Exclusive Editor’s Tips:

Skip the restaurant and go trucking

Head to the food trucks, or roulottes as they’re called here, for a cheap and cheerful alfresco dinner. They’re scattered around the island but one popular spot to scout them is Place Vai'ete (Vai’ete Square) by the Papeete waterfront, where the grills fire up at 6 p.m. daily. Pizza and burgers are always options, but the Tahitian-Chinese roulettes tell a fuller story of the island’s unique cultural cuisine — influenced by French colonization and Chinese immigration in the 1800s. Chez Foung Yune and Roulotte Kim serve fusion dishes such as poisson cru à la Chinoise (a Chinese variation of the classic poisson cru with rice vinegar and ginger) and ma’a tinito, a combination of pork, beans, and macaroni. 

Visit the Notre Dame of Papeete

A stroll around downtown Papeete reveals a long, storied history via its colorful colonial architecture — from Spanish explorers in the 16th century to British and French missionaries in the 1800s, which coincided with French colonization and Chinese immigration. See landmarks like the Notre Dame Cathedral, town hall, and the bustling 155-year-old Papeete Market, where you can pick up affordable souvenirs, all manner of street food, and fresh tropical fruits. If visiting on Sunday, peek inside the peach-hued Protestant Church of Paofai on the waterfront to observe the Sunday service; churchgoers dress their best and sing in acapella harmony. For a wonderful self-guided walking tour, download the GPS My City app to your smartphone before setting out.

Swim with reef sharks

Take an easy 45-minute ferry to the verdant island of Moorea, a naturalist’s paradise with lush mountains, jagged peaks, and a spectacular lagoon ringed with a teeming coral reef. Opt for an intimate boat tour with Voila Moorea, a family-run tour operator with a small sailing catamaran, Taboo. With just eight guests, expect to sail the lagoon, snorkel with reef sharks and stingrays (of which there are many), and explore the underwater volcanic stone tiki sculptures by local artist Tihoti Guy. Easily done in a day, you’ll be back in Papeete in time for dinner. Book online in advance, and if possible, call or text a day before to confirm pick-up and drop off from the ferry terminals.