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Here is my final post of travel tips to go diving in French Polynesia! I wanted to sum up all the things I learnt from the experience of my first trip to French Polynesia, which lasted 3 weeks from mid-September to the beginner of October.
I cover of course the best diving as this is one of the most fun things to do in French Polynesia but also, with so many islands, how to choose where to go while enjoying a relaxing trip in this world-class diving destination. After reading this article, you will know all the details about where to book accommodation and transportation according to your budget.
Diving in French Polynesia at a glance
How good diving in French Polynesia is?
Where is the best diving in French Polynesia?
I summarised below what you can expect in popular scuba diving islands of French Polynesia: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora-Bora, Rangiroa and Fakarava. I also added off-the-beaten-track islands that I had the opportunity to visit: Manihi and Hiva Oa.
My top three islands for scuba diving for the first time in French Polynesia? Tahiti, Fakarava and Hiva Oa!
1 – Diving in the Tuamotu Islands: Rangiroa, Fakarava, Manihi, Tikehau
I’m going to save you time. To make it simple, the best diving in French Polynesia is in the Tuamotu Archipelago. It has it all: stunning coral reefs, deep walls, powerful drift diving in passes and abundant pelagic marine species. So as a scuba diver travelling to French Polynesia for the first time, I would make sure to at least visit one atoll of the Tuamotu.
Only a handful of the atolls concentrate the scuba diving centres of the Tuamotu: Rangiroa, the largest atoll of the Tuamotu with 8 dive centres, Fakarava with 7 dive centres, Tikehau with 4 dive centres and Manihi with only 1 dive centre.
During my trip, I discovered Rangiroa attracts way more visitors than the other places, to the point there are currently ongoing studies about mass tourism impact on cetaceans. If you decide to visit Rangiroa you should check this Blue Lagoon tour out for some unforgettable snorkelling at a shark nursery.
Maybe due to limited availabilities for accommodation, I found Fakarava is a more peaceful shark diving paradise. Make sure to at least book a 2 tank scuba diving trip in Fakarava to make the most of your experience.
2 – Diving in the Marquesas Islands: Hiva Oa
Hiva Oa is the new diving destination in French Polynesia. Considering how remote the islands are, the Marquesas Islands could be the ultimate off-the-beaten-track experience. The main islands of the archipelago are Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Ua Pou and Fatu Hiva. Hiva Oa is the only island with a dive centre.
The island doesn’t have a lagoon with a coral barrier reef. It explains why the visibility is lower. Still, if you love unique adventures, you will discover a staggering marine ecosystem. The dive sites are a real manta ray highway and you can meet hammerhead sharks.
3 – Diving in Tahiti & Moorea
Tahiti and its largest city Pape’ete (pronounce “Papayhaytay”) serve as the capital of French Polynesia. Hence, this is where your international flight will take you to. The best way to recover from jetlag after your international outbound flight is to stay a few days in Tahiti before flying to the outer islands.
The dive sites on the Tahiti West coast near Papeete and Moorea didn’t impress me. However, I fell for the atmosphere of the Tahiti Peninsula. It’s on the east side of the island (about 2 hours of driving from Papeete). The dive sites are shallow hard coral plateaux continuing in impressive drop-offs. Apart from a slight tidal current, these are lovely and easy dives away from the crowd. It’s the perfect place to start your diving adventure in French Polynesia.
I recommend going on a mini road trip including diving in Tahiti and Moorea by renting a car in Papeete. Make sure to spend some time at the Tahiti Peninsula where you can go on a whale watching tour if you travel during the humpback whale season (August to October).
4 – Diving in Bora-Bora
If there is one island that might be even more famous than Tahiti in French Polynesia, it’s Bora-Bora. However, its fame made it the most expensive place to explore in French Polynesia.
Due to demand, you can scuba dive in Bora-Bora, but it’s more a place for discovery dives than the ultimate destination for avid scuba divers. The best way to enjoy the lagoon and the coral reefs of Bora Bora is to go on a guided snorkelling tour during which it’s possible to see manta rays!
What to see underwater in French Polynesia?
French Polynesia is the place to see big marine animals and not so much about coral and macro critters. If you are into sharks, manta rays and whales, this is simply one of the best destinations in the world.
Here are some of the incredible marine wildlife you will be likely to meet during a trip to French Polynesia:
- Grey reef sharks
- Tiger sharks
- Hammerhead sharks
- Black-tip sharks
- White-tip sharks
- Nurse sharks
- Lemon sharks
- Manta rays
- Humphead wrasse
- Queen parrotfish
- Marbled groupers
- Humpback whales
It is important to note that French Polynesia is one of the few countries in the world that ban entirely baiting and feeding wildlife, including sharks, in its environmental law. The law was enforced at the end of 2017, and, unfortunately, some operators are still offering feeding experiences regardless (especially in Tahiti, Moorea and Bora-Bora). Refuse to get involved in this and remember as scuba divers we are only meant to leave bubbles and not to interfere with the ocean.
