Ia Orana e Maeva - Welcome to Tahiti and Its Islands
By Kai Hockenjos
Approximately 17,000 kilometers and around 20 flight hours from Europe, French Polynesia lies in the heart of the South Pacific.
The largest, most significant, and most legendary of all Polynesian islands is Tahiti with its capital Papeete, which also serves as the administrative center.
Tahiti consists of two peninsulas connected by an isthmus: Tahiti-Nui (big Tahiti) and Tahiti-Iti (little Tahiti). The mighty volcanic massifs rise nearly 2,000 meters like emerald-green comets from the turquoise sea high into the clouds.
Pearl of the Pacific
Paradise in the sea, Pearl of the Pacific x{2013} Tahiti and the Polynesian islands embody the dream of lost pristine beauty like no other place on earth. As if placed by the hand of the gods, the 118 islands of French Polynesia seem to have been scattered across the sea. They span an area of four million square kilometers, roughly the size of Western Europe, across five archipelagos: the Marquesas Islands, Society Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago, Austral Islands, and Gambier Islands. All archipelagos belong to France as an overseas territory. The turquoise of the Pacific here has such an intense color that one would need to invent a new word for it. The lush green hills in the interior of the islands are framed by white coral sand or black volcanic sand x{2013} altogether creating images of breathtaking beauty. The French painter Gauguin believed he had found his paradise on Tahiti when he traveled to Polynesia in 1891. There he created vibrantly colored paintings of the exotic landscapes and people, shaping a style that influenced generations of artists.
Good to Know
The first settlers on the Polynesian islands were intrepid seafarers from Southeast Asia who crossed the oceans nearly 2,000 years ago in double-hulled canoes made of wood and woven fibers, establishing themselves on the Pacific island groups.
The official European discoverer of Tahiti is considered to be the Briton Samuel Wallis, who reached the island in 1767. Two years later, James Cook landed on Tahiti and claimed the Society Islands for the British Crown, which had fatal consequences for the Polynesian inhabitants. Along with diseases such as syphilis and influenza, the English fleets also brought missionaries to the islands. They Christianized the inhabitants, resulting in the near-complete disappearance of the original Polynesian culture.
In 1880, Tahiti became a French colony after spending 38 years under French protectorate during the reign of Queen Aimata Pomare. In 1958, the French settlements in Oceania became French Polynesia, marking a turning point in the history of Tahiti: numerous companies were founded, the service sector expanded, and the standard of living on Tahiti grew x{2013} today it is the highest of all South Pacific nations. Tourism played a crucial role in this economic boom x{2013} it remains the most important economic factor.
Faa'a, Tahiti's international airport, lies only about 5 kilometers from the capital Papeete. Here, every visitor is greeted with a fragrant flower garland. With music, singing, and "Ia Orana e Maeva," which means "Welcome" in Tahitian, the arrivals are received by the hospitable locals.
In Papeete, French flair meets Pacific exoticism. The colorful market and the lively city center invite visitors to shop and explore. Popular souvenirs include Marquesas wood carvings, shell jewelry, dance costumes, or "Monoi Tiare Tahiti," a perfume with the sweet and intoxicating scent of tiare blossoms, Tahiti's national flower, which are only picked at dawn. From Papeete, the largest transit port in the South Pacific, further activities can be easily planned.
By car, one can comfortably explore Tahiti Nui in a single day, as a roughly 114-kilometer ring road circles the island. Numerous stops present themselves along the way.
The rocky and wild east coast, with beaches of black basalt sand, offers spectacular waves that are perfect for surfing. The more tranquil west coast with its quiet beaches and lagoons invites visitors to relax by the sea.
