Maupiti!

“Paradise”

French Polynesia spends a lot of effort marketing the South Pacific paradise image, first bestowed upon it by early western visitors - from Bougainville and Cook, to Gauguin and Mellville, to Michener.

So is it paradise? Of course not.

Tropical islands in general make poor candidates for paradise. Necessities can be scarce, and conveniences generally have to be imported. The heat is oppressive, an army of biting insects stands ready to eat you alive, and the next devastating cyclone is just around the corner. But if you don’t mind any of that, then sure, tropical islands are pretty much perfect.

French Polynesia is one of the luckier island groups out there. They have autonomy from France to run their own affairs, with the parent country providing enough support to maintain a decent standard of living. Everyone has clean water, modern healthcare, and subsidized baguettes. Nuclear testing on Morurua ended in the 90’s and will not return (though it was great for economic development while it lasted).

French Polynesia as a destination

“What’s wrong with Hawaii?” was the reaction from some people who heard where we were going. Well, there is nothing wrong with Hawaii, probably - we will know for sure after spending some time there. What is certain is that Hawaii receives as many visitors in a week as Tahiti gets in a year.

Sunday service, Huahine

People come to French Polynesia primarily for one of two reasons. Either they are French speakers who like the idea of a French speaking island (this is the largest group of visitors), or they are seeking a place that is modern and exotic at the same time.

Apooiti marina, Raiatea

The locals, on their part, are not really itching to flood their country with as many tourists as possible. Their status as a French overseas country (pays d’outre-mer) means they are not too dependent on income from tourists to support their lifestyle - in fact tourism is often seen as interfering with that lifestyle, as hotels tend to be built in the best spots, which the islanders would rather keep for their own use. The growing resistance to hotels, along with the 2008 economic crisis, have claimed some of the country’s best resorts, turning them into tourism wastelands.

Abandoned Club Med site, Mo’orea

That is not to say that Tahitians are unkind to visitors - the welcome we received as international tourists was warm and generous everywhere. French nationals occasionally have to deal with some hostility, since the French-Tahitian relationship remains complicated.

A note on trash - we are pretty sensitive to strewn garbage, and were happy to find the litter situation to be firmly under control. Most places we went to were trash-free, and the remainder were clean enough to not be unpleasant. This despite no evidence of heroic cleanup efforts by the government, or public-awareness campaigns against littering. There isn’t even much of a recycling infrastructure - sadly there is a lot of garbage generated on the islands, but at least people do not see fit to dump it all over the landscape.

Lifestyle

Thoroughly modern and heavily westernized, Tahitians (which is the name for Polynesians throughout the Society archipelago, not just in Tahiti) are taking a healthy approach to their national identity. French colonial rulers spent a century trying to suppress Tahitian culture and language, and the British who came before them were not much better. Attitudes changed abruptly in the 1970’s, and Tahitian culture is making a huge comeback.

Tepaiaha shows off his tattoos, Huahine

Rather than rejecting and trying to roll back the changes brought about by European contact, French Polynesians are putting together the sum of their influences to construct something new and better. When they decorate themselves with full-body tattoos, they adopt the latest techniques and designs from the Marquesas and New Zealand, not just the styles that were available in pre-contact Tahiti. And when they race outrigger canoes on the lagoon, the canoes are made of fiberglass, because it is so much faster and more practical than wood bark.

In their leisure time (of which there is plenty), Tahitians hang out on the beach, or cruise around the lagoon, or go surfing or fishing, or roam around the island. These happen to be the same activities that visitors engage in when they come to the islands, meaning visitors are much better integrated with local society than when they pursue the same things in (say) rural Central America, where leisure-time activity often consists of sitting outside your house and staring into space.

