Fun things to do in French Polynesia: my 11 favourite activities

Welcome to French Polynesia, the luxurious tropical archipelago of the South Pacific, which is also an overseas territory of France. Once you land in Tahiti, it’s impossible not to find fun things to do during your holidays. From the lagoons of the Tuamotu Islands to the summits of the Marquesas Islands, the hardest thing is to choose what to do! Considered one of the safest diving destinations in the world, the Polynesian islands from Moorea to Rangiroa are one of the favourite places to go for ocean lovers who are into surfing or scuba diving.  At world-class dive sites such as Tumakohua Pass in Fakarava or Kui Point in Hiva Oa, you will be able to see grey reef sharks, turtles, and manta rays or experience power drift diving.

However, there are so many other things to do besides diving in French Polynesia, like trying some local food at the Papeete food market, going on a whale-watching tour, or even learning everything about the Tahitian black pearl trade. Here are 15 of my favourite activities to do in French Polynesia as a scuba diver, to help you find some inspiration. Note that most of these activities include places below 600 m of altitude. Still, for the few locations which are above, altitude is indicated so you can safely plan your itinerary between scuba diving and sightseeing during your stay in French Polynesia.

1 – Stay at least one night in an over-the-water bungalow in Moorea or Bora-Bora

If there is something French Polynesia is famous for (beyond scuba diving), it’s its overwater bungalows! I mean, who hasn’t seen these appealing pictures of a couple on their honeymoon having the most romantic time of their lives on one of them? I guess you won’t be surprised if I say this is the most expensive way to stay in French Polynesia.

If this is still part of the dream for you, here are a few ideas when planning a trip to French Polynesia to balance your budget. You can book “budget” accommodation for most of your trip and then splurge on your last night in Tahiti before flying back home? To give you an idea, standard rooms in luxury hotels in French Polynesia start from 200€ a night, while overwater bungalows start from 700€ a night. Prices are much “lower” in Tahiti and Moorea than in Bora Bora, the most expensive island in French Polynesia.

2 – Embark on a whale watching tour in Tahiti, Moorea or Rurutu

If you visit Tahiti from July to November, you can go whale watching. Every year, humpback whales come from the Antarctic waters to mate or give birth to their calf in the warm waters of the South Pacific. While Moorea is the most popular area in French Polynesia for whale watching, I recommend heading to the Tahiti Peninsula to get the best experience as there is only one operator in the area. By the way, the Peninsula is also where you will find the best diving in Tahiti.

As an alternative, you can go to the island of Rurutu, located in the Austral Islands. Being further south, the whale-watching season starts earlier and ends later, and, by being so remote, humpback whales are far less disturbed than in the waters of Moorea.

Highly trained guides always put the well-being of these gentle marine mammals first and will let you know whether it is safe to get into the water with them. Getting in the water to see the whales underwater is never guaranteed in French Polynesia. It might sound frustrating, but, in the end, I appreciated the professionalism and respectful behaviour towards whales demonstrated by each guide. The tour lasts half a day, during which you will learn tons of amazing facts about whales.

3 – Drift dive with hundreds of reef sharks in Fakarava

Located in the Tuamotu Islands, Fakarava is the second-largest atoll of French Polynesia after Rangiroa, measuring 60 km long by 21 km wide. Fakarava has two passes on the opposite sides of its inner lagoon: The Garuae Pass in the north and the Tumakohua Pass in the south. The plankton growing inside the lagoon escapes through these natural gates through the reef and attracts pelagic species in numbers. These passes and their abundant shark populations are why the Tuamotu Islands became famous worldwide among scuba divers.

It is the ultimate shark dive if you love them as much as I do. The south pass of Fakarava is the home of about 700 resident reef sharks. The best of it? This dive is without any feeding or baiting: it’s a 100% natural encounter: the proof that you don’t need feeding or baiting to swim along hundreds of sharks!

Beyond the incredible number of sharks, the most surprising thing was maybe how accessible it is even to beginner scuba divers. As there is no need to dive deeper than 20 m, from the moment you are comfortable with the soft current of a gentle drift dive, you can do it.

4 – Meet manta rays by dozens in Hiva Oa

Scuba diving in the Marquesas Islands might be the ultimate off-the-beaten-track experience, considering how remote the islands are. If you love unique adventures, you will discover a staggering marine ecosystem and a real manta ray highway. Visibility is usually low, 5-15 m, so be prepared for something completely different from what you might expect from diving in the South Pacific. What can sound like a disadvantage is actually a strength from a pelagic species encounter point of view.

The islands are young volcanic islands (2 million years old) and have the unique feature in Polynesia of having no coral reef and hence no lagoon. This directly impacts the concentration of plankton, which attracts pelagic species close to the shores of the Marquesas Islands. At Kii Point in Hiva Oa, you can scuba dive with a dozen manta rays and even hammerhead sharks are frequently seen!

5 – Learn about the Tahitian black pearl trade in Manihi

Manihi happens to be the place where the culture of the Polynesian black pearl was born in the 1960s. The very first pearl farm of French Polynesia was founded in the lagoon of Manihi by a team of Polynesian members and Japanese oyster grafting experts. For many years, only Japanese grafters performed the crucial step of grafting a tiny nucleus made of seashell inside a living oyster.

