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While luxe overwater villas are French Polynesia’s signature attraction, countless enriching adventures await just beyond those dreamy digs. Surf with professional athletes. Paddle the traditional Polynesian va’a canoe. Or ride ATVs from pineapple fields to mountaintop vistas—with a host of hair-raising excursions in between.
To enjoy the South Pacific beyond the overwater bungalow, peruse our French Polynesia adventurer’s guide. It’s packed with excursions and unique stays across four jaw-dropping islands: Tahiti, Mo’orea, Raiatea, and Bora Bora, with a French Polynesia adventure packing list at the end.
Tahiti
Swim hidden watering holes in Tahiti’s Papenoo Valley
The island of Tahiti has two distinct sides: Tahiti Nui, the northwest portion near main city Pape’ete, and Tahiti Iti, the smaller and wilder southern end. The latter is the go-to for adventure seekers, but Tahiti Nui can be just as exhilarating—especially when chasing waterfalls with Tahiti Safari Islander. Vaitea, the outfitter’s owner, leads tours through Tahiti Nui’s Papenoo Valley. Expect eel sightings, river soaks, and the ultimate treat: swimming beneath (and jumping from) hidden waterfalls, with virtually no other tourists in sight.
Take a “surfari” of the waves, reefs, and caves
No action-packed trip is complete without the one-hour drive southeast to Tahiti Iti, home to Teahupo’o, the future site of the Paris 2024 Olympic surf competition. Captain Cindy of Teahupo’o Tahiti Surfari knows the wave better than most. Cindy comes from a well-known surfing family, and she started her “surfari” boat tours to help surf photographers capture up-close content from the legendary Teahupo’o wave. These days, admiring talented Teahupo’o surfers is only part of the surfari experience. Cindy leads intrepid travelers out to the unspoiled Tahiti Iti coast for a full day of hiking across reefs, exploring uninhabited islands, and swimming through lava tubes to reach waterfalls—with many impromptu snorkel stops along the way.
Spend a night with a local family at A Hi’o To Mou’a for serious Tahiti-adventure splendor. The hosts, Aimatarii, Hitinui, and their two children, live on a 4,000-square-meter valley—a wild plot of land guests are welcome to hike and explore. The “backyard” boasts waterfalls, horses, and fruit trees, with the front yard mere steps from the ocean. These cozy accommodations are made complete by each night’s homemade family dinner, with their dogs, cat, and resident duck promising endless conversation starters.
Mo'orea
Surf reef breaks with a professional athlete
Most French Polynesia travelers book their surf lessons in northwest Tahiti, where waves crash right on the shore. But Tahiti’s sister island, Mo’orea, has by far one of the coolest wave-catching experiences: surfing reef breaks. Travelers can get their feet wet via lessons with Prisca Amaru, a former professional surfer who founded Mo’orea’s first surf school, Mo’orea Iriatai. Amaru paddles surfers 10 minutes from the shore to the reef break on her oversized SUP board. From here, guests start with belly boarding lessons, then, if they’re ready, surfing these breathtaking breaks. The trip ends with fresh fruit and juice at Mo’orea Iriatai’s surf shack. Guests can also book a post-surf massage session; Amaru is a licensed and practicing massage therapist.
Take a quad tour to the best Mo’orea viewpoints
Put that adrenaline into overdrive with one of Mo’orea’s most electrifying adventure tours: an ATV excursion with Moorea Activities Center. On this adrenaline-packed journey, travelers barrel along creeks, pineapple fields, and lush forest valleys, with numerous vantage points (via hair-raising climbs) along the way. Guides share the sacred Polynesian beliefs about Mo’orea’s landscapes at each panoramic stop, helping travelers better appreciate their surroundings. An ocean-view farm-to-table lunch and a local jam tasting are the bookends to this surreal outing.
Hike the lush Opunohu valley
Lace up those trail shoes for an awe-striking hike through the thick tropical forests of Opunohu valley. Seasoned guide Teheiarua of Mo’orea Trek is a farmer by trade, but he pursued his longtime dream—launching a hiking company—in 2016. He now fuses both passions by sharing flora intel throughout the trek. Hike options include half-day excursions like the valley’s three-mile Three Pines Lookout, which ends with a valley-view swing, or longer treks to the summit of Mou’a Puta, one of Mo’orea’s tallest peaks at 2,700 feet.
Mo’orea’s quaint beachfront Green Lodge offers built-in white noise—crashing waves—with the chance to spot dolphins and whales just steps from each bungalow. This isn’t your typical overwater bungalow resort, though. The family-owned property keeps its footprint small, with six quiet beach and garden bungalows, plus homemade breakfast and dinner in the lodge’s gathering space.
Raiatea
Learn wayfinding from a Polynesian navigator
No experience grounds travelers in Polynesian culture and history like non-instrumental navigation, known as wayfinding. Raiatea, the center of the Pacific’s Polynesian Triangle, is the best place to experience it. Ancient Polynesians explored and settled the Pacific through wayfinding; their expansion started from this very island. Today, trained Tahitian navigator Tahiarii Pariente, founder of Polynesian Escape, teaches visitors about the art of wayfinding with hands-on lessons, stories, and the life philosophies he garnered from a decade training with some of Polynesia’s best-known navigators.
There are luxe private islands, then there are adventure-centric private islands, and Vahine Private Island Resort near Raiatea offers the latter. The accommodations are stunning, with a sprinkling of three overwater and six beachfront bungalows, but they’re far from the island’s main selling point. Travelers come here to snorkel right from the shore among reef sharks and rays, resting assured there’s a soft place to unwind as they prepare for another action-packed day. Vahine’s team also organizes impromptu snorkel trips to nearby coral gardens, with homemade dinner beneath the stars to conclude each day.
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Bora Bora
Paddle a Polynesian va’a in Bora Bora
If there’s one French Polynesian island known for luxury and splendor, it’s definitely Bora Bora. But the island doesn’t skimp on adventure; take local guide Narii’s Bora Bora Cultural Lagoon Tours as proof. Narii, a native Polynesian, immerses travelers in a host of intrepid experiences aboard his traditional outrigger, such as snorkeling the Bora Bora lagoons. The ultimate adventure treat comes when visiting his family’s motu (reef islet). Here, travelers join Narii on a va’a (Polynesian canoe) for a scenic paddle lesson right off the motu shores.
Few French Polynesia experiences top swimming with manta rays in Bora Bora’s clear, cobalt waters. But these majestic rays, which can reach over 20 feet, are increasingly threatened by climate change, unsafe fishing practices, and unsustainable tourism. That’s one reason the Conrad Bora Bora resort launched an exclusive partnership with renowned nonprofit Manta Trust in 2021. Through this program, the Conrad provides logistical and financial Manta Trust support, while the nonprofit’s resident marine biologist offers educational onsite experiences, such as manta-safe snorkeling and diving, and Manta Trust presentations. These immersions help guests do more than adventure beyond the bungalow; they leave travelers with an action plan to continue helping these creatures back home.
What to Pack
In addition to your typical beach-getaway items, don’t forget to pack these must-haves for your next French Polynesia adventure trip:
