Marquesas Arts Festival Program

The tahitinui blog published the program for the Marquesas Arts Festival this coming December. Here is my attempt, using various Web translators, at an English language version.

Sunday, December 16th at HAKAHAU
Pre-opening

8:00 am Catholic mass in the church Tepano Peato
8:00 am Protestant worship

Sunday, December 16th noon to Monday, December 17th noon

YOU HAKAPEI IA KAI MAU: NO MAOIO
Preparations of the great traditional community meal for Monday midday
The “TUHUKA” and “TAUA” of each delegation will put their knowledge and know-how into practice in the field of the traditional Art of cooking.

Monday, December 16th Opening Ceremonies "TUHUKA"

8:00 am Presentation of the delegations in front of the official platform
With the sound of drums, HAHI, MAVE, songs of greeting, PU TOKA, PU HAKAHAU, the Marquesan delegation, ENANA, will present first by respecting the myth of the divine creation of “HAE ENANA”, the Marquesan box, whose each component evokes symbolically “TE HENUA ENANA”, in the chronological order of its construction

UA LOUSE, two pillars, two posts of the box
HIVA OA, the long ridge purlin, posed on the 2 posts
NUKU HIVA, ridge purlins posed on HIVA OA
FATUIVA, the cover in 9 lines of palms of braided coconuts
UA HUKA, the pit crowned to preserve the bones of the ancestors
TAHUATA, the box is finished, it is the dawn!

Delegation of NAPUKA TUAMOTU
Guests of honor, because they have a bond with the tribe “KAAVAHEPEOA” of HAKAOHOKA in the valley of HOHOI with UA LOUSE

TAMA ENANA TAHITI
HAURURU TAHITI
RAIATEA HAVAIKINUI
OPARO RAPA ITI
RAPA NUI
HAWAII
MAORI TEAOTEAROA
WALLIS AND FUTUNA
NEW CALEDONIA
CASTRES, FRANCE

9:00 am Prayer followed by the anthem "ENANA"

9:15 am Welcoming speech by the Mayor of UA-POU and the President of the Festival
Short speeches by eminent personages

9:30 am Official declaration of the opening of the MATAVAA

10:00 am Execution of a “GIANT PUTU”

The traditional dance specific to the Marquesas, by all the men who took part in the six preceding festivals.

11:00 am Official Opening of the Activities Workshops

Traditional practices
Traditional massage
The art of cooking
Display of models of traditional dugouts
Ritual, traditional dance and songs
Manufacture of traditional weapons
Myths, tales and legends
Art of public speaking

11:30 am Official Opening of the Stands

Display and sale of handcrafts

11:40 am Opening Ceremoney of "UMU KAI" (Marquesan Oven)
“NUNU KAI” the procession of the bearing of the food towards the place of “KAI IA MAU”, the great community meal.

12:30 am Traditional blessing of “KAI IA MAU”

1:30 pm Display of art works

Traditional sculptures and modern creations
Paintings of Polynesian expression
Drawings and explanations of traditional tattoos
Headresses and traditional costumes

5:30 pm to 6:30 pm Dinner

7:30 pm Cultural Presentations

UA LOUSE
UA HUKA
FATU HIVA
TAHUATA
HIVA-OA
NUKU-HIVA

10:30 pm End of the Presentations

Tuesday, December 18th and Wednesday, December 19th at MAUIA HOHOI

Delegations present on the site:

Tuesday
UA LOUSE - NAPUKA - TEAOTAEROA - WALLIS AND FUTUNA
OPARO - TAMA ENANA - TAHUATA - HIVA OA - RAIATEA

Wednesday
UA-POU - HAURURU - HAWAII - RAPA NUI - NUKU HIVA
UA HUKA - FATUIVA - NEW CALEDONIA -CASTRES, FRANCE

4:30 am Awake to the sound of the pū, drum

5:00 am Breakfast

6:00 am Departure for HOHOI

9:00 am Gathering of the delegations at the carpark
Go towards “TE POOTU I NOHO I MAUIA", the place of the tribe of TAVAKA
Drum reception
Drums coming from the Tohua party area will play a welcome consisting of "Hahi, Mavé, Tapatapa" and "a’naunau".

9:30 am Reception of the delegations and placement on the TOHUA

Ritual ceremony of the bond between the tribes of TAVAKA and NAPUKA
Painful evocation of the departure of the tribe of “KAAVAHOPEOA” 200 years ago
Exchanges of presents “VAETUKIA”

10:15 am Evocation on the preparations of the departure of the Princess and her tribe towards the large Ocean of HIVA.
The farewell of Princess MAHIHOPE and her father UKU ME HE HONU, to their valley HAKAOHOKA and their tribe TAVAKA.

10:45 am Ritual Ceremony of the Reunion
Expression of joy, evocation, the continuation of the voyage of MAHIHOPE,
the arrival and life with NAPUKA.