Don’t miss the opportunity between two dives to visit a pearl farm in the Manihi Lagoon. A fee is usually requested for the group, but you will learn everything about the pearl culture. I was so surprised by the time it takes growing a baby oyster to the harvest of the pearl: 4 to 7 years. It is important to note that French Polynesia is one of the rare places on Earth where oyster larvae are captured in the wild for pearl farming.

With only one scuba diving centre on the atoll, Manihi is a fantastic place to scuba dive in French Polynesia if you don’t like the crowds underwater!

6 – Visit a coconut oil factory in Fakarava

For a private discovery of Polynesian culture in a small group, from ancient religion to today’s environmental challenges, ask for Enoha of Fakarava Tour. He took me all around the atoll by car for half a day, from the coconut oil shop to the northernmost tip of the atoll via a stop at Rotoava Church.

At the coconut oil factory, I learnt all the different applications of the traditional Tahitian “monoi”. This is pure coconut oil infused with various local plants and flowers to provide specific health benefits. The most popular of all, with “Tahiti tiare” or Tahiti flower, is perfect for protecting your skin from the sun, while “monoi” with “tamanu” can help with mosquito bites.

7 – Try some Ori – Tahitian Dance – moves

In Fakarava, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours with the local tourism association on the day they were preparing surprises for the visitors at the Airport: black pearl necklaces, palm hats and flower crowns. While I had a lesson on palm waving to make a natural basket, a traditional music band was rehearsing.

After taking a couple of pictures, Hinano, the group leader, insisted I should give a try at Tahitian Dance moves. She called me “Tiare Iti” (little flower in Tahitian), put Tahiti flowers around my neck, a grass skirt on my hips and a palm back on my right elbow, and here I was, completely falling for the music and the sometimes-amusing moves which are miming the lyrics (Hinano was translating for me step by step)!

8 – Sample some of the best local specialities at Papeete food market, Tahiti

Under the elegant white and red metal structure, on a surface of more than 7,000 m², the Papeete market has a food section, a flower section and an art and craft section. On the top floor, you will find souvenir shops and a café. With all the tropical fruits and bakeries available, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a delicious tropical breakfast with a French touch to start the day.

Take the time to check all the souvenirs, take notes about what you would like to bring back, but wait before buying anything. You will be back in Papeete anyway to take your international flight back home. There is no point in carrying additional weight, as you will be limited on the small planes of the domestic flights between islands.

9 – Walk in hiking paradise in Tahiti or Moorea

Thanks to their topography and high summits, the islands of Tahiti and Moorea offer numerous opportunities to go hiking with incredible views. For instance, the Belvedere in Moorea, at 240 m of altitude, has a breathtaking view of Mount Rotui, with on each side Opuhonu Bay (on the left) and Cook Bay (on the right). The belvedere is the starting point of many hiking trails. The most popular one leads you to the Afareaitu waterfalls.

With a maximum altitude of 2,241 m, the island of Tahiti offers so many hiking trails that it can be hard to choose. Some are accessible even to families with children, but others require climbing or crossing torrents. One of the most popular hiking trails without being too challenging is the Valley of Papenoo, which is famous for its waterfalls.

10 – Discover Polynesian heritage sites in Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Fakarava or Hiva Oa

The marae are Polynesian open temples. They look minimalistic with their stone wall and trees all around, but it represents more than what it seems. There are usually educational boards nearby to tell you everything you need to know to understand how they were used for the Polynesian rituals. There are many sites with marae in Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea and Fakarava. The most famous place in Tahiti is called Marae Arahurahu and is close to the south-eastern shore of the island, near Paea.

Hiva Oa, in the Marquesas Islands, is also the home of invaluable Polynesian archaeological sites, which include numerous and impressive tiki statues. The main sites are located on the island of Hiva Oa: Puamau, which supposedly has more than a thousand tiki statues, Hatiheu is famous for its petroglyphs, and Upeke is the home of the tallest tiki statue of French Polynesia, with a height of 2.60 m

11 – Fly over the atolls and lagoons of the Tuamotu Islands

While there are a few opportunities to sail between the islands, you are most likely to fly to go island hopping in French Polynesia. The good news is that flying over the islands of Polynesia is not to be missed, especially if you fly between Tahiti and the Tuamotu Islands. Important to remember: after repetitive dives, you need to wait 24 hours before flying to avoid any decompression accident.

At the check-in at Faaa Airport in Tahiti, try to get a window seat on the left side of the plane to enjoy the fabulous view of the Tuamotu atolls from the sky. These rings of sand and coral seem to float at the surface of the deep blue Pacific Ocean. With a clear turquoise lagoon inside the atoll, it might be one of the most beautiful natural landscapes I have ever seen. The largest atoll of all the Tuamotu is Rangiroa, and it is usually the first one you will fly over on your way to any of the islands in the Tuamotu. Still, my favourite one from the sky remains Fakarava.