Accomodation
Take these tips into consideration when booking your stay in French Polynesia. Your wallet will thank you!
Glossy brochures focus on ultra-swish resorts but French Polynesia actually has a pretty wide range of accommodation options. You can keep lodging costs down by staying in small guesthouses and pensions (homestays) that are sprinkled around the islands. They’re nothing glamorous or ostentatious, just modest operations that blend perfectly into the tropical surroundings. At the cheaper end of the scale (around US$80 a double), they consist of simple, local-style bungalows with cold showers and thin walls. Upmarket versions (plan on US$100-120) have lots of amenities and are more comfortable. These options are generally excellent value, and they offer good opportunities for cultural immersion; they’re mostly family-run operations (which ensures your money goes straight into local pockets) and provide much more personal, idiosyncratic experiences than hotels – the perfect island experience.
Your Best Bet
Most pensions are in scenic locations, tucked away in greenery-cloaked hills or near the ocean. In the Tuamotu archipelago, they feature a fab lagoon frontage – at US$90 a double, how does a bungalow facing the turquoise waters of the lagoon sound? Good news, too, for those who want to spend their holiday under canvas: French Polynesia has a smattering of camping options around. Don’t expect full-blown camp sites, though; generally it’s a matter of guesthouses having areas where you can pitch your tent and allowing use of the facilities. The price? Around US$15 per person.
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