SOUNDS EXOTIC
Yes – and the reality does not disappoint. Tahiti is synonymous with
images straight out of the brochures: glistening blue seas,
palm-fringed beaches and tropical tiare, or gardenia. You will
be met from the plane by groups of smiling Polynesians, wearing
garlands of flowers and singing songs of welcome – a far cry from the
usual European experience. And yet, despite being nearly 11,000 miles
away, Tahiti is an autonomous region of France, which explains the
Parisian-style cafés and supplies of French newspapers.
The connection also means that French is one of the island’s
official languages (English is widely spoken, too) and European Union
citizens can visit without a visa. There is a separate currency,
however: the French Pacific Franc (CFP), which trades at around 175 to
the pound. And the climate is much warmer than in Europe, with
temperatures consistently between 20C and 25C. The wettest months are
between November and April.
REMIND ME WHERE IT IS
South of the equator, about halfway between the north-east coast of
Australia and the west coast of South America. Tahiti is the best-known
and largest of the 118 islands that make up French Polynesia. They are
scattered over more than 2,000,000 square miles of the southern Pacific
Ocean, an area roughly the size of western Europe. The islands are
subdivided into five groups, collections of volcanic peaks and
low-lying coral atolls, including the Austral Islands, the Marquesas,
the Tuamotus and the Gambier Islands. Tahiti is in the fifth group,
known collectively as the Society Islands.
The island is shaped curiously like a frying pan with a bulbous
handle. The larger part is known as Tahiti Nui, and its main town,
Papeete, is the capital of both Tahiti and the Society Islands. The
smaller and less developed part is Tahiti Iti. Both parts are volcanic
and covered with peaks. The highest mountain is Mount Orohena, roughly
in the centre of Tahiti Nui, reaching 7,350 fee