Location
Tahiti is in the same time zone as the Hawaiian Islands and is about the same distance below the equator as Hawaii is above it. The islands are approximately midway between Los Angeles, California and Sydney, Australia.

Language
The official language is French, and both French and Tahitian are taught in the schools. English is understood and spoken in the hotels as well as most restaurants and shops.

Currency Exchange
The local currency is the French Pacific Franc (XPF). Currency and traveler’s checks can be exchanged at the international airport, banks and hotels. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are generally accepted.

Taxes and Tips
The mayors of several districts have imposed a bed tax of approximately $150xfp per person per night, which is normally collected by the hotels at the time of check-out. However, this is still one part of the world where you do not tip – Polynesian hospitality simply doesn’t allow it.

Documents Required
U.S. and Canadian citizens must have a valid passport; citizens of other countries should consult their travel agent or the French Consulate. An easily obtained visa is required for entry into Australia. It is solely the passenger’s responsibility to ensure that all documents needed are complete and current.

Clothing
French Polynesia averages a comfortable 80° throughout the year so dress requirements are casual. During the day on the outer islands, shorts, bathing suits or the local pareu (2 yards of cloth worn wrapped around the body in any of several ways) are acceptable. An old pair of tennis shoes or plastic sandals are good to have for walking on the reef. In the evenings, many hotels ask the men to wear casual shoes, jeans or slacks and a shirt; for women, a light sundress, or top with slacks or shorts is fine. Between June and September, evenings may occasionally be cool enough to warrant a light sweater. Though tropical rain showers are refreshing rather than chilling, a lightweight raincoat that folds to fit into a pocket or purse may also come in handy.

Hotel Room Availability
In general, check-in time is around 3 p.m. If your arrival is early morning, it may be necessary to wait for a room to become available. Although all hotels will attempt to get you directly into your room, the only way to guarantee it will be available upon arrival is to pre-book and pay for the previous night.

Credit Cards
American Express, Visa and MasterCard are accepted at most hotels, restaurants and shops. It is always best to confirm the current policy directly with each establishment.

A Wide Range of Accommodation
Find your perfect resort. Our palm tree rating is:

	Tourist Class
	Superior Tourist Class
	First Class
	Superior First Class
	Deluxe

Meals
In general, meal prices in Tahiti are comparable to those at better restaurants in other resort destinations such as Kauai or Maui. Most hotels and restaurants have à la carte menus so that you won’t have to order
a complete meal if all you want is a small salad. Meal plans are available prior to the start of your trip. Please note that several hotels have a substantial surcharge for their required Christmas and New Years dinners.

Tahiti’s Black Pearls
The Black Pearl was once found only in royal jewelry sets. Its marvelous colors range from silver gray to deep greens iridescent with pink, gold and blue to the darkest black. The ranges of shades are natural and are produced by the black lipped oysters which live in the pure lagoon waters of Polynesia.
There are many shops throughout the islands that offer Tahiti’s pearls for sale, and we encourage you to visit several before deciding where to buy. We recommend that one of your stops be at HEIVAI MOOREA BLACK PEARL. With an emphasis on educating shoppers on Tahitian black pearls, they offer a winning combination of high quality pearls at excellent prices.