A brief overview of Tahiti
Being the biggest island in French Polynesia, Tahiti is known for its black sandy beaches, volcanos, underwater marine life and its very expensive resorts. With a stunning landscape and the best fresh coconuts, you will ever get your hands on, Tahiti doesn’t need an introduction.  It is Tahiti and it’s amazing!

What I did there.
We all have a bucket list, and I have a list of hotels that I want to stay at.   One of these hotels just happens to be the Le Meridien in Tahiti, so when I found out that Tahiti was on our itinerary and I would have time off work, I emailed to see if it was possible for a day pass.

To my delight, they said “yes”, so a few friends and I decided to spend our day in this exclusive resort.

From the port, it took half an hour to get there.  We all clambered in the back of a run-down taxi with a very eccentric driver.  During the drive to the hotel, she was telling us about the different types of trees she had in her garden at home. She had melon, orange, lemon and apple ha ha.  She then went on to tell us her favourite fruits, which were papaya, dragon fruit.

She pulled up at a rusty old hut that was surrounded by trees and had a sign above it that read Le Meridien Maison.  Almost the same name as the hotel. As I read the sign out loud, the “M” from the Meridien fell to the floor.   She looked at us as if we were crazy and said, “Off you go, this it is it.” 

My friend interjected and said, “I think there is another Meridien that is a 5 start hotel.”

The woman started to laugh and said: “Oops, that’s the other side the island.” 

So we set off again to the other side of the island which took another 45 minutes. On the bright side, we got a good look at the place. 

We finally arrived at the magnificent hotel which was hidden away in the trees, just like the first one but it looked very very different. We walked into the grand reception which was all outdoors, looking around at the fancy cocktails that were being passed around and the beautiful interiors had me all excited.   We checked in and we were shown to the pools. The main pool was divine.  There was hardly anyone there. I think the place is just so big it feels like you have the whole place to yourself. I took a walk down the beach, which also belonged to the hotel, and looked over at the huts that perched above the water. 

The food that was being offered around was something else.  Avocado salads and fresh exotic fruits that were full of flavour. 

I spent my day between the pool, the beach and the buffet, feeling totally relaxed and waited on by the good-looking staff. 

Although I didn’t see a lot of Tahiti other than what I saw in the taxi ride there and back, and in hindsight I should have seen more, but I had a lovely day at the Meridien hotel and would recommend staying there if you find yourself in Tahiti or are on a ship and have some time off. 

Most popular excursions

Cooks Bay
Cooks Bay is a beautiful public beach with restaurants and bars sprinkled about nearby.  The water is calm and crystal clear.

Marché de Pape
This authentic Polynesian market is very popular with the locals and is wonderful to see.  Handcrafts, woven hats and colourful sarongs are mostly sold here.

Arapaho blowhole 
This is one of Tahiti’s most visited natural wonders.   As the waves crash against the rocks, you can see spectacular plumes of water shoot into the air.

Currency
French Polynesian Franc

Language
French

Population
283,007 people

Things to know
Tahiti is a tender port, so it may take a while to get off.  Be sure to get your tender tickets first.

Although cards are an accepted form of payment, my colleagues and I found most places only accepted cash, so have some cash on you when you get off.