French Polynesia

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sffrenchman

Contributor
Messages
265
Reaction score
30
Location
San Francisco, California, United States
# of dives
500 - 999
I am planning a trip to French Polynesia. I am thinking of hitting rangiroa and fakarava in the tuamotus, but would also like to hit some of the society islands. Any recommendations on which society islands to visit? Is staying 4 days at 4 different locations too ambitious for a 2-week trip?

Thanks,

Christophe
 
Personally, for diving, I'd stick to the Tuamotos. You'll do less traveling and more diving, and it will be better diving.

We did a cruise through French Polynesia, and dove Tahiti, Moorea, Bota Bora, Huahini. We also dove Rarotonga and Itutaki in the Cook Islands. I was not really thrilled with any of it. They do a LOT of shark feeding dives. There is a lot of dead coral (they have had a plague of crown-of-thorns starfish) and a lot of algae-covered coral. We did have one really nice dive on Tahiti, when we convinced them we didn't want to do the shark feeding thing.

On the other hand, Rangiroa was magical. The reefs were lush and heavily populated, and the blue water was FULL of interesting stuff -- big schools of jacks, several kinds of sharks, dolphins, a manta . . . that was the best diving of the whole trip.
 
The best way to dive FP is avoid Top Dive - there is NO NEED to feed sharks in FP, they are IMO the worst operator there.

Splitting 4 days on Rangi (try Pension Teina and Marie and dive with Rangiroa Paradive) 4 days on Fakarava (Serge or Fakarava Spirit) and 4 days at Tikehau or on Moorea (diving is very average in the societies but Moorea is a hop and skip from Tahiti which you will need to go back through from the Tuomotos) and save the expense of Bora Bora. Some nice land scenery on Tahiti itself too - would recommend at least a dry day there doing a circle island trip the lava tubes and blow holes are spectacular.
 
Can't remember the exact video we saw but my wife was totally put of FP after we watched the shark rave feeding frenzy video (I was shocked a bite wasn't taken out of the snorkellers right in the middle of the madness). While I don't know much about FB, I sure didn't get the impression that sharks need to be fed to be seen there (unlike the Bahamas for instance).
 
The site would have likely have been their Bora Bora shark feed dive spot....worst diving experience ever - of course I did not go on the shark feeding dive I had no option but to go on the next dive as no one else could take a single diver out that day and I only had a couple of days there. The Lemons were waiting below the boat for the divers to hit the water....habituated totally.
Other operators on BB and Moorea mentioned they had hushed up shark bites and web research seems to support this. Still they keep doing it. They sharks dont need to be fed there at all, the fish life is amazing and biodiversity is impressive in volume and breadth...the sharks where topdive feed have just become used to a free hand out every day.

Heres just one example that comes to mind easily - Shark attack on Bora Bora dive! For real! I was there! - TOPDIVE Bora Bora, Vaitape Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor

Your wife shouldnt be put off FP, she could be missing some of the best diving the south pacific has to offer.......just pick your operator.
 
Can't remember the exact video we saw but my wife was totally put of FP after we watched the shark rave feeding frenzy video (I was shocked a bite wasn't taken out of the snorkellers right in the middle of the madness). While I don't know much about FB, I sure didn't get the impression that sharks need to be fed to be seen there (unlike the Bahamas for instance).

I wouldn't be put off from FP over one operator running a tourist trap operation in one place, that's like writing off the entire united states over some vendor in an airport being pushy.

---------- Post added April 17th, 2014 at 09:02 AM ----------

I am planning a trip to French Polynesia. I am thinking of hitting rangiroa and fakarava in the tuamotus, but would also like to hit some of the society islands. Any recommendations on which society islands to visit? Is staying 4 days at 4 different locations too ambitious for a 2-week trip?

Thanks,

Christophe


The magic numbers are 7 days in Rangiroa and 7 days in Fakarava. That gives you time enough to really experience each locations diving which even though it is in a really small geographic footprint, it changes daily based on tides and running of the channels (passes) that you're diving in. 7 days allows for a max of 6 days of diving, but probably closer to 5 days, and gives you the best chances to get the big marine life encounters that do happen regularly but not systematically, like diving with wild dolphins, mantas, tiger sharks, hammer heads and such.

Don't forget you've got off gas days when you're flying around down there to avoid DCS, so you're losing a minimum of a day for each location change.
 
I'll echo what been said so far, the Tuamotus are some of the best diving you will ever see. The Societys all seem to have a couple decent dives, only Raiatea-Tahaa (they share a lagoon) have more than a few nice sites but still no reason to travel there for diving. Enjoy what diving there is, if you are there for other reasons.

My thoughts are four islands is not going to be too enjoyable in a two week trip. However you will have to visit Tahiti Nui since that's where PPT is, it's also quite likely you will have to spend the night the depending on your arrival time. I think I've ended up staying the night on every arrival from LAX. Now I plan it for a two day-er in bound, out-bound is not a problem. Moving around Polynésie française is never quite as easy as it would appear. Many of the Air Tahiti Iti flights begin and end in Papeete, so even the island "just over there" may involve a flight to and then from Papeete to go the 20 miles! ASK! the schedules are subject to change in rotation, you'll get there but your day will be shot.
 
Look into a Tuomoto Air Pass with Air Tahiti Nui - you may save a few dollars...as said, dont expect planes to always be on time.
 
dont expect planes to always be on time.

or not change on you two or three times after booking. does happen on the inter island flights

Speaking of those inter island flights, they are interesting. Like said, they don't necessarily go direct to the island you want without returning you first to Tahiti, you fly back to Tahiti, walk off the plane get your luggage and walk around the corner at the end of the room and go back through security and walk 20 feet from where you got off to get back on the same plane you just got off of.

Also interestingly locals get preference for boarding, they all get to line up first and get on board 1st and it's all open seating no assigned seats so you'll get whats left

one of the first places I ever saw people on a plane with no shoes

and not to be mean as I'm sure it's a cultural thing, but you'll probably get a stinky whiff here and there of B.O. so just warning you now
 
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