11:15 am Visiting workshops and the site MAUIA
Workshop - food conservation for transoceanic voyages
Workshop - food conservation for the tribe with the daily newspaper technique, preparation and demonstration
Workshop - clothes making

12:30 pm “KAIKAI” Community meal

1:00 pm Cultural Presentations
TEAOTEAROA MAORI
WALLIS AND FUTUNA
TAMA ENANA
OPARO
HIVA OA

4:00 pm Return to HAKAHAU lodgings

5:00 pm Dinner

7:30 pm Cultural Presentations
NEW CALEDONIA
RAPA ITI
RAIATEA
CASTRES, FRANCE
HAURURU
HAWAII

10:30 pm End of the presentations

Tuesday, December 18th and Wednesday, December 19th at HAKAHETAU VALLEY

Delegations present on the site:

Tuesday
UA LOUSE - HAURURU - HAWAII - RAPA NUI - NUKU HIVA - UA HUKA - FATUIVA - NEW CALEDONIA - CASTRES, FRANCE

Wednesday
UA LOUSE - NAPUKA - TEAOTAEROA - WALLIS AND FUTUNA - OPARO - TAMA ENANA - TAHUATA - HIVA OA - RAIATEA

The cultural activities of each day will take place in two areas:
An area known as contemporary, on the edge of the sea
A traditional area, in the valley on the TE TAHUNA site

8:30 am Official opening at HAKAHETAU

Presentation of the program.
Ritual of the sea presented by the delegation from HAWAII
A speech of presentation of the day will open the contemporary site
Animation on the plate of HAKAHETAU based on the products of the sea

9:30 am On the TE TAHUNA site
Legend “VEVEPUEHU”

10:00 am Workshops

Vegetable fibres and braiding
Dugout carving
Planting of taro and mei
Art of cooking
Woodcarving
Braiding
Fishing

Around 11:00 am the opening of a UA MA (mei and taro)

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Lunch

2:00 pm On the contemporary site, craft industries workshops and three games

PEHE, sets of strings
Game with a rope for 10 people, played by the dance groups.
The sling
Stilts

4:30 pm /5:00 pm Return to lodgings

Thursday, December 20th
Day reserved for youth, the cultural future of the Marquesan people
Assessment of the cultural assets transmitted by the “TUHUKA”

Nursery school with the CM1, the children will highlight cultural assets transmitted by various “TUHUKA”

TUHUKA HAKA, Master of dance: various traditional dances

TUHUKA HIMENE, Master of songs: various traditional songs

TUHUKA TEKAO, Master of the word: Akakai (poems)

TAPATAPA (declamation)

TUHUKA SUBDUED TATAU, Master of genealogy: presents his genealogy

TUHUKA MT PAHU, Master of the drums: the art of drumming

TUHUKA HAA KA KAI, storyteller: the art of telling a legend or a myth.

8:00 am Beginning of the cultural services of the children accompanied by their respective TUHUKA. The activities in various workshops will also begin

9:30 am The invited delegations will be able to show their cultural identities

Ceremony of the KAVA , the man bird of RAPA NUI

10:00 am to 11:30 am Meeting of the Mayors, Chiefs of the Delegations and the members of Federation MOTU HAKA

11:30 am Lunch

2:30 pm Awarding prizes to the winners of the writing contest in EO ENANA

Awarding prizes for the most beautiful objets d'art

Awarding prizes to the winners of the traditional weapons contest

The presentation will be accompanied by traditional musics, songs and dances.

Closing Ceremonies
Cultural presentations by the different delegations
Farewell songs
Official speeches

Presentation of the symbol of the Matavaa to the island that will assume the next Matavaa in December 2011
“GIANT PUTU” executed by all the delegations present

6:30 pm Dinner and the departure of some delegations

The Waterfalls of Tahiti

Of the many images of paradise that the name Tahiti invokes certainly waterfalls form part of the impression. World of Waterfalls was created by a California couple. They started out visiting falls in the Los Angeles area for a quick break. Soon they began traveling further afield collecting waterfall sightings.

In French Polynesia they have visited and photographed Vaimahutu Falls, Topatari Falls, Vaiharuru Falls and Puraha Falls on the island of Tahiti as well as Vaioro Falls on Moorea. The falls can be viewed by taking a 4wd tour.

Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme.

Learn to Speak Tahitian

Bruce Rimell, a fascinating Englishman, has created a wonderful Web site about the Tahitian language.

What's truly amazing is that he has never been to Tahiti but rather became interested in learning the language when he fell in love with Pacific island music while living in Japan. He writes "So without any grammar or textbooks to work from, I kept listening to the music, and slowly tried to take the language of the songs apart so that I could learn how to speak it".

He has now created online Tahitian lessons (and a quiz).
Both English-Tahitian and Tahitian-English dictionaries are available.

For fans of Tahitian music he has also translated the lyrics of various songs.

Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme.

