Mini-Guide --------------- Vacationing in Tahiti Travel Tips General Information Calendar of Events Weather in Tahiti --------------- Baskets Birds Black Pearls Black Pearls Farming Black Pearls Culivation Black Pearls Mystique Bligh, William L.A, de Bougainville Bounty Mutiny Breadfruit Canoes Churches --------------- Coconut Palm Contemporary Art Marquesan Artistry Cook, James Dance Diving French Polynesia Fare Fish Hooks Food --------------- France & Polynesia Gardens of Eden Gauguin, Paul Hall, James N. Heiva Festival Hinano History Island or Atoll? Lagoon Fish --------------- Language Leis and Hei Le Moine, Charles Literature Mamaru Gowns Marae Matisse, Henri Melville, Herman Michener, James Monoi Movies in Tahiti Musical Instruments --------------- Navigation Omai Operation Bobcat Pandanus Papeete Market Pareo People Poisson Cru Polynesian Art Raau Tahiti Rock Art Les Roulottes Shells Shopping --------------- Stamps Stevenson, R.L. Tama'ara'a and Ahima'a Tamanu Oil Tapa Cloth Tattoo Tattooing Tiare Tiare Apetahi Tifaifai Quilts Le truck Vanilla Wallis, Samuel Weddings Woven Hats

Coconut Palm Much more than the perfect adornment for a white sand beach, the coconut palm plays an important role in the Tahitian way of life. Water from young coconuts makes a refreshingly cool drink, a cooking ingredient, and can even be used medicinally. Mature, dried coconut flesh becomes copra from which coconut oil is extracted, and was once the mainstay of island economies. Contemporary Tahitian Art Today a thriving international and local art market exists in these islands which once ignored Gauguin. European painters living in Tahiti, such as Ravello, Saquet, Yrondi and Deloffre, work in many different styles as do Polynesian artists Make, Marere, and Temauri-Masson. The widest selection of art galleries is on the islands of Tahiti, Moorea and Raiatea. Marquesan Artistry Among the most refined in the Pacific islands, the Marquesans' early artistic style depicted their strong cultural heritage. The early islanders crafted powerful war clubs, finely carved wooden bowls, fan handles, and tikis of both stone and wood. The tiki face is believed to be the MarquesanÁs genealogical link to his ancestors and the gods. Captain James Cook Considered by his peers to be the best navigator and explorer of his time, Cook was sent by the British Admiralty and Academy of Sciences on three voyages of discovery in the Pacific. Tahiti was included in each of these voyages, and he played an important political role here by favoring the domination of the Pomare Dynasty. Dance Tahitian dance, an art form of an extraordinary vitality, is one of the best ambassadors of the Polynesian culture around the world. While you're in Tahiti, you'll inevitably be invited to dance the tamure. Named after a popular post-war song, the tamure is the dance practiced by couples during feasts and in dance shows. Diving French Polynesia Tahiti's underwater world is just as lush, varied and colorful as her above-water scenery. Scuba divers can expect to cruise the aquamarine lagoons and cobalt depths alongside tremendous numbers of brilliantly hued reef fish, shy eels, schools of shimmering jacks and barraduca, graceful turtles, even manta rays and sharks. Everywhere in French Polynesia, the turquoise lagoon waters are warm and inviting, and the marine life is simply abundant. It is among the Tuamotu atolls, though, where the best diversity of marine life occurs, for the more experienced divers. There, the nutrient-rich waters that flow through the passes from the outer reef into the lagoon hold myriad underwater adventures with soaring manta rays and cruising sharks. There are established dive shops on each island, offering a range of opportunities for every level of diving experience. Most also offer diving certifications or resort courses for uncertified divers. Fare Traditional Polynesian homes, fare, were constructed of tree trunks and branches and topped with coconut palm and pandanus. Built in different sizes according to their use, today fare lend their styling to the charming bungalows of Tahiti's unique resorts. Fish Hooks Usually carved of mother-of-pearl and shaped with coral files, Polynesian fish hooks varied in shape according to the catch... small hooks were for shallow water, while big fish from the barrier reef were lured with large wooden hooks sharpened to a point. Food and Restaurants Dining is a delight in these islands where an abundance of seafood, tropical fruits, and fresh vegetables are treated to the culinary skills of master chefs, or conjured up into age-old Polynesian recipes. Numerous French, Chinese and Tahitian restaurants can be found throughout the islands, mostly on Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. And, of course, there's gourmet picnics on offshore islets, snacks in outdoor cafes, and succulent traditional feasts. Tahitian Recipes The abundant papaya, either ripe or green, is always as close at hand as the garden just outside the door, in Tahiti. Papaya Jam Choose ripe papayas, peel, remove the seeds, and then cube the raw fruit into a pan. (About 4 cups of raw fruit will yield 2-3 pints of jam.) Cook until tender, with just enough water to prevent burning. Add 3 cups sugar, stirring until dissolved, plus 1/2 of a vanilla bean, and the juice of a lime wedge to the fruit. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, to a strong, rolling boil as the mixture thickens. Remove from heat, skim off the foam and immediately ladle the jam into hot, sterilized jars, and seal. Savor the juicy sweetness of papaya jam, added to baguette slices and croissants. Green Papaya Salad Select one firm, medium-sized green papaya for each 4 servings. Peel the fruit, cut in half, remove the seeds, and then grate finely. Sprinkle with olive oil and the juice of 2 limes. Salt and pepper to taste. For a spicier flavor, add fresh (or oil preserved) hot peppers. Line a small plate with greens, and mound the fruit on top for a delicious salad.