Jul 24th, 2012 at 5:30PM:
Cruise ships love to call on island destinations. Those that live on those islands are glad to see them and their cash-spending passengers too. But for travelers who just happen to be on a land vacation at the time a cruise ship calls, this is bad news. Almost instantly, a quiet, serene island paradise can be overrun with thousands of cruise passengers trying to cram a whole lot of island into ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Tahiti posts
Three Island Destinations Rarely Visited By Cruise Ships
Jul 24th, 2012 at 5:30PM:
Cruise ships love to call on island destinations. Those that live on those islands are glad to see them and their cash-spending passengers too. But for travelers who just happen to be on a land vacation at the time a cruise ship calls, this is bad news. Almost instantly, a quiet, serene island paradise can be overrun with thousands of cruise passengers trying to cram a whole lot of island into ...10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Tahiti
Apr 23rd, 2012 at 4:00PM: Located in the South Pacific, Tahiti is thought of by many as a prime vacation destination. But what do you actually know about these islands? To test your Tahitian knowledge, here are 10 things you probably didn't know.
1. The official languages of the country are both Tahitian and French. However, English is also widely spoken on most of the islands.
2. What is commonly known as "Tahiti" ...Teahupo'o: the world's 'heaviest' surfing wave
Jan 16th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
Teahupo'o, site of a legendary surfer break on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, has developed quite the reputation among big-wave surfers. Due to a shallow coral reef just off shore, waves here tend break as massive, chunky walls of water, a phenomenon that has earned Teahupo'o the distinction as the "heaviest" wave in the world.
The video above, filmed at ...
Summer vacation in Tahiti: 5 reasons to visit French Polynesia's Tuamotu Atolls
Feb 14th, 2011 at 11:00PM: If you've had enough with the recent onslaught of wintertime blizzards, you're probably ready to start your summer vacation planning. How about jetting off to a part of French Polynesia that few travelers ever visit?
Considered to offer a number of the best diving sites in the world, the Tuamotu Atolls are some of Tahiti's lesser known islands. These remote atolls, most specifically Rangiroa ...Tahiti greens up its tourism
Jul 29th, 2010 at 6:00PM: Tahiti ain't cheap. And, at least in the past several decades, it's also had a reputation for crappy food, cheesy resorts, a seriously sketchy scene in Papeete, and a general lack of sustainable tourism. But that's all changing.
CNN reports that small-scale, eco-oriented tourism is thriving in Tahiti, especially in the mountainous interior, and on the peninsula of Tahiti Iti. An influx of B & ...Tahitian dance chronicles, part three: Dancing towards a new adventure (video)
Jul 8th, 2010 at 10:00AM: To'ata Amphitheater, French Polynesia's biggest Tahitian dance venue, is an open-air wooden stage surrounded by a half-circle of tiered seating for about 4000 people. High-tech lighting on adjustable steel scaffolding surrounds the arena and the stage is backed by a covered, elevated platform for the orchestra. From the stage, the seats seem very close and standing there before the show made me ...Tahitian dance chronicles, part two: Going to To'ata
Jul 7th, 2010 at 10:00AM: It was February and I'd been taking Tahitian dance classes for six months. I was now loving my twice-weekly wiggle as well as hanging out with my sometimes cranky but always lively retired Tahitian classmates. My hips were really starting to move and my rolling ueue shake was getting so fast that the teacher grouped me into the more competent half of our class.
Now the warm-ups were more ...Tahitian dance chronicles, part one: Getting hooked
Jul 6th, 2010 at 10:00AM: Early explorers were struck by its sensuality, Christian missionaries banned it shortly after their arrival, and the open-minded 1960s began to revive it. Today, the uber-fast hip shaking of Tahitian dance is again ever-present in French Polynesia. The best performances can be seen at the Heiva I Tahiti festival at Papeete's Toa'ata Amphitheater in July, when locals and foreigners flock to watch ...Chase a solar eclipse in unique style this summer
May 4th, 2010 at 8:00AM: On July 11th of this year, the moon will pass between the Earth and the Sun, creating a total solar eclipse that will cast portions of the planet in complete darkness for up to 4 minutes. The best place to view this astronomical phenomenon will be in the South Pacific, with prime viewing locations along a few atolls in French Polynesia and on remote Easter Island. Actually, those places will be ...20 great destinations for shopping
Apr 2nd, 2010 at 3:00PM:
Shoppers of all kinds will fall in love with the places that made this list of the top 20 cities for shopping. Whether you live nearby or are planning a trip, this list offers places ideal for anyone in need of some retail therapy.
