Stray Dogs 

Posted by admin on Jul 3, 2016 in Sights

Apart from the wild chickens, another thing to look out for are stray dogs which roam the streets particularly around the Faa’a neighborhood and in the more remote areas of the island.

They’re not particularly dangerous, however they can appear threatening because of their large size.

Most are just unwanted pets presumably because the cost of feeding became too much, who just roam the streets looking for scraps and generally feeling sorry for themselves.

If renting a car, be careful not to hit one of these poor guys as they cross the road without a care in the world. Sometimes …

Tahiti Price Guide July 2016

Posted by admin on Jul 3, 2016 in Tips

Here is our quick price guide. Tahiti is not a cheap destination. Prices are in XPF (Polynesian Franc)

Cheap Baguette 50 – 55

Fancy Baguette 200 – 500

Butter 100 – 200

Ham (5 slices) 280 – 600

Supermarket Coke 85 – 110

Street Coke 150 – 200

Local Market sandwich 220 – 400

Cup of Instant Coffee 100 – 250

Cup of Filter Espresso Coffee 200 – 450

Supermarket Ready Meal  400 – 900

McDonald’s Set Meal 600 – 1600

Food Truck Meal 1000 – 2000

Cheap Restaurant Dish 1500 – 2500

Midrange Restaurant Dish 2000 – 5000

Food Trucks 

Posted by admin on Jul 3, 2016 in To See

Papeete, and Tahiti in general is famous for its food trucks, known locally as Roulottes (which in French means something like cart).

The food trucks these days usually consist of a large truck of some kind, fitted out with all kinds of cooking equipment capable of making quite an array of food.

The trucks are not content with just selling take-away snacks to passers by, but instead setup tables and chairs in the parking lot nearby and allow people to have a full sit down meal.

In Papeete, the main place to find these things are in a little square …

Mahana Park and Beach

Posted by admin on Jul 2, 2016 in To See

Mahana Park and Beach is just a few kilometers further down the road than the nearby PK18 beach.

What this beach has going for it is much fewer people and thus a better chance of parking. The park itself is small with lots of grass and nice palm trees providing natural shade.

On the shoreline, the beach is not sand but rather small pebbles. Good for walking around in, snorkeling or paddle boarding.

The water, like PK18 is usually crystal clear with quite a few fish.

Wild Chickens 

Posted by admin on Jul 2, 2016 in Sights

Seems like everywhere you go in the main island of Tahiti you will see chickens running around, and unlike in other places like Asia, they do not appear to belong to anyone.

Yes, it seems that these birds are the Tahiti equivalent of London pigeons only less interested in begging for food.

They will go about their business, often with a row of little chicks in tow, and none of the locals will consider it strange or think about taking one home for dinner.

Unfortunately this means that the whole island gets pretty excited when the sun comes up and …

Baguettes 

Posted by admin on Jul 2, 2016 in Sights

Baguettes, the long sticks of French bread, have been a Franch tradition for years and a visit to any French colony would not be complete without purchasing one.

In Tahiti you’re in a special kind of heaven, because, not only are these things in every single place where you would expect to find food, but they are at a price subsidised by the government.

A very long, very white, baguette will set you back a mere 50 – 55 XPF, which by any world standard is amazingly cheap.

Of course, there are more kinds of bread and even baguette available …