Organized Tours

Several companies offer tours along the coastal road around Tahiti Nui. They're a good way to see the island without hassling with traffic, and they're an especially fine way to spend your first day here, since you can see the island while recovering from jet lag.

If one is scheduled while you're here, I recommend Tahiti Tourisme's Le Tere Faati tour, which takes you around the island via open-air le truck, with Tahitian musicians entertaining you all the way. It stops at waterfalls, a beach, Tautira, the Vapahi Garden, and in Paea. It may not, however, include the James Norman Hall, Gauguin, and Tahiti museums. These all-day excursions leave the Office Territorial d'Action Culturelle (Cultural Center), on boulevard Pomare at Place Toata, at 8am and return at 5:30pm. They cost just 2,000CFP (US$20) for adults, 500CFP (US$5) for children under 15. Check with your hotel activities desk or call Tahiti Tourisme (tel. 50.57.00) to find out the schedule and to make reservations.

Also good is English-speaking William Leteeg's Adventure Eagle Tours (tel. 77.20.03). William takes you around in an air-conditioned van and lends his experiences growing up on the island to his commentaries. Other options include Tahiti Tours (tel. 54.02.50; www.tahiti-tours.com), Tahiti Nui Travel (tel. 42.40.10; www.tahiti-nui.com), and Marama Tours (tel. 50.74.74; www.maramatours.com). They have reservations desks in several hotels. Expect to pay about 5,000CFP (US$50) for a half-day tour and 9,500CFP (US$95) for an all-day tour, plus entrance fees to the museums, other attractions, and lunch, usually at the Restaurant du Musée Gauguin.

For a spectacular bird's-eye view of Tahiti or Moorea, take a sightseeing ride with Polynesia Hélicoptères (tel. 86.60.29; www.polynesia-helicopter.com). The flights are anything but inexpensive, but if you can afford it, they are well worth the price of about 16,000CFP (US$160) for a flight over Tahiti Nui, 29,000CFP (US$290) for a flight over Tahiti Iti, 26,000CFP (US$260) for a spectacular view of Moorea, or 29,000CFP (US$290) to fly out to Tetiaroa, the late Marlon Brando's atoll. Those fares are per person, with a minimum of four passengers required. The flights last between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on where you go. Reserve as far in advance as possible.

Touring Tahiti from Moorea . . . & Vice Versa -- You can take a circle island tour or safari expedition of Tahiti even if you're staying on Moorea. Catch an early flight or ferry to Papeete, go on the tour or safari expedition, and return to Moorea in the late afternoon. Let the tour companies know you're coming from Moorea when you make your reservation so they can meet you at the airport or ferry dock. If you do it yourself, the rental-car companies can have a vehicle waiting on Tahiti. Avis (tel. 56.32.68 on Moorea) has special packages including air or ferry fares and a car on Tahiti, starting at 9,600CFP (US$96) via ferry and a 1-day rental.

By the same token, I would spend a day on Moorea even if I had a short layover on Tahiti. You can easily arrange it yourself by ferry or plane, but you will need a rental vehicle on Moorea (Avis or Europcar will have one waiting for you at the Moorea airport or ferry dock). An alternative is to take a Moorea day tour, such as those offered by Tahiti Nui Travel (tel. 54.02.00; www.tahitinuitravel.com). It charges between 10,300CFP and 14,100CFP (US$103-US$141), depending on whether you fly or take the ferry. Call or book at any hotel activities desk.

Safari Expeditions

So-called safari expeditions into Tahiti's interior offer a very different view of the island -- and some spectacular views at that. Riding in the back of open, four-wheel-drive vehicles, you follow narrow, unpaved roads through Tahiti's central crater, usually via the breathtaking Papenoo Valley. Weather permitting, you'll reach altitudes of 1,440m (4,800 ft.) on the sides of the island's steep interior ridge. The cool temperatures at the higher elevations are refreshing, as is a swim in a cold mountain stream.

Tahiti Safari Expedition (tel. 42.14.15; www.tahiti-safari.com) has been the best outfitter since owner Patrice Bordes pioneered the concept in 1990. He charges about 5,500CFP (US$55) per person for a half-day trip, 9,500CFP (US$95) for a full day. Patrice usually stops at a restaurant in the Papenoo Valley, where you can buy lunch, or you can bring your own picnic. Don't forget a bathing suit, towel, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, and camera. These are popular trips with limited space, so reserve as early as possible at any hotel activities desk.

Pick a Clear Day -- The safari expeditions do not go into the mountains when the weather is bad, and even if it's not raining, clouds atop the mountains can obscure what would otherwise be some fantastic views. It's best, therefore, to pick as clear a day as possible for this thrilling outing. Your best chance for that will be during the drier austral winter, June through early September.