Archive for the ‘Oceania’ Category

The Early European-Influenced History Of Tahiti

Tahiti – just the name sounds exotic and Tahiti’s original name was known as Otaheite by it’s people before it was changed. Like most places the Europeans have influenced the cultures of most places the islands of Tahiti were no exception. To travel back in time to recount the history of Tahiti one doesn’t really have to travel any further than the 16th century to understand its history relative to its influence by Europeans.

Tahiti’s “modern day” history, so to speak, starts in 1525 when Europeans and the natives on the Tahitian islands made contact with each other through the travels of daring, sea-faring European explorers. And while no official landing on the isle of Tahiti is recorded for us, the native Tahitians belonged to a vast group of islands in which they regularly traveled to and fro, thus encountering Europeans which had landed in other parts of the Archipelagos.

Skipping ahead in Tahitian history to June 17, 1767 brings us to the official date given as to when Tahiti itself as an island was discovered by European ocean-going merchants. The English Captain Samuel Wallis anchored his ship, the Dolphin, on the southern tip of Tahiti.

The historical account of his landing on Tahiti was that of an unfriendly encounter between Captain Wallis and the Tahitian natives. Upon landing, his ship was surrounded by hundreds of canoes and thousands of Tahitians.

While the Tahitians had sporadic encounters with Europeans prior to Captain Wallis’ arrival, this was the first “official landing” on the isle of Tahiti. Since they had had trade dealings, as well as, hostile encounters with Europeans before, at first they were unsure what they wanted to do with the now-landed Dolphin. However, seemingly without provocation, the natives began throwing rocks and such at the ship. Captain Wallis was obliged to show his superior fire-power and fired his cannons. This held them at bay for the rest of the day.

The next day Captain Wallis moved his ship to the northern tip of Tahiti, no doubt looking for more hospitable islanders with which he could proceed with bartering and the like. Yet again, he found himself surrounded by Tahitians who didn’t want any dealings with the ship. Again, Captain Wallis was obliged to repel the native Tahitians by firing his ship’s cannons.

The next day Captain Wallis sent armed men onto Tahiti so that he could take official possession, and he called the island “King George III’s Island.” However the Tahitians weren’t giving in so quickly and continued to resist the Captain’s advances to claim the island.

This time the Captain made no quips about directly firing his cannons on the Tahitian natives on land and in their canoes. After completely routing the natives of Tahiti, on land and in water, the Tahitians became subservient to the English captain.

A few months later two French ships landed on Tahiti. Under the command of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, who would go on to be the first person to circumnavigate the globe during this very trip that now brought him to Tahiti, his ten day stay proved to be quite different than his predecessor. Bougainville had a reputation of being quite a bit more cultured and friendly.

He set up camp on the eastern side of Tahiti for about thirty of his men whom had come down with scurvy that they could use the native plants of Tahiti to help alleviate the pain of the condition.

Although the stay was short, it would go on to prove to be most influential. As did his predecessor before him, Bougainville claimed Tahiti for France. And Tahiti is still called today, one of the main islands, if not the main-island, of the “French” Polynesian Archipelagos.

Enjoy the new Teri’s Travel Tips Blog article The Early European-Influenced History Of Tahiti and here are some of the other travel sites that I currently operate. Hope you can find all of the information about any travel tips that you are looking for through these sites.

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Technorati Tags: Tahiti, Tahiti islands, Tahitian islands, islands, European influence, French Polynesia, French Polynesian Archipelagos

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The Best Beaches of Tahiti

Ahhhh, the South Seas. Just the name brings to mind tropical islands. All those beautiful beaches breaking onto colorful reefs that protect those georgeous lagoons of bright warm emerald green waters and coral-sand beaches. Tahiti is just one of 118 islands that spread over 5 great archipelagos. Its in 3 of these archepelagos that Tahiti is located in.

Tahiti, Tahiti, Tahiti-does any other name invoke images of exotic, private, and beautiful beaches to get away to? If you want to find some of the best beaches in Tahiti to go to, this article is going to further break it down, and give you the best beaches of Tahiti.

Of course Tahiti has numerous public beaches, but the best ones are located on the western side of the island. On Tahiti’s west coast, particularly between Mahana Park, or Paea-PK-19, and Le Meridien Tahiti hotel, or Punaauia-PK15, you will find the best. Just remember that these particular beaches get somewhat crowded on the weekends. So for the best use of these beaches you may want to take advantage of them during the week.

At PK18, you will see a small bridge. This nice little beach is a great one as it provides really nice and safe snorkeling if you want to get off the white sand and enjoy some time in the water.

Just a few hundred meters beyond that little beach by the bridge is Mahana Park, PK18.5. This is the beach many of the native Tahitians like to go to. So of you want to kick around a soccer ball, and play volleyball with Tahitians, this is the beach you want to go to. There is also a nice restaurant on this beach, and a snack hut in the parking area to the beach. And of course, the always nice and safe snorkeling found all around the island can be found here as well.

