Tourist Attractions in French Polynesia

To me, the Fruit Factory on Moorea seems to sum up everything that is bad about French Polynesia. Once upon a time, the factory was a private business and used to be open for tours showing visitors how fruit was processed and juiced/canned etc. These days, the factory is in the hands of a multinational company (one of the worlds biggest soft drinks companies) in partnership with a local beer company. The factory has been closed for a long time (it was explained that it was because they were renovating the place, but I could see no evidence of this!)

However does anyone tell you this? Of course not. We saw tours being sold to take you there and all sorts of adverts for it. When you get there, all that is open is the shop, where the tours stop and people buy liquers and juices and other souvenirs.

If people knew in advance that the factory was shut, they probably wouldn't bother to go, and the locals know they would lose business. So nobody says anything, letting people waste a few hours of their valuable holiday on a horrendously expensive island just so that tour guides can sell expensive tours and the shop can flog you stuff.

Unique Suggestions: Unless you want to go to another tourist shop, just don't bother. Find a tour that doesn't go there, or do what we did and just rent a car.

French Polynesia is ridiculously expensive. The excuse given is that it is remote and everything needs to be flown in. This is not true. Easter Island is much more remote, has much less contact (flights/boats) with the outside world and is way cheaper.

Unique Suggestions: Take a very fat wallet and be prepared to burn its contents very fast. Otherwise wait a few years and see if the huge reduction in French support money to the islands is going to reduce prices to more sensible levels.

Fun Alternatives: Selected Greek Islands are much more beautiful and way way cheaper.

You will see stores selling black pearls all over French Polynesia. Very often, these stores are located in the hotels. Pearls can be incredibly expensive, so you really need to do your homework before you make a decision to buy. Beware of the informational pearl buying pamphlets that are distributed at the airport and hotels. These are disguised as informational materials but in fact, they are published by the companies that own the retail stores. An option to consider is purchasing a loose pearl in French Polynesia and having it mounted back home. This site offers some general information on Tahitian black pearls.

Don't take any taxis - they are just to expensive. The Islands are very small anyway. But to rent a car can be cheaper for a longer distance. If you are 2-3 people. But the Islands are very small and you can rent a bike or take the so called *Trucks* small wans who carry people for a small amount of money.

A FEW PLACES IN PAPEETE CHARGE QUITE A BIT FOR A SACK OF OYSTERS, PROMISING THAT YOU MAY FIND ONE IN WITH A PEARL, AFTER AN HOUR OR TWO OF CRACKING THESE THINGS OPEN YOU WILL ALWAYS BE DISAPPOINTED.

Pic: Typical house in Moorea.

Shark/Ray Tour Videos
Also look out for the videos sold after the 'Swim with Sharks' tours. They're $50 US and they maybe have a shot or two of you in it. A couple we knew bought one. It was mostly stock footage.

I think the safari is overated as you can go to a lot of the spots yourself.
Also, careful of being alone out at night if only because there are hardly any streetlights.

The worst tourist trap is upon arriving on Moorea. On the bus for transfer from the ferry dock to the hotel and once again at the hotel, you get the hard sell to take tours. The bus is much worse than the hotel since everyone is taken to the airport to sign up for tours and you look like the odd one out if you don't get off and sign up. Since we weren't the organized tour type, we declined.