Our stay in Tahiti · Traveling Introvert

If you have been reading my blog, you remember that I have been planning for over 7 years on going to French Polynesia for our 20th anniversary trip. While researching, a lot of people said not to spend as much time on the island of Tahiti. Although I think that the majority of your trip should be focused on another island, I recommend spending at least a couple of days on Tahiti. There are a few quick stops that I recommend, and Tahiti has some amazing waterfalls to hike. Also, although I am not a city person, a stop at Le Marche to do some souvenir shopping is a must!

Accommodations

We stayed at a VRBO on the east side of Tahiti, away from the busyness and noise of Papeete. Although it met our needs, there wasn’t anything particularly special about it to highly recommend. We stayed at an oceanside, private, and cost effective accommodation (I splurged later on accommodations). I recommend finding whatever suits your needs.

Quick Stops

On our way to the VRBO we stopped at the Arahoho Blowhole. It was a quick stop, but I think it was worthwhile. It was neat to hear the rush of the water and feel the force. The beach next to the Arahoho Blowhole is a beautiful black sand beach. RECOMMENDED!

We then went to a beautiful waterfall just around the corner from Arahoho. We drove through a little family community to get to the waterfall. Once you park your car, it is a short walk to the waterfall. Quick stop, but RECOMMENDED!

Le Marche

Le Marche in Papeete is well known for shopping for souvenirs. We stopped by on our way to catch the ferry to Moorea. Besides getting a meal, we just took a glance around and bought a beautiful Tahitian flower crown or headdress. After we came back from Moorea, we stopped again, and bought souvenirs, such as wood carvings, pearls, vanilla, monoi soaps and oils, and pareos/sarongs.

Teahupoo

Teahupoo was on my list of “must-dos” while in Tahiti. It is famous for its big waves that surfers love, and is on the Billabong surf pro tour. I, of course, did not want to surf it because I value my life! I did want to watch the surfers, and experience the waves from the safety of a tour boat. Teahupoo is on Tahiti-Iti (the smaller sister “island” connected on the south side of the main part of Tahiti). It was about a 45 minute drive from where we were staying in the village of Hitiaa on the east side of Tahiti. When we arrived in Teahupoo, it was raining a little, and was somewhat windy. I tried out my minimal french, and discovered that due to bad weather, no one was going out. The tour was canceled. Bummer.

My husband recognized a young man that he had seen in a surfing video. Come to find out, Matahi Drollet is a local professional surfer and had just driven up to check the waves.

Waterfall Hikes

While driving down the main road, there are waterfalls all around. I definitely recommend finding some to hike! Be advised that mosquitos are plentiful back in the jungle, so I recommend bringing mosquito repellent. I would also recommend bringing plenty of water to drink and some snacks. We also brought flashlights just in case. We didn’t bring rain gear, although some may want it (it rained to the point we were soaked through, but it was warm enough that it didn’t bother us).

Fara’ura Waterfall

Our VRBO host recommended a waterfall hike near us. The Fara’ura waterfall is close to the town of Hitiaa on the Mahateaho river. On this hike we actually saw multiple waterfalls, many of which you could stand under, or could swim in the pool at the bottom of the falls. This hike was strenuous, and at parts somewhat dangerous. There were several places where ropes were placed to help you climb up and down very steep areas.

Fara’ura Trail

To get to the waterfall, we drove down a dirt road, until the river crossed the road. Then we parked our car, and walked through the river. There were two more places that the road forged the river before we reached the trail. The trail was not well marked, in fact, just to find the trail was difficult. Fortunately, a man that worked in the area pointed us (literally) in the right direction. The first part of trail was overgrown with thorny bushes. Then we had to forge the river multiple times, and sometimes in places that had a nice current.

Some places we couldn’t find the trail again. In fact, at one point since we couldn’t find the trail we literally hiked up the river. We didn’t make it to the waterfall before we had to turn back so we wouldn’t be hiking in the dark.

Second time around…

The next day we went to Teahupoo, and as you read earlier, the weather didn’t cooperate, so we went back to Hitiaa. After consulting the map again and seeing where we likely missed the trail, we went back to try to get to the Fara’ura waterfall again. The second time around, we found the trail more easily. At the place we lost the trail the first time, we realized that the trail was actually a little stream flowing into the main river.

Once we found the trail again, the hike became more strenuous. In multiple places, ropes were tied to help us climb up (and down) steep areas. The ropes could have been there a while, because at least one of the ropes was a bit frayed. Also, on our hike it had been raining, so it made the trail slippery, so go carefully!

Waterfall success!

After a couple of hours of hiking, we came up to our first waterfall. And then another one, and another! Some had pools we could swim in, and others we could stand in as they cascaded down. After about our fifth waterfall (not sure on the actual number), the trail appeared to continue on to the highest waterfall. We decided to turn around to get back to our car before the sunset.

I definitely recommend this hike! Our hike to the waterfall was the highlight of our time on the island of Tahiti! I loved the adventure, the beauty, and the serenity. Other than the man who pointed us in the direction of the trail the first day, we did not see anyone else. That being said, if you want to be guaranteed that you find the trail, you may want to find a guide! Although I think the Fara’ura waterfall was exceptionally beautiful, consider a less rigorous hike if you are not in good shape or not up for adventure. I would definitely RECOMMEND finding a waterfall in Tahiti to hike to.

To see more from our hike, watch our video.