Probably the best beach on the western coast of Tahiti is the one on which the Le Meridien Tahiti hotel is built. This beautiful white sand beach, with the inviting clear turquoise waters, offers something more in the way of the luxuries afforded by the hotel overlooking the beach. Restaurant Le Carre has a wooden deck over looking the beach and the food is to die for. Throw in the sound of the crashing waves and the sounds of the tropical birds all around you when you decide to hop up from the beach and dine here, and what you have is one of the best spots to eat on any of the Tahitian beaches.

This list of the best beaches wouldn’t be complete without taking a trip around Tahiti to it’s east side, and it’s all black sand beaches. The island itself is really there because of tow ancient, inactive volcanoes. Both make up the greater and minor portions of the island, and come together to create the rest of the lay of the island. The ancient volcanoes have given the island magnificent all black sand beaches.

The location on the island of these popular and mesmerizing beaches is Venus Point, appropriate when you consider the island’s name means “Isle of Big Love,” anyway. If you are staying in the Tahiti’s capital city Papeete, it’s a straight shot down the coast on Le Truck, Tahiti’s public transportation, to Venus Point.

Not to forget that in Tahiti at the Tahiti Le Meridien has the largest sand-bottom swimming pool of the South Pacific where you will be able to fully relax in the middle of a tropical garden.

These are just some of the best beaches of Tahiti. Come and visit and you can discover more beautiful, coral-sand beaches on these beautiful tropical islands of the South Seas.

Technorati Tags: best beaches of Tahiti, best beaches, Tahiti, South Seas, lagoons, emerald green waters, coral-sand beaches, islands, tropical islands, beautiful beaches, volcanos, Teri’s Travel Tips, TC Champigny

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The Best Attractions in Tahiti

While most would agree that simply being in Tahiti is plenty attraction enough, there are some specific attractions in Tahiti you do not want to miss. They are well worth checking out. Following in no particular order after the first listed attraction here, which is far and away the one attraction you do not want to miss while in Tahiti, are the best attractions in Tahiti.

Musee Gauguin (Gauguin Museum)

Far and away the one attraction you do not want to miss while in Tahiti is the Gauguin Museum. This museum or memorial to the French artist who made his home in Tahiti from 1891 to 1893 is worth the visit for sure.

The museum owns some of his creative works, including wood carvings, engravings, a ceramic vase he crafted, and a few of his sculptures. Additionally, the museum is privy to borrowing some of his other creative works from other museums, particularly from France. Be sure to check ahead if you are a Gauguin enthusiast and you would like to plan your trip to Tahiti around what may be on loan to the museum while you are there.

Otherwise the exhibits at the museum are dedicated to his life while living in Tahiti. The last gallery exhibition, shows who owns his works today. Furthermore, the museum also has a restaurant nestled next to a lagoon, but you may want to eat at the nearby Restaurant du Musee Gauguin.

Harrison W. Smith Botanical Gardens

Next to the museum is the Harrison W. Smith Jardin Botanique, or Botanical Gardens. Harrison Smith was a professor at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He chose to leave his career at the Institute teaching physics to students and move to Tahiti. He started the Botanical Gardens in 1919. He lived out the rest of his life in Tahiti, dying in 1947. The beautiful, lush Botanical Gardens which he started belong to the public-at-large. Growing in the garden are tropical plants from all around the world.

Point Venus

Point Venus was named so because the infamous Captain James Cook observed the transit of the planet Venus across the sun in 1769 at Point Venus. He traveled to the northernmost point on Tahiti to do so, and thus naming it Point Venus. What is more, is that on this northernmost point lays the velvety black sand beach resultant of one of the now inactive volcanoes which are the island Tahiti. Bring a picnic basket and your camera. This point in the world is very scenic, including the white lighthouse which was built in 1868. If you do not want to pack a picnic there is a snack bar there, as well as, restroom facilities.

Arahurahu Temple

Maybe you’re into ancient temples. Arahurahu is the only temple in all of Polynesia that has been fully restored. Get a load of the stone pens just at the entrance of the temple that were used to pen the pigs the ancient people of Tahiti used to sacrifice to their gods. The temple is used for reenactments of old Polynesian ceremonies during the month of July.

[tags]best attractins in Tahiti, Gauguin, museum, memorial, French, botanical gardens, Point Venus, Captain James Cook, Tahiti, Teri’s Travel Tips Blog, Teri Champigny[tags]

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New Zealand Travel Tips

New Zealand is a very beautiful place where many tourists travel on a regular basis. Should you go there and decide you never want to leave, there are many great jobs to be found. They are in the tourism industry, business, and even many aspects of agriculture. There are many places to enjoy hiking and hanging out around New Zealand. There are also plenty of blue mountains that look exceptional with white snow on them.

The economy in New Zealand is thriving due to the amount of tourism that they get annually. People love to see the historical sites in this part of the world. They also come to see the many plants and animals. They also are able to export a very large percentage of the agricultural goods that they produce.

