The shining jewel of the Society Islands is the island of Tahiti itself. It is referred to as the “Queen of the Pacific” because it so closely resembles paradise. It is a favorite spot for couples to take a romantic getaway or when they want to book their honeymoon packages in paradise. The island is known for its beautiful sunsets and its clean waters.
When you need to spend some relaxing time away in a place where the rest of the world just seems to fall deep into the background, then this is the island where you want to be. The natives are friendly and the landscape is unlike anything you have ever seen. It is truly a sight to behold.

When you see pictures of Tahiti, you are struck by the distinctive sight of grass huts on the beach that overlook the waters of the ocean. You can spend countless hours with your toes in the sand while an umbrella keeps the sun out of your eyes. It can be a relaxing honeymoon or an all inclusive vacation package that will allow you to spend your time focused on you and your spouse. If it is adventure that you want, then you should try an adventurer’s tour of the island to see all of the excitement that it has to
offer. People have been exploring the wonders of Tahiti for centuries and now it is your turn.

Tahiti is the largest of the Society Islands and has many resorts and beachside properties that you can enjoy. The resorts often feature pageants of local culture that include traditional dances as well as traditional tribal clothing. You can see a tribal ceremony unfold before your eyes and experience something that you may have never seen before. All of the beauty and mystery of the island is tied up in the displays that you will find throughout the resorts and villages.

Tahiti is the highest point in the Society Islands. That means that your travel vacation includes one of the best views in the entire Pacific Ocean. Whether you want to get away for a romantic weekend, plan the ultimate honeymoon package or spend your vacation exploring the adventures of a tropical paradise, this the island you want to visit. Make your travel plans now to make sure that you and your family are part of next year’s exciting Tahiti native experience.

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Currency in Tahiti – Learn About Conversion Rates

The currency in Tahiti is known as the French Pacific Franc, or the Franc of the “Compagnie Française du Pacifique”. Before booking travel packages to Tahiti, you should familiarize yourself with the currency. The abbreviation for the French Pacific Franc is CFP or XPF.

When traveling from a European country, tourists should be aware that the exchange rate with the Polynesian currency and the Euro is at a fixed rate, and it doesn’t fluctuate because of changes in the economy. One Euro is equivalent to 119.33 Pacific Franc, or XPF.

When you’re reserving all inclusive packages to Tahiti from the U.S., the travel agent can explain about the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the Pacific Franc. Currently the exchange rate is 1 U.S. dollar is equivalent to 86 Pacific Franc. It can further be broken down into 1,000 Pacific Franc is equivalent to $11.62 U.S. dollars.

Bank notes for the French Pacific Franc are available in denominations of 500, 1000, 5000, and 10,000. The coins in the Tahitian currency are available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. Foreign currency is accepted in many places including some of larger resorts, but it’s recommended to exchange your local currency.

When you stay at some of the smaller hotels or at any of the overwater bungalows, which are quite expensive, make sure to have your currency converted prior to checking into your accommodations.

Plan to exchange your local currency and traveler’s checks you have. You can exchange them at the airport in Tahiti as soon as you arrive. They’re open later than many of the other places to exchange your currency, and you’ll get a much more reasonable rate. It’s not recommended that you attempt to exchange your currency at the hotel you stay at. The exchange rate won’t be as good and you’ll be charged much more.

Make sure to have plenty of the local currency available because many of the smaller restaurants and shops won’t accept traveler’s checks.

When paying for anything in the smaller establishments, always use the local currency. The exchange rate isn’t as good as using the facility at the airport.

This is especially the case in places like Moorea. You should always make sure to have your passport available to use as proof of identification at any of the banks on the outer islands. Otherwise, you won’t be able to exchange your checks. Be prepared before you leave on your trip to avoid any unnecessary delays. ]]> http://www.tahitihoneymoons.com/blog/tahiti-information/feed/ 0 http://www.tahitihoneymoons.com/blog/south-pacific-island-vacations/ http://www.tahitihoneymoons.com/blog/south-pacific-island-vacations/#comments Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:39:18 +0000 chrisjo http://www.tahitihoneymoons.com/blog/?p=240 Rarotonga – Exotic South Pacific Island Vacations

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As with any other kind of wedding, weddings in Tahiti will take some careful preparation. Begin with finding the best wedding package that Tahiti has to offer. This will take some research, but there are lots of different wedding packages out there. Once you have compared all possibilities, then you can begin to put your wedding together with the help of the planner that you choose – most packages come with a hotel wedding planner. Sine you will be planning your wedding from far away, it is important to think about a few crucial details.

