Top 10 Places To Visit in French Polynesia - Travel Guide

What's up guys? My name is Ryan and I recently returned from exploring French Polynesia and I want to share with you my favorite

places

and islands. So here is my Top 10 from French Polynesia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, French Polynesia is home to more than 1,000 different islands. From the towering mountains of Mo'orea to the overwater bungalows in Bora Bora, French Polynesia is the true definition of paradise. Let's start this video on the island of Tahiti. If you are flying to French Polynesia, you will first fly into Tahiti International Airport. Tahiti is the largest island in all of French Polynesia and when we arrived I was impressed by its size.

The mountains are enormous and the highest reaches 2,241 meters. There is a road that goes around the coast of Tahiti and I loved driving along it and marveling at the incredible beauty of this island. One place I really wanted to see in Tahiti was Teahupo'o. It is this small town located about two hours by car from the airport. Now Teahupo'o is home to one of the best surfing waves in the world. The combination of the swell and the unique shape of the reef creates what some believe is the strongest wave on Earth, which can reach more than seven meters high.

One thing I found interesting about Teahupo'o is that it is scheduled to host the surfing competition for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Now, the wave was first surfed in 1985 by local Tahitians and as the years has become known around the world for having one of the most consistent barrel waves. I drove to this little parking lot in Teahupo'o and was able to see the wave from the shore, but I think the best way to experience the wave, besides surfing it, is to take a boat tour. I wish I had planned better ahead and booked one, but if you go on tour you will get up close and personal with the world famous wave.

After Tahiti we will head to the neighboring island of Mo'orea. Known as the pearl of the sea, Mo'orea is one of the most beautiful

places

I have ever been. We stayed here for four nights and it was absolutely amazing. To get to Mo'orea we took a ferry from Tahiti. We hopped on the slow ferry that we were able to put our rental car on and it took about 45 minutes to get to Mo'orea. Once you arrive on the island, there is a lot to do here. I think Mo'orea is home to some of the most spectacular mountains.

They have such an irregular and unique look. My favorite was called Mount Mou'aroa, which translates to "The Shark's Tooth." It rises 880 meters above the sea and I completely understand where its name comes from with its sharp and rigid appearance. Another of my favorite peaks was Mount Rotui. You can get a great view from the Belvedere Viewpoint, which is a quick drive away. With all its beautiful mountains, Mo'orea is a great place for hiking. We did this hike up to Col de Vai'are. We started the hike in Vai'are, walking through the village and up through the mountainous jungle, until we reached the ridge.

It took us about an hour to get to the top and we were rewarded with an incredible 360 ​​degree view of all of Mo'orea, along with some huge rugged mountains. I mean I've never seen anything like it! I have to say it was one of the hottest and most humid hikes I've ever done, but it was worth it. If you're more into beaches one of my favorites was Ta'ahiamanu Public Beach. It is a really relaxing beach with sailboats and incredible scenery around it. It is also a privileged place to watch the sunset. Another great thing you can do in Mo'orea is take a boat tour.

We went on tour and unfortunately it rained a lot, but it was still a great experience. We swam with blacktip sharks, left the reef and swam into the depths of the ocean. I mean, I couldn't believe how hot the water was. If you come here from August to November you can swim with humpback whales. I definitely want to come back during that time to swim with those gentle giants. Mo'orea has a lot to offer and I plan to make a separate video of this amazing island. Then we will go to one of the most remote places in French Polynesia, the Marquesas Islands.

Special thanks to my friend Rob Stroke for sharing his images of these islands. He spent some time here capturing some of the most incredible moments of this remote destination. He made a great video about his stay in the Marquesas Islands that I will link in the description below. Made up of 12 islands and only six are inhabited, the Marquesas Islands can be reached by taking approximately a four-hour flight from Tahiti. I would say that the Marquesas Islands are very different compared to the other islands of French Polynesia. They don't have too many sandy beaches, rather they are rocky and rugged islands that remind me a lot of Hawaii.

The largest island in the archipelago is Nuku Hiva. One of my favorite places is Hatihe'u Bay Beach. It has these impressive rock formations that create an incredible environment. Another of my favorite islands in the Marquesas is 'Ua Pou. You can reach it by taking a boat or a short flight from Nuku Hiva. My favorite feature is a 'Ua Pou, its rocky spiers rising above the island. I think they call it "Cathedral Island" and I totally understand why it gets that name. Rob took some of the crazy shots with the locals doing a traditional dance with the rock spiers in the background.

Truly a scene straight out of a movie. Now the coast of 'Ua Pou is also amazing. It has these huge sea cliffs that rise straight out of the sea. It is simply incredible scenery! If you want a more remote and unique experience in French Polynesia, you should

visit

the Marquesas Islands. Afterwards we will head to the atolls of French Polynesia and

visit

Fakarava. Located in the Tuamotu group, Fakarava   is the second largest atoll in French Polynesia. It has this rectangular shape and about 800 people live on the atoll. The landscape of Fakarava is very interesting to me.