At the same time, French Polynesia is one of the few places in the world to offer dive sites where you are almost guaranteed to see hundreds of sharks with no baiting nor feeding thanks to the underwater topography of its passes. These natural gates through the coral barrier reefs let water communicate between the lagoon which is rich in nutrients and the ocean. This is how the Tuamotu islands became so famous among scuba divers, and especially Tiputa Pass in Rangiroa Atoll and Tumakohua Pass in Fakarava Atoll.
Which scuba diving centres to choose in French Polynesia?
Scuba diving is not cheap in French Polynesia, but it is generally in line with the overall cost of living, which tends to be high, accommodation and food included. French Polynesia uses the Pacific Franc (XPF) as a currency that is at a fixed rate with the Euro. EU residents can withdraw money without any exchange fee at ATMs with their credit cards.
The price of a single dive in French Polynesia varies from 7,000 XPF (59€) to 15,000 XPF (126€) depending on the dive centre and if the location includes a long boat ride to reach the dive site. At an average price of 10,000 XPF the dive, if you plan at least 10 dives during your trip, the budget would be around 840€ only for scuba diving (if you’re an avid diver that’s the minimum I recommend, I went for 14 dives myself in 3 weeks).
Hopefully, scuba diving centres across French Polynesia gathered in networks to offer dive packages to spend between partners. You can choose between 3 networks:
- Te Moana Diving Pass: The 10-dive package is currently at 72,000 XPF (about 603€, 28% discount). You can choose between 14 dive centres in the Society Islands and the Tuamotus.
- Top Dive: Top Dive is the largest scuba diving operator in French Polynesia with 10 dive centres in the Society Islands and the Tuamotus. Their 10-dive package is at 89,000 XPF (about 746 €, 11% discount). If their price tends to be higher, it is interesting to note they offer Nitrox for free to certified Nitrox divers. I also noticed they were the only centre where I could go on a 2-tank trip allowing me to save quite a lot of time in a day.
- E-diving pass: They have the largest network of dive centres in French Polynesia, including dive centres in the Marquesas Islands and the Austral Islands, so you have more freedom to decide whom you want to dive with. There is no pass at a fixed price since you must select beforehand the dive centres and how many dives you want to do in each. 10 tickets to spend between Tahiti, Manihi, Fakarava, Rangiroa & Hiva Oa would be at 82,340 XPF (about 690€, discount of 18%).
Important to note:
- French Polynesia, as its name indicates, is an overseas territory of France, the primary language is French. However, all dive centres offer service in English, as the US is the number 2 country in terms of visitors.
- All dive centres I visited had top-notched rental diving gear so if you don’t feel bringing anything, it’s all right to do so in French Polynesia.
When is the best time to go scuba diving in French Polynesia?
In Tahiti, Moorea and the Tuamotu Islands, the dry and sunnier season is from April to November. The rainy season is the austral summer from November to March.
The Marquesas Islands’ climate tends to be hotter. They are much closer to the Equator than the rest of French Polynesia. The rainy season is from January to the beginning of March, so the typical recommendation is to go between September and December.
The water temperature is between 26 and 28°C all year long (+1°C in the Marquesas Islands). Most people scuba dive in a 3mm shorty, but if you bring your 3mm or 5mm full wetsuit you won’t be too warm (I used my 5mm wetsuit as I was going to slightly cooler waters in Japan after).
From a marine animal migrations point of view, here is the season calendar:
- The grey reef sharks can be seen all year long
- The humpback whale season is from August to October in Tahiti and Moorea, from October to December in the Marquesas Islands
- The hammerhead shark season is from February to March in the Tuamotu Islands, from July to September in the Marquesas Islands
- The mating season of the marbled groupers is from mid-June to the beginning of July in the Tuamotu Islands
For a first scuba diving trip to French Polynesia, I definitely recommend the month of September like I did last year.
How to get to French Polynesia?
To get to French Polynesia, you need to fly first to its main island aka Tahiti. I first flew internationally from Paris to Tahiti via a 2-hour stopover in Los Angeles, California, with Air Tahiti Nui. If you come from Europe, you’ll need to get to Paris-CDG Airport first. If you come from America, just fly to Los Angeles first. Update 2023 : You can now depart from Seattle too.
For people based in Japan and New Zealand, lucky you, you also have direct flights from Tokyo and Auckland with Air Tahiti Nui. I, indeed, took the opportunity to return to Japan this way at the end of my trip. It takes about 11 hours. To find at which dates you can find the best prices on flights, you can easily compare prices on trip.com.
It was my very first time to fly for such a long duration : 22h almost in one go ! I’m sure cutting it into two legs with the 2h stopover in Los Angeles helped, but I’m also convinced the comfort of the seat in the Air Tahiti Nui plane (Boeing 787 Dreamliner) played its role in making it like a breeze to fly from Europe to Tahiti. For non-American citizens, don’t forget to get your ESTA before flying for the stopover in the US.
