South Seas – General information

Interesting facts about French Polynesia
French Polynesia, a department of France, consists of 5 archipelagos (the Society Islands with Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, the Tuamotu Islands, the Marquesas Islands, the Austral Islands and the Gambier Islands) These cover a total area of about 4 million square kilometers.

Papeete Airport is located on the main island of Tahiti. It is about 17,500 km from Europe. The flight time is about 20 hours.
Entry requirements:
EU citizens do not need a visa. The following are required:
– possession of a valid return or onward ticket, with the required
travel documents.
– a passport valid for at least six months.
– proof of sufficient funds for the duration of the stay.
Currency:
Central Pacific franc: 100 XPF = 0.84 EUR or 1 EUR = 119 XPF (as of 2003).
Money:
Credit cards are widely used in the South Seas, traveller’s cheques are exchanged everywhere by the banks, but on the less touristy islands, only cash (national currency or US dollar) helps.
Mains voltage:
On the Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, the mains voltage is 240 volts / 50 hertz. The connection is made via a three-pin flat plug. Be sure to take a multiple adapter (world travel plug) with you. Voltage in French Polynesia: 220 volts / 50 hertz.
Time:
The International Date Line runs through the middle of the South Pacific, which means that if you fly from west to east, you will arrive one day earlier, and vice versa, you will lose a day. Central European Summer Time shifts the times forward by one hour at a time.
Post:
Letters or postcards from the South Seas to Europe take about two weeks. If you want to have letters forwarded from Europe, you have to have them sent to the General Post Office of the respective country with your own name and enter the note “Poste restante” (post-resting).
Vaccination & Health:
In principle, no vaccination is required for direct entry from Germany.

However, health organizations expect that ten percent of the 6 million inhabitants of the South Pacific have contracted hepatitis types “A” and “B”. While hepatitis “A” is mainly caused by a lack of hygiene, the more dangerous hepatitis “B”, which can even lead to death, spreads during blood transfusions, but also during sexual intercourse.

Therefore, at least the following vaccinations are recommended before the trip to the South Seas: hepatitis “A”, polio, tetanus and typhoid fever (oral vaccination).

Malaria prophylaxis is indispensable when visiting Vanuatu, Papua – New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Dengue fever, which occurs in the South Seas, is transmitted by mosquitoes. It occurs about two to three weeks after infection like a severe flu-like effect.

The medical care in the South Seas is rather poor, the hygienic conditions in the hospitals (especially in Fiji) leave much to be desired, on the Cook Islands and on Tahiti you will find mostly well-trained medical staff.

In the case of more serious illnesses, you should fly out to Australia or New Zealand. Additional travel health insurance should be taken out in any case.

It is recommended to take a small first-aid kit (antibiotics, disinfectants and especially iodine). You should not forget a mosquito net, which can be provisionally attached over the bed.

In Tahiti, the luggage of passengers from Fiji or American Samoa is extensively disinfected (duration approx. two hours). What you need for the first night should be in your hand luggage for hygienic reasons.
Population:
220,000 inhabitants, of which about 83% are Polynesian, 5% Asian and 12% European.
Language:
Cook Islands
The official language of the country is English. In addition, the Cook Island Maori language is widely spoken: Kia orana (hello), meitaki (thank you), tapu (no entry).
Fiji
There are three official languages: Fijian, Indian (Hindi) and English. The Fijian language takes a lot of getting used to. In Fijian, people say: Bula (Hello), Ni sa yadra (Good morning), Vinaka (Thank you), ni sa moce (Goodbye).
French – Polynesia
French and Tahitian are the official languages, but English is also a good way to get around the islands that are developed for tourism. In Tahitian, they say: la orana (hello), maeva (welcome), maruru roa (thank you).
Samoa
English is the official language, Samoan is very similar to the Polynesian language in Tahiti, the Cook Islands and Tonga. Talofa (Hello), Afio mai (Welcome), Tofa (Goodbye), Manuia (Good Luck), Fiafia (Feast), Palagi (White-skinned).
Tonga
Tongan, English is learned at school. In Tongan, they say Malo e lelei (Good day), malo àupito (Thank you), ‘Ofa atu (Cheers), Fale (House), malo e lelei ki he efiafi ni (Good evening).
Travel time:
The best time to travel to the South Seas is between May and October, in the South Seas – “winter”; however, on the Cook Islands, Tonga or French Polynesia you may need a sweater late at night.

