Tahaa Island Society Islands French Polynesia
French Polynesia
379
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Lindblad Expeditions (2 Cruises)
Paul Gauguin Cruises (81 Cruises)
M/S Paul Gauguin
81 Cruises
| 12 September | 11 days | Round-trip from Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia |
450-628-6241
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| 23 September | 10 days | Round-trip from Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia |
450-628-6241
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|
| 2 January | 11 days | Round-trip from Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia |
450-628-6241
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|
| 13 January | 16 days | One-way from Papeete to Lautoka |
450-628-6241
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|
| 15 April | 13 days | One-way from Lautoka to Papeete |
450-628-6241
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|
| 28 April | 10 days | Round-trip from Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia |
450-628-6241
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|
Silversea Cruises (55 Cruises)
Silver Whisper
55 Cruises
Windstar Cruises (241 Cruises)
Star Breeze
143 Cruises
| 24 January | 52 days | One-way from Singapore to Papeete |
450-628-6241
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| 28 January | 48 days | One-way from Benoa to Papeete |
450-628-6241
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Wind Star
98 Cruises
| 31 January | 36 days | One-way from Colon to Papeete |
450-628-6241
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|
| 31 January | 35 days | One-way from Colon to Papeete |
450-628-6241
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|
Frequently Asked Questions
In the lagoon that Taha'a shares with neighbouring Raiatea, inside the same coral reef. Tenders land passengers at the pontoons. There is no deep-water quay and no terminal: going ashore happens at the unhurried pace that governs all local life.
No town, no traffic lights: villages, green mountains and turquoise water as far as you can see. This is a call about nature and craft, not monuments. Anyone hunting sights to tick off will be disappointed; anyone who enjoys understanding how an island lives will do well.
Because it produces most of French Polynesia's vanilla. The trade winds carry its sweet scent out over the lagoon, and the smell sometimes arrives before the island does. The farms readily open their shade houses to passengers.
The patience this orchid demands: each flower is pollinated by hand on one precise morning, then the pods dry for months before releasing their aroma. The visit ends amid heady scents and packets to take home, light and valuable souvenirs.
A shallow channel between the main island and one of the motu fringing the reef. You let the current carry you, mask on, over coral heads where butterflyfish, clownfish and silvery schools circulate. The drift lasts a few dozen minutes.
Not necessarily. Guides watch over the group, correct a drift line and offer a hand to less confident swimmers. The current does the work: you simply let it carry you. A flotation vest is generally available on request.
Yes. Several pearl farms on stilts above the calm water show the grafting of the oysters, the delicate operation each gem depends on, then harvests with green, aubergine or midnight-blue tones. Buying from the producer often means better terms than in Papeete shops.
The road circling the island links a handful of flower-filled villages, Patio, Haamene and Tiva, where the churches sing on Sundays and fruit sellers wave at every car. Guided four-wheel-drive tours climb to passes overlooking the deep bays that cut into the coast.
Most outrigger motorboat outings pair the coral garden drift with a picnic on a motu: grilled fish and fruit served with your feet in the sand. Raw fish in coconut milk, the emblematic Polynesian dish, is often on the menu.
The Pacific franc. Vanilla pods are the obvious souvenir, light and long-lasting, and they will scent your suitcase all the way home. Keep cash: not every farm or small vendor takes cards.