First of all, make sure that you know all about weddings in Tahiti. Do you need a special license? Is this wedding recognized where you live? Don’t assume that your hotel will take care of all these details. Instead, make sure that you ask your planner about these issues. Next, look into practical details. How will you fly your dress and other important articles to Tahiti? Will all of your friends be able to come? What kind of flowers do you want? Did you check to see what the weather will be like during your wedding? This last detail is especially important – Tahiti is subject to various periods of rain throughout the year.

Make sure that you are in constant communication with the hotel and planner of your choice. If you feel that the planner you have been assigned to does not understand your needs, it might be time to look for another planner. However, you should know that most weddings in Tahiti go off without a hitch. Since so many brides say their “I Dos” in this tropical destination, most hotels and beaches are used to these affairs. The most important thing to do is to be sure that you get what you want.

Your wedding is the most important day of your life. Aside from the sun and sand, you want to make sure that all those small details are taken care of. Did you hire a photographer? What about a videographer?

Did you send those save-the-dates at least three months in advance? Do you know what your wedding venues will look like if it rains? Weddings in Tahiti can be amazing events if they are planned correctly. There’s nothing quite like getting married in the sunshine next to the person that you love, so make sure to do it the right way from the start.

Manuae is a small atoll in the midst of the Southern Cook Islands in the South Pacific. Today, the atoll is completely uninhabited. In the middle part of the twentieth century, a copra industry was in place on the western islet of Manuae. Copra is the dried meat of coconuts from which producers can extract coconut oil. A settlement was in place to support this industry. However, by 1976, those that inhabited that island were gone. The island now has no human inhabitants. No boats or airplanes visit on a regular basis. To get there you need to hook up with a charter.

Manuae is now a marine reserve. Sea birds and turtles use the atoll for breeding and nesting. Sometimes, inhabitants of Aitutaki will charter a fishing expedition to take advantage of the rich fishing available off the coast of the atoll. There are dive operators in Aitutaki that will take diving expeditions to explore the lagoon waters as well as the reefs off shore. Since the human population left, the flora and fauna have thrived without them. Visitors can find some of the best fishing as well as the most beautiful scenery. Expeditions are available from Rarotonga as well for diving, filming, and eco-tourism activities. Its untouched beauty makes it an ideal day trip.

Manuae holds the distinction of being the first of the Cook Islands that Captain Cook encountered in 1773. The first name selected for this newly discovered island was Sandwich Island. However, that distinction eventually went to the Hawaiian Island. Instead, Captain Cook named it Hervey’s Island after Lord Admiral Augustus Hervey. In fact, he named all the islands in the Southern Group after Hervey. That changed in the early 1800’s when Cook became the island group’s namesake.

Sitting atop a volcanic mountain, Manuae consists of two larger islets on the edge of the lagoon. The one to the west is Motu Manuae. The one to the east is Motu Te Au Otu. Motu Te Au Otu is the larger of the two. However, the only known human settlement was on the smaller one to the west. The highest point of land is only about sixteen feet above sea level. A coral reef encompasses the atoll on all sides. This makes boat passage impossible. The lagoon, itself, is shallow with drifting sand banks. The atoll sits about half way between Aitutaki and Atiu. It falls under the legal jurisdiction of Aitutaki, however.

 The atoll of Rakahanga lies near the larger island of Manihiki. However, access to this atoll is very difficult. Without an airstrip, the only access is by boat from Manihiki or Rarotonga. The atoll comprises nine islands surrounding a central lagoon. The main islands are Akaro, Moto Ngangie, Huananui, Motu, Mahuta, Motu Okakara, and Te Kainga. The total population of all the islands is just over 120. Many islanders choose to leave for better economic opportunities on the bigger islands. The total amount of land is just over 1.5 square miles. The land is rich in many forms of tropical foods and it keeps the local population well fed.

