the landscape. In a dramatic fashion, jagged sides lush with green meet at the top in an almost perfect pyramid, its rocky spur reaching 2,951 feet (900m). When clouds are behind t
Matira Point & Beach
Matira Point & Beach Matira Beach is the only public beach on Bora Bora. Although its not associated with any resort, it still boasts 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) of bright white sand, coconut groves and lapping waves. The beach opens onto a shallow, sandy bottomed lagoon with perfect snorkeling cond
Farepiti Point (Farepiti Wharf)
Farepiti Point (Farepiti Wharf) Farepiti Wharf is Bora Boras deepest water wharf for large ships and is where inter-island boats come into Faanui Bay. It is also a main cargo shipping point and where you can purchase ferry tickets for inter-island travel, and catch a bus to Vaitape, the capital wh
Black Pearl Museum
Black Pearl Museum One of Papeete’s few museums, the Musée de la Perle (or Black Pearl Museum) celebrates all aspects of pearl culture. In the days before large-scale cultivation, these ocean jewels were charged with mystical significance, associated with religious rites and coveted as status symb
Marché de Papeete (Municipal Market)
Marché de Papeete (Municipal Market) The sights, sounds and smells of authentic Polynesian life are on offer at Papeete’s main market, also known as the Marche de Papeete. This is the commercial and social hub of Tahiti’s laid-back capital and the oldest surviving institution on the island, now ho
Cooks Bay (Baie de Cook)
Cooks Bay (Baie de Cook) Surrounded by rugged mountain landscape that seems to reach up from the water, Cooks Bay is one of the main tourist areas in Moorea (its here that cruise ships come to moor their boats). That being said, youll be able to explore the nearby beaches and streets without huge
Cascades de Faarumai
Cascades de Faarumai There are numerous waterfalls all over Tahiti, but the most popular and accessible are the three waterfalls at Faarumai, known as the Cascades of Faarumai. Turning off the main coastal road, a dirt track cuts through the teeming jungle to a parking spot. From there a 5 minute
Belvedere Lookout
Belvedere Lookout Belvedere Lookout is a scenic viewpoint awarding views of Cooks Bay, Opunohu Bay, Mount Rotui and the fertile Opunohu Valley with its many pineapple plants, craggy peaks and gentle slopes. There are many ways to reach the top -- uphill hiking, ATV, scooter or car -- as there is a
Faanui Bay and Church
Faanui Bay and Church Located toward the northwest of the main island of Bora Bora, Faanui is a village overlooking a namesake bay featuring calm, turquoise waters perfect for swimming. Here youll find the remains of a US naval base, as Faanui Bay was used by the US Army between 1942 and 1946 to b
Bora Bora
Bora Bora Just looking at the map you already know Bora Bora must be something special: an island embraced by a lagoon and guarded by motus (islets). This pearl of the Pacific is renowned as one of the most beautiful tropical islands on Earth. Consequently it’s hardly a budget destination – visito
Bloody Marys Restaurant
Bloody Marys Restaurant Bloody Marys is Bora Boras most famous restaurant. It is as well known for its food as it is for its colorful history and atmosphere. The restaurant was founded in 1979 by an eccentric Polish nobleman, the Baron Jerzy Hubert Edward von Dange (George to his friends). It was