In July and August, Australians and New Zealanders spend their holidays on the sunny islands. During this time, Tahiti is also a little tighter due to visitors from France.

Between November and April, during the rainy season with mostly short but heavy rainfall, the climate is hot and humid (especially in Samoa and Fiji), and the risk of cyclones is high. In winter, the temperatures during the day are 23 – 25 degrees.
Security:
The crime rate is low on all islands. Hospitality is very popular. Nevertheless, thefts are also increasing here, especially on beaches. You should take the usual precautions.
Car traffic
Cook Islands
Left-hand traffic, seat belts are compulsory, maximum speed is 50 km/h, please watch out for dogs and pigs on the road.
Fiji
Left-hand traffic, compulsory use of seat belts, maximum speed on country roads: 80 km/h, in villages 50 km/h, sometimes less if the route has been traffic-calmed with road humps.
French – Polynesia
Right-hand traffic, seat belts compulsory. Maximum speed 40 km/h in villages and 80 km/h on country roads.
Samoa
Right-hand traffic. The roads off the circular route are sometimes quite bumpy, the villages with speed bumps traffic-calmed.
Tonga
Left-hand traffic. Maximum speed 65 km/h, in villages 40 km/h. When the king comes towards you in a minibus with a motorcycle escort and blue lights, you have to stop. Hitchhiking is undesirable in Tonga. To rent a car, you have to apply for a driver’s license in Tongatapu for about 5 euros (without any problems).
Cook Islands
For 33 euros (budget or avis) you can get an open jeep on Rarotonga or for about 13 euros/day the popular small motorcycles, for about 5 euros you can get a bike (push bike). If you want to rent a vehicle, you have to pick up an island driver’s license from the police beforehand (about 5 euros). Buses run every half hour around Rarotonga and can be stopped anywhere. A day pass costs about NZ$6. The restaurants along Inselstraße are also regularly visited in the evenings.
Fiji
A rental car with no mileage limit and insurance costs about 50 euros per day. Air-conditioned buses (Fiji Express and Transport Pacific) run daily in the morning from Suva along the Coral Coast to Nadi Airport and back (departing approximately 1.30am). The maximum cost is 18 euros.
French – Polynesia
The cost of taxi rides, especially at night, is very high (about 20 euros for 10 km). In Tahiti, especially in the area around Papeete, you can get around cheaply with “le truck”. If you leave the bus, you pay about 1 euro for the ride. For a tour of the island in Tahiti, a rental car makes sense (about 80 euros per day without mileage limit), on the other islands you can get around well with motorbikes, bicycles or the bus.
Samoa
For the journey from the airport to Apia (approx. 30 km), the taxi driver charges about 12 euros, the bus costs 3 euros. A rental car is available from 35 euros/day. Taxis can be recognized by the “T” on the license plate. The bus service is busy, the ride in the wooden, windowless bodies of hard-sprung trucks is a special experience, which is also acoustically refined by loud pop music. In the villages, the last bus returns to Apia around 2 p.m., and there are very few buses on Sundays. The fare is between 25 cents and 1.80 euros.
Tonga
For the 25-kilometer route from the airport to Nuku’alofa, you pay about 7 euros. A rental car costs about 40 euros/day. Buses run very irregularly.