Tahiti Aggressor Relocating to Fiji

The Aggressor Fleet has announced that they will be relocating the Tahiti Aggressor live aboard dive boat to Fiji. On their Web site they posted:

In 2002, the Tahiti Aggressor made way to the Tuamotu Islands then the Society Islands in search of a new frontier and found incredible diving. Since that time, it has become cost prohibitive to continue to operate there and we regret that the Tahiti Aggressor will cease operations March 10, 2007. She will relocate to Fiji after being dry-docked and will resume operations as the Fiji Aggressor starting May 12, 2007. The Fiji Aggressor will explore new dive areas that will be announced soon. The 10 passenger Fiji Aggressor II will continue operating and will go to dry-dock for an extensive refit during the year. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause cause.

Scubadiving.com adds that the following options are available to those who have made deposits on trips with the Tahiti Aggressor:

Transfer your reservation from the Tahiti Aggressor to the Fiji Aggressor, Fiji Aggressor II, Palau Aggressor II, North Sulawesi Aggressor or Kona Aggressor II (difference in charter price will be paid/refunded) and receive a $500 voucher towards a future charter, good for 3 years, non transferable and non commissionable. Reimbursement of penalties imposed for airline tickets will be made if client cancels trip to Tahiti. (Receipts must accompany request).

or

Receive a full refund for your Tahiti Aggressor charter. Reimbursement of penalties imposed for airline tickets will be made if client cancels trip to Tahiti. (Receipts must accompany request).

Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme.

Tahiti Le Truck Information

Bus route map

You can view the schedule and stops of the lines here (yes, I see that it was published in January, 2003. That's as good as it's going to get. I've been seaching for this information since 2003).

Here are more schedules, including ones for travel outside of the Papeete area.

The minimum price is 130, at night 200. It costs about 300 to get all the way down to Teahupoo.

A New Hotel on Nukutepipi

Last week Tahitipresse announced a new hotel is to be built on the atoll of Nukutepipi. Oceandots.com states that it is the southeasternmost atoll of the Duke of Gloucester group. It's less than 6 square kilometers, 3.5 kilometers in length by 2 kilometers wide.

Air Tahiti does not fly there. While it's part of the commune of Hao, it's quite a distance away. Every 25 days the cargo boat Nuku Hau stops there. It costs 7900 for a one way deck ticket.

It will cost US $16,500,000 to buy the land and build the hotel, which will accomodate 25 to 40 people (that's pretty big for French Polynesia and sort of defeats the point of being on a remote island). It's scheduled to in 2007 (that's this year!)

However, before embarking on the Tuamotu project the French-Canadian investor plans to build a 40 unit hotel on the northwest coast of Bora Bora. That's scheduled to open in 2010 so maybe the Nukutepipi project is slated for completion in 2017?

I'm fascinated.

Photo courtesty of Tahiti Tourisme.

Air Tahiti - Part 5

Savings can also be realized by purchasing point to point airfares in Tahiti instead of overseas.

Here some are fare comparisons for round trip tickets. My Tahiti fares are from last summer. These fares are good on any flight.

Route RT	Overseas LS	Overseas HS	Tahiti
Tahiti - Huahine	21000	21000	18900
Tahiti - Bora Bora	31500	34700	26100
Tahiti - Raiatea	24300	24300	21600
Tahiti - Maupiti	30300	30300	26600
Tahiti - Tikehau	32200	34700	28600
Tahiti - Rangiroa	32200	34700	28600
Tahiti - Nuku Hiva	57600	57600	50200
Tahiti - Raivavae	49200	49200	43900

Many destinations do not have seasonal surchages.

Tahiti Port Strike Over

Tahitipresse has reported that after all night negotiations a settlement has been reached.

Work has resumed and the harbor is no longer "blocked".

Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme.

Air Tahiti - Part 4

If you happen to be young (under 25), a Senior (60 or over), or traveling with your family (at least one adult with a child under 16) you can purchase a Carte Jeune (Youth Card), Carte Marama (Senior Card) or Carte Famille (Family Card).

The card costs 1000 to purchase for youths and Seniors and 2000 for families. You will need to present photo ID (like your passport, for families this applies to the parent, children need a birth certificate), have a passport photo for the pass (for families this applies to the parents only though I would bring photos of the children just in case). I've heard that the pass is not available for purchase at the airport Air Tahiti office. One has to go into Papeete to purchase it.

The card is good for 5 years, assuming that one still qualifies.

The benefits of the cards are a price reduction of 50% on bleu flights (75% for children under 12), 30% off on blanc flights (50% for children under 12) and 10% on rouge flights (50% for children under 12).

Be aware that the seats available for these discounted fares are limited. Reservations and ticketing can only be done in French Polynesia for these discounts.

I must also note that I read a report from someone who purchased a family pass. At first they tried to tell him that he was not eligible since he was a tourist. He pointed out the sentence (written in French) where it said that the card, reservations and ticketing have to be done in FP with no mention of any restrictions as to who could benefit.

