Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
Iconic wander
Hit the main islands’ not-to-bemissed sights and little-visited mountainous interiors
Duration: 10-14 days
Best for: Hiking, culture, great outdoors, flora
Route: Tahiti, Moorea, Tahaa
Why do it: See the sights, shop local and then get some exercise while filling up on tropical mountain jungle mana.
The 118 islands of French Polynesia cover an oceanic area larger than Western Europe but little of this is landmass.this route focuses on the Society Islands, taking in the top sights on DIY tours, but also plunging into the lush interiors that many visitors miss.
Start in Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia, where you can spend a day or two touring on your own. Don’t miss Papeete Market, the best one-stop shop for colourful pareu (sarongs), woven hats,tahitian pearl jewellery and exotic flowers. Other highlights include Maison James Norman Hall, which explores the life on Tahiti of the Mutiny on the Bounty co-author, and the Botanical Gardens, where you can walk through bamboo and giant mape (chestnut) forest.
The island has a virtually untouched interior, ripe for exploring on foot. One of the most beautiful routes is the Fautaua Valley Trail, which includes a 300m-high waterfall and lovely swimming hole. For a two-day challenge, hire a guide for the walk along the uninhabited coastline of Te Pari, between the villages of Teahupoo and Tautira, to bathe in waterfalls that tumble into the sea and sleep in a cave.
Next, hop over to Moorea. Highlights include Te Mana O Te Moana, the sea turtle rehabilitation centre at the Intercontinental Hotel, where baby and injured turtles are cared for, and the Manutea Fruit Juice Factory, where you can taste and buy locally made juices and liquors. Moorea has nearly as many hiking trails as Tahiti and most are better maintained. Head to the areas around Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay where you’ll find plenty of trailheads, with maps at the entrances. One of the most popular hikes is Three Coconuts Pass, which leads along a ridge affording views over Moorea’s outrageously blue lagoon.
Tahitian pearls and vanilla are two of Tahiti’s biggest exports and there’s no better place to learn about both of them than on the tiny hibiscus-shaped island of Tahaa. It doesn’t have an airport, but it shares a common lagoon with Raiatea, from where you can hop on a water taxi. Rent a car to drive aroundtahaa and stop at one of the handful of small pearl farms – the owners will be happy to show you the production process and their beautiful jewellery. In between are vanilla farms that offer free tours; see how the flowers are pollinated by hand and how the pods are grown and dried. Get off the road and hike to Haamene, in the island’s verdant interior, or take the shuttle-boat to the Le Taha’a Resort to swim in coral gardens with views of Bora Bora’s square-topped silhouette in the distance.