French Polynesia: User manual - General Informations and Tips

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BANKS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The official currency in French Polynesia is the Pacific Franc, you'll find it in the form of letters or XPF Fcp. The fixed exchange rate with the Euro is 119.33. (For those not familiar with the mat: from FCP to just divide by 119.33 Euro and Euro to FCP simply multiply by 119.33) The euro is commonly accepted as payment but try to have the local currency with you: it is a form of respect for the country that hosts you, in case you can always convert them back before leaving the airport. In a short time should also be introduced here as the Euro currency (we speak now of 2011) since the Franco Pacific is not an international currency and is only changed here in Polynesia: paper money is like Monopoly. The cards are well accepted in large cities but certainly not to pay for a boat trip or a necklace of shells at a craft center.
The most common credit card, Visa is accepted and used, much less the others, and in particular American Express. To withdraw money from ATMs in Polynesia have verified your PIN and internationally, once again, with the Visa, there are usually fewer problems. Insist with your bank because in most cases will tell you that you have the Pin is fine even abroad is not always so! It 's more convenient to make a withdrawal or a return for a sum larger than many small samples: you will have more exchange charges or levies. The dollar is normally accepted on the 'influx of Americans, being Americans, do not convert in FCP and never see their money is universal. It will still hurt and reluctantly changed if you are not Americans. In any case, bring a bit of cash in euros.
To communicate, you can use the phone booth, and to call for you to call. The Italian mobile operator with normally work, but what now (Dec. 2008) has always worked is Vodafone. Tim and the other on several occasions have connection problems: I can not tell you why but this is the fact. It is convenient to use it to call up the cost of rooming, but is fine for text messages. Familiarize yourself with your operator before you travel. Usually, the MMS will not work.
If you plan to call frequently due to anxious mothers or problems that you leave in Italy, it is cheaper to buy wine in a post card with your local number and then you can use the prepaid international phone cards present here. Once broken down for Italy Wine Card, you can sell it to those who must leave, just write on various travel forums. The Internet is still very expensive in internet cafes, we are on the 40/50 cent per minute until a few weeks ago the links were on 30 / 40 Kb nominal if all goes well and is not subject line. Few months ago came the DSL which travels about 400Kb, but still not everywhere. If you can not help it you know what you find!
LUGGAGE

Air traffic becomes more important each year and, on long trips like the one that will bring in Polynesia, will you at least 3 calls in addition to the interior of an island and another. The luggage will follow your path in 90, 95% of cases.
About the 5, 10% of the cases is to provide for this eventuality by including in the hand luggage the minimum necessary to "survive" a few days: swimsuit, shorts, shirt, underwear etc parts. But do not overdo it. Another suggestion that in some cases has proved useful is to choose a store "visible" and "individual". Most of the luggage has a color ranging from gray to black: a yellow or red background is easily recognizable, or at least you can apply a colored ribbon or a sticker of impact. See you! If possible, avoid luggage already empty and weigh more than 5kg and unnecessarily large. The airlines are increasing taxes on excess baggage max weight you pay very salty. My personal statistics on more than one hundred couples that have come in Polynesia, it tells me that at least 50% of the baggage back in Italy as it has been placed at the start: Never Used!
However, even on what is being used let me advice dictated by the experience of recent years. Do not bring those huge and heavy chenille beach towels / sponge soaking easily than sea water and never dry for real. Better than a sarong and if you beat a small towel used to dry "honeycomb": both are easy to dry in the sun and if you wash them with fresh water and a second wash and dry.
The excellent choice of a pair can be used as examples. Two bathrobes and two small towels microfiber, all in a small plastic container like the one that contains the 3 tennis balls. I do not advertise brands but can be easily found in sporting goods stores.
Most clothes can be rolled up like sausages: believe me, take up little space, are easier to stow and when they rolled out will certainly be less wrinkled than those laid out carefully in a suitcase. Just try it! One last point. It 's a trip to a tropical country where he stayed for most of the time in between costume and sea baths and showers will not have time to mess much, and if you just need a shirt or shorts more, buy them here: in any case remain a beautiful memory of the trip. Add this recommendation in chapter luggage because now a member.
By now everyone uses the digital camera and / or camera, probably you too. Do not forget to bring enough memory cards as well as spare batteries with your battery charger. Not weighs almost nothing and then, also bring the USB cable to download the pictures ... you never know. Unless you have a waterproof case do not forget to take single-purpose machines or similar: do nice photos while snorkeling in the lagoon.
I know that after reading these lines, however, drive out in the unlikely case but does not cost much to give some advice.