rangiroa

any ideas for cheap guesthouses on rangiroa and fakarava.. do not have to be on water..thanks, david moss

Better Fakarava or Mataiva in the Tuamotus?

I will be going to French Polynesia in August, but I will only have time to visit one of the Tuamotu islands, for 3-4 days. I am considering whether to choose Fakarava or Mataiva.
I gather that Fakarava is a sort of paradise, but its attractions all lie very far (several hours by boat) and can only be reached through an organized excursion.
Maitava attracts me because it is small enough to walk or cycle, and one could go around it without necessarily joining an excursion. But I also heard that its lagoon is shallow and murky,and that snorkeling is poor.
Could anyone help me to choose between the two islands? Please consider I do not scuba dive: I plan on snorkeling, enjoying beach life and tropical panoramas.
Thanks

French Polynesia self catering?

Hi!
I´m doing some research on travelling FP and as far as a can see most "major" islands basic accomodation for around 25 euro/pp. Doesn´t sound to bad! What about self catering? Does anyone know if the rock bottom places have kitchens and are there enough supplies in the shops on say Bora Bora?

Tourist Visa to Tahiti & French Polynesia

Hi there, I'm Indonesian and would like to go to this beautiful paradise; knowing that we don't have any Tahiti & French Polynesian Embassy in Jakarta, how can I obtain the tourist visa to Tahiti & French Polynesia? Can we obtain the visa from French Embassy?

What does Lonely Planet have against Tiki Village Theater?

I've read Lonely Planet's Tahiti & French Polynesia guidebook from cover to cover. In the Mo'orea section, under "Sights", "Entertainment", "Live Music", etc...nothing about Tiki Village Center or Theatre. I get that some folk are anti- resort and tourist spots, but some of us old folks are disabled and past hiking and diving.
I admit, I love music and dance...even the corniest varieties.

Wedding in Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine?

Hello,
My fiance and I have a trip booked for mid-May to have an informal wedding ceremony during our trip to Tahiti. We are planning a small legal ceremony afterwards with our family. We plan on doing some island hopping during our 2 week honeymoon/wedding. Questions:
1) Which island is most practical for a small informal beach wedding? We wanted to try to avoid going through the resorts (who seem to charge thousands of dollars for a 15 minute beach ceremony). Does anyone know any local folks who could help us with the arrangements?
2) We plan on definitely going to Bora Bora and Moorea. Does anyone have any strong recommendations on the 3rd French Polynesian island to visit? I heard Huahine was nice and small, but we are open to other islands as well.

Thanks,

Katie

Rain in French Polynesia in March

I know March is hot rainy season in French Polynesia - but how rainy??

I've looked on the wunderground.com but that just tells me precipitation. Can anyone give me advice on the pattern of rain? Is it likely to rain every day? Would is tend to rain for short period everyday or be cloudy all day? Or would it be sunny most of the day?

Basically, we want to go on a beach holiday. Are mad to try and do a beach holiday in March or is it likely it will only rain a bit?

I know there's no definite answers, but if anyone has more of a feel for the weather in March than I do, would be a massive help!!

Honeymoon in Bora Bora

My fiancé and I are planning our honeymoon in bora bora at the intercon Thalasso and spa.

What's it like at night time? Is there people having a few social drinks etc?

Everything we have seen about the place looks perfect.

We are a youngish couple and like to have a few drinks at night. Would perhaps be put off if there wasn't a social scene at night.

Thanks