Tahiti Travel Guide : Food, hotel, Cost, Weather & geography, History, language, culture, things to see and do and how to reach

You can find about travel advice such as public places & services, best restaurants, activities, sightseen and other key facts of the in Tahiti.

Tahiti French pronunciation previously also known as is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean. Divided into two parts, Tahiti Nui (bigger, northwestern part) and Tahiti Iti (smaller, southeastern part), the island was formed from volcanic activity; it is high and mountainous with surrounding coral reefs. Its population is 189,517 inhabitants (2017 census),making it the most populous island of French Polynesia and accounting for 68.7% of its total population.Tahiti is the economic, cultural, and political centre of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity and an overseas country of the French Republic. The capital of French Polynesia, Papeete, is located on the northwest coast of Tahiti. The only international airport in the region, Faa'a International Airport, is on Tahiti near Papeete. Tahiti was originally settled by Polynesians between 300 and 800 AD. They represent about 70% of the island's population, with the rest made up of Europeans, Chinese, and those of mixed heritage. The island was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until its annexation by France in 1880, when it was proclaimed a colony of France, and the inhabitants became French citizens. French is the only official language, although the Tahitian language.

Foods in  Tahiti :

(1) Firi Firi :

Firi firi is a Tahitian fried dough infused with coconut milk. It is a typical breakfast meal in French Polynesia. The dough is typically made with flour, sugar, coconut milk, yeast, water, and a pinch of salt, and then pieces of it are deep-fried in hot oil until nicely colored and crispy.Often referred to as Tahitian donuts, firi firi are traditionally formed into a figure-eight, but they are also often made into dough strips. Firm, crispy, and with a mild coconut flavor, this sweet fried pastry is best eaten warm, either dusted with sugar or accompanied by fruit jams and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate on the side. 

(2) Pahua taioro : 

The Pahua taioro is an exquisite Tahitian dish that can be based on either turbot snails (ma'oa) or clams (pahua). Both snails and clams should be soaked in fresh water for a few hours before being combined with taioro, a condiment made by fermenting almonds, grated coconut, seawater, and shrimps.In the end, garlic, onions, salt, and pepper are added. This dish should be served at room temperature.

(3) Poulet fafa : 

Poulet fafa is a traditional Tahitian dish, and it is most commonly used as a part of ahima'a, or pit barbecue. The Hawaiian version of the dish is called chicken luau. Chicken is cut into pieces, fried in hot oil until browned, and then removed.Onion, garlic, and ginger are sauteed in the remaining oil, then the chicken pieces are added back into the dish and cooked until tender. It is recommended to add cornstarch or arrowroot dissolved in coconut milk into the dish, as it will thicken the sauce. 

(4) Ahima’a : 

Ahima’a is a Tahitian dish and also the name of the oven in which it is prepared – a hole dug in the ground for cooking the meal. Volcanic stones are placed at the bottom of the hole, while a layer of wood and coconut husks is placed on top of them.Once the wood has burned, the heated stones are covered with green branches and a bed of green banana leaves. Pork and chicken meat are seasoned, lightly basted with oil and placed on the leaves, together with ingredients such as bananas, breadfruit, fish, and vegetables, all individually wrapped in leaves.

(5) Poʻe : 

Poʻe is a Tahitian fruit pudding that consists of a banana purée mixed with brown sugar and arrowroot or cornstarch. The mixture should be baked until the pudding is firm and bubbling. It is served chilled and cut into cubes, topped with a dollop of coconut cream.Some of the banana can be substituted with papaya, mango, pineapple, or other tropical fruits. This dessert is very popular and often found at traditional Tahitian tamara'a barbecues.

(6) Tama’ara’a : 

Tama’ara’a is a traditional Tahitian feast or banquet organized for special occasions, holidays, and celebrations. A vast variety of Tahitian specialties that are part of ma’a Tahiti (a typical Tahitian meal) are offered during the feast, and they are typically washed down with beverages such as punch, beer, wine, and coconut water.The preparation of copious amounts of food is a whole spectacle in itself as the food is traditionally steamed in leaves in a unique underground oven called ahima’a, which is filled with hot volcanic stones. After having been cooked slowly for several hours, the food comes out tender, flavorful, and fragrant. 

