Tahiti island

There are two official languages in Tahiti: French and Tahitian. Native languages are widely used and each archipelago has its own specificities. In the Society Islands, of which Tahiti is a part, the Tahitian language (Reo Tahiti) is used. It is also the vernacular language used in all the islands of Polynesia.

The local currency is the Pacific XPF. For any cash exchange, visitors can contact their hotel or cruise ship, the Faa’a airport, or banks on the islands. There are ATMs on the larger islands. Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels, stores, and restaurants on the larger islands but may not be accepted in markets, smaller stores, and less-visited islands.

Much of the handicraft production of all the archipelagos can be found in Papeetē, especially at the market: weaving, basketry, monoi, carvings, beads, pareos, jewelry, tapa, tīfaifai, etc. In almost every bead store in the capital, you can create your own jewelry by choosing beads and frames. Clothing, tableware, books have also found a place of choice in Polynesian production. A tattoo, a traditional art form widely practiced in Polynesia, original and rich, can also be a beautiful and eternal souvenir!

Shops are open Monday to Friday, from 7:30 to 11:30 am, and from 1:30 to 5:00/6:00 pm, as well as on Saturdays: from 7:30 to 11:30 am, and even in the afternoon for some of them. Most stores are closed on Sundays, but it is at the Papeetē market that the excitement begins at 5:00 am. There you can find a wide variety of flowers, fruits, pareos, hats, mother-of-pearl, art objects and various souvenirs.

It is possible to rent a wifi box that you can pick up upon arrival at Papeete airport, to enjoy a high speed internet connection with optimal coverage in the main islands. Most hotels offer wifi access in their common areas or computers in their business lounges. The most luxurious hotels offer wifi in the rooms. There are also cybercafés on the larger islands, or wifi access in bars and restaurants.

The island of Tahiti concentrates most of the economic activity of French Polynesia. Tahiti’s economy is characterized by the preponderance of the tertiary sector and by the weight of non-market activities (administration, education and health in particular). But the economic activity of the island is far from being limited to these two sectors, since Tahiti is also the first agricultural producer of French Polynesia and hosts a large part of the territory’s industry. The island produces 70% of the Polynesian vegetables (taro, sweet potato, fei banana, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, green cabbage, Chinese cabbage, etc.). Tahiti has also a production of cattle (2/3 of the Polynesian production), eggs, chicken breeding and milk production. Vanilla cultivation, until now concentrated in the Leeward Islands, is also developing in Tahiti. Tahiti also participates in the copra industry through the Huilerie de Tahiti, located in Papeete, which buys the entire copra production of Polynesia to transform it into oil. Tahiti produces nearly 80% of Polynesia’s energy. Three quarters of Tahiti’s electricity is produced in the thermal power plant located in the Punaruu valley, west of Tahiti, in the Vairaatoa power plant, in the center of Papeete. The last quarter is produced by hydroelectric power. The Papenoo Valley dam provides more than 50% of the hydroelectric power produced in Tahiti. Tahiti is home to the Polynesian beverage giant, the Brasserie de Tahiti, which produces the famous Hinano beer. Finally, tourism is very important for the economy of the island as it is the most visited island when arriving in French Polynesia.