Diving:
Equipment for dives can be rented. One of the most popular diving areas is the Astrolabe Lagoon near Kadavu Island. The Castaway Island Resort offers its guests its own diving station.
Fishing:
The hotels Beachcomber Travelodge, Fijian, Korolevu Beach and Regent of Fiji operate fully equipped deep-sea fishing boats. Water skiing and horse riding are also possible.
Golf:
Numerous golf courses are available, the most famous are: Fiji Golf Club in Suva, Pacific Harbour, Reef Resort, Fijian Resort, Nadi Airport, Lautoka Club and Denarau Beach.
Gratuities:
Tipping is not customary in restaurants or hotels in the South Seas, sometimes even frowned upon and an insult to the hospitable Polynesians. An exception is the Micronesian islands with many Japanese and American tourists.
Climate:
Tahiti has a refreshing South Sea wind all year round. There are 2 seasons: the hot season from November to March with average temperatures of 27 °C and a cold season from April to October with average temperatures of about 25 °C. The water temperature is a constant 26 °C.
Embassy (France):
Germany:
French Embassy:
Alexanderplatz 5
10969 Berlin
Phone: 030 / 20 63 90 00
French Polynesia:
Honorary Consulate Germany,
Consul Honoraire de la République fédérale d’Allemagne,
BP 452, Papeete, Rue Tihoni Tefaatau -Pirae, Phone 00 689 / 42 99 94

Tahiti has a refreshing South Sea wind all year round. There are two seasons: the hot season from November to March with average temperatures of 27 °C and a cold season from April to October with average temperatures of about 25 °C. The water temperature is a constant 26 °C.
Travel time:
The best time to travel to the South Seas is between May and October, in the South Seas – “winter”; however, on the Cook Islands, Tonga or French Polynesia you may need a sweater late at night.

In July and August, Australians and New Zealanders spend their holidays on the sunny islands. During this time, Tahiti is also a little tighter due to visitors from France.

Between November and April, during the rainy season with mostly short but heavy rainfall, the climate is hot and humid (especially in Samoa and Fiji), and the risk of cyclones is high. In winter, the temperatures during the day are 23 – 25 degrees.

Pacific Flying Fox
The fruit bat or the flying fox is often found in the Koroyanitu National Park. Most of the time, these animals are spotted in the evening when they leave their camps. The Flying Fox flies long distances in search of fruit or flowers and screams loudly all night. The female bat carries her young hanging on her belly.

Another flying fox, the Bekwa Lulu, the Samoan flying fox, can be found in the Koroyanitu National Park. It has a less intense color and prefers to fly alone rather than in groups. This bat can often be observed during the day and in flight.

Wild boars
The wild boar was brought to Fiji and other islands in the South Seas by the first settlers. Most wild boars are black, but there are also animals in white, brown and black coloration. They like to plunder the gardens of the villagers and then flee back into the forests. The residents try to catch the pigs with traps, but this does not bring the hoped-for success. Hunters and dogs follow the tracks. Hunting pigs is not entirely without danger, as the male boar is a defensive opponent, especially when cornered. With his razor-sharp tusks, he has already finished off many an opponent.

Stable Owl
Widespread but only active at night, the barn owl feeds almost exclusively on rodents. Their screams, which can often be heard during the flight, are unmistakable.

Barking Dove
The barking pigeon is a large wood pigeon that is particularly found in Fiji. You can often see them sitting on clearly visible branches. It is best known for its loud barking calls. The barking pigeon feeds on large fruits such as nutmeg and the Sakiki palm.

Red Avadavat
Small groups of Red Avadavat are often found in the grassy plains. The breeding plumage of the male is not to be confused and is characterized by a dark burgundy red with white dots. Outside the breeding season, both males and females are dull brown.

Golden plover
Fiji’s most common immigrant from the north is the plover. These birds usually arrive in large numbers in September and leave again at the end of March / beginning of April. Jule can be spotted regularly on muddy and sand plains on all islands.

