French Polynesia What to Pack

 
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EVERYTHING you will need

by easyoar

French Polynesia is pretty hot, so you will want light clothing and beach wear. For the evenings, you may want long sleeved shirts and trousers to keep the mosquitos off. Mosquito repellent. The mosquitos are VICIOUS in French Polynesia. You do not want to get bitten, so take protection. There are also mosquitos that bite there during daylight, so wear repellent all day, not just in the evening. Bring plenty of film/memory cards as you will not want to pay the exorbitant prices in French Polynesia. French Polynesia is extremely expensive for everything, so without going over your weight limit on your flight, try and take everything you will need with you, as you won't want to buy too much stuff there when you see the prices!BTW, this photo was borrowed from a web site selling mosquito repellent

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Cell phone

by Helga67

If you want to bring your own cell phone to French Polynesia, make sure that it is a deblocked phone that can operate on a 900-megahertz system. You will need to go to a post office or telecommunication shop to have a Vini Chip inserted. Vini is the name of the local telephone company. You'll get a new local phone number and need to pay 6168 CFP for the prepaid Vini chip/phone card. This allows you to phone 30 minutes of local calls and 13 minutes of international calls.

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Don't forget ...

by Helga67

Loose-fitting clothing (cotton is best), open-toed sandals. Be sure to include aqua socks or protective footgear for walking on the coral reef and in the lagoon. Along with a hat, don't forget to pack a good pair of sunglasses. Bring a good sunscreen and insect repellent. Keep in mind that daylight is very intense in the tropics. Use a polarisation or UV filter and bring a waterproof bag to protect your camera from salt and spray during boat trips. Snorkelling equipment Bring an adapter if you don't have a French plug with two round prongs.

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Packing List

by localpics

Bring shoes that can be worn in the water. You need to look out for poisonous fish and sharp coral when you snorkel. Bring plenty of suntan lotion. It is very overpriced in most of the resort areas. Expect to pay $15-$20 per bottle.

Packing List

by wndsrfgrl

Something tough w/ locks. My fiance had his credit card taken out of his luggage while we had our layover at LAX.We found see-through, carry-on bags worked best through security. No hassles. Water shoesSandalsSarongs & bathing suits are all you need.Light dinner dress. Nothing fancy.That's all you'll needHat OFF!, possibly some Pepto. For some reason we always ended up with the 'runs'.Aspirin. Don't forget the underwater cameras. You won't really have to bring your own snorkel equipment unless you dive.You don't need to bring towels.Bring lots of sunscreen & your sunglasses. If you go to the Sauvage you'll have a 1-hr boat ride to the Sauvage from the Village. Don't forget to bring a few garbage bags just in case the ride is wet.Bring a flashlight

Packing List

by AGHIOS

BIG PADLOCKS ON YOUR SUITCASE, PAPEETE AIRPORT HAS A BIT OF A REPUTATION OF STAFF RIFLING THROUGH YOUR BAGS AND HELPING THEMSELVES DURING THE SUMMER, IT IS ALWAYS WARM, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHTIME, HOWEVER IN BORA BORA OR MOOREA THEY DO HAVE QUITE A FEW SHOWERS, AND THESE SHOWERS REALLY GET YOU WET. CONDOMS, INSECT STUFF AND LOTS OF AFTERSUN AS MOST THINGS ARE IMPORTED IN BATTERIES AND FILMS CAN BE A BIT PRICEY.

Packing List

by yeah_baby

ELECTRICITY: runs at 110 or 220 volts, so you'll need an adaptor. OTHER: Sunscreen is highly recommended, as are loose fitting casual clothing, a small flashlight, and aqua socks (for walking on coral). CURRENCY: French Polynesia uses the Cour de Franc Pacifique (CFP). It's exchange rate is approximately 100 to 1 US dollar. You'll find the best exchange rates at banks, although you'll pay approximately a $4.00 fee for the transaction. Although most places accept credit cards, you should have cash on hand for those places that don't. Many places will accept US Dollars, so don't exchange all your cash at once.

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Packing List

by adischi

Anything made out of Solumbra to keep the sun off of you. We especially like Sun Precaution's Water Wear (www.solumbra.com). It looks a little silly, but offers SPF 30. We spent 8 days in the water...dawn to dusk...and did not get burned. Sunscreen, suncreen, sunscreen! Bring a snorkle, mask, and fins. Although your hotel may boast free equipment, it's likely to be damaged or possibly already reserved by another guest. Wine/liquor Bring your own. It's insanely expensive in Bora Bora. We balked when a friend told us to slip a bottle from home into our luggage to make wine coolers or cocktails at our hotel. After seeing a Long Island Ice Tea for $17 US (and a small one at that) we're now big proponents of BYOB (bringing your own bottle).

Packing List

by grannysmith

Less is best as the interisland transportation won't take excess luggage. Rain can come unexpectedly so bring something waterproof.Aquashoes are good as well.Overall, travel light as not much clothing is necessary through the day and dressing up at night is a casual affair.But prepare to change a few times each day with all the activities and being in and out of the water a lot. Things such as sunscreen, medicine and the like are really expensive so bring a lot. Same goes for film.Everything is 220V in French Polynesia so bring adaptors for recharging. Your own snorkelling equipment is a plus as it will save you the hassle of checking it in and out every day at special hours. Tipping isnt the custom.

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Packing List

by janisj

Bring the smallest luggage you own. The only necessities are: a couple of bathing suites, sarong, if you have, (both men and women), and very light casual clothes. Forget the make-up. You won't need it. All you need is sun block.

What to pack for French Polynesia

Top 3 Hotels in French Polynesia

Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa  Moorea

 9 Reviews and 513 Opinions  My wife and I went there for a 4 night getaway and we were impressed with everything from the start.... 

 See all 14 Hotels in Moorea

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora  Bora-Bora

 357 Opinions

 See all 20 Hotels in Bora-Bora

Moorea Pearl Resort And Spa  Tahiti

 1 Review and 485 Opinions  10 days on the island of Moorea. Lots of sun and fun. 

 See all 9 Hotels in Tahiti

76 Hotels in French Polynesia
 
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Reviews and photos of French Polynesia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for French Polynesia sightseeing.

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What to Pack: Cities in French Polynesia
  1. Bora-Bora What to Pack
  2. Tahiti What to Pack
  3. Moorea What to Pack
  4. Raiatea What to Pack
  5. Maupiti What to Pack

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Questions and Answers

aleksclima profile photo

Q:  Hello, I intend to go to FP in October. I've been searching a little about price of food and of activities to do there. Is... 

Odinnthor profile photo

A: I cannot help much with present food prices, but can tell you that dining out food and activities are not cheap. So in response to your second question regarding the... 

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