Oceania
French Polynesia
French overseas collectivity of 118 islands spread across 2,000 km of Pacific — Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea — the home of overwater bungalows and Gauguin's paintings.
French Polynesia at a glance
XPF
French
$280–$600
May–Oct
29° / 25°C
85/100
Visa-free entry for 🇺🇸 US, 🇬🇧 UK, 🇪🇺 EU passport holders. Always confirm requirements with the embassy before booking.
Destinations in French Polynesia
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Bora Bora
French Polynesia
The island that invented the overwater bungalow (Hotel Bora Bora, 1967) — a volcanic peak (Mt Otemanu, 727m) ringed by a turquoise lagoon and a barrier reef 50m offshore. Access is Tahiti (PPT) international then a 50-minute Air Tahiti hop to BOB. Honeymoon-grade resorts (St. Regis, Four Seasons, Intercontinental Thalasso) dominate the main atoll; Matira Beach is the public gem. May–October dry season is peak; November–April is cyclone risk. XPF (CFP Franc) is the currency, pegged to the Euro.
Tahiti
French Polynesia
French Polynesia's main island and the only international gateway to the South Pacific — every flight to Bora Bora, Moorea, the Tuamotus and the Marquesas first lands at Faaa (PPT). Papeete's Marché is the country's best market; Pointe Vénus is where Cook observed the 1769 transit of Venus; the Musée Gauguin and the Arahoho blowholes line the windward coast. Tahiti Iti's southeastern peninsula hides Teahupo'o — the planet's heaviest barrelling reef wave and a 2024 Olympic surf venue. The volcanic interior (Mt Orohena, 2,241m) is essentially unvisited.