The main village of Rakahanga is Matara, which lies on the southeast corner of the atoll on the island of Te Kainga. The people of the island speak the Rakahanga-Manihiki language. Europeans first spotted the island sometime in the sixteenth or early seventeenth century. Some claim Magellan saw it first, but there is no historical proof of that claim. The first proven sighting was by Pedro Fernandes De Queiros in 1606. Visits continued throughout the next couple of centuries. When New Zealand became an independent country in 1901, this island was included in its boundaries. It is now part of the Cook Islands.

People rarely visit Rakahanga due to its remote location. Information on the island is hard to come by at times. Locals find the fishing to be excellent both inside and outside the lagoon perimeter. Coconut crabs make their home in the shallow waters of the lagoon. Sea turtles often find places to nest along the shores. Tuna fishing is a popular pastime and a supplement to the island diet. The islands are home to many forms of tropical fruit such as breadfruit and coconut. Taro is also part of the common diet. The local population can exist without external goods.

The islands have people from two separate tribes. Each tribe has seven divisions within its ranks. Many natives have left the island to seek work at Manihiki with the pearl industry there. For those left on the island, they have many modern amenities yet still preserve their old way of life as much as possible. One common custom is to erect a tiny hut over graves. Mourners place the dead person’s belongings in the hut to help them into the next life. That is just one reason to visit this unique place.

There’s no one nation named the Polynesian Islands. The islands make up several nations and protectorates. These include New Zealand, Samoa, Kingdom of Tonga, Hawaii, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna, Easter Island, Cook Islands and Niue. There are what some name outliers such as Norfolk Island and the Pitcairns. Not all the islands of the Pacific Ocean fit into this class though. There are groupings of islands in regions of Micronesia and Melanesia that don’t fit. All the same there are islands in both that conform to the definition of Polynesian.

The primary way to distinguish the Polynesian Islands from others is discovering whose aboriginal population comes down from a civilization that arose in Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa about 2000 years ago. As the populations boomed in these domains, the amount of citizenry grew overlarge for the islands occupied. This is but one agent pressed individuals to search other islands for new habitations. This contributed to undulations of migrations over the Pacific Ocean to the different islands that at present constitute those in this bigger grouping. They dispersed from Hawaii south to Rapa Nui and southwest to New Zealand. They brought their language and culture with them.

The Polynesian Islands bear a basic chronicle of individuals removing and discovering new bases to live on islands far beyond the visible horizon line. The most urgent cause why these individuals moved outbound is the developing populations on their initiating islands. As the islands’ populations grew, they frequently lost complete reach with the domains that they originally came from. Their posterity formulated clear-cut civilizations on each of the islands they occupied. The effect is a rich diversity of civilizations that came from the same commencing point.

In spite of this wide assortment that developed, the Polynesian Islands hold an exceptional place in world culture. A lot of these people hold many of the traditions and customs of their antecedents. They work to incorporate modern ideals with these to carry on equilibrium. This deep tapestry of individuals and culture make a call to these islands a must on any traveling devotees list. From the stone heads of Easter Island to the luau of Sandwich Islands, a rich chronicle supports all the culture that visitors discover nowadays. From the rich family unit culture of Samoa to the rich mythology of the Maoris of New Zealand, the tapestry is thick and rich for those that want to share.

The Bachelorette Finale aired Monday night and Ali found true love with Roberto in magical Bora Bora! Gorgeous overwater bungalows, spectacular mountains and turquoise water that you can see all the way to ocean floor was viewed by thousands and of course Bora Bora became top of mind for many Americans.

Bora Bora’s amazing lagoon stole the limelight and truly showcased one of the most romantic places on earth! If you have dreamed of going to Bora Bora there has never been a more affordable time than now! Just released this week you can fly roundtrip from Los Angeles to Bora Bora from $999*! This incredible deal must be booked by August 14th, 2010. Combine this low airfare with one of our vacation packages inspired by “The Bachelorette”.

‘Bora Bora’ is the definition of romance and you are going to remember your vacation forever!

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