French Polynesia is a scattering of 118 islands and atolls across a stretch of the South Pacific larger than Western Europe. Most of them are tiny, remote, and uninhabited. The ones that are inhabited are, in many cases, extraordinarily beautiful — mountains draped in jungle dropping into turquoise lagoons, encircled by coral reefs full of sharks and manta rays.
This is an overseas collectivity of France, which means French prices, French bureaucracy, and a surprising number of baguettes alongside the coconut crab. The currency is the CFP franc, Tahitian and French are both official languages, and getting here is expensive. None of this has stopped French Polynesia from becoming one of the most dreamed-about destinations on earth.
The five archipelagos each have a distinct character. The Society Islands — Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora — are where most visitors go, with the most developed infrastructure and the classic overwater-bungalow resorts. The Tuamotu Archipelago is flat coral atoll country, world-class for diving, particularly at Rangiroa and Fakarava. The Marquesas, three and a half hours by plane from Tahiti, are dramatic volcanic islands with no lagoons, a brooding landscape, and a rich artistic tradition. The Australs and the Gambier Islands (Mangareva) are seldom visited and genuinely remote.
Tahiti is the hub — almost everyone passes through Papeete. Moorea is just 30 minutes by ferry and far more relaxed. Bora Bora is the fantasy postcard version of the Pacific — impossibly blue lagoon, dramatic central peak — and priced accordingly. Rangiroa is the place to come if you want to dive with sharks and dolphins in one of the world's largest atolls. The Marquesas reward travelers who are willing to make the extra effort to get there. Mangareva is about as far off the map as it gets while still having a scheduled flight.
French Polynesia is not a budget destination. There is no getting around this. But there are ways to travel here without staying in overwater bungalows — small pensions (family guesthouses), ferry travel between the Society Islands, and eating at the roulottes (food trucks) rather than resort restaurants all help. The experience of the place — the water, the mountains, the people — is not contingent on spending a fortune.
