Tahiti Feature

As most travelers stay in a hotel in or within 10 mi of Pape'ete, they start their explorations in the city. A walking tour should start at Place Vaiete (near the tourist office) and proceed south along Boulevard Pomare where you can stop at the Centre Vaima shops, the Robert Wan Pearl Museum, the Paofai Protestant Temple, and the Place To'ata and cultural center, then turn around and walk back again along the waterfront side looking at the outrigger canoes, the cruise ships in port, the yachts, and the Moorea ferries coming and going. Finding yourself back at the tourist office, wander along either the Rue Francois Cardella or the Rue Du 22 Septembre for a block to come to the Pape'ete Public Market, where you can buy just about anything. Then walk to the Notre Dame Cathedral and any of the other sights, including the Territorial Assembly (French Polynesia's parliament), the Presidential Palace, and Pape'ete City Hall.