Port of Tahiti on Strike

Tahitipresse reported that the Port of Tahiti is paralyzed due to a strike. The information was only available on their French language page. Using freetranslation.com this is what I've come up with:

"This strike movement paralyzes the activity of the harbor, without nevertheless that the locking be total since shuttles were able to take passengers heading for Moorea, this morning and in fine afternoon. But the ferries transporting freight and the schooners for the islands had to remain at quay. A cruise steamship, awaited Tuesday morning to the harbor nevertheless should be able to approach."

The dock workers delegation and the government ministers are in negotiations.

Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme.

A Chance to See Tahitian Dancing in Los Angeles

Mehiro, the local expert for French Polynesia over on Tripadvisor, posted about a Spectacular Traditional Polynesian Show hosted by Mareine Tiroa, Vice President of Friends of Tahiti. It's a fundraiser for "The International US, Children Charity" (I'm not familiar with it).

It's this Thursday, February 22nd
At The Highlands Club of Hollywood
6801 Hollywood Blvd, CA 90028
8:30 pm - 2:00 am

Admission is $25 with a reservation that you can make online.
They will have a one hour Polynesian Show featuring the "Le Polynesia" dance & music group.

Some great raffle prizes are on offer (raffle tickets are $5, sold from 8:30 - 10:00 pm, when the show starts) including:

A Royal Traditional Tahitian Wedding at the Tiki Village, Moorea
2 Round trip Tickets to Tahiti on Air TahitiNui
Intercontinental Hotel Tahiti voucher for two persons (2 nights in Papeete /4 nights in Moorea)
Starwood Hotel Sheraton voucher for two persons (2 nights in Papeete /3 nights in Moorea )
Tahitian black pearl gold pendent from Tahitinuipearl

I think the odds are very good for getting a great prize. And to help a good cause and see some Tahitian dancing, even better.

Requested attire is Hawaiian shirts and/or floral lei's.

Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme.

N.Y. Times Article on the Tuamotus

In Sunday's New York Times there is an article The Fragile Paradise That Tahiti Used to Be by Jon Bowermaster.

The premise is that the island of Tahiti has become too busy but paradise can be found on the Tuamotus, for now, before climatic changes make them uninhabitable.

What struck me as interesting was the author saying "My preference though is to sleep on the beach, which is easily done in the Tuamotus, on any of a number of motus — mini-islands made of sand washed up on the rim of the coral reef. If you are after a glimpse of paradise, sleeping in these sands offers as close to a utopian experience as possible. On Fakarava I chose a motu named Kiria on the far side of the lagoon from town. I hired a boat to drop me and made camp next to a hoa — a tidal stream running in from the sea — hanging a hammock between two coconut palms. In the mornings I would watch a squadron of frigate birds hover above the palms, floating on thermals. Beneath the hammock an army of sand crabs went about their various duties, leaving long, thin trails in the otherwise unadulterated sand. Gently pounding surf, broken by the thin coral reef crest, created a shallow aqua-blue swimming hole."

Sounds wonderful.

However, in the Visitor Information section (which may have had a different author than the article) there was no information provided as to how you could hire a boat and camp out on Kiria motu. There was also no contact information provided for the "simple pension called Chez Matilde, with cabins to rent on the beach" where he stayed on Fakarava. I searched for it but could not find any information, though places in French Polynesia often have two names, Pension This and Chez Someone. I did find a new pension in Fakarava called, by coincidence, Pension Kiria.

Air Tahiti - Part 3

Available for purchase only in French Polynesia are two additional airpasses that can offer you substanital savings. They are the Les Pass "Bleu"s.

The Pass Bleu Decouverte is for travel from Tahiti to Huahine, Raiatea and Moorea. Last summer it cost 19200.

The regular Pass Bleu goes from Tahiti to Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora and Moorea. (Note that Maupiti is not included.) Last summer it cost 25200.

The rules are the same as the airpasses discussed previously EXCEPT that you have to travel on bleu (blue) flights to and from Tahiti and on bleu or blanc (white) flights between the other islands. Between Moorea and Tahiti (which has to be your last island) you will be traveling on Air Tahiti or (more likely) Air Moorea and need not worry about availability. Your checked luggage limit is 10 kgs (22 lbs).

If you are traveling on a Pass Bleu or if you have a Youth (Jeune), Senior (Marama) or Family (Famille) card (which I will discuss later) you need to be aware of Red (Rouge), White (Blanc) and Blue (Bleu) flights. If you do not fit in those categories skip over this as all flights are equal for you.

The red flights are the most popular (and hence most expensive), then come the whites and after that the blues. There are a limited number of discounted seats on these flights as others are paying full (or full local) fares for them.

