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Raiatea is known as the Sacred Island |
Many travelers visit Raiatea or Tahaa as a "sidetrip" or "extra Island visit" from their more famous (and more touristed) cousin islands Tahiti, Bora bora, or Moorea.
This means that when it comes to knowing the facts and culture, people, history, economy, etc., they are usually just as naive about these islands as the rest.
Usually they arrive with the simple desire to just relax and take in the Pacific
Island charm. Not long after arriving, however, does the true nature of French
Polynesia begin to unfold for them, as it does with all the Tahitian islands...
A couple of days on Raiatea, Polynesia's "sacred island" or the charming and little touristed island of Tahaa, and they begin to recognize French Polynesia for it's many faces
beyond a mere "Island vacationland." These French owned islands are filled with
a unique energy unto themselves, just as all the other Society Islands. There's no place on earth quite like them...
Of course return travelers and local inhabitants know that. Each lives or
returns to Raiatea and Tahaa for their own reasons...
Raiatea's importance as the religious, cultural, and historical
center of the Polynesian Islands is well known. Its smaller, neighboring sister
Island of Tahaa is internationally known as the "Vanilla Island"- because of it's abundance
of the aromatic export...
This page unveils information, facts, and insight
for discovery of these lovely South Pacific Islands.
Arts & Culture: Music | Dance | Tattoos |
Legends & Myths: (ancient stories, modern myths) |
Note: This page works in tandem with the TAHITI NEWS & GENERAL INFORMATION section where you'll find lots more additional generic information for ALL the Tahitian Islands.
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VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN
Geographically falling right between Polynesia's two most
famous and well traveled islands, Bora Bora and Tahiti, the sister islands
of Raiatea and Tahaa play a central role in all of Polynesia's activities
- Yet both islands remain virtually unknown to the tourist market!
Why is This?
The answer lies with the constant advertising and hype of the two famous
Islands Bora Bora and Tahiti. They seem to be the only islands most tour
companies advertise or talk about. That is for good reason. They are quite
beautiful and charming. However, as a consequence of this constant tourism
influx, they are rapidly becoming over traveled and losing some of the magic
the traveler seeks of the "relaxed and beautiful Tahitian getaway vacation".
Moorea is also now becoming quite well known.
Because of all
this traveling about the more well known islands, Raiatea and Tahaa are finally
beginning to be discovered themselves. The locals have mixed feelings about
this, but, as yet, still remain extremely friendly, unpretentious, and welcoming.
LOCATION-
Located 122 miles (192 kilometers) northwest of
Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, Raiatea and Tahaa lie waiting to be discovered
by the lucky or well planned tourist. Only a 40 minute plane ride from Papeete,
these islands can be visited quite easily with a little
planning. You may even want to explore the close by Island of Huahine - just
25 miles (40 kilometers ) away.
Raiatea, the second largest Island in all of French
Polynesia, is just slightly smaller than Tahiti itself. It's also Tahiti's largest
Leeward Island. The group of Islands known as the Leewards, are part of the larger
archipelago of Islands known as the Society Islands. These Islands contain the
largest and most well known Islands in all of the South Pacific.
Maps
It has proven to be quite difficult to obtain good maps for Raiatea, Tahiti and/ or ANY of her surrounding Society islands or neighboring regions. After much searching, however, TST has aquired the
usage rights of a few of them.
1) Large scale map- Basic map for the South Pacific in regards to its relation to the world's continents.
2)
Nautical Chart- Large scale chart showing the layout of the Leeward Islands of the Society Archipelago including Raiatea, Tahaa, Bora bora, Maupiti, Huahine, and Tupai.
Note: This map is 100 kb's... be patient on downloading time...
WE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE GOOD MAPS WE CAN USE FOR ANY FRENCH POLYNESIAN ISLANDS OR NEIGHBORING AREAS. We will be happy to credit you with the copyrights and/ or link your site. Any mapmakers out there reading this?
