French Polynesia Holidays 2012

While on the island of Tahiti, make sure you stop in at Le Marace to pick up a souvenir or two to remind you of your trip.

The Pearl Museum, located along Rue Jeanne d’Arc is the best place to find pearls, but you can also learn about pearls, including the Tahitian Black Pearl. Next you will want to head on over to Bora Bora to swim with the fish at the Bora Lagoonarium or go diving around Motu Tapu.

Things to Do

Le Marche has been a public market for the last 150 years. Here you can find a wide array of exotic goods to purchase, including sarongs and seashell jewelry. The best time to visit is during the late afternoon and on Sunday mornings.

The Lagoonarium located on the island of Tahiti is something you will not find anywhere else as it I s a combination of fish park and aquarium. Here you can travel under the sea through the building to see what the oceans of Tahiti have to offer, all without even getting wet.

Every day at noon you can watch the sharks being fed. Bora Bora offers something similar, but there you can actually swim with the fish.

Local Cuisine

The local cuisine has a strong French influence, but uses majority Tahitian ingredients. French Polynesian food is known all throughout the world because of the exotic fruits and fresh fish that is prepared in a lot of their dishes.

Of all of the local dishes that you need to try the Ahima’a is one that cannot be passed up. Your best chance at finding this meal is on a Sunday or if you happen to be in town for a special occasion. The Ahima’a is also known as Tahiti’s underground oven, using lava rock and wood to cook the food. Food prepared in this manner is wrapped in baskets made from coconut leaves and include fish, pork, and vegetables.

Banana leaves and leaves from the purao tree are used to cover the food and then earth is placed over the top so no heat can escape. The food is cooked for three to four hours and is served on wooden plates. Poisson cru, Chevrettes, and Poe are other local dishes that cannot be missed.

Climate

Although French Polynesia has a tropical climate it is what most people consider to be a moderate tropical climate. The average temperature on the islands is around 81 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year, but it does fluctuate based on the time of year.

November through April is considered to be the rainy season, even with the warm temperatures. January is the wettest month of the year with up to 15 inches of rain compared to August, which is the driest month with less than two inches of rain. The cooler season, which is also the dry season lasts from mat through October.

Best Time to Visit

Weather plays a big factor in when the best time to visit French Polynesia. If it’s too hot you won’t want to go outside to do much, but luckily, it doesn’t ever get too cold to enjoy the outdoor activities.

The best time weather wise to visit is anytime from June to October because they are the coolest months of the year. If you want to avoid the crowds do not come during July and August because of how many people visit during their summer break. December through February is also busy, but the temperatures are also a lot higher during this time of year.