Luxury French Polynesia Holidays

Jump in Bora Bora’s iconic turquoise lagoon and enjoy snorkelling in the mesmerising coral garden with its tropical fish and colourful reef. Combine this with an incredible shark and ray experience and marvel at the marine life gliding around you in the warm shallow waters, with Mount Otemanu providing a sensational backdrop. Hop over to nearby Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts and try the incredible drift snorkelling experience in the pass that runs alongside the resort. With Bora Bora’s silhouette on the horizon, step into the crystal-clear water and float along the surface as the current flows from the reef to the calm waters of Taha’a’s azure lagoon. No kicking required, you’ll simply fly over the coral and fish as you drift towards the shallow water around the resort.

For scuba diving, it’s well worth the extra flight to Rangiroa in the Tuamotus. An hour’s flight from mainland Tahiti, Rangiroa is the largest atoll in the archipelago and the second largest atoll in the world. Hundreds of coral islets and skinny sandbars encircle its vast lagoon and pods of dolphins play in the two navigable passes which link the lagoon with the ocean… there are grey and hammerhead sharks, manta rays and turtles too. Rangiroa is a diver’s paradise as the enormous lagoon is filled with an array of marine life to rival the world’s top diving spots. Stay at Hotel Kia Ora and enjoy nature’s incredible underwater playground right on your doorstep!

British passport holders don’t need a visa to visit The Islands of Tahiti.

No vaccinations are currently recommended, although The Islands of Tahiti are deemed to have a risk of the Zika virus. If you’re entering Tahiti from a Yellow Fever zone, possession of a valid Yellow Fever inoculation certificate is required. For any current travel health advice, you should seek guidance from your GP at least four to six weeks prior to travel.

The currency is the French Pacific franc.

There are no direct flights from the UK to The Islands of Tahiti. To get there, fly to Los Angeles (around 11 hours), before catching a connecting flight to Tahiti (around eight and a half hours). Other routes including flying from London via San Francisco to Papeete and also via Tokyo in the Far East.

The time difference is GMT -10 hours.

Unlike other parts of the world, most resorts in French Polynesia don’t offer all-inclusive deals Instead, you’ll often find that breakfast is included, and lunch and dinner can be pre-paid before your arrival, or paid for locally. We would advise including a half-board meal plan (breakfast and dinner) when booking your holiday with Turquoise, as meals are generally high across all of the islands in the archipelago. This takes the sting out of our check-out bill, and puts the pleasure back into ordering, as you won't be worried about the individual prices of each dish. In most cases, you'll save money by paying for meals in advance, too.

Being an archipelago, it's no surprise that Tahitian waters are abundant with fresh seafood that will end up on your plate! The likes of tuna, lobster and crab feature most prominently on menus. The delicate scent of vanilla you can smell across a number of French Polynesia's islands is used as a flavouring in many local dishes, while Tahiti's tropical status means pineapples (said to be the juiciest and sweetest in the world) and coconuts are common, too.

When it comes to dishes to try, we'd recommend mahi mahi (dolphinfish served with a vanilla sauce) and Tahiti's national dish, poisson cru (raw fish marinated in lime juice served with vegetables and coconut milk).

While the wealth of white beaches and heavenly overwater villas might tempt you to admire the tropical views, there are a remarkable amount of things to do in The Islands of Tahiti. The luminous lagoons afford fantastic snorkelling and diving opportunities, where you can come nose-to-fin with colourful fish, reef sharks and rays, while the islands' emerald interior are laced with many trails for hiking or on an all-terrain vehicle.

There are also many ways to experience local life, from wandering authentic villages to learning more about two of its most famous products with pearl and vanilla farm visits.

Of course, if you do just want to chill, then canoe breakfasts delivered straight to your villa or romantic picnics on a private motu (islet) delver memorable experiences.

The Islands of Tahiti has two national languages: French and Tahitian, with the latter preferred by locals. Even though you will easily get back with English, locals will always appreciate a few words or phrases spoken to them in Tahitian!

The capital of The Islands of Tahiti is Papeete, which is found on the archipelago's largest island, Tahiti. It's a busy city with a bustling harbour and most visitors use it for an overnight stay, before travelling onward to other islands. If you do stay overnight, make sure you pick up a bite to eat from its les roulottes (mobile food trucks), which serve everything from pizza to crepes.

The Islands of Tahiti welcome a year-round tropical climate. The dry season runs from May to November, where temperatures consistently stay around the high 20s (degrees Celsius) during the day. The wet season is from November to April and temperatures can exceed 30°C; despite there being the increased chance of rainfall, there are still plenty of sunshine hours to enjoy. Read our travel advice on The Islands of Tahiti for more information on the best time to visit.

Technically speaking, no. The Islands of Tahiti is actually a French overseas collectivity but it is completely self-governing. Its independence means it's referred to as an 'overseas country' by France, though that's more of a designation, rather than a legal status.

The Islands of Tahiti are also commonly, but incorrectly, referred to as just 'Tahiti'. However, this is actually the name of the biggest island in the archipelago.

Found in the heart of the South Pacific Ocean, halfway between Australia and South America, The Islands of Tahiti (or French Polynesia) is a tropical archipelago of 118 islands. They're split up into five main island groups: the Society Islands (which comprises the Windward and Leeward Islands), the Tuamotu archipelago, Gambier Islands, Marquesas Islands and Austral Islands.