Yellow-breasted Musk Parrot
This parrot lives only in the forests of Viti Levu. It is a large and conspicuous bird that frequently emits loud cries. Due to the progressive clearing of the rainforest, the continued existence of this bird is severely endangered.

Carnivorous plants
The nutrient deficiency is great in the jungle. The carnivorous fauna in the form of pitcher plants is particularly tricky. The trapping organs of these species consist of can-like shaped leaves. The nectar scent and colouring of the plant attract insects. The surface of the inner walls is smooth and slippery and the insects and small animals are thus caught. On the ground, the animals are dissolved by the digestive juice and become important sources of nitrogen. Usually, insects, in the case of particularly large specimens, a tree frog or larger centipedes are the victims.
Carnivorous plant
Orchids
Orchids belong to the largest family of flower-bearing plants. Their shape and size varies from 1 cm to more than 5 m. The majority of orichiideas are epiphytes. In addition, there are also terrestrial species growing on rocks. They have exotic flowers with all variations of the colour spectrum.

Each flower has three sepals and three petals. One of them is shaped into a lip. The insects land on it. The shapes of the flowers are extremely diverse and they have been given many popular names.

Taro
The taro plants thrive mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Over 2000 years ago, the first plants were cultivated. After that, it spread quickly. The taro tubers contain about 20% starch and about 3% proteins. In addition, they contain plenty of provitamin A and vitamin C. In addition to traces of fat, the roots contain slimy substances.

There are about 1000 different varieties of the taro plant. After peeling, the tubers are washed in salted water and can be cooked almost like potatoes. The cooking water must definitely be changed once. In the process, the calcium oxalate contained in the tubers is destroyed and remains in the cooking water. Taro tubers can also be grilled, baked or fried. The tubers can also be sliced and dried in the sun. The tubers are also used for starch production and are used to bind soups and bake bread.

Yams
An important source of starch in all markets is the yam plant. It weighs up to 50 kg.

Breadfruit
The breadfruit tree grows up to 20 m high. It stores the starch in the green fruits, which weigh up to 2 kg. The tree has huge leaves up to 80 x 50 cm in size.

Jackfruit
These fruits are similar to breadfruit, but differ from it in their extreme fruits, up to one meter long and 50 kg heavier. The tree grows up to 25 meters high and has egg-shaped leaves. The fruits grow out of both the trunk and older branches. This is also called trunk flowering.

Coconut
Coconut meat is also used to make face creams. The water of the coconut provides important substances that are used, among other things, for organ disorders and constipation.

1502
Christopher Columbus learns from Indians that an ocean stretches beyond the Central American isthmus, but misinterprets the message.

1520
Ferdinand Magellan (Fernando de Magallanes) enters the South Pacific on the western route to the Moluccas through the strait named after him. He gives the ocean the name “mar pacifico”.

1521
Magellan lands on Guam and calls the entire archipelago “Islas de Ladrones” (Mariana Islands, Micronesia).

1616
Cornelisz Schouten and Jaques Le Maire meet the north of the Tonga Islands (Polynesia), they discover the horn group and New Ireland (both Melanesia).

1642-43
Abel Janszoon Tasman discovers Tasmania, New Zealand, the centre of the Tonga Islands, and touches on the Fiji archipelago and New Britain (Melanesia) on his southland journey from Batavia.

1722
Jakob Roggeven discovers Easter Island and the Samoa archipelago.

1764-66
John Byron’s South Seas Journey. It runs through the Tuamotus, the Tokelau Islands (both Polynesia) and the Gilbert Islands to the Mariana Islands.

1766-69
First expedition to the South Seas accompanied by scientists, led by Jean Louis Antoine de Bougainville: exploration of Tahiti (after the discovery by Valais, see below), rediscovery of the Samoa archipelago, the New Hebrides and the Solomon Islands, discovery of the Louisiades (Melanesia).

1766-69
Samuel Wallis discovers Tahiti; Philip Carteret rediscovers the Santa Cruz Islands and the Solomon Islands and discovers the Carteret Strait between New Ireland and New Britain.

