1. Take short pants (long pants are rare), a hat that gives good shade to your head and has a chin strap, good sunglasses and sunblock lotion.
2. Visit the central market in Papeete, Tahiti Island for food and souvenirs. Refreshing cold coconut for 300 CFR. First drink the liquid, then ask to have it split open and, if you have a spoon you can eat the delicious, gelatinous interior lining of the shell. In general, cold coconuts are lifesavers when touring in hot climates. Also, shell necklaces looked like a good purchase. Some of them are highly creative with shell arrangements resembling flowers.
3. Eat the fruits.
3a. Eat the fish.
4. Eat poisson cru - a sort of tuna ceviche in coconut milk.
5. Learn how to use a mosquito net. If it has a top frame, align the diagonal of the top frame so that it goes across the width of the bed. That, plus tightly tucking in all corners will keep the netting as far away as possible from you and prevent it from loosely hanging and annoying your body.
6. Avoid coral scrapes. If they happen, clean well and use antibiotic cream and antibiotic medication to prevent infection.
7. Use water shoes. Otherwise, some walking will be impossible or risky.
8. Eat and drink coconut. Support coconut trees. But do not walk under them if they have coconuts hanging.
9. Collect shells and little shoreline mementos. The nicest ones will probably be occupied by hermit crabs so you may have to evict them if you want the shell badly enough. You can pull them out if you manage to get a hold on enough of their claws and front part. But that usually still leaves a bit of tail in the shell. A pin may be able to get that out.
10. Cover your body. Seek out shady and breezy spots. Combine with cocktails.
11. Enjoy the flowers and other plant forms. Read. Avoid news.
12. Try to visit an atoll in addition to an island. For example, Rangiroa or Tikehau. Atolls are coral-reef-protected rings of land around a lagoon. They result when the original central volcano collapses into the sea.
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| This museum model , front to back, shows the creation of an atoll by the sinking of the central volcano. |
14. Learn two Polynesian phrases. "Yo Ra Na" is an all-purpose greeting, supposedly derived from the English "Your Honor." And "Maruru" is "Thank you."
15. Explore the mysteries of sex.
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| According to our guide, the game of "Cat's Cradle" was used to convey sexual information to young girls. |
16. It helps to have a gas station/convenience store attached to your hotel for things like water and yoghurt.
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| Hotel Tahiti Nui in Papeete, Tahiti |
17. Keep valuables in the safe in your room or, if there is no safe there, in the safe at the reception desk.
18. Bring money.
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