Preparations
What to Bring
- Passport
- Driving license
- Credit cards - VISA and MC are accepted by most vendors in Tahiti and Moorea. They also work in the ATMs here where you can draw French Pacific Francs (CFP). There are banks and ATMs at the airport in Tahiti (but not at the airport in Moorea) and in Maharepa, Moorea. If you will go to other islands in French Polynesia, it is best to plan on taking a lot of cash and perhaps travelers checks.
- Medicine (expensive in FP): aspirin, pepto, cold meds, ear meds.
Clothes
The dress code in French Polynesia is very casual and normally
one can expect warm to hot weather and some rain. The following
are general suggestions.
|
Situation |
Men | Women |
| Dinner and evening wear | Shorts or slacks/tropical or dress shirt | Light dress, or pants and blouse |
| Daytime active | Light shorts and shirt/ sandals / hat | Light shorts and shirt/sandals/ hat |
| Bad Weather | light rain jacket/ umbrella | light rain jacket/ umbrella |
| Beach | bathing suit/wet footwear/ hat/ light shirt for cover | bathing suit/wet footwear/ hat/pareu for cover |
| Hiking | sturdy footwear (boots, shoes, or sandals) with good traction | sturdy footwear (boots, shoes, or sandals) with good traction |
Sun Protection
| A good hat that provides plenty of shade and stays on in the wind | |
| High SPF Sunscreen that is waterproof | |
| light shirt or pareu (bought here) |
Day Hikes/Activities
| Day pack or fanny pack | |
| Personal first aid kit | |
| Camera and plenty of film (it is very expensive here) or a Digital Camera | |
| Water Bottle | |
| Underwater thow-away Camera |
Snorkeling
| Comfortable mask and snorkel | |
| Full-foot fins or booties and fins | |
| Mesh bag for wet gear | |
| Underwater throw-away Camera | |