8 Dreamy Things To Do in Tahiti on Your 2023 Tropical Vacation

25.07.2023 - 10:40 / matadornetwork.com

French Polynesia, often just called “Tahiti,” in reference to its capital island,  is just a speck in the ocean on a world map. The 118 islands and atolls that make up the region are remote from the rest of the world — it’s a seven-hour flight from Los Angeles. The location is perhaps why, historically, Tahitians were some of the world’s best navigators. They sailed between Tahitian islands and nearby neighbors as early as 200 BC in narrow outrigger canoes called va’a.

In recent years, tourism has brought people from around the world to these paradisiacal islands. French Polynesia actively leans into that tourism boom by leveraging its culture and traditions to appeal to global travelers anxious to trade in their laptops and team building sessions for lagoons and tiki statues.

If you’re thinking about visiting these idyllic South Pacific islands, here are eight of the best things to do in Tahiti across the country’s islands.

Photo: Suzie Dundas

The ubiquitous poisson cru isn’t a complicated dish — raw fish, fermented coconut milk, lime, onion, and copious amounts of salt and pepper — but the combination serves many purposes: It’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner; it’s a midday snack; it’s a hangover cure. It’s also delicious and easy to find across all islands in French Polynesia. The best way to eat it is when the fish is as fresh as possible. Fortunately, fresh fish is easy to come by in a country of 118 islands.

Most restaurants will have poisson cru on the menu, though it’s especially good at local mom-and-pop restaurants where the fisher and the chef are the same person. Poisson cru is one of the country’s first dishes, though it’s likely not quite the same as when Tahitians made it hundreds of years ago with fafaru (fish left to ferment in seawater in the sun for a few days) and unflavored coconut milk. Poisson cru is now made with spices, and the exact recipe varies depending on whether you’re at a luxury or budget restaurant. It’s sometimes served with rice but can be a stand-alone dish — perhaps paired with a local Hinano beer.

Photo: Everett Collection/Shutterstock

As you may have guessed from the name, French Polynesia is a French territory, and it’s long attracted French people searching for something a little less crowded than the streets of Paris. One of the country’s most famous expats is the post-impressionism, early fauvist artist Paul Gaugin, who traveled to Tahiti in 1891. Gaugin eventually settled on the remote Marquesan island of Hiva Oa. He left behind a wife, children, and a lackluster reputation as a failing and underselling artist.

Gauguin didn’t endear himself to the local missionaries or the church leadership, which primarily controlled the island then, but he did immerse himself in the