Things to do in Faa'a, French Polynesia: Expert expat Tiare Tuuhia's tips

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This was published 2 years ago

Things to do in Faa'a, French Polynesia: Expert expat Tiare Tuuhia's tips

By Belinda Jackson
Updated
Freelance writer Tiare Tuuhia moved to Faa'a three years ago, and now lives there with her husband and two young children.

Freelance writer Tiare Tuuhia moved to Faa'a three years ago, and now lives there with her husband and two young children.

THE EXPAT

As a child of an Australian mother and Samoan father and growing up on the Sunshine Coast, freelance writer Tiare Tuuhia always had a Pacific outlook. Three years ago, Tuuhia and her Tahitian husband moved to Faa'a, just outside the French Polynesian capital, Papeete, where they live with their two young children. tiaretuuhia.com

SEE

Right now, there's a film festival showing oceanic documentaries from French Polynesia and other Pacific nations at La Maison de la Culture in Papeete, but they also do local music concerts, traditional Tahitian arts, comedy shows and stuff for kids. I danced there recently with my Tahitian dance class. I'd done Maori dancing before, which is quite fierce, but Tahitian dance is really graceful, with a lot of fast, hip shaking movements for the girls and beautiful costumes handmade from leaves and flowers. It's a really cool thing to experience when you're in Tahiti. maisondelaculture.pf

DO

Outrigger canoeing is the national sport and everyone has a canoe – we have three. You can drop your canoe in anywhere there's beach access. We like to go to a beach called PK18 (it's18 kilometres from Papeete centre) in Puna'auia.

EAT

Local roulottes (food trucks) are everywhere and are open from Tuesday to Saturday; but Friday and Saturday nights are the most popular. My favourite is Tropical Grill, parked at Paea from Monday to Saturday, 6-10pm. It serves huge meals such as raw fish in coconut milk, but I order Tahitian-style sashimi of thinly sliced tuna with rice and a homemade sauce. It's on the main road, and always full of locals with music playing. For dessert, the best crepes are at Creperie Meheata down the Orofero Valley Road. Meheata and her family sell them straight outside their house. My favourite is the one with banana, Nutella and whipped cream.

DRINK

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Baroof is on top of a pub, with views of the marina. The virgin coladas here are really good; I don't drink, but if you come to Tahiti, you have to try the local beer, Hinano. There's a shack that sells fresh juice by the carpark of the Carrefour supermarket in Punaauia – they're usually open during the day. Ask for fresh coconut water mixed with freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. So good. You only drink out of coconuts at the tourist hotels. facebook.com/Baroof/

AVOID

Never wear shoes inside someone's home, and if you're eating traditional Tahitian food such as fish, taro and breadfruit cooked in an ahima'a (underground oven), use your hands, never a knife and fork.

THRIVE

Be careful of mosquito bites. I've become strangely immune, but I got bitten a lot when I first moved here. We use sprays and mosquito coils, but the traditional method is to burn coconut husks as the smoke keeps them away. It works really well, but it stinks.

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