1768-71
James Cook’s first Pacific voyage: discovery of the Tubuai (Austral) group and the Cook Strait, rediscovery of the Torres Strait.

1772-75
James Cook’s second Pacific Circles: discovery of the Cook Islands, visits to Tonga and the Marquesas, discovery of New Caledonia.

1776-80
British expedition in the Pacific, led by James Cook until 1779; Discovery of the Hawaiian Archipelago (Polynesia), death of James Cook on February 14, 1779 in Hawaii.

1789
The English captain William Bligh, abandoned by mutineers with a few loyalists in an open boat, sails from Tonga to Timor. He crosses the little-known Fiji Group, discovers its main island Viti Levu and meets the Banks Islands. The American whaling captain finds Nauru (Micronesia) in the same year.

1835
Charles Darwin travels through Oceania with the “Beagle” expedition led by Robert Fitzroy. He clarifies essential natural phenomena on the Tuamotus, Tahiti and New Zealand and substantiates his theory about the construction and distribution of coral reefs.

1838
Tahiti is declared a French protectorate.

1843
Tahiti becomes a French colony.

1874
Fiji becomes part of the British colonial empire. First Godeffroy branches in the Bismarck Chip (Melanesia).

1875-76
German “Gazelle” expedition under Freiherr von Schleinitz: Forschungen im Bismarckarchipel, in der Salomonen-, Fiji- und Samoagruppe.

1885-86
The northern Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands are assigned to the German sphere of influence, the southern Solomon Islands to the British sphere of influence.

1888
Nauru becomes part of German New Guinea, Chile annexes Easter Island, Great Britain declares the Cook Group (territory of New Zealand from 1901) and Fanning, Manihiki and Christmas Island as protectorates.

1897
Hawaii becomes an American protectorate after the last Hawaiian queen Liliuokalani was overthrown in 1893.

1898-1900
In the wake of the American-Spanish War, Guam falls to the United States. The German Empire acquires the remaining Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands and Palau Islands from Spain and finally seizes the Marshall Group and the Samoa islands of Upolu and Savaii. Eastern Samoa (Tutuila and Manua) enters the American colonial empire, Tonga and Niue in the west of the Cook Group into the British colonial empire. In addition, Great Britain receives Choiseul and Ysabel (northern Solomon Islands) from Germany as compensation for its renunciation of Samoa, while Buka and Bougainville remain German colonies.

1900
Hawaii becomes American territory.

1914-1918
Germany loses its colonies in the course of the First World War.

1919-20
The former German colonies are assigned by the League of Nations as mandate territories: the Mariana Islands (except Guam), Caroline Islands, Palau and Marshall Islands to Japan, Nauru alternately to Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, Buka and Bougainville to Australia, Western Samoa to New Zealand and Northeast New Guinea with the Bismarck Archipelago to Australia.

1941-42
Japanese troops conquer Guam, Wake, Nauru, numerous other islands in Micronesia, part of New Guinea and several Solomon Islands.

1943-45
American forces, together with their allies and local auxiliaries, smash Japan’s oceanic colonial empire.

1959
Hawaii becomes a state of the USA.

1962
Western Samoa becomes the first state in the Pacific region to gain independence.

1970
Tonga and Fiji become independent.

1980
The new Hebrides form the independent state of Vanuatu. An attempt at secession by the Nagriamel movement on Espiritu Santo is suppressed with the help of Papua New Guinea and Australia.

1981
Belau (Palau) declares its separation from the other Caroline Islands and strives for an association treaty with the USA, which is adopted by the USA in 1986 but fails several times in Belau due to the two-thirds majority.

1987
Two military coups take place in Fiji one after the other, as a result of which Fiji leaves the British Commonwealth. Fiji becomes a republic.