New Orleans, Louisiana
The French Quarter and Bourbon Street are only the starting point in the unique shopping destinations you'll find in New Orleans. Stroll ...Travel by freighter to the Marquesas Islands
Jan 10th, 2010 at 2:00PM: There are some places that are just better seen by boat. If you don't have your own sailboat or are averse to cruising on a mega-ship, you can still travel by boat around the Marquesas Islands on the Aranui 3 "Freighter to Paradise," a real working freighter that welcomes a limited number of passengers aboard.
It sets sail from Tahiti every two weeks for a 14-day tour of the islands. There ...Shake it like a Tahitian
Nov 21st, 2009 at 3:15PM:
In a language that's mostly all vowels, a bit of interpretive dance helps communicate one's deepest thoughts and feelings. Sad? Lower your eyes. Fierce? Scowl and posture. Happy? Shake it, baby. Travelers have been awestruck by Tahitian dancers ever since they first landed on these dancing shores. The bearded missionaries of long ago secretly loved it and today's MTV backup singers wanna steal ...
10 Tips for getting a tattoo in Tahiti
Nov 20th, 2009 at 8:30AM: Tahiti is one of the world's top tattoo destinations and for a good reason: the Tahitians kinda sorta invented the whole tattoo thing, even giving us the word which derives from the Tahitian tatau, "to strike".
Once upon a time in Tahiti, tattoos were made by taking a comb with teeth of sharpened wood or bone, dipping the tips into natural black ink and tapping it into the epidermis: tap, tap, ...Tahiti Graffiti
Nov 13th, 2009 at 2:30PM: You don't expect rampant urban culture in the sultry South Pacific, but it's there. That's because like it or not, Papeete is a relatively big city that's home to about half the population of French Polynesia, or about 130,000 people. Also, the city will never run out of reinforced concrete walls and frustrated youth.
Tourists are funny about graffiti-we like it in places like Berlin or in ...Tahitian truck treats: the finest fare in town
Nov 11th, 2009 at 11:00AM: Long before "fusion" pulled its hit and run on the foodie fashion world, Tahiti was mixing foreign flavors into her own pot and getting goose bumps all over. Their verdict: Chinese plus French plus Polynesian equals a little bit weird and a whole lot of yummy. Thankfully, this cross-cultural cuisine isn't catering to the Condé Nast crowd since the very best Tahitian eats are served from ...South Specific -- Into Tahiti
Nov 10th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Ritual hazing is common practice in hierarchical societies, as demonstrated in the grand traditions of the Russian army and your local high school football team. As the new kid on the blog, I can expect the mental humiliation and all-in-good-fun beatings intended to shatter my spirit in favor of the greater collective. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the good folks at Gadling have thrown me ...The Brando eco-friendly beach resort to open in 2011
Jul 25th, 2009 at 10:00AM: Did you know that Marlon Brando owned (and now his estate owns) an entire French Polynesian atoll 35 miles from Tahiti? Did you also know that Brando dreamed of creating an eco-friendly resort on the atoll? Well both are true, and by 2011 Brando's dream will be a reality, thanks to Richard Bailey, CEO of Tahiti Beachcomber.
Bailey was a longtime friend of Brando's and had been working with him on ...Photo of the Day (7.18.09)
Jul 18th, 2009 at 8:00PM: If you're traveling to Easter Island, then your visit is surely incomplete if you aren't able to see the Moai statues with your own two eyes. These statues can be found along the coastal periphery of this special island, which is nestled conveniently between the nations of Tahiti and Chile. You can only get to the island through one of these two places too -- or by boat. But what a special place ...Good news for a lucky bride at 30 Rock
Jan 6th, 2009 at 4:00PM: If you think you can write about true love -- your own, specifically -- you have a shot at a honeymoon suite high above Manhattan. Brides magazine is looking to make a lucky couple even luckier, with the winners nabbing a night at the Top of the Rock. In 150 words or less, the mere length of a Gadling blog post, all you have to do is rattle off what makes you and your husband special. A luxurious ...Photo of the Day (06.08.08)
Jun 8th, 2008 at 3:30PM: Wow. There's not too much else that needs to be said about this photo that user Dog Blue took in Tahiti. It's simply stunning. Rather than clutter it up with my words I'll just let you enjoy it. If you have a photo you'd like to share, add it to the Gadling photo pool on Flickr to be considered for our Photo of the Day. ...