According to last summers schedule, if you wanted to catch a blue flight to Bora Bora from Tahiti your choices would be (for the 50 minute flight):

Monday (Lundi):
5:00 am
5:30 am
3:20 pm
6:00 pm

Tuesday (Mardi):
2:10 pm

Wednesday (Mercredi):
5:15 pm
5:40 pm

Thursday (Jeudi):
1:15 pm
5:55 pm

Friday (Vendredi):
6:40 am
5:00 pm

Saturday (Samedi):
5:25 am
1:00 pm
3:05 pm
5:15 pm

Sunday (Dimanche):
7:20 am
2:40 pm
4:55 pm
6:45 pm

I don't know how far in advance the blue seats on these flights get booked up. You are competing with locals who can make reservations for them in advance. You cannot do that if you are out of the country.

Looking at last summers schedule from Tahiti to Huahine I see that there is no blue flight on Fridays for that route.

Air Tahiti - Part 2

Air Tahiti tickets can be purchased overseas via their Web site and picked up at the airport upon arrival (either at the check-in counter for a point to point e-ticket or at the Air Tahiti office for an airpass). You can also purchase them from your international carrier. If you are going on a package tour your Air Tahiti tickets will be included.

Purchasing your tickets in French Polynesia will yield substantial savings except for airpasses that cover island groups other than the Society Islands. The risk in waiting to purchase your ticket until arrival is that you may not be able to get on the flight that you want or even fly on the day that you want. You also will have a lower checked luggage limit of 10 k (22 lbs). I will discuss this later in more detail.

The airpasses offered overseas are (I have entered the price that was offered last summer if purchased in Tahiti in parenthesis):

Discovery Pass:
Tahiti, Huahine, Raiatea 24200* (24200)

Bora Bora Pass:
Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora, Maupiti
From January 5th to May 31st and from November 16th to December 21st 34700 (33700)
From January 1st to January 4th and from June 1st to November 15th and from December 22nd to December 31st 36800 (33700)

Lagoon Pass: Moorea, Rangiroa, Tikehau, Manihi, Fakarava, Ahe 38900 (38200)

Bora Bora Tuamotu Pass: Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Bora Bora, Maupiti, Rangiroa, Tikehau, Manihi, Fakarava, Ahe 50400 (48700)

Marquesas Pass: Nuku Hiva, Atuona, Ua Pou, Ua Huka
From January 5th to May 31st and from November 16th to December 21st 63000
From January 1st to January 4th and from June 1st to November 15th and from December 22nd to December 31st 69000
(in FP this pass is 61200 from January 1st to March 31st and from November 1st to December 31st and 66200 from April 1st to October 31st)

There are also two extensions that can be added to any airpass except one cannot add the Australes extension to the Marquesas pass:

Australes Extension: Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae 26300 (26200)

Marquesas Extension: Nuku Hiva, Atuona 47300 (46200)

The extensions must be added to the beginning or the end of a pass.

The airpasses are not like Eurail passes. You cannot hop on and off planes as you wish. You have to make a schedule, this flight on this day, that flight on that day and be ticketed. Once you take your first flight the other flights cannot be changed. (Though I did hear a report of someone who was able to get a flight to another island due to a bad weather report for his initial destination. However, don't count on it.)

The passes begin in Tahiti; travel must be completed in one archipelago before starting on another. Islands within an archipelago can be visited in any order. All islands covered in a pass do not have to be visited (and it can be quite a challenge to include all the islands or selected islands on a pass given a particular timeframe).

Only one stopover is permitted on an island. A transit with a flight number change is considered a stopover. The exception to this is: Bora Bora-Tikehau, Bora Bora-Manihi, Bora Bora-Fakarava or vice-versa, where a flight number change and stop of less than 2 hours in Rangiroa is considered as a transit, not a stopover.

A stopover or transit in Tahiti is not permitted except to get to Moorea on the Lagoons pass or for 24 hours before or after an extension.

Passes are only valid for 28 days.

Tahiti to Moorea (and vice-versa) may be flown on an Air Tahiti or Air Moorea flight. There is an extra charge for the Air Moorea evening (night as they call it) flights.

(Note: there are lower fares for children available on all flights.)

Air Tahiti - Part 1

Air Tahiti is the domestic carrier of French Polynesia (though it will begin to fly to the Cook Islands in April). It is a different airline from the international carrier Air Tahiti Nui.

It's a fine airline and you will be flying on 48 or 66 seat twin turboprop aircraft (smaller aircraft is used for the remote islands).
Pineapple juice will be served. Meals are only provided for flights to the Marquesas, Gambiers and Hao. Sandwiches are offered for sale to the Australs. You'll get a very nice Air Tahiti magazine.

The seating is open, first come, first served.

The luggage allowance is less than on your international flight to Tahiti. You are allowed 10 kg (22 lbs) if you purchase your ticket in French Polynesia, 20 kg (44 lbs) if you purchase it overseas. If you are a diver and have your international dive certification card (and international air ticket) you are allowed an extra 5kg (11 lbs).