The winding coastal road leads through a magnificent tropical landscape, past lush hibiscus hedges, bougainvillea, banana groves, and majestic breadfruit trees toward Papeari, about 25 minutes from Papeete. Here you'll find the Gauguin Museum, which offers a remarkable tribute to the life and work of the famous French artist who passed away on May 8, 1903, in Atuona on the Marquesas island of Hiva Oa. An interesting insight into Polynesian life before the arrival of missionaries is offered by "Te Fare Iamanaha," the Museum of Tahiti and the Islands in Punaauia. For those wishing to treat a loved one, a visit to the Pearl Museum in Papeete is recommended x{2013} here you'll find the legendary Tahitian pearls, which possess incomparable color tones and have become a symbol of elegance and beauty worldwide. Unfortunately, these irresistible treasures often carry the price tag of a mid-range car, but at the Pearl Museum, dreaming is not forbidden.
On Foot or by Bicycle
You can also comfortably traverse Tahiti on foot or by mountain bike. Simply hire a guide who will lead the way through the interior, into the great Papenoo Valley, with its many archaeological sites and impressive landscapes. The ascent of the 2,066-meter Mount Aorai can also be accomplished without a guide, as the trail is well-marked and equipped with built shelters. The view from the summit is overwhelming x{2013} here you can overlook all of Tahiti's peaks, the deep valleys in lush green with their thousand waterfalls, the extensive chain of atolls like dots in the turquoise sea, the towering silhouette of the neighboring island Moorea with its dreamy beaches x{2013} an incredible and unforgettable sight!
A lasting insight into Polynesian culture can be experienced at the annual "Heiva i Tahiti" festival, which regularly begins at the end of June with the "Fxc3xaate de l'Autonomie Interne," lasts for a month, and is the most important celebration of the year. The festival is not merely a tourist event but showcases the living folk culture of French Polynesia's past and present. Every year, large crowds of spectators watch the classic "Umu Ti" fire walk. In this mysterious ceremony, lava stones are heated for hours. After the participating Tahitians invoke the gods of their ancestors, they walk barefoot with ease over the red-hot stones! The highlights of the sporting events are the outrigger canoe racing competitions.
Outrigger canoes sent from the various islands, manned by teams of three to sixteen people, paddle over distances of 60 to 80 kilometers in races. There are also competitions in spear throwing, coconut cracking, palm tree climbing, and stone carrying. The most important events, however, are the dance competitions of the professional groups and dance schools. Like the "tatoo marquesa," the traditional tattoos, the Tahitian dance was considered too erotic by the missionaries and could only be practiced in secret until the beginning of the 20th century.
The expressiveness and grace of the dancers, the symbolic gestures, and the remarkably beautiful costumes and flower garlands are the distinctive features of Tahitian dances. In the "Ori Tahiti," slow and fast movements alternate, accompanied by percussion instruments, singing, guitars, and ukuleles x{2013} a composition that is hard to resist.
Cuisine:
French Polynesia is not only blessed with lush natural beauty but also possesses a paradisiacal abundance of fruits from the sea and the land. It is no surprise, then, that Polynesian cuisine enjoys an excellent reputation. The focus is on fish (tuna, bonito, mahi mahi), prepared in various ways (grilled, steamed, raw). Polynesian cuisine is a "sunny" cuisine that loves to combine seafood with fresh fruits and vegetables. A delicacy is "Poisson Cru," the world-famous "raw fish Tahitian style," a tuna marinated in lime juice and coconut milk. Often, freshly caught fish is eaten raw directly on the boat, simply drizzled with a bit of lime. Traditional Tahitian meals are cooked at family gatherings and celebrations in an oven dug directly into the ground. The food (suckling pig, fish, breadfruit) is wrapped in banana leaves and placed on red-hot stones. To drink, there is creamy coconut milk or the refreshing local Hinano beer.
Climate:
Tropical climate tempered by ocean breezes, with up to 3,000 hours of sunshine per year. There are two distinct seasons: November to March is hot and humid; April to October is pleasantly warm and dry. The water temperature of the lagoons remains a constant 26 degrees Celsius.
Language:
The official languages are Tahitian and French. English is spoken in most tourist centers.
Entry Requirements:
German citizens do not require a visa for stays of up to three months in French Polynesia. The machine-readable passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
Currency:
The official currency on Tahiti and its islands is the Central Pacific Franc (CFP or XPF), which is pegged to the Euro. All currencies are accepted at legal exchange rates; international credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, and American Express) are widely accepted.