Tiki Village, Mo’orea

Our visit overlapped with the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, held in downtown Papeete. The home team, known as Le Tiki Toa (“Tiki Power”) was doing really well, and the whole nation was glued to the games. To illustrate what kind of splash this tournament was making on the world stage, if you googled “beach soccer world cup” while it was going on, the Cup website would not even come up on the first page of results. Anyway, the tiki toa were able to beat Team USA, dispatched Argentina in the quarter finals, were defeated by champions Russia (yes, Russia) in the semifinal, then tied 7-7 with Brazil in the third place match.

Food

At the supermarket on Mo’orea, almost everything in the produce aisle was imported. The only local fruit on offer was a dark-orange banana labelled “fei”. We wondered whether it’s one of those bananas that need to be cooked before eating, but when peeled it was soft and delicious with a kind of bubble gum flavour to it. When we came back for more the next day, the cashier helpfully pointed out that fe’i should be cooked before eating... We have to insist that the convenion is wrong here - although cooked fe’i is tasty, raw fe’i is possibly even better, and no ill effects were observed from eating it that way.

Fe’i, Mo’orea

More interesting than the supermarket were the roadside stalls, whose selection includes uru (breadfruit), jackfruit, bananas (fe’i as well as the local eating banana, which turns a deep purple when cooked), papaya, taro, mango, noni, pineapple (called painapo in Tahitian - the fruit is a British import), and one surprise that we had never heard of - pomme etoile (star apple). Also known as milk fruit, this round purple fruit oozes a white juice when poked. The taste is… very tropical, sweet and aromatic.

Pomme etoile, Huahine

According to the guidebooks, the most popular dish in the islands is poisson cru, a delicious raw fish salad that lies somewhere between sashimi and ceviche (but closer to sashimi). We ate poisson cru as often as possible, but according to our observations the real national dish in the islands is - pizza. On the major islands, decent pizzerias are everywhere. Curiously, some make their pizza with olives by default - an implicit topping that goes in along with the toppings actually listed. This certainly wouldn’t fly in North America, where many people dislike the taste of olives. It is doubly strange because olives cannot grow in French Polynesia. In addition to the pizzerias, grocery stores often have a shelf with slices of ready-to-eat, plastic-wrapped, sad-looking pizza to go.

Hinano “sulphur beer”

As for booze, the most common is Taihiti’s famous Hinano lager. The first time we ordered Hinano, the draft pints had an overpowering sulphur smell… it was too disgusting to finish. Fortunately this turned out to be just a bad batch (at first we worried this was how people liked their beer around here). Brewed correctly, Hinano is certainly drinkable, if not terribly exciting.

One lesson we learned was that buying someone a drink in the islands is not always the innocuous gesture it is in Canada. Some Polynesians do not handle their liquor very well. In the best-case scenario, they will politely refuse the offer in order to avoid a steep downward spiral.

Our favourite aspect of the French Polynesian food scene was being able to walk into any grocery and come out with a fresh baguette and a nice French cheese for around four dollars. Almost all our lunches followed the baguette-and-cheese template, alternating between tomme, camembert, and provolone. Good luck trying this on any other Pacific island.

Artisan ice cream from tiare tahiti petals, Mo’orea tropical garden

Costs

A table of our in-country costs (for two people, in Pacific Francs and Canadian Dollars) is shown below. However, it means little without the context, so here is some context:

• On Tahiti we stayed at the Radisson Plaza and paid with loyalty points that Dana had accumulated. Which was nice, because even basic accommodation on Tahiti can cost 200 CAD/night. Most incoming visitors are just trying to get off the island as fast as possible and go somewhere nicer, but flight schedules from North America mean an overnight stay is usually unavoidable.
• Mo’orea was the only place where we had rented a car for the duration of our stay. It was also the only place where we paid to stay in a small hotel, with a reception desk and all, as opposed to a pension. Add a visit to Tiki Village and some nice restaurant dinners, and that is how we ended up paying roughly twice per night on Mo’orea compared to the other islands.