Hand luggage is restricted to a day pack size (17” x 13” x 7”) weighing less than 3k (6.6 lbs). They made me check in my "fits under the seat" rolling pilot bag.

If you are over the weight limit you have to pay for the excess. The cost per kilogram depends on your flight. If you want to calculate the cost go to the fares page and enter your to and from destination and you will see the excess luggage cost for that leg.

Some example one way excess luggage costs per 1k (2.2 lbs):

Tahiti-Huahine	120
Tahiti-Bora Bora	170
Tahiti-Rangiroa	200
Bora Bora-Rangiroa	290

If you pay for your return flight overage at the same time you receive a 30% discount. You can also get a "Circle trip including several islands" rate. Instead of paying excess luggage for each leg, you would just pay the roundtrip excess rate for the island that is the furthest from Tahiti (or Moorea). For example traveling Tahiti/Moorea/Huahine/Bora Bora/Rangiroa/Tahiti. The normal additional segment rate is 740 per kg; the discounted rate is calculated Tahiti/ Rangiroa/Tahiti, or 400 per kg.

All that being said, 50 lbs. is a lot of luggage and should be more than adequate for your needs.

7th Marquesas Arts Festival in Ua Pou

Tahitipresse announced that the 7th Marquesas arts festival will take place on the island of Ua Pou from Dec. 17 to Dec. 20. Around 5,000 visitors from Tahiti and from abroad are expected to attend the event. The arts festival takes place every four years. The last one was held on the island of Hiva Oa, in December 2003.

They reported that 2,000 Marquesans will be coming from all the islands of the archipelago to join the celebrations. Delegations from other Pacific Islands such as Hawaii, New Zealand, Easter Island, New Caledonia and Wallis-and-Futuna are also expected.

Here are some photos from the 1999 Festival on Nuku Hiva.

The fancy freighter Arunai 3 will be there with an extra day on Ua Pou for the festival. The December 14th - 29th voyage rates will be 10% higher.

Accomodation in Ua Pou is very limited. I'd be making plans now.

Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme.

Baggage Storage at Tahiti Airport

At Tahiti (Faaa) Airport (the only one on the island) baggage storage is located in a small building within the large parking lot just in front of the airport.

Air Tahiti Nui has provided this luggage storage information page which includes an excellent map to the location. As links to Tahiti related Web pages go bad at an alarming rate I have also copied the information here.

The hours of operation are:

Monday	4 am - 12:30 am (+1)
Tuesday.	5 am -12:30 am (+1)
Wednesday.	5 am -12:30 am (+1)
Thursday	5 am -12:30 am (+1)
Friday	5 am - 11 pm
Saturday	5 am - 12:30 am (+1)
Sunday	5 am -12:30 am (+1)
Holidays	5 am -12:30 am (+1)

For 24 hours of storage the rates are:

Small volume (vanity, etc.)*	395
Middle size suitcase	640
Big box	950
Surfboard (short board)	1100
One cover-several surfboards	1600
Surfboards over 2 meters	2200
Windsurfer	2700

Currency accepted: Euros, AUD, NZD, USD, XPF
Credit cards: Visa and Mastercard

* my 2' x 1' x 10" duffle was accepted at this fee on two different occasions over a year apart.

The telephone number for baggage storage is: (689) 86 60 08

I've also stored my bags for free at the downtown tourist office. They are only open during the day until 5 pm. That is just a leave your bags in this corner deal vs. having a claim ticket.

Please be aware that the hours and rates may change.

An Insiders Guide to Moorea

Googling around I found this blog called Traveling Moorea and Beyond. The author, Aaron Wallace, works at the University of California, Berkeley, Richard B. Gump South Pacific Reseach Station which is located on the west side of Cooks Bay in Moorea.

He started the guide, it's a work in progress, in response to students questions as to what to do around Moorea in their free time. I don't know how old it is or if he is currently working on it.

He has some excellent information (and directions) on hiking, running, snorkeling, surfing and beaches in Moorea. Take a look.

Sale on Starwood Properties in French Polynesia

The Starwood Preferred Guest program (free to join) is having a four day sale from February 13th to the 16th.

These are the FP properties and rates (as well as available dates):

Sheraton Tahiti:

March 1-31	$180
April 6-15	$180
May 19-24	$180
June 6-12	$180
July 16-22	$180
August 6-12	$180
September 6-12	$180
October 22-29	$180
November 20-30	$180
December 3-16	$180

Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa:

March 1-31	$229
April 6-15	$229
May 19-24	$229
June 6-12	$290
July 16-22	$290
August 6-12	$290
September 6-12	$290
October 22-29	$229
November 20-30	$229
December 3-16	$229

Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa:

March 1-30	$399
May 11-31	$399
June 10-19	$399
July 1-7	$399
July 24-31	$399
August 3-10	$399
August 24-31	$399
September 2-13	$399
October 19-25	$399
October 27-Nov 5	$399

The fine print:

