Time difference French Polynesia
In French Polynesia, the time is GMT -10. As France is at GMT +01, there is a time difference of -12 hours in summer and -11 hours in winter between Polynesia and the mainland. Example: when it is 11am in Paris on D-Day in summer, it is 11pm in Tahiti on D-Day-1. When it is 10am in Paris on D-Day in winter, it is 11pm in Tahiti, day D-1. However, there are a few exceptions: the Marquesas archipelago is half an hour ahead of Tahiti; the Gambier archipelago, one hour. Easy!
Opening hours French Polynesia
To see / To do French Polynesia
Most of the places to visit in French Polynesia are free to enter, with no entrance fee or schedule. When this is not the case, the opening hours vary from 8 or 9 am to 4 or 5 pm, with a possible break at lunch time. The markets - especially the one in Papeete - are very early and open their doors at 5 am or even earlier! The activity is sometimes restricted on Sundays, but the places of visit are usually open, with slightly lighter hours.
Enjoying yourself French Polynesia
As in France, the lunch hour varies between 11am and 2.30pm in principle. On the other hand, for dinner, don't venture out to a restaurant at 9pm as on summer evenings in Metropolitan France, because except perhaps in Papeete, you often risk finding the door closed! The days are relatively short in French Polynesia, or more accurately, they start and end earlier. We live roughly between 5-6h in the morning and 20-21h in the evening, at the rhythm of the sun. A bit disturbing at the beginning, but we finally get used to it quickly and well! In the capital, the kitchens generally close around 9:30 pm, except in the case of places to go out - Les Trois Brasseurs for example - where we can dine later. Another option: the caravans at Place Vaiete, which can serve until 2am. If your international flight arrives at a late hour, you should also think about the gas stations open 24 hours a day: they often offer a delicatessen section with tasty sahimis and other raw coconut fish, which are very appreciable after almost two days of airplane meals... On the islands, the great majority of the pensions offer half-board; dinners are then served at fixed times around 7pm, with lights out around 9pm.
Take a break French Polynesia
As for restaurants, a distinction must be made between Tahiti and the islands, or more precisely between destinations with a high tourist influx (Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora in the lead), and the others. The time range of bars and tea rooms - when there are any - is indeed wider in the busiest islands, so that one can eat at any hour or so. The establishments open their doors from 7am in the morning and will be happy to serve you tea, coffee or even more for breakfast. In the afternoon, these same establishments are usually open non-stop for a drink or a cold snack. On some islands, only the big hotels boast a dedicated address for a drink, and another for a delicious sweet treat. On others, there are hardly any bars and tea rooms, so only the corner shop will be able to offer you cold drinks, biscuits and sometimes pastries.
(To) please yourself French Polynesia
The shops are normally open from 7:30 to 11:30 and from 13:30 to 17:00 or 18:00 on weekdays, on Saturday mornings at the same times, and sometimes on Saturday afternoons. Grocery stores, small island shops and supermarkets close later and remain open on Saturday afternoons and even Sunday mornings. On Sunday afternoons and holidays, Papeete is a dead city and you will find almost nothing open. Religious fervour obliges, the islands suffer the same fate.
Get out French Polynesia
Polynesia isn't exactly "the place to be" when it comes to nightlife, and the emphasis is more on tranquillity and easy living. Even Bora Bora, with its glamorous dream image, is not at all a "party" destination!
The territory's few nightclubs are concentrated in Papeete, opening between 8pm and 11pm and closing at 4am. Elsewhere, you'll have to make do with hotel bars or a few lounges scattered like hidden treasures. Polynesian evenings are much more like long, friendly exchanges with the owners and other guests of your guesthouse, sometimes with a ukulele bonus. A far cry from rave parties, but just as charming!
