If you watched the latest Disney movie "Moana", you will absolutely fall in love not only in the characters and the plot but also the wonderful Polynesian Islands featured in the film. In the real world, Polynesia is a sultry place with towering mountains with moss-covered peaks and clear and vivid lagoons will full shades of turquoise. This place is a must visit and is a 'last place to visit on Earth' material, because of that, we made a short list of thing you need to know about Polynesia.
Polynesia Is Too Large To Explore In A Single Trip
Polynesia is made up of 4 200 km of land that formed five archipelagos that cover nearly 2.5 million square km of South Pacific Ocean. All in all, Polynesia has about a dozen of named islands plus other unnamed ones each with its own beauty. You would easily be overwhelmed by the sheer number of the islands and choosing just a few will be a pain.
Polynesia Is a French Territory
Polynesie Francaise as the French says or French Polynesia in the common tongue has been a French protectorate since 1847 and became a colony in 1880. Nowadays, Polynesia is considered as an 'overseas country of France' with a population of almost 250, 000 where 83% are Polynesians. As per Expedia, the capital of Polynesia is Papeete where you can find Tahitian black pearl jewellery. Considering that it is a French territory so travelling there is as easy going to Europe.
Language Barrier is a Real Deal
When travelling to other countries, language barrier is one of the common problems encountered by tourists and in Polynesia there is no exemption unless you're French. If you're planning to visit Polynesia and can't speak or understand some basic French, you better study first. Though the place is celebrated as a major tourist spot, you can rarely see a local that can speak a few English. Even in the immigration and airport officials rarely use English.
The Best Parts are Outside of Tahiti
Polynesia is synonymous to Tahiti for others however, they are gravely mistaken. Tahiti feels like a very magical tropical island just by hearing the name itself and it is all true. The place is beautiful and heavenly but compared to other islands, Tahiti is very much well developed. There is traffic where the streets are full of trucks and noise like a typical US city with everyone speaking French. Other places is much different where you can be one with the nature where cycling is the main means of transportation.
It's Cheaper than You Think
Travelling to Polynesia on a budget sounds sceptical to others considering the vast area and how the islands are scattered from each other. According to Nomadic Matt, the budget for visiting Polynesia is not so expensive and it will be roughly the same when you will go to Maldives or the Cook Islands. There are lots of guest houses with nightly rates that start at $50, though to be honest, there are also rip off expenses in the islands. Aside from cheap accommodations, food is not super expensive and a 10-15$ budget a day will surely fill your belly without sacrificing the quantity and quality.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