Aside from Bora Bora, Mo’orea is the country’s only really touristy island, so if you intend to seek out touristy things, this is the right island to do so. The 36,000 XPF we had paid for the car (including fuel) were an excellent investment - experiencing the island the way we did without it would have cost far more, if it were possible at all. - On Huahine and Maupiti, where we stayed in pensions, breakfast was included in the fee. The optional dinner was a reasonably good deal, so we mostly had dinner at the pension as well. On Mo’orea we had dinner mostly in restaurants, paying 60 CAD for a main course and a drink each. As already mentioned, lunch was baguette and cheese on all the islands.

Photo sets

• Kitsch (all islands, mostly scenery)
• Mo’orea
• Leeward (Huahine + Raiatea)
• Maupiti

Magic sunset, Mo’orea

(This report was also contributed to SummitPost)

This mountain is known variously as Teurafaatiu, Teurafaatui, Nuupere, or Nuupure. Whatever the name, it is the highest (and almost the only) peak on Maupiti island, and the views, as expected, are stunning.

From the summit you can see much of the lagoon and a number of the surrounding motu, as well as Bora Bora and Raiatea on the horizon if it’s a clear day.

Even if getting to the top of the island is not in your list of things to do on Maupiti, definitely try to climb as far as the first viewpoint, about 10 minutes and 100 meters up. The view is almost as impressive as from the top, and it provides a perspective on the island that you cannot get from street level or from the water.

A number of people discussing this hike online claim that a guide is necessary. We were advised by our hosts that no guide is needed, and they were right. The route-finding is very straightforward: as of September 2013 the trail was clear and well-travelled, marked with arrows, with no significant branching paths, and an obvious trajectory (up to the summit, then back down). Ultimately, Maupiti is simply too small to get lost on for any length of time.

Note however, this is not a gentle stroll. The path is steep and difficult in places, with some rock scrambling and rope sections. It is unsuitable for inexperienced hikers, with or without a guide. Also do not attempt it when the ground is wet. The first section to the viewpoint may still be doable, but take extra care.

Essentials

Time: 2 hours

Elevation gain: 360 meters

What to bring:

1. Footwear with good traction
2. Two litres of water - hiking in the tropics is sweaty business
3. Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses

Route

The hike begins with a flight of wide concrete steps, almost directly opposite the Snack Tarona (“the restaurant”) in the main village. It quickly becomes a steep trail leading up 100 meters to a rocky outcrop with views of the village, motu Tuanai (with the airstrip) to the west, and the twin motu of Pitiahe and Tiapa’a to the south.

From here it is largely a forest walk until you get to the second viewpoint - a narrow crag about 3/4 of the way up. Much of the path is signposted with spray-painted orange arrows. Some of these arrows point in rather arbitrary directions, but at least you know you are still on the trail if you see them. There are also some sections of rock and a couple of ropes along this part of the trail. Test each foothold and each rope thoroughly before putting weight on it. Do not attempt to climb wet rock, and remember that some of these sections are harder on the way down than on the way up.

After the second viewpoint it’s a short final ascent to the peak. Teurafaatiu has two peaks - both are reachable, but views are only available from the eastern, slightly lower one, where the trail emerges. The rocky landing here is quite exposed, so watch your step. Enjoy the view from one of Polynesia’s most beautiful spots!

(a version of this report was contributed to SummitPost)

This is the most popular and best-maintained hiking trail on Moorea. Local guides take visitors to the pass most days of the week, and largely thanks to their efforts, the trail is in great condition. As of September 2013, the path was wide enough in most places that you barely even had to touch the surrounding vegetation. This is in stark contrast to most other trails in the interior of the island, which can be overgrown and difficult to follow.

The trail begins at the Belvedere parking lot, heads west for a while passing a few dry creeks, then turns south and climbs up to the pass. The net elevation gain is only 160 meters, with total elevation gain around 260 meters. Rewards for hikers include is an up-close view of Mouaroa to the west, Mt. Tohiea behind, and open vistas of the north and south coasts of the island.