(7) Fafaru : 

Fafaru is a traditional and unusual Polynesian dish. It is distinctive because of its intense aroma of rotten fish. Crushed shrimps are marinated in a glass jar filled with seawater, preferably under the sun, for two or three days. The mixture is filtered, and tuna slices are left in the liquid to ferment for three to eight hours, depending on the desired flavor.Contrary to its strong smell, fafaru has a slightly sweetish, soft taste. It is best served with bottled mitihue, which is a fermented coconut milk product.

Weather & geography in  Tahiti :

Located south of the equator, The islands of Tahiti in the South Pacific enjoy a tropical climate all year round. Sea breezes keep the temperature cooler. There are two main seasons: a rainy (hot and humid) season from November to April and a dry (and cooler) season from May to October.

Per day Cost in  Tahiti :

You should plan to spend around F17,468 ($173) per day on your vacation in Tahiti, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, F4,592 ($45) on meals for one day and F1,918 ($19) on local transportation.

History of  Tahiti :

The first Tahitians arrived from Western Polynesia sometime around 1000 AD,after a long migration from South East Asia or Indonesia, via the Fijian, Samoan and Tongan Archipelagos. This hypothesis of an emigration from Southeast Asia is supported by a range of linguistic, biological and archaeological evidence. For example, the languages of Fiji and Polynesia all belong to the same Oceanic sub-group, Fijian–Polynesian, which itself forms part of the great family of the Austronesian languages.This emigration, across several hundred kilometres of ocean, was made possible by using outrigger canoes that were up to twenty or thirty meters long and could transport families as well as domestic animals. In 1769, for instance, James Cook mentions a great traditional ship  in Tahiti that was 33 m (108 ft) long, and could be propelled by sail or paddles. In 2010, an expedition on a simple outrigger canoe with a sail retraced the route back from Tahiti to Asia.Before the arrival of the Europeans the island was divided into different chiefdoms, very precise territories dominated by a single clan. These chiefdoms were linked to each other by allegiances based on the blood ties of their leaders and on their power in war. The most important clan on the island was the Teva, whose territory extended from the peninsula in the south of Tahiti Nui. The Teva Clan was composed of the Teva i Uta (Teva of the Interior) and the Teva i Tai (Teva of the Sea), and was led by Amo and Purea.

Language in  Tahiti :

French is the official language of The Islands of Tahiti. Tahitian is mostly spoken by islanders in their homes while French is commonly used in schools and business but once you visit the islands, English is well spoken in restaurants, resorts and other tourist areas.

Culture of  Tahiti :

Strength, power, influence, supremacy, greatness, sovereignty, omnipotence, prestige, control, genius, authority, superiority, nobility, stature, presence, elegance, beauty … the list goes on and on.These words define the Mana in a precise situation, a particular context, from a specific point of view. Mana is a mythical and essential concept in Tahiti culture, a fundamental truth. It’s both tangible and intangible, expressive yet imperceptible, revealing but enigmatic, so natural but also mysterious and esoteric.Mana lives, animates, raises up, ennobles and transcends every thing, every being, every element in every dimension; it can also annihilate, ruin and destroy until the last vital vibration.Mana is seducing, enchanting, glamorous, penetrating, fascinating. The Mana is frightening, dangerous, consuming, lethal.It is the root of the duality of life and death.

The Mana is wisdom (na/na’a); it emanates from the empirical, technical and ancestral knowledge, from the common sense arising out of the inalienable link between man and his environment for the people of Tahiti, from the faith in the divine, the state of grace that every thing and every being can reach through a spiritual, cultural and profane quest for the universal Mana, the promise to be reborn wiser, purer and more powerful.

Place to visit in  Tahiti :

(1) Les Trois Cascades 

(2) La Plage de Maui

(3) Huahine Natural Aquarium

(4) Museum of Tahiti and Her Islands

(5) Musée Gauguin

(6) Teahupo'o

(7) James Norman Hall Museum

(8) Papeete Market

Hotel in  Tahiti  :

(1) Tiki Hôtel

(2) Hotel Sarah Nui

(3) Royal Tahitien

(4) Hilton Tahiti Resort

(5) Le Relais de la Maroto

(6) Manaeva lodge

How to reach in  Tahiti :

The easiest way to get to Tahiti from other countries is it to fly. The nearest airport is either Moorea or Papeete, depending on where you are coming from. There are helicopters and other small aircraft that travel the distance between Moorea and Tahiti each day.

Travel Guide for  Tahiti :Food, Cost, Weather & geography, History, language, culture, things to see and do and how to reach. – Published by The Beyond News (Travelling).