French Polynesia
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Settling in French Polynesia: what are the steps with the Social Security system?
As I was seconded by my employer to French Polynesia for a few months, I naturally wondered about the health insurance I would be entitled to. Because even though in Tahiti we are on a little piece of France in the middle of the Pacific, Polynesia has its own Social Security system, completely independent from the one in mainland France. This system is called CPS (Caisse de Prévoyance Sociale). The only hospital in French Polynesia is in Papeete. If you are on another island, any slightly serious health issue will require a medical evacuation by plane, and the bill can quickly run into tens of thousands of euros. It is…
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Moving to Punaauia (French Polynesia)
After a first month in Papeete, we found another Airbnb in Punaauia, and as luck would have it, it’s in the same complex as a colleague of JB’s. We thought we’d be close, but we ended up even closer: same complex, same building, and same floor!!! He’s just a few doors down from us. What a coincidence! It’s a two-bedroom apartment, quite spacious (around 60m²). There’s no office, but JB turned the balcony table into a desk in the living room, and I work on the kitchen island. In Papeete we were on the top floor so it was very hot. But here, not only are we on the first…
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Day trip to Tahiti (French Polynesia)
It’s May 8th and we’re enjoying this long weekend with two of JB’s colleagues and one colleague’s brother. He has a big pickup truck and is going to show us around the island and the peninsula (Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti). Luckily he has a car because the island is huge and we would have been exhausted if we had to do the tour on scooters. Also, it rained a lot the day before and it’s still raining on and off. Because of the rain, the water on the beaches is not as nice as on postcards, but in exchange, the rivers and waterfalls have much more water than usual.…
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Driving a Scooter in Tahiti: Which License? What Insurance? Where to Buy?
When settling in Tahiti, you have to think about how you’ll get around. Public transport exists but isn’t very reliable, so you’ll quickly find yourself limited in your travels. Since we plan to stay for about a year, we quickly ruled out the car option: too expensive, and in any case, Papeete’s traffic jams are pretty off-putting. The ideal solution seems to be a scooter which we can also take with us on the ferry when exploring the other islands of Polynesia (you can take your car too, but it’s more expensive). Once you’ve decided on a scooter, another question arises: 50cc or 125cc? Driving a 50cc? To drive a…
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A Sunday in Moorea (French Polynesia): Scouting
We still don’t have wheels on Tahiti, so this 3-day weekend feels a bit long. On May 1st, absolutely all shops are closed, and downtown is dead silent. We decide to do a round trip to Moorea in a single Sunday to scout it out. Moorea is the closest island to Tahiti, and we plan to go back regularly. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal We sleep terribly because at 2:30 a.m., there are sharp noises coming from our wardrobe. I don’t know why, but my guess is that for the first time, I left the AC on all night and the wood must have…
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[review] Pool pass at Intercontinental Resort Tahiti
For our very first full weekend in Tahiti, JB and I wanted to go somewhere that looked like a postcard. I spotted several 5-star hotels on the island and chose the Intercontinental Resort Tahiti for its proximity to Papeete and its dreamy setting. The hotel offers various pool pass / day pass to give us access to its many pools and restaurants, namely: Huriama Sunset Pass Te Tiare Pass with lunch Le Lotus Pass with lunch We chose the Day pass Lotus with lunch at the Lotus restaurant because the restaurant’s menu is crafted by chef Bruno Oger, twice starred. You can book the pass by email writing to [email protected].…
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Our move to Tahiti (French Polynesia): first impressions
When I settle somewhere new, I write a “first impressions” post, and usually there are no “second impressions”—we just skip straight to the “wrap-up.” I hope this time it’s different and I’ll actually have things to share about Tahiti. We’ve only been in Tahiti for 10 days, but it feels like a month. We have an Airbnb in downtown Papeete. For some context, French Polynesia is made up of 118 islands (76 of them inhabited) spread over an area the size of Europe. The largest island, and home to the international airport, is Tahiti Nui. Tahiti Nui connects to the peninsula of Tahiti Iti. Papeete is the capital of Tahiti—it’s…
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Paris to Tahiti Flight: What to Expect During the Los Angeles Layover
There are no direct flights between Paris and Papeete, so you’ll inevitably have a layover in the US, either in Los Angeles or San Francisco. This stopover serves several purposes: I’ve received conflicting information about this layover. The Air France agent who handled our check-in in Paris even insisted that we’d have to stay on the plane during the stop! So here’s my firsthand experience. First crucial point: even though it’s just a ~2-hour stopover, you’ll technically be entering US territory, so you absolutely must obtain a visa before you leave. For the French, the process is made easier thanks to ESTA (a sort of electronic visa) and is done…
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From Paris to Papeete: a 27-hour door-to-door journey
I’m detailing this trip because it might be of interest to those making the same journey for a move, and also to preserve the memories of this epic trip. FYI, JB has been transferred to Tahiti, and we’ll be staying there for 9 months. Our move to Papeete took several days because JB insists on being in Paris two days before departure to handle any unexpected issues. Since everything is expensive on this island at the end of the world and product choices are limited, we decided to bring as much as possible from France. So, we decided to bring JB’s computer monitor, our Cookeo, and our rice cooker, even…
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Papeete (French Polynesia): when the car doesn’t start anymore
I have not yet told you about our last day in Papeete.After leaving Moorea by ferry, we are at the port with our suitcases, waiting like VIPs for our rental car to be delivered to us. For 45€/day, frankly, the service is royal.Our plane is at 2:30 am the next day, so we have the car for us until 10 pm.After lunch, a small passage at the Post Office and the visit of the 3 waterfalls (1 only because the access to the 2 others is closed since the flood), we stop on a semblance of parking on the side of the road to admire the surfers. 20 minutes later,…
