The airport in Papeete — the only international strip here — is a long way from everywhere. Auckland is probably closest at 5:30 hours. And things don’t run every day, either to Auckland or to Seattle (8:30) So I’m changing at LAX.
All the outbound flights seem to leave in the middle of the night. For us, it’s midnight. So I have arranged a late checkout at the hotel (half the overnight rate), although a “day room” is another option if you are leaving the same day you depart the ship. (Do this! You’ll want a place to shower off the tropical sweat, never mind any recently-acquired beach sand, before heading off to spend 20 hours or more in transit. Trust me.)
It’s been a great trip, and I look forward to returning to French Polynesia another year. The shipboard experience was simply stellar, and I’ll look for a 14-day itinerary next time. I could be comfortable with shorter land-side stays next time: 2 nights on the front end rather than three, and one plus a late on the back end. The best experiences are on the outer islands, not on Tahiti itself, and Papeete doesn’t have that much to offer. So that’s where to spend my time. The beauty of this place is only hinted at in the photos.
Until next time …
Kitsambler's Journeys 