Before You Go

• Allow 3 hours - you’ll finish much faster if you hurry, but why hurry?
• Take 2 litres of water per person - you will sweat buckets
• Bring comfortable footwear with good traction (no flip-flops)
• Usual outdoor common sense applies: avoid going alone; tell someone where you are going and when to expect you; be prepared for rain and emergencies.

Route description

Once at the Belvedere, ignore the spectacular vista completely (you’ll see why in a moment). Find the trail heading west, i.e. on your right as you drive into the parking area. Keep left at the first junction. At the next one, a short detour continues straight to a viewpoint essentially identical to the Belvedere, but with a nice bench, and normally not another soul in sight. The main trail meanwhile heads sharply left then descends about 50 meters to the first creek.

The creeks are generally dry (in the dry season, anyway). Make sure to cross them and reconnect with the trail on the other side - it’s easy to end up following the creek bed instead, which is not what you want. Look for obvious steps marking the point where the trail hits the creek on either side.

Continue until you reach an opening in the trees with a view of Cook Bay. The trail to the pass heads up on your left (continuing straight will take you down to Opunohu bay). From here on it is a steady climb with some switchbacks to Three Coconut Trees pass. The trail narrows near the top and may be washed out in places, so watch your step.

There is at least one other trail leading to this spot, so make sure to pick the correct route on your way down. As of September 2013 it was possible to reach the pass from the south coast of the island too, although that route is a bit more challenging. Check with Mark at Mark’s Place Moorea for details.

We are back in engineer mode this year, meaning our vacation time is at a premium. After working through an elaborate calculus we decided on French Polynesia for a two week getaway. We wanted to visit three islands is the Society group: Mo’orea, Huahine, and Maupiti. Reconciling the itinerary with Air Tahiti’s flight schedules meant also spending a day each in Raiatea and Tahiti.

For planning we used two guidebooks plus the forums at Tahiti Explorer, but as usual there wasn’t much detailed planning ahead of time aside from accommodation and transfers. We are always in awe of people who have the patience to put together day-by-day schedules for such trips before even leaving the house.

Sorting through the photos is taking forever, but here is the first batch, titled Polynesie | Kitsch.

At the start of this trip Dana decided to write down all our expenses, so that we’d have some idea how much money we are spending. After a bunch of tedious spreadsheet work, the final statistics are now ready. We thought we’d share them here in case anyone is interested.

Our average cost per day, for two people, was 86.97 USD. The cheapest days, at $56.83 per day, were spent studying Spanish in Xela, Guatemala. Curiously, the most expensive days ($116.87 per day) also occurred while we were studying Spanish, in Copán, Honduras. In both cases the school tuition fee included accommodation with a local family, three meals a day, and some after-school activities.

The breakdown of average daily expenses per country appears below.

Daily budget breakdown (click for larger imager)

Clarifications and disclaimers:

The sample size is rather small. The most time we spent in any one country was 16 days. Therefore, isolated events such as the $90-per-person cave tour in Belize can skew the results quite a bit.

This is far from a minimal budget. We stayed in private rooms for the most part, and usually ate out. Of course you can travel for less, and some people make a point of stretching their dollar as far as it will go, but that was never our concern. To put things in perspective, the lost income from 3.5 months out of work is much higher than the total cost of the trip.

No separate category for booze. Our alcohol consumption was less than one drink a day on average, so here we just lump that expense together with food. Clearly, for some people the “liquor tax” would be much higher.

There are other budget-affecting factors which are not accounted for here, such as local weather, high season vs. off-season, and our state of mind at the time. For example, the Costa Rica leg of the journey coincided with Semana Santa - the busiest, most expensive week of the year by far. The budget in Panama was driven up simply because it was the last leg of the trip, so discipline was becoming lax. The spending on ice cream alone in Panama City was quite substantial!

Finally, these figures exclude pre-trip expenses such as flights, travel insurance, vaccines, and new travel gear.

The authors wish to thank the Israel Tax Authority for sponsoring our trip with a substantial refund :-)