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Taha'a

16.62° S, 151.50° W

Taha'a shares a lagoon with Raiatea and is reached by boat, not plane. Vanilla farms, a slow pace and a few private-motu resorts with views across to Bora Bora make it the quietest stop on most French Polynesia itineraries.

Best season
May–Oct
Getting there
Raiatea (RFP) + boat transfer
Currency
Pacific Franc (XPF)
Typical stay
3–5 nights

Taha'a guides

2 guides

Planning a Taha'a stay

Taha'a shares a single reef-enclosed lagoon with Raiatea, its larger neighbour to the south, and has no airport, no big resorts and very little traffic. The main island grows much of French Polynesia's vanilla and is dotted with pearl farms, while the hotels sit out on the motu along the western reef, looking across the water towards Bora Bora. It suits honeymooners finishing a long trip, repeat visitors and anyone whose idea of a good day is a kayak, a book and an early dinner.

When to go

May to October gives the driest weather and steady trade winds, which keep the motu cool. The wetter months are quieter still and can bring lower rates, but boat transfers depend on calm water, so choppy water can hold you up here in a way it cannot on islands with an airport.

Getting there

Fly Air Tahiti to Raiatea, about 40 to 45 minutes from Papeete or roughly 20 minutes from Bora Bora, then take your hotel's boat across the lagoon. Le Taha'a's transfer takes around 35 minutes and is charged per person each way, recently around 5,500 to 5,800 XPF. Some smaller hotels run boats in daylight only, so a late flight can mean paying for a private launch. Send each hotel your flight numbers when you book.

What fills the days

  • A 4x4 tour of the main island, with stops at a vanilla plantation, a pearl farm and a rum distillery.
  • The coral garden between two motu, where the current carries you over the reef on a gentle drift snorkel.
  • A boat across to Raiatea for Taputapuatea, the UNESCO-listed marae complex.
  • Sunset over Bora Bora's outline from your own deck.

How long to stay

Three nights is our recommendation: one day for the island tour, one for the hotel and the reef, and a spare sunset. Four or five suits a honeymoon or a sailing day. We'd leave Taha'a out of a first trip of nine nights or fewer, because the extra flight and boat take time the other islands use better.

Where to start