A scattering of blissful islands

Many people say let's go to Tahiti, when in fact Tahiti is just one of the 118 islands that make up this vast archipelago of French Polynesia scattered across a mere four million square kilometres of the southern Pacific Ocean! 

Despite the distances separating them, the five archipelagos of coral cays and atolls are so tiny that their total land area is just one-thousandth of that area - a mere 4,000 square kilometres.

To make things simpler (or would that be more complicated?) this distant outpost of France is also often referred to as Tahiti and Her Islands. These islands are part of the Society Islands - the name chosen by Captain Cook when he visited them in 1769 on assignment by the Royal Society in England.

Moorea, just a short hop from the island of Tahiti, is sometimes mistakenly cast as the place where the film Bali Hai was shot. It wasn't. It could easily have been, though, as there are similar hills, fuzzy with tropical vegetation and the lagoon looks like someone has painted it that particular brilliant turquoise you see in posters, accentuated by the blinding white sands beneath.

Just below the horizon, a white fringe of surf crashes on the reefs that enclose the calm water, and then a bar of indigo sea, and thunderous purple storm clouds that seem to stay glued in place - forming again each day.

Classic South Sea Island palms lean into every view, creating a romantic ambience, but there is plenty more to see - and taste and inhale in this beautiful place.

French Polynesia is a French territory, a recognised overseas country of the Republic. Papeete is French Polynesia's capital, but despite being half a world away, food-wise it often seems more like a distant suburb of Paris. The roadside stalls, like this one, are subtly different though. Those reef fish would have been squirming in the nets just a couple of hours ago.

But of course French is the local language, and signs are generally in French, so bring a dictionary unless your school French is still pretty good.

Polynesia's rich volcanic soil means these islands can grow almost anything. There are 300 different types bananas alone, as well as avocados, coconuts, papaya, breadfruit (uru), taro and those acidic Tahitian limes which are crucial to the making of Tahiti's classic dish: poisson cru. 

Without doubt red tuna, mahi mahi, coconut crabs, lobster and many other reef and deep-sea fish and crustaceans are the mainstay of the Polynesian diet. The waters are rich in them and fishing is one of the major industries. In the top right of this picture is a special delicacy: huero (the roe of mahi mahi).

Without a doubt poisson cru is Polynesia's contribution to the world's recipe collection - and it has to be one of the healthiest and simplest. There are many versions - possibly as many as there are cooks who make it - and each person or family firmly believes theirs is the best one! Basically it is cubes of fresh white fish flesh marinated in fresh lime juice then tossed with salad and plenty of coconut cream. Delicious!

The best place to see all the local produce is at the Papeete Markets, or any of the smaller local markets around Tahiti or on nearby Moorea. There you will find gleaming banks of fish so fresh they almost wink at you, as well as crabs and local lobsters. Elsewhere are piles of copper-red bananas, or plantains, used for cooking rather than snacking, prickly pineapples, and the mainstay of Polynesian meals - starchy sweet potatoes, cassava, taro root and breadfruit.

Visit on a Sunday morning for the best action when the locals drop in to pick up the makings for those massive family lunches.

Fast ferries link the islands taking day-trippers or tourists heading for another part of their holiday.

There are many places where you can try the local produce and cooking styles, but Painapo Beach at Haapiti is one of the best, serving Polynesian seafood lunches daily and also demonstrating why earth-oven cooking is so popular with locals.

This is uru, or breadfruit, one of the starchy staples of the Polynesian diet. Can you believe that this huge fruit, the size of a basketball, is from the mulberry family of plants?

It seems appropriate that these islands are sometimes called the Society Islands for Polynesians are perhaps the most sociable people on the planet. They absolutely love any excuse for a big meal, and the ahima'a - the Tahitian oven - is the way to go.

Here, meats and vegetables are wrapped in leaves and placed in a pit of hot stones then covered with earth, which allows plenty of time for socialising while the meal cooks. These days families mainly do this for Sunday lunch, but it means everyone is welcome - and can be assured of beginning the new week very well-fed indeed! These breadfruit, a relative of jakfruit will bake here until the skin blackens......

.......then they will be carefully lifted out, the skin chipped away to reveal soft white flesh that smells and tastes surprisingly like fresh-from-the-oven bread!

There is possibly nothing more relaxing than an outrigger cruise on Moorea's lagoon. One of these offers a time to get up close and personal with a stingray. To be so close to these large creatures and seeing them treated with respect and confidence is an awesome experience.

Another great thing to do is to travel into the centre of the island of Tahiti, to its highest point. Local guides can show you the best places for photographs, explain the uses of local plants and leaves and share some of the folklore and history of the islands.

Tucked in amongst these bures is a restaurant with a misty mountain view. Even though the blissful waterside places are so attractive, a day's trip into the interior allows a new perspective of island life.

Coconut milk is the third main ingredient of poisson cru after the fish itself and lime juice, and it is used in many other ways in dishes throughout the country. The juice from a freshly opened young coconut has to be one of the cleanest and most refreshing drinks in the world.

In a culture where wheat and rice is not a staple, the local people have found other starchy foods to supply their carbs. Taro (above), sweet potatoes and yams are popular and are the staples of the local diet, featuring in almost every meal.

Flowers bloom everywhere in the tropical paradise that is French Polynesia. The heavily fragrant tiare flower is the national flower and locals believe that it is also an aid to romance. Wear behind your left ear if you're taken - the right, if you're still looking!

And so we say farewell to the jigsaw-shaped islands that on closer inspection offer so much of interest, delight and relaxation. 

BUT PLEASE DON'T LEAVE TAHITI WITHOUT TASTING:

• coconut crab (and if possible its foie gras)
• huero - mahi mahi roe
• O Tahiti bottled water
• Hinano Beer
• crepes from a roulotte
• breadfruit - especially if baked in a pit oven
• the juice of a freshly opened young coconut
• the local Rangiroa wine
• and of course - poisson cru

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FACTS ABOUT FRENCH POLYNESIA

French Polynesia is a country noted for its great scenic beauty and culture. It is a country attracting thousands of tourists annually.

LOCATION: Southern Pacific Ocean.

CAPITAL: Papeete (pop. 26,000) LARGEST CITY: Fa'a'a pop. 29,800.

POPULATION of COUNTRY: 267,000 (177th in the world)

POPULATION DENSITY: 63 per square kilometre 130th in the world)

AREA: 4,167 square kilometres (175th largest country - about the size of Cape Verde)

CURRENCY: Pacific franc.

CLIMATE: Tropical

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: French (English is spoken by many people) 

RELIGION: Christian                                  

DRIVE ON THE: Right

TIME ZONE: Pacific Time. (GMT +10 )

PHONE PREFIX: +689

FLAG: Red horizontal stripes with central white band and central emblem.

CUISINE: .....read more

MORE INFORMATION: ....read more