Unlike the other islands I have shown so far, Fakarava is made up of a strip of land, combined with small motus along the atoll. One of the best ways to see Fakarava is by boat. Another thing the atoll is famous for is its diving. It is home to some of the best diving in the world. While we continue on the topic of atolls, we are going to visit Rangiroa. It is the largest atoll in all of French Polynesia and the second largest in the world. You can reach Rangiroa on a one-hour flight from Tahiti. Like Fakarava, Rangiroa is a phenomenal place for diving and snorkeling with many places to explore in the lagoon.

Then we will visit Teti'aroa Atoll. Made up of 12 small islands, Teti'aroa Atoll is home to the famous Brando Resort. The famous actor Marlon Brando bought the atoll in 1966 after discovering it while looking for locations for the filming of one of his films. When he died in 2004, the atoll was closed to tourism, but in 2014 the luxurious Brando resort opened, named the best resort in the world by Conde Nast in 2016. To reach the atoll, you can only get there by Brando's private plane. . While very expensive, if you make it to this exclusive atoll, you will be rewarded with a pristine paradise.

Then we will head to the Leeward Islands. The Leeward Islands, made up of islands such as Bora Bora and Raiatea, are home to some of the most beautiful destinations in French Polynesia. One of my favorites is Maupiti. It's this small island with a population of about 1,200 people and it reminds me of a miniature Bora Bora. You can get there by plane or you can also take a ferry from Bora Bora, making it a fantastic day trip. One of the interesting things you can do on the island is take the three-hour hike to its highest point. It offers an amazing view of the island and the surrounding lagoon.

If you definitely want to visit somewhere quieter and more relaxed, I definitely recommend you visit Maupiti. Now, as a final destination, we will visit Bora Bora. Of all the islands in French Polynesia, Bora Bora is probably the most famous and after visiting it I completely understand why. The geology of Bora Bora is pure perfection! There's the main island with its imposing dormant volcano and then it's surrounded by this reef that protects the island from the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Within the reef is a lagoon that is home to some of the clearest waters in the world and is full of wildlife such as sharks and rays.

Seriously, Bora Bora could be more perfect! To get to Bora Bora we flew to Tahiti and then from there we took a short 50 minute flight and landed in Bora Bora, the airport here is on a motu which is a small island on the reef. So to get to the mainland or the resorts, you will take a ferry. We were staying on the mainland so we hopped on the ferry and then made the quick 15 minute boat ride to Vaitape. It was quite a surreal trip. As we got closer to the island we hopped on the ferry and the views were just amazing as we got closer to Vaitape.

There was even a full moon and it almost seemed fake without everything being perfect. When it comes to accommodation in Bora Bora, the most famous resorts are located on the islands or motus that surround the reef. The resorts on the motus are definitely the most scenic and offer incredible experiences and views of Bora Bora, but they are also the most expensive and were out of my budget for this trip. Maybe next time I'll get one of them, but if you're looking for more affordable accommodation, I recommend looking for places on the mainland. There are some luxury resorts like the Intercontinental Le Moana, which is about half the price of the Motus resorts.

We wanted to see Bora Bora from the ocean perspective, so we spent our last nights on a sailboat. We stayed with this family who has been sailing around the world for five years and they took us to some of the best places within the Bora Bora lagoon. I mean, it was like we were staying in a bungalow, except we could go somewhere new every night and experience Bora Bora from every angle. My favorite place we sold was the southwest lagoon of Bora Bora. I've been wanting to come here for a while because there's a sandbar in the water that creates this perfect curve, and the contrast between the blues of the shallow and deep water is absolutely fascinating.

There is definitely no shortage of shades of blue in Bora Bora and French Polynesia in general. While we were here, we had to snorkel. So we got on our tender with our captain Francesco and he took us to the diving spot. First we found this eagle ray that was flying across the current, it was very peaceful to watch. Then we went to this shallower area and there were at least 10 sharks. They were blacktip sharks and they are between one and two meters long and they are basically harmless to swim with. Simply very curious little animals. The water was some of the clearest I've ever been in and there were also tons of colorful fish swimming around us.

It's the Bora Bora I was hoping to experience. Later that night we returned to our boat and had one of the most beautiful sunsets of the trip, as the sun descended on dry land. I just can't believe the beauty of these islands. Well, that's it for my "French Polynesia Top 10". There are still hundreds of islands that I left out of this video, so I have to go back and make a second part. Let me know where your favorite island in French Polynesia is in the comments below. You can find me on  Instagram and Tick Tock @shirley.films  I'm Ryan and I'll see you later :)