The popular island of Tahiti sits in the southern Pacific
Ocean and is located in the Windward group of French Polynesia.
Tahiti has a population of close to 200,000 people and the
capital city is Papeete, which is situated on the northwest
coast of the island. This area is known as big Tahiti and the
southeastern region is generally referred to as small Tahiti.
Most of big Tahiti’s interior is uninhabited, while the east
coast is quite populated.
The landscape is filled with mountains, citrus groves, lush
rain forests, and swift streams. They all add up to some great
scenery, and then of course there are the wonderful beaches. The
weather on the island is nice and warm all year round, but
there’s a bit of a rainy season between November and April, with
January being the wettest month and August the driest.
It’s believed that Tahiti was settled by
Polynesians sometime between AD 300 and 800 as the island’s fertile soil and
plentiful fishing meant it was an ideal place to provide food.
The first European to visit Tahiti was likely an English sea
captain named Samuel Wallis, who found it in 1767. What he found
was a group of easy-going and good natured people who called the
island home.
Europeans started to visit the island more often as they
viewed it as a paradise away from the rest of civilization. The
famous ship HMS Bounty paid a visit there in 1789. In 1880
Tahiti was taken over by France and became a French overseas
territory in 1946. This is why French is the official language,
but you’ll find quite a few people speak English as well as
Tahitian.
You can get to Tahiti by air these days as the island has an
international airport. Domestic flights are also offered to all
spots in French Polynesia, with 37 airstrips available. You can
also explore the region by ferry boats that run from Papeete.
This is a great way to tour the local islands. Once you’re on
Tahiti, you can explore the island by bus, taxis, motorcycles,
bikes, and cars. In fact quite a few people still hitchhike
instead of renting a vehicle.
Finding a place to stay shouldn’t be too difficult as there
is a wide variety of accommodations that suit all budgets. The
same goes for restaurants, where you can taste the local
seafood, fruits, and drinks. Local cooking features French and
Asian influences as well as traditional Polynesian.
There is a mixture of cultures on the island as residents
originate from Polynesia, Europe, and East Asia. The Heiva
festival, which takes place for two weeks from the end of June
until July 14, celebrates Polynesian culture as well as the
storming of the Bastille in Paris. The famous traditional
Tahitian dance is also a popular part of the culture as is
traditional music.
Tahiti does quite well when it comes to tourism as most
people still view the island as an excellent place to relax and
take in the spectacular scenery. Some of the places to see
include the morning market in Papeete, historic monuments,
temple ruins, museums, cliffs, waterfalls, and colourful
gardens.
There are a lot of activities to enjoy on the island such as
scuba diving, swimming, biking, surfing, sailing, hiking,
horseback riding, and fishing. However, the most popular sport
with local citizens is rugby union.
It’s easy to see why Tahiti was and still is considered an
island of paradise as it offers a laid-back way of life where
you can enjoy all of its scenic beauty and activities.
About Tahiti