BEACHES- (OR LACK OF)
Probably the main reason Raiatea and Tahaa are not particularly known as "tourist
destinations" is because of their lack of beaches in comparison to their more
famous cousins of Bora Bora, Tahiti, and Moorea. This is important to
note because it seems many travelers have beaches in mind when they pick a
South Pacific destination to travel to. So a few words on the beaches of these
particular islands need to be clarified.
Raiatea and Tahaa, in fact, DO have beaches and
a variety of other important features which make them every bit as desirable
to travel! The main island of Raiatea has mostly a rocky shoreline, defined
by beautifully forested backdrops of cliffs and valleys. Tahaa has a few beaches
on its picturesque shorelines, but not many.
Most of the beaches that are
to be enjoyed on these islands take the form of deserted little outer lying
islands known as Motus. These small pieces of
paradise are well known to the locals and make up an important part of their
offerings to the beach hungry traveler. So don't let the lack of main island
beaches keep you from discovering the other fascinations these islands have
to offer. You'll get more than your share of beautiful white sandy beaches!
WEATHER- (AND WHEN TO TRAVEL)
The climate on the
Society Islands of French Polynesia is considered tropical and can be divided into
two basic seasons: the wet season and the dry season.
The wet season (Polynesian Summer), is between the
months of November to April, receiving approximately 3/4ths of the annual rainfall
of French Polynesia between these months. The humidity during this time
can be quite heavy and muggy and cloud cover is common. Storms are frequent,
brief, and unpredictable.(Average rainfall for Papeete is 1800mm). Temperatures
will range from 27- 30 degrees C, with the hottest months being February and
March. Day to night temperature fluctuations are minimal.
This "wet season" is considered the "off season" for tourism.
From a travelers standpoint, this "off
season" may not be the most favorable weatherwise, however the benefits
may tip the scales to the travelers advantage in many other ways: There's
less competition for lodging, activity and sightseeing schedules. With the additional advantage
of lower average pricing for most products and services, it can be considered
that this wet season is easier to travel, explore, and generally, get things
done. There's always the trade-offs to consider...
For you sunworshippers out there, keep in mind that the sun is not on vacation,
but merely less commonly seen than in the drier months. Being a French Polynesian
Island, and tropical, even in the "wet season" you'll definately get
your fair share of sun on Huahine Island. (There are between 2500- 2900 sunshine
hours per year.)
By contrast, the "dry season" - May
through October, is the "on season" for tourism.
This is the Polynesian
winter. Temperatures generally range from between 24-28 degrees C, and rain
is rare. Day to night temperature fluctuations are minimal.
As to be expected, these favorable weather conditions
also bring out the tourists. July is most likely the favorite and most heavily
traveled month for all the Tahitian Islands because of its many festivals and
celebrations during the month long holiday that occurs at that time known as Tiurai. For those interested in Scubadiving in Huahine and her surrounding islands, the dry season is favorable due to increased
visibility.
Tradewinds
Winds will be present in Tahiti Polynesia
no matter the season. The basic geography of all the French Polynesian islands
will always insure this. Most days in Tahiti will include some type of light
wind, oftentimes picking up toward the latter part of the day. For the most
part, these winds will always be considered a blessing. The feeling of a nice
pacific breeze on a hot day is very refreshing and will always be appreciated.
There are two common trade winds affecting Tahiti Polynesias
weather and travelers: The dry season's mara' amu, and the wet
seasons toerau. The mara' amu is a southeasterly blowing tradewind
most common during the winter months (dry season), of June, July, and August.
These winds can be a bit more persistant than you may be prepared for, bringing
with them sudden downpours and cooler temperatures. Be advised to pack an extra
windbreaker...
As for the toerau, these winds are less common and blow
in a north- northeast direction and occur during the wet season months.
Cyclones
The Pacific Ocean surrounding all the Tahitian
Islands, with it's thermal currents interacting with the various jetstreams
(air currents) can produce winds of terrific magnitude. Cyclones (another word
for Hurricanes) are always a cause for concern for those inclined to worry.
Take heed. French Polynesia has had its share of cyclones. (although the frequency
of them seems to be far less than other parts of the world which are prone to
them, such as the southeastern seaboard or midwest states of the United States).
