Pape’ete, Tahiti, French Polynesia. There is very little to do in Pape’ete itself. It is a major town based around the port, like Tilbury. On docking, there will be some musicians playing by the ship, some stalls and buses, taxis and seaways waiting to take you wherever. But to see the sea and palms you need to get to a beach, or you can explore lagoons or a volcano but you will need a plan. We show you the disembark, port side, market and taxi rank, then a resort and street food.
To get a taste of local Tahitian culture, you should use the bus. We often recommend that as you know. Board the Le Truck bus to meet people and get a great introduction to the island. Simply flag a bus down, and pay on exit. About $2 US dollars in local money. The red and white buses travel 5 miles along the west coast; the green and white buses travel 6 miles along the east side. Orange and white buses are long distance and travel all the way around the island if you want a bus tour. Ask if confused.
Pape’ete is othewise expensive not just for tourists but for the people who live there. To put it in perspective, a cooked rotisserie chicken on sale from a van at the roadside is $13 to locals. Three times the price of a supermarket in the UK. A fridge magnet will cost $10 to $12.50, yes, it is ridiculously expensive. To enjoy it you will need to go to a beach, marina or a resort. Some of the beaches have black sand. The no-money choice is to turn right at the docks and walk through the parks to stretch your legs.
La Plage de Maui is a beach to head for in a taxi or by a tour. It is one of the only white-sand beaches on the island and is on Tahiti’s south coast. It is about half an hour from Papeete and here you can get a true sense of the Polynesian way of life. The beach is used by many a star or celebrity. Nearby there is a lagoon where you can swim in clear clean, warm waters. Then there is a rainforest to explore and the Caverna de Maui. This will need a taxi.
If you want an easier beach, Plage de Toaroto is next to a public park and on local bus routes.
If you want an easy luxury way, contact a resort and book before you arrive; they might pick you up. A day at a resort will cost $100 each and might include lunch. We used the Manava Suite Resort which is shown in our film which is free and where some of the ship tour activities go from. Book something there and they will pick you up. The Marina is a $25 taxi ride away, the food, however, will be pricey. Expect a local beer to be $2 in a supermarket, $5 in a bar, and a cocktail to be not short of $20. So, the answer might be to take an excursion or a trip. Take a look at our film. We have done this route twice, both times we went to resorts. You need to get out to see unspoilt mountainous landscapes full of cascading waterfalls and dramatic coastal blowholes. Our deals guide is a page of working links to the operators deal pages, and this is our list of ship chat sites.
Essentials – cruise travel labels and our cruise crime novels – oh, and the seasickness bands.
The Port guides here on Doris Visits are a great way to remember your cruise and share with your friends. The mystery thrillers are a whole new way to experience cruising. You may not have been to the ports in the novels, you certainly won’t have been to the parts of the ship they use. All the cruise crime novels will make you feel like you are in the adventure and on the ship – dodge the bullets and stay out of the romance. Ship and cruise accurate, the novels are a great way for new cruisers to discover a ship too. Please share the Amazon link. .CRUISE SHIP HEIST https://amzn.to/3RVYtff
Enjoy your cruise
External Links
BOOKS SET IN TAHITI: The Water in Between: A Journey at Sea. Following a brief romance and a period of self-pity, Kevin Patterson decided to have an adventure and sail in a boat to Tahiti from Canada. Quite a distance for someone who had never been in a boat. On Amazon
