Destinations : French Polynesia : Rangiroa-Tuamotus

About Rangiroa-Tuamotus

Rangiroa (meaning "Vast Sky" in Tuamotuan) or Te Kokota, is the largest atoll in the Tuamotus, and one of the largest in the world. It is located in the Palliser group. The nearest atoll is Tikehau, located only 12 Km to the West.

The atoll consists of about 250 islands, islets and sandbars comprising a total land area of about 170 km². There are approximately 100 narrow passages, called hoa, in the fringing reef. The lagoon is approximately 1600 km². It is so large that it has its own horizon. The chief town is Avatoru, located in the northwestern part of the atoll.

It is certainly economic activity pricipale of the island: daily connections with Tahiti, a lagoon exceptionnnel and passes which are sites of scuba diving attract a steady number of tourists. These are accommodated in some hotels and guesthouses.

Features

It is the only atoll in French Polynesia where wine (red and white) is produced.

Sedentary dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) regularly play group in the Tiputa Pass. They can be viewed from the mainland but it is also one of the few places where they can be approached in scuba diving.

Rangi, as it is known to divers, has one of the best dives in the world in the Tiputa Pass, which lies at one end of the one main road and runs 3.5 km to the Avatoru Pass.

Tuamotus

Life for the 15,000 residents of the Tuamotus is very simple and the people live in harmony with the sky, the sea, the lagoon and the creatures that reside within the waters and on the beaches. The lagoons contain many black pearl farms, and fish parks and the favorite mode of transportation is the outrigger canoe or the motor boat. Snorkeling and scuba diving are a way of life for the Paumotu people in the Tuamotus. The waters of the Tuamotus are the snorkler's and scuba diver's dream. Whether you opt for shallow, ocean or drift dives, the underwater scenery is guaranteed to be some of the most spectacular you've ever seen.

Rangiroa, largest of the atolls, offers the adventurous traveler the rare opportunity to live amid the wild beauty of the Tuamotus. The incomparable brilliance and colors of the lagoon from jade-green to purple, completely overwhelm the visitor who discovers this long ribbon of islets way out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. You'll find an array of daily aquatic excursions and activities from which to choose. Windsurf on the clear waters of the great lagoon. Snorkel beneath them, letting the tidal currents propel you amidst the fabulous variety of aquatic life. The waters off Rangiroa are especially rich in mahimahi and marlin. Cast your line and make a catch.

Rangiroa is world-renowned for its excellent diving sites. A variety of large species swim these waters, including black-tip sharks, gray sharks, white-tip reef sharks and giant manta rays. Dive operators in town offer instruction and lead dives into the lagoon, the passes and open sea. Night dives are also possible.

Avatoru is the main village of Rangiroa and here there are the main government buildings, including the Mayor's Office, the Post Office, the Pearl Industry Research Center together with a mother of pearl and pearl culture Crafts Center, and two churches (with a small open-air altar under a grove of trees).

The other village is Tiputa, which has houses ringed with bleached coral and fenced with flowering hedges with a beach that permits to watch wild dolphins play in waves, leaping, twisting, and splashing, singly, in pairs, and in groups.

The most important source of income in the Tuamotus is from the cultivation of black pearls and the preparation of copra. (Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut from which then coconut oil is extracted by grating or grinding copra, and boiling it in water). Agriculture in the islands is predominantly subsistence in nature; staples include yams, taro, and breadfruit.

Eating and Drinking

French Polynesia has some of the finest cooking in the world. Not only is there the traditional Polynesian food, with its abundance of fresh seafood, fruit and vegetables, but there is exquisite French cuisine.

The national drink is beer, but the choice of alcohols is endless and tropical cocktails are excellent as they are made with the local fruits. Wines are widely available, both in supermarkets and restaurants. Good French wines can be found at reasonable prices.

Nightlife

Rangi is known mainly for its water activities. There is not much nightlife- pretty much everyone goes to bed by 10 pm. We recommend to dinner by candlelight in a thatch-roofed restaurant facing the now dark lagoon, where the fish is delicious and listening to local "band" playing wooden percussion instruments and strumming ukeleles, guitars and other guitar-like instruments, singing Polynesian songs.

As the Tuamotus are sparsely populated, social life on the atolls revolves around your hotel, where you'll enjoy the companionship of fellow adventurers from around the world.

Rangi is personal, personable and friendly, is quieter and less developed than other Society Islands and there is no news service, so you really can remain oblivious to the rest of the world.

Hotels in Rangiroa-Tuamotus

The Best Boutique and Design hotels in Rangiroa-Tuamotus : Hotel Kia Ora,