There are many destinations that spring to mind for that once in a lifetime trip, whether it’s for a honeymoon or other special occasion. But few come close to French Polynesia, with it’s eerie volcanoes, lush greenery and truly spectacular blue waters. Sadly however, many people don’t even enquire about it because they believe it’s far far out of reach from their ideal spend. It is true, there are some of the world’s most prestigious and exclusive hotels located around the islands, which fetch eye watering price tags, for most people that is. But even just recently I made a great 12-14 night itinerary mixed between Tahiti and Bora Bora for less than £4K per person!! Given how far away French Polynesia is and the cost of travel etc, this is exceptional when compared to the £20K, £30K or even £50K price tags of similar trips to other accommodations there.
I always tell my clients you should never consider something ‘cheap’ or ‘expensive’, instead, consider the value in what you’re getting. This is why I find it useful to compare with similar styles of destinations. In the case of French Poly, the Maldives is perfect for comparison. Take flights for example, if flying at the right times, flights to Tahiti are really not much more than you’d pay to fly to the Maldives. In this case the flight elements are really good value for French Poly. The Maldives, however, does have many more ‘all-inclusive’ options available compared to the very limited all-inclusive offerings in French Poly. So, for all-inclusive hunters the Maldives could look more attractive.
Why should you consider French Polynesia over somewhere like the Maldives? For me, in an ever shrinking world, French Polynesia is potentially one of the last remaining ‘edge of the world’ type destinations. You can get to the Maldives direct from the UK and couple it with numerous other places (e.g Dubai or Sri Lanka) on the way or way back. French Polynesia is so remote, it will conjure those feelings of adventure and exploration once felt by the first settlers centuries ago. So ask yourself, where do you look for value in a trip? Is it purely based on price or are you really looking for the experience to go with it? In my view, the latter has to be your reason when choosing somewhere like French Polynesia, with so much unique culture and scenery, you’d be mad to base it anything else!
Now that you want to go to French Polynesia, because lets face it, your bucket list just isn’t a bucket list without it, here are some top tips and trip ideas to consider;
– Best times to go, from May to October. Aim for late May early June and late Sep early Oct for the better rates with decent weather.
– Ideal length of stay is 12-14 nights not including travel time. But as an absolute hard-line 10 nights is acceptable.
– If you’re someone that only likes the big name players when it comes to hotels, you will definitely need the budget to match your expectations. Allow for at least £5K-£7K plus per person.
– If you’re someone who likes it more rustic and traditional (or at the very least open to the idea), allow a minimum of £3k-£5K plus per person.
– There is a plethora of itinerary ideas due to the number of islands and potential stop overs, here are some of my favourites;
1) Two nights San Francisco, Two nights Tahiti, Three nights Bora Bora, Four nights Moorea
2) Three nights Tahiti, Two nights Raiatea, Three nights Bora Bora, Four nights Moorea
3) Two nights San Francisco, Five Nights Moorea, Five nights Bora Bora
4) Three nights Tahiti, Two nights Raiatea, Three nights Rangiroa, Four nights Moorea
5) Two nights Tahiti, Four nights Nuku Hiva, Four nights Moorea
And many more!
Don’t necessarily think of this article as a ‘guide’ to French Poly, more of a gentle nudge to open the mind to the possibilities…
For further details please contact Chris Pratt – Not Just Travel who provided this wonderful insight and expert knowledge about travelling to French Polynesia – also check out his listing on our International Wedding Directory