Last but not least, as scuba divers are not known for packing light, Air Tahiti Nui has a good surprise for us : you can check-in a 23kg bag for your beloved scuba diving equipment for free in addition to your standard luggage allowance! Check the details of free sports equipment allowance on their website.
How to go island hopping in French Polynesia?
While it sounds very tempting to go island-hopping on a boat, you need to realise how long the distances between islands and archipelagos in French Polynesia are. The main archipelagos are the Society Islands, the Tuamotu Islands, The Marquesas Islands, the Austral Islands and the Gambier Islands.
In their in-flight magazine, the domestic airline’s company had the great idea to overlay their route network with a map of Europe to let people get the scale of how wide French Polynesia is. From the Austral Islands to the Marquesas Islands, it’s like going from Spain to Russia!
Now, you can easily understand that if you want to have a good glimpse of French Polynesia by visiting different archipelagos, the only way is by flying between islands with Air Tahiti, the only domestic airline of French Polynesia. They offer different Flight Passes for the Society Islands, The Tuamotus and the Marquesas Islands.
There are a few opportunities to go by boat with the cargo ships resupplying the atolls. However, the spots are scarce and are usually given in priority to locals. If you take into account you won’t be able to book in advance and will have to try your luck at the last minute. I don’t recommend it except if you have 2 or 3 months of travel around French Polynesia.
Of course, you could consider booking a scuba diving liveaboard in French Polynesia but considering how remote the country is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I would argue it would be too bad to miss life on Tahiti and its islands, especially for a first trip.
For those who have more time, like 3 weeks to a month, you can rent a sailing boat or charter one with a crew. This isn’t a cheap option, but if I could, I would say it must be the best option to explore at a slow pace the islands of French Polynesia, but again for a future trip, maybe not the first.
Where to stay in French Polynesia?
During my 3 weeks in French Polynesia, I used a mix of accommodation: luxury resorts, family guesthouses, rental houses and hostels. This is the best way to balance your accommodation budget while making the most of your trip. Sometimes you treat yourself, sometimes you are on a Robinson Crusoe’s adventure! Here are my top picks.
Luxury resorts
If there is something French Polynesia is famous for (beyond scuba diving), it’s for 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, you could 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, standards rooms in luxury hotels in French Polynesia start from 200€ a night when overwater bungalows start from 700€ a night.
My best experiences of this type of hotel were in Tahiti at the Manava Suite Resort and in Hiva Oa, in the Marquesas Islands, at the Hanakee Pearl Lodge.
Lodges & Guesthouses
It was my favourite type of accommodation in French Polynesia. For a very reasonable cost (as reasonable it can be in French Polynesia considering the standard of living). For about 100 to 150€ a night, you will have your room with an ensuite bathroom, breakfast and dinner included while sharing the life of a local family and tasting the most authentic and delicious specialities from Polynesia.
My best experiences were in the Tuamotu in Manihi at the Blueway Dive Lodge and Fakarava at Tetamanu Diving Village.
I only had lunch there twice, but if you need more comfort, the Havaiki Lodge is definitely the most beautiful accommodation I saw on Fakarava. There is also this charming lodge available on booking.com.
Budget hostels & campsites
French Polynesia has been for a long time a destination only for those with pockets full of cash, but now some budget accommodations appear here and there across the islands.
In Tahiti, I tried the hostel of Papeete for 35€ a night which was ok for the night before flying out. On Moorea Island, I saw a hostel. Finally, on Fakarava Atoll one of my dive buddies told me about the campsite with rental tents where he stayed!
Mixed with other types of accommodation, it can be a great way to balance your budget if you don’t need full comfort every night.
My itinerary suggestion for scuba diving in French Polynesia
If you read until here you surely understood that organising your first trip to French Polynesia is going to require you some time, just to decide where to go. The best advice I could give before giving you my suggested itinerary is to resist the temptation to cram as many islands as you can on your trip.
I understand that for many of you, French Polynesia is often the trip of a lifetime and there might not be a second trip considering the distance and the cost. However, I promise you’ll have a far more enjoyable trip by limiting the number of islands.
To get a good glimpse of the natural and cultural differences between the islands of French Polynesia, try to visit three archipelagos as the Society Islands, the Tuamotus and the Marquesas Islands.
If you only have 2 weeks, like I know it’s mostly the case for our American and Canadian friends, here is my ideal itinerary:
- Tahiti – 3 days
- Moorea – 1 day
- Fakarava – 4 days
- Nuku Hiva – 2 days
- Hiva Oa – 3 days
- Tahiti – 1 day
For people like me coming from Europe, 3 weeks would be a better idea. In this case, I recommend spending that extra week in the Tuamotu Islands by exploring 2 other islands among Rangiroa, Manihi and Tikehau.
Is something still missing from this article? Do you have any questions?
Please let me know in the comments, and I’ll do my best to help!
This article was written in partnership with the tourism board of Tahiti and Air Tahiti Nui. As always, all my views and opinions are my own and reflect my experience honestly.
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