Honeymoon: Tahiti, French Polynesia

Travel Dates: November 21, 2012 to November 23, 2012

After over a year of wedding planning topped off by an incredible wedding day, we were a bit lax with planning the honeymoon. I call it, "running out of steam." Nevertheless, we managed to get our tickets booked through a travel agency that was able to customize our desired package: 10 days on 3 different islands in French Polynesia, followed by 6 days in North Island New Zealand.

The first cultural shock was exchanging US dollars for French Polynesian francs. The denomination rivaled Viet Nam in terms of difficult mental math conversion, an effect that was compounded by how expensive everything really was.

 We arrived at the Faa Airport at night, were given a lei greeting, and were courteously transported to our hotel, the Intercontinental Tahiti.

What a pleasant surprise to be given a room upgrade to a Deluxe Beach View Suite. We were more than happy to settle down on our king-sized, romantic bed after a long, cramped flight.

Our beach-view suite at the Intercontinental Tahiti

 The next morning, the sun rose to a magnificent sight from our suite. A hammock strung between two swaying palm trees greeted us, and in the distance were the overwater bungalows that I had dreamed of seeing in person. The soft, calm lagoon water beckoned on a balmy, tropical morning starting off with temperatures in the 80's F.

Walking to the hotel restaurant to enjoy our first Continental breakfast, we were treated with magnificent views of the swimming pools and lush architecture of the Intercontinental. This was a top-class hotel that treated you in style.

The swimming pool with a hut for fresh towel service

View of the infinity pool

View from the second story of the hotel lobby

 We did not stay in Tahiti for long and decided to begin our trip by booking a 4x4 jungle excursion led by a local tour guide who spoke fluent English, French, and Tahitian.On the full-day tour, we learned a lot about Tahitian culture and the people's way of life.

Cliff overlooking the ocean. Very cooling trade winds were a welcomed break from the tropical heat.

Tahiti boasts many waterfalls, and even during the November dry season when we traveled, a few of the bigger falls still poured water to give a satisfying view.

Our tour guide spent a lot of time pointing out the local flora that the locals harvested and lived off. Many varieties of sugar canes, coconuts, taro, and breadfruit were shown to us.

In the middle of the day, our tour group cooled off in a swimming hole along the route. There was a rock on which you could climb and jump off. I was tempted to do a geronimo, but since it was the first island I visited and I wanted to enjoy the rest of my honeymoon without the possibility of a broken leg, I abstained and enjoyed wading in the cool, fresh water.

For lunch, we dropped by the Maroto Restaurant. The local beer, Hinano, is a popular (and cheap) beverage selection on most of the islands.

I had a tuna sashimi with a hoison-like dipping sauce. Deliciously fresh.

Toward the later afternoon, the tour guide took us to see a marae, a Tahitian worship ground dedicated to their gods. Flags were being hung up at the start of a local festival. At night, Tahitian tribes still gather to discuss how to keep their culture thriving, instilling the knowledge and traditions to children who are now being taught French as the primary (and mandatory) language in school.

In the village were the true "bungalows" in which the locals lived. They consisted of a simple wood structure with one door, dirt as the floor, and two simple wooden slabs for beds. The cooking was done communally in a kitchen that the villagers walked to and shared duties of harvesting ingredients, fire-making, and preparing meals.

One cot for parents and another for children in the simple bungalow the Tahitians call home.

 Along the excursion, our tour guide picked leaves and flowers on the trail and let us smell, wear, and appreciate the flora, telling us stories about the history and uniqueness of each plant. At the end of the tour, we took a picture with him to commemorate our experience.

 The cheapest place to eat in Tahiti (aside from partaking in the local diet and way of life) are "Les Roulottes." At night, a gathering of food trucks near the downtown pier in Papeete cooks up meals for locals and tourists. The downside to dining in Tahiti is the expense of a taxi ride; taxi fares increase dramatically when public buses stop running around 8pm. Roulottes serve generous portions, and pictures usually give you a rough idea of what you're ordering. Most Roulotte owners speak French, but they are used to tourists and very friendly, so a little gesticulating can go a long way.

All mornings should be enjoyed on a swaying hammock.

Continental breakfast complete with fresh fruits, pastries, croissants, pain au chocolat, juices, and "oeuf au plat"--fried eggs sunnyside-up (Tung's favorite)

The juice bar: Orange, mango, pineapple, and tropical mix

 The chlorinated infinity pool at the Intercontinental gives way to the saltwater lagoon where tropical fish thrive and swim with you. Save some French baguette from the breakfast buffet to feed the fish. You could do this while standing in the lagoon, and the fish will swim right up to you and eat the bread from your hand.

Enjoying the swimming pool on our last day in Tahiti

Tung under the artificial waterfall

The swim-up bar

My idea of a vacation

 To treat me out for my belated birthday, Tung took me to Le Lotus to dine for lunch. We got a lovely beach view as we enjoyed cocktails and artfully prepared food.

Complimentary amuse-bouche: Tuna tartare and caviar

Tung had kangaroo. It was surprisingly delectable and not as gamey as I had thought.

 

Enjoying our last sunset in Tahiti

Tahiti Takeaways:

• You do not need a traveler's visa or special inoculations to visit French Polynesia.
• Flights to French Polynesia (or New Zealand) will usually depart only through LAX from CA, so you'll need to fly there or drive and do long-term parking.
• French Polynesia, especially dining, is very expensive. Outside the hotels, most locals take cash only, though more places accept credit card in Tahiti than other, more less-traveled islands. Bring Visa or Mastercard. American Express is hit-or-miss, and hardly any place outside the US will take Discover. 
• Check first to see if any of your credit cards charge foreign transaction fees. Some charge an average of 3% per transaction, so if you have a card that doesn't charge that, definitely bring it along (and call your credit card company first to put a travel notice on it so they won't freak out and freeze your account when you scan your card overseas).
• Internet access usually must be paid for at most hotels. We paid roughly $9 USD per hour of access. A calling card or unlocked phone may help, though it could be a challenge to decipher the island international calling codes. If you've pre-planned your tours and transportation, it shouldn't be a big deal to go without a cell phone for your stay and use the hotel phone for emergencies or ask the concierge for help and be prepared to pay a per-call fee.
• The food is often lathered in rich French sauces. Be prepared.
• Les Roulottes, located in Papeete, is a cheap place to eat and a fun way to experience the local scene. Taxi fares increase at night (as much as double or triple) when public buses stop running.
• Good things to bring: reef shoes (the sand is usually coarse along most beaches, and there are lots of coral in the lagoons), mosquito repellant (Skin-So-Soft is preferred over Off), anti-itch cream (very hard to find in French Polynesia), sunblock with SPF 75+ (we brought SPF 50 and still burned), and aloe vera gel to relieve sunburn.
• The Hotel Intercontinental in Tahiti was the best we stayed at on all three islands that we visited. The grounds and rooms are clean, and the swimming accommodations are impressive. It's also close to the major Faa airport, and if you have a long layover or are island-hopping, you can use their air-conditioned shower room before your flight or in-between flights, even if you don't have a room there that day (you will want to shower constantly in French Polynesia--it is so hot!).  
• I  used this travel guide for French Polynesia:
  http://www.amazon.com/Frommers-Tahiti-Polynesia-Complete-Paperback/dp/B0083WXZHC/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1355876554&sr=8-7&keywords=tahiti+and+french+polynesia+frommer