1992
A new constitution is to help Fiji restore democratic conditions.

1994
Belau (Palau), the youngest nation, becomes the 185th UN member.

1996
After fierce protests, France decides to finally stop all nuclear tests in the South Pacific.

The hotels and restaurants mainly offer French cuisine, but there are also some Chinese restaurants and pizzerias. The typical Polynesian food, on the other hand, is mainly served in families and less in restaurants.

What is offered is what nature offers on the individual islands. All ingredients for the dishes are freshly caught and natural. These include: poisson cru (raw fish), the national dish of Tahitians, as well as baked and grilled fish with homemade mayonnaise and tasty langoustines. Octopus or killer clams are also a delicacy. Meat dishes usually consist of chicken or, in rare cases, fried boobies.

Homemade bread, rice and Schnalz pastries are served as side dishes. Breadfruit, taro and sweet potatoes are also often found on the table. For dessert, fruit salads or crepe polynesia are often found, as well as tender pancakes sprinkled with sugar. Often there is also coffee with vanilla flavor and instead of the usual cream with coconut cream.

Polynesians eat mainly with their fingers. Cutlery is largely unknown and is only served in restaurants. In families, it is often still customary to play music and singing with the okulele after eating.

A special specialty in Polynesia is the Tamaara’a. It consists of a pig that has been fed coconuts. It is wrapped in banana leaves and cooked together with breadfruit, taro and sweet potatoes for a few hours on hot stones in an earth oven. Raw fish is served as a starter.

For dessert, there is poe, a thick porridge made from bananas, papaya, mango and coconut milk.

Bungalows in the style of traditional huts are called bures in Fiji, in Polynesia they are called fales, they offer space for two to four, on the Cook Islands up to six people. In general, you can save money by booking hotels through the airlines in Australia or New Zealand. It is also worth asking for special rates on site. Backpackers now have it a little easier in the South Seas. In Tahiti, there are now some campsites, youth hostels and also inexpensive accommodation available. Also in Samoa, Cook Islands and Fiji there are now some sleeping places (backpacker accommodations) available for about 9 euros, as you can often find them in Australia and New Zealand.

Cook Islands
Because New Zealanders and Australians are so used to it, many rooms and bungalows on the Cook Islands have been equipped with a kitchen. On the other hand, the air conditioning is usually missing. Outside of New Zealand holidays, houses (2 to 3 bedrooms) are rented for NZ$450 – NZ$1,800 per week (e.g. Island Hopper Vacations, tel. 220 26, fax 220 36)

Fiji
The luxurious island resorts are disproportionately expensive, but the choice of budget family accommodation (for the Australian and New Zealand markets) is wide. In Australia and New Zealand you can definitely book a stay in Fiji cheaper than in Central Europe. Backpackers will find acceptable accommodations in Fiji.French – Polynesia

In Tahiti, only the larger hotels have air conditioning, very occasionally the rooms are equipped with kitchens (which noticeably reduces additional costs). A good hotel room cannot be obtained for less than 90 euros. On Bora Bora, acceptable rooms for individual tourists cost an average of 125 euros / day. It is a little cheaper if you book the hotel room (incl. breakfast!) at home or – for the Society Islands – order so-called packages in Tahiti (flight / overnight stay / transfer).

Samoa
Outside of Apia there are very few hotels. They rarely have a good beach. If you want to camp, you have to ask the Matai (the village chief) for permission.

Tonga
Most hotels lack the money for renovations, so the standard is rather mediocre (except for the island resorts), but so are the prices: The rent of a house in Tonga costs between 175 and 500 euros per month (information and mediation via the Tonga Visitors Bureau, Nuku’alofa, Tel. 006 76 / 253 34, Fax 235 07). Camping holidays are not planned in Tonga. You can only spend the night on the uninhabited islands with official permission. Information can be obtained from: Tonga Visitors Bureau.

Camping
There are no designated campsites anywhere. However, you can pitch your tent on private property after consultation with the respective owner.