Reservations must be booked between 12:00 am EST on February 13, 2007 and 11:59:59 pm EST on February 16, 2007.
Rates are valid at participating properties only for the stay period specified on the offer, and are subject to availability at the time of reservation. Dates vary by property. A limited number of rooms may be available at these rates and additional restrictions and blackout dates apply.
Advance purchase required. Credit card will be charged at time of booking. Cancellations are non-refundable; if cancellation takes place, guests forfeit total room charge plus tax.
Rates are per room, per night, based on single/double occupancy and availability at time of reservation and do not include additional per room, per night charges that may be imposed or state/local taxes.
Offer not applicable to groups.
Not to be combined with other special offers or promotions.
Not responsible for omissions or typographical errors.
Void where prohibited by law.
Starwood reserves the right to discontinue this offer at any time.

Buggspray

I must admit that I'm a mosquito magnet. I recall sitting in the Club Bali Hai lobby with three other people as dusk approached. They were perfectly fine but I had to flee to my room as I was being eaten alive. So the mozzies may not be an issue for you. However, if they are I'd like to recommend Buggspray. Unlike other insect repellents this one smells nice, like vanilla. It contains 25% deet so it works (there is also a non-deet version which I haven't tried).

You can purchase it directly at Buggspray's eBay store or from a retail store (mostly in the mid-west) or via mailing them.

Their products are more expensive than the regular brands - $14.00 for 2 4 oz. spray pump bottles or $5 for a one ounce trial size plus shipping but if smelling nice matters then this is the product to choose.

Moorea "Tere Fa'ati" this Sunday

I heard about this mid-January and emailed Tahiti Tourisme (both here and in Tahiti) as well as the Moorea Tourist committee for details. I just now received a response from Moorea.

This Sunday, February 11th, Moorea is having a "Tere Fa'ati". It is a festive circle island tour via Le Truck accompanied by the sounds of the ukulele. Similar to the one held on Tahiti in early January, it is sponsored by the tourism committee.

It starts at 8:30 am on Temae Beach and stops at Cooks Bay, Pineapple Road, the Belvedere viewpoint, an archeological site, Opunohu Bay, the dock of Papetoai Village, Painapo Beach, To'Atea viewpoint and back to Temae beach (just north of the Sofitel) around noon. (FYI Temae is the most beautiful beach on Moorea with a stunning view across the Sea of the Moon toward the mountains of Tahiti.)

The cost is 4000 per person including a Tahitian meal.

Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme.

Changing Money

July 18, 2011 Update - Bank of Socredo no longer does currency exchange for non-clients.  Banque de Polynésie no longer changes travelers checks.  Banque de Tahiti still changes both currency and travelers checks. 


There is no longer a 24 hour currency exchange at Tahiti's International Airport. There are (unreliable) ATMs and currency exchange machines at the airport.

Please be aware that your ATM card may not work in French Polynesia. There have been so many reports of travelers stranded with no money. I tried two different ATM cards at both the Socredo and Bank of Polynesia machines and neither worked. However, if yours works then it is where you will get the best rate. Note that ATM withdrawals are limited to 30000 per week.

Travelers checks may be old school but it's strongly suggested that you have an alternate source of currency. They get a 1% higher exchange rate than cash. It has been reported that some banks charge a small fee for each TC changed so it is better to go with larger denominations. Regardless of what you use there is a transaction fee of approximately 500 for exchanging money (each transaction).

Update 2011 : The Bank of Polynesia at Faaa Airport no longer accepts traveler's checks. You will need cash or risk using their ATMs. Here is the Tahiti Explorer forum currency exchange thread.

The Bank of Polynesia is open at the airport for all international arrivals. Bank Socredo, at the airport, has the reputation for having better rates but is only open during the day (their ATM rates are reputed to be better also).

Some islands, such as Tikehau, have no banks. No problems on Bora Bora and Moorea. Hotels and resorts (not pensions) will exchange money at less favorable rates. They don't charge a conversion fee.

I would recommend getting the money that you need in Tahiti before setting off for the outer islands.

Credit cards (Visa and Mastercard especially) are accepted by the larger hotels and shops.

CFP stands for Comptoirs Français du Pacifique Francs. XPF is the designation used by currency exchanges. It is at a fixed rate to the Euro (1 Euro = 119.332 XPF). Sometimes pensions will quote rates in Euros also.

Photo courtesy of Tahiti Tourisme.

Papeete Environs - te NaHe toetoe Punnauia

te NaHe toetoe Punnauia formerly Chez Armelle
689 58 42 43
PK 15.5 Punaauia, Tahiti

Why stay in town when you can begin your Tahiti vacation on the beach?

This is a place that I'm considering for my next stay.

Single room is 5980
Double room is 7690
Four of their available rooms are air conditioned, there maybe an extra charge for this (2000?).
Breakfast is included and served from 7 to 9 am.
Transfer from the airport is 1500.
Kayaks and snorkeling gear are provided free (I would bring my own snorkel/mask to FP).

