 | French Polynesia Local Customs 
 
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 | French Polynesia Local Customs | Tips 1 - 10 of 41 |  | ||
Popular Local Customs | Miscellaneous Local Customs Tips | All Tips (41)
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 | The Local Folks |   |  |
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 |  on July 2, 2006 |
Rosalie has been a part of Club Bali Hai (Moorea) even before the day we bought the timeshare. Rosalie started off as part of the housekeeping staff, then the multi-purpose staffs, then she tend the pool's bar, and now she is in full charge of the gift shop. Her big smile is her trademark, and we believe she is the force behind the club's smooth running. Although we have seen a few changes in the staffs in the last 25+ years, Rosalie is always here and probably will always be here for as long as Club Bali Hai still in business. One day, together with a few other people, we sat on the lounge chairs waiting for the bus to take us to the airport. Rosalie's two granddaughters, 6 and 2 years old, were playing in the pool nearby. The older one got in the water while the baby was sitting with her legs dangling on the ledge, eating dry cereal from a bowl. All of a sudden, the bowl slipped from her hand and into the pool. The baby reached for it and fell face down in the water. Not knowing how to swim, all I could do was to scream out to Charles. He dived right into the pool with his shoes and hat still on. The little girl went under twice before Charles could grab her. Up on dry land, she now remembered her cereal at the bottom of the pool and did not stop crying until a few soggy pieces were retrieved. And Charles? His clothes were soaked, his shoes were soaked, and his hat was ruined, but it was no problem, there was a dryer in the laundry room. We missed the first bus, but at least he was dried and presentable when we arrived at the airport on the second shuttle. |
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| Wear a Tiare flower | | |
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 |  on July 15, 2004 |
When you wear your flower behind your right ear, it means you are single, available and looking. When you wear your flower behind your left ear, it means you are married, engaged or otherwise taken. When you wear flowers behind both ears, it means you are married but are still available. When you wear your flower backward behind your ear, it means "follow me and you will find out how available I am" When you wear a flower backward behind both ears, it means anything goes. |
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| Welcome | | |
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| on July 19, 2004 |
Tahitians have the custom to give a beautiful lei of Tiare flower as a welcome. The sweet scent of this white flower is really overwhelming but wonderful. When you leave the island, you will receive a necklace of shells. This is the sign of the traveler. |
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| French Pacific Franc (CFP) | | |
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| on July 23, 2004 |
The money in French Polynesia are colourful notes of 500, 1000, 5000 and 10000 francs and coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 francs. The CFP has been anchored to the euro since 1999. 1euro = 119,33 CFP If you change your dollars or euros at the bank for CFP, you will be charged about 500 CFP per transaction. Most banks have an ATM, which is called distributeur. |
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| PK | | |
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| on July 23, 2004 |
PK = poste kilometre, the number of kilometers from the mairie (town hall) or post office. When you are driving around the islands you will see the kilometer markers on the mountainside of the road. The markers are usually red-capped whited painted stone or concrete markers with the kilometer number painted in black on two sides. Many places use the PK markers as their address. |
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| Climate | | |
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| on July 20, 2004 |
The average temperature is 26.5°C (79.9°F) and rarely goes above 32°C (89.6°F). The prevailing winds are the easterly trade winds. In Winter (June to September) the Maraamu is a cool wind which blows from the southeast. The rainy season extends variably from December to April (alternating sunny and rainy spells). |
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| Population | | |
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| on July 25, 2004 |
The majority of the people living in French Polynesia are the Maohi people, commonly referred to as Tahitians. Next to the Tahitians, there are, of course, a lot of French people who came from France to work or live on the islands. The "Demi" are the mixed blood. The official language is French, but most people speak "Reo Maohi" among themselves. |
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| The magical Ti-plant | | |
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| on July 15, 2004 |
This small tree is a sacred plant. Tahitians believe it possesses mystical and magical qualities that will protect the house from fire. Wherever you will see this plants around a house, you will know that there is a Tahitian family living in the house. Even today, dancers, high priests and firewalkers still wear the green leaves of this tree for protection. The ti is also used in traditional healing for diarrhea, vomiting, abscesses or ear infections. |
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| The Polynesians invented tattooing | | |
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 |  on April 22, 2005 |
The Polynesians invented tattooing - the process of 'hammering' ink under the skin to leave pictures or artistic designs. It is very common for Polynesians to have tattoos, and they do not have any stigma associated with them like they do in some places in the West. If you want a Polynesian tattoo, it is very easy to get one done with several places such as the Tiki Village offering the service. At the Tiki Village you can see them using the age old process of how they used to tattoo with a hammer. The name tattoo comes from the sound the hammer made as it tapped the dyes into the skin - "ta-tu ta-tu ta-tu". |
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| Chickens everywhere |  | |
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| on July 19, 2004 |
When staying on the islands, you will notice a lot of chickens and roosters everywhere, and the roosters have the bad habit of crowing all day and night. I've heard of many tourists who couldn't sleep because of the roosters. But why are there so many? There are no dangerous snakes or spiders on the islands. The only fearsome animal is the centipede, which lives in dark, humid areas, under rocks and in palm frond structures. Its bite is venomous and very painful to humans. The centipede is a delicacy for chickens that's why many people have chickens running around. |
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More French Polynesia Tips
| Overview | General Tips Tips: 97 - Photos: 80 |
| Restaurants Tips: 47 - Photos: 26 | Hotels and Accommodations Tips: 77 - Photos: 54 |
| Things To Do Tips: 120 - Photos: 109 | Nightlife Tips: 18 - Photos: 14 |
| Off the Beaten Path Tips: 39 - Photos: 31 | Tourist Traps Tips: 17 - Photos: 8 |
| Warnings or Dangers Tips: 28 - Photos: 16 | Transportation Tips: 60 - Photos: 47 |
| Local Customs Tips: 41 - Photos: 24 | Packing Lists Tips: 27 - Photos: 16 |
| Shopping Tips: 17 - Photos: 13 | Sports Travel Tips: 9 - Photos: 9 |
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