Back in March I found a last-minute $500 round trip flight from San Francisco to Tahiti. It was the perfect way to escape the winter and ride in one of the world’s most dreamy destinations. I haven’t seen anyone talking about biking in French Polynesia, so I wanted to share some information about the trip!
https://preview.redd.it/gypi8bw0pzhb1.jpg?width=6000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87751ede5e979c90002af7789ca3a619739570cd
We called this trip “bike tour lite” because it wasn’t a traditional tour. We ended up spending the first and last nights on the island of Tahiti and five nights on nearby Mo’orea.
Because of this, the only time we had our bikes fully loaded was when traveling from island to island on the short 30 minute ferry. Other than that, we did day rides. Most day rides were only in Mo’orea as the cycling infrastructure in Tahiti is not very good.
But even though it wasn’t a bike tour in the traditional sense, it was awesome to have our bikes in French Polynesia for day rides. It turned what I thought was an extremely expensive destination intro a budget-friendly one, and we were able to ride all over the island of Mo’orea. The entire island has a paved bike lane around it and we felt totally safe. The beaches are truly incredible and the snorkeling was out of this world!
Our accommodation in Mo’orea was only $500 total for five nights. There were three of us splitting that cost, so it was insanely cheap for French Polynesia (although there was no air conditioning). We ate primarily at food trucks (called roulettes), which had things like crepes, stir fry, and BBQ fish. The food was way better than I expected.
​
https://preview.redd.it/b5crwckmszhb1.jpg?width=5875&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1151243921cf9aaabb84ae083e3f99ae048a129
Although we only visited two islands, I already can’t wait to go back and cycle around other islands in French Polynesia like Huahine and Bora Bora. I was shocked at the low prices on the airline French Bee, so if you’re looking for a tropical place to ride your bike this winter, I’d definitely recommend flying to Tahiti!
We flew with S&S coupler bikes on French Bee so only paid a standard luggage fee. I believe they charge extra for bikes if in a regular-sized bike box.
I wrote a more detailed trip report and guide on my blog too! [https://discoverbiketouring.com/2023/04/10/biking-french-polynesia/](https://discoverbiketouring.com/2023/04/10/biking-french-polynesia/)
by DiscoverBikeTouring