Note: they spell it Punnauia on their Web site, everyone else seems to spell it Punaauia.

They also have two locations on Huahine, including a new camping spot on Huahine Iti.

Taxi Rates

Those vehicles displaying a white “Tiare” flower on their illuminated sign have drivers who speak English.

Prices are normally displayed within, and if you are unsure about the cost, ask the driver.

As posted on Tahiti-Tourisme, New Zealand.

Tikehau - Pension Kahaia Beach

Update 1/2/12:  This pension is now closed.

Someone asked about Tikehau so I wanted to post about where I stayed last year.

Pension Kahaia Beach
no Web site or direct email
You can make an email reservation via the Haere-Mae Federation of Guesthouse and Family Accomodations.
haere-mai@mail.pf
(689) 96 22 77

Fare with half board 7000 per person
Fare with full board 8500 per person
(the food was very good)
Camping is available but there are no kitchen facilities available
Guests can keep drinks and snacks cold in a shared ice chest (a large Coleman camper type)
Transfers are free

The pension is on its own private motu. It's the closest motu to the main one. Here is a nice map. It has the best location (aside from the Pearl Beach Resort) in Tikehau.

Somethings to note:
The owners speak very little English. I speak even less French and we got along fine.
There is no drinkable water on the motu, you should stock up on your first day on your way there. I was going through four liters a day.
Reef sharks live in the channel. I was told that they would not bother me and they didn't. It was cool to go swimming with the sharks.
To get to the main village one has to kayak across the channel and then bicycle to town. There is only one kayak and bicycle available. As I was the only guest for 5 of my 7 days there it worked out fine. One could walk closer to the reef and wade across to the main motu.
There are a lot of mosquitos there. I would advise splurging on the large spray can (1300 - 1500?) and spraying the bathroom, around the fare and the dining area. Mosquito coils are provided.

A New Air Connection between Tahiti and Rarotonga

Yesterday it was announced that a code share between Air Tahiti and Air Rarotonga will commence on April 3rd for flights between Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and Papeete, French Polynesia.
Air New Zealand is abandoning that route at the beginning of April.

The flights will be on Tuesdays and Saturdays in both directions.
On Tuesday the flight from Tahiti is at 7:15 am, arriving in Rarotonga at 9:55 am.
On Saturday the flight from Tahiti is at 12:15 am, arriving in Rarotonga at 2:55 pm.

Returning from Rarotonga on Tuesday the flight departs at 10:55 am and arrives in Tahiti at 1:40 pm.
On Saturday the flight departs Rarotonga at 3:55 pm and arrives in Tahiti at 6:40 pm.

Tahitipresse reported that the fares will be "from US$ 249/€ 192 to US$ 356/€ 275" for a one way.

It is already possible to book the flights on the Air Rarotonga Web site; there is no mention on Air Tahiti's site. The fares shown on Air Rarotonga's site (NZD 349 for a thrifty fare and NZD 499 for a fully flexible fare) are equivalent to the Tahitian prices.

Tahiti on a Rockbottom Budget - Part 4

Another option for Moorea is Mark's Place Paradise aka Haapiti Camping
(689) 56 43 02
(689) 78 93 65
Skype Phone: marksmoorea
mark@marks-place-paradise.com
PK 23.5

Mark's is located on the southwest side of Moorea. To reach Mark's one would take the southbound Le Truck from the ferry. If you were traveling from Te Motu Iti to Mark's you would take the Le Truck to the ferry and then take the other Le Truck to Mark's.

Though away from the more touristed areas of the island, everyone who has stayed here has raved about this place.

They offer dorms for 2000 and 2500.
Camping for 1050 per person.
A private room for two, 5000.
Cooking facilities are available.
They rent bikes and kayaks for 1000 a day (a very good rate).

They accept credit cards.

Tahiti on a Rockbottom Budget - Part 3

After a couple of days at Te Motu Iti head to the west coast of Moorea (the Petit Village area). There you will find Camping Nelson and Moorea Camping. These are not only for campers. They are on the longest stretch of beach in Moorea, with beautiful sunsets.

Camping Nelson
(689) 56 15 18
campingnelson@mail.pf
PK 27.1
A two bed dorm for 2000 for the first night, 1600 for subsequent nights.
A private room for 1 or 2 (double bed) is 4800 for one night, 4300 for subsequent nights.
Camping is 1200 per person.
For more money you can have your own fare.
There are communal cooking facilities, shops and restaurants are nearby.

Moorea Camping
(689) 56 14 47
no longer has a Web site
Their email einui@hotmail.com no longer works.
(That's not unusual in French Polynesia.)
PK 27.5
They have a similar set-up to Camping Nelson with prices reported to be slightly less. Their communal kitchen/dining area has a water view.

Moorea Camping does an inexpensive Shark & Ray Feeding excursion, for guests it's only 1500, 2000 for non-guests.