The last powerful cyclone that caused considerable
damage to Tahiti and many surrounding islands was in 1982. Tahiti Sun
Travel provides you with this telephone number to check on weather
updates for the region: (689) 36.65.09
(We are working on providing an online weather checker for the future.)
There are two common trade winds affecting Tahiti Polynesias weather and travelers: The dry season's mara' amu, and the wet seasons toerau.
The mara' amu is a southeasterly blowing tradewind most common during the
winter months (dry season), of June, July, and August. These winds can be
a bit more persistant than you may be prepared for, bringing with them sudden
downpours and cooler temperatures. Be advised to pack an extra windbreaker...
(For more info. on what to pack, see the Travel Tips section)
As for the Toerau, these winds are less common and blow in a north- northeast
direction and occur during the wet season months.
FAUNA- (WILDLIFE IN GENERAL)
Bad
news for all you animal lovers... you'll not be photographing many wild or
fascinating South Sea mammals here. The Polynesian islands don't have a lot
of natural wildlife, aside from birds and of course, a magical array of Marine
life creatures. Why is this? The islands are so lush and their interiors so
undeveloped, you may wonder...
The answer lies within the origins of the islands
themselves. Volcanic in nature, these islands literally sprang up in the middle
of nowhere, far from any surrounding land masses where any other land creatures
could habitate from. The only mammals on the islands today are those that
were brought over by the human navigators who populated these islands, both
native Polynesian, and Europeans.
The list of land mammals is rather short. All the
usual suspects are here: horses, cows, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats, and of course,
rats. It seems there is one exception to this mundane list: the wild pig...
some of 'em must have got away from their captives long ago and hankered for
life on the wild side... good for them!
On the other hand, there are quite a number of bird
species here, with some of the less inhabitated islands such as Tetiaroa,
Mehetia, and others having breeding grounds for future health of the species. Thankfully, most of the critical habitat bird breeding grounds are protected
by the government and looked after with care.
Dogs
Dogs, dogs, dogs, and more dogs!
All Tahitian islands boast a fairly healthy dog population and Raiatea & Tahaa are no exception. As with most dogs of Polynesia, no matter what island they're on, they ALL SEEM 
TO HAVE THE SAME PARENTS! They all have that "generic dog" look common in many third world countries.
Basic browns, or spotted of a thousand colors, most are classic mutts, many of which seemingly wander around carefree and owner-free amongst the homes and businesses of the populace.
Most locals seem to regard them with a casual nonchalance- not unfriendly, but not particularly worried about their well being either... Occasionally, (more so on Tahiti than the other islands), you will see a purebred animal as a family pet, but not often.
So be it. Woof, woof. In Polynesia, compared to other countries, a dog's life could be worse...
Crabs
Yes, crabs- Coconot and Hermit crabs, that is...
Q: Why a separate section for crabs, you may ask? A: 'Cause we like the little buggers... we'll have lots of interesting facts and crab trivia in
the future.
Marine Life
Of course, any time spent in Polynesia will reveal
to the animal lover the true source of wildlife fascination here: the exquisite
marine life.
There are nearly 500 species of fish within the Tahitian island waters,
along with other amazing creatures such as sea turtles, dozens of sharks species,
and the ever so popular dolphin (the "flipper" kind), porpoises,
and the hugely popular humpback whale topping the list of marine mammals.
Interestingly, there are NO pinepeds.
See Raiatea's SCUBA section for more information on marine life.
FLORA- (PLANTS & FLOWERS)
Information on this subject coming soon including information about the famous and saught after Noni plant...
ECONOMY
Information on this subject coming soon...
SOCIETY & PEOPLE
Information on this subject coming soon...
HISTORY
Information on this subject coming soon...
LEGENDS & MYTHS
Information on this subject coming soon...
ABOUT
THE OTHER ISLANDS
Get the details About
the other Islands of
An Internetwork of Travel and Tourism Guides for the Main Islands of Tahiti
Polynesia.
CONTACT
US
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