Money and Banking
The money used in Tahiti is called the French Pacific Franc or Polynesian Franc. The notes are very colorful with beautiful pictures, and the coins are large and seem like something from the treasure chest of a sunken Spanish Galleon. The code for the currency is XPF or CPF.
The currency exchange rate is locked to the European Euro although, banks will alter that rate in order to make their service fee.
One thing to remember about this currency is that it is not transferable on world markets. You will not be able to buy any in your home country’s …
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Internet Access
Internet access on Tahiti is not as common as you would find in most of the world, its more of a rare luxury.
You will not find it in every single restaurant or bar that you go to, and even at the places that do have it, such as the airport, you will find that it is often charged for by the hour or day. Some hotels do offer free wifi, so pay attention when you book. On your mobile phone its also not usual and expensive.
The main and pretty much only telephone company in Tahiti is called Vini. It is such …
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Languages Spoken
The official languages of Tahiti are French and Tahitian. Many people do speak English, but if you can speak French you will feel much more comfortable.
Tahitian is an interesting language and is used in particular for place names and anything to do with Polynesian culture.
Here is a list of some useful words in the Tahitian language.
o, oia – yes, correct
aita – no, not
ia ora na – good morning
mauruuru roa – thank you very much
manava – welcome
vahine – woman, wife
tane – man, husband
motu – …
Fast Food and Coffee
The only fast food or coffee chain you will find in Tahiti is McDonalds. There are at least 3 on the main island of Tahiti. At the time of writing there are no KFC, no Burger King, no Starbucks, no Costa, no Taco Bell.
The McDonalds are pretty expensive with an average meal costing 1200 XPF. Amazingly enough the only branch that serves hot coffee is the McDonalds at the airport. The others just have Tea, Hot Chocolate, and the usual cold drinks.
Many restaurants and snack bars serve coffee but the most popular with the locals is the tiny …
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Supermarkets
There are 3 main supermarket chains operating in Tahiti. The first is Carrefour and has 4 or so very large premises on Tahiti’s main island. The second is Super U, which has quite a few locations but are usually not quite as big and fancy as Carrefour. The third, Champion, has a few small locations dotted around.
In general, the prices are fairly fixed across the chains so you won’t find any one to be any cheaper than the others, but some of them have more variety of goods than the others. According to the time of the week/month you …
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Tahiti Faa’a Airport
The main International airport for Tahiti and her islands is called FAA’A and is located in the town/area of Faa’a which is located about 10 miles west of Papeete. The main and only runway is pretty much surrounded by sea.
The airport hosts long-haul international flights from Air Tahiti Nui, Air New Zealand and Air France along with commuter planes going to the neighboring islands like Bora Bora. Some private jets and very small planes also in use.
When you land from overseas, you will be greeted by its one baggage conveyor and a passport control/immigration section with two lanes. …
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