Some of the most amazing examples of flora and fauna have been found throughout areas of New Zealand. This is believed to be the result of preservation and the fact that many areas haven’t been destroyed in order for development for people to take place in them. More that ¾ of the flora you will see in New Zealand can only be found there. Unless you are content seeing pictures of it you should travel to this part of the world to explore it personally.

You will also find some very rare wildlife in parts of New Zealand to observe. Many researchers spend months and even years in this are trying to study the various types of wildlife that are found only here. Even with protective measures in place though, there are several animals found in New Zealand that are endangered. Many have already become extinct.

Queen Elizabeth II is the leader of New Zealand and Helen Clark is the Prime Minister. While they are a monarchy, there is plenty of democracy to be found in the leadership of this country. There is a great deal of effort in place to ensure a good quality of life for the people of New Zealand. Some of the elements that the government has in place to ensure this include free trade, protecting the environment, education, human rights, and developing industry as well as agriculture.

New Zealand Flights

Given the fact that New Zealand is a very common place for tourists and for researchers to go, there are flights to and from it that you can take from just about any major airport around the world. This is going to be a very long flight from most places that you depart from though. With that in mind you need to make sure you are well prepared. Have items on the plane to keep occupied with.

Chances are you will have to change planes some place along the route. If not you will likely need to land anyway so that they can change pilots and so they can supply more fuel for the plane. If you don’t like the meal that will be served on the plane grab something during this layover or change. They may not have a movie for the flight that you like either so take along a good book.

Since going to New Zealand on an airplane is going to be a long flight you may want to select your seat carefully. Try to get on an airplane that offers plenty of leg room. You want to be able to stretch out. First class is going to be much more expensive. Yet you may find you will have plenty more room to relax.

If you don’t like to waste time on airplanes consider taking a red eye. You can sleep for the most part during the flight. You will also find there are fewer people at the airport and on the plane. This means less of a hassle with security as well as more room on the plane for your carry on bags. You can usually save money on red eye flights as well.

The cost of traveling to New Zealand is going to depend on the industry at that time. You can search online to get a good idea of what you are looking at. Sign up for alerts so you can get emails when price changes take place. Going to New Zealand is going to be a very exciting experience. Don’t let the high cost of a flight be the reason why you don’t go.

New Zealand Tours

There is plenty to see and do in New Zealand but if you have never been there before you may not know the best way to schedule your time. You definitely want to be able to explore as much as possible. At the same time you want to be able to leisurely enjoy it and not be rushed. It may be to your advantage to try one of many New Zealand tours that are offered.

There are many terrific ones you can choose from and all of them are quite enjoyable. Take the time to find out what events are included so you can get the most out of the time you have in New Zealand. You can also choose how many days you want to spend on the tour. Some people give themselves a couple of extra days at the end of the tour so they can explore a bit on their own as well.

It is wise to check out the reputation of the tour company before you book anything with them. You don’t want to have a disappointing time or not feel you got your money’s worth. Many of these New Zealand tours start at the airport and pick you up. Your accommodations are included as are many of your meals. Make sure you compare prices for all of this with what you would pay separately on your own.

To help you make your final decision you should look at brochures and other information. Many of the offered New Zealand tours have plenty of pictures online you can explore. This is a great way to be able to find out exactly what your accommodations will look like. Many of these tours fill up fast so you will need to book them well in advance. You will also have to put down a security deposit to make your reservation.

You also want to be able to find out how many other people will be on your tour with you. Smaller groups are best so you can really get personal attention from the leaders. It also cuts down on time waiting around for people to show up at assigned meeting times. You want everything to go smooth on your tour to New Zealand. Therefore you need to do your homework before you choose one.

Technorati Tags: New Zealand, tourists tips, New Zealand Flights, New Zealand Tours, wildlife, explore, Teri Champigny

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Tahiti-Faaa International Airport handles all international flights into Tahiti. It is approximately four miles west of Tahiti’s capital city of Papeete. Of course you have to clear customs. But after you clear customs there will be a booth straight ahead of you that is staffed by Tahiti Manava, or the local tourist information office. Go ahead and get what maps and what other information you feel you may want at this point.

There will be two banks to your immediate left and right. One is called Banque de Polynesie and the other is Banque Socredo. Bank Socredo will more readily exchange your American dollars. Both have ATMs you can use for your convenience.

Now to get to your hotel, if you don’t already have arrangements for transportation, you will need to take a taxi as there isn’t any public transportation that passes in front of the airport. The official fare from 8 pm to 6 am to the west coast of the island is $15 and $25 if you are going downtown. You will need an obligatory $1 for each bag you have. If you arrive in Tahiti between 10 pm and 6 am the only choice you have if you don’t have pre-arranged transportation plans, is a taxi. The public transportation doesn’t run during those hours.

As I’ve said that there isn’t any public transportation that passes in front of the airport, if you want you can trek across the parking lot and up the set of stairs you see to the main road and flag down the first public bus you will see, again if it’s not between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am.

If you are driving a rental car, you will see the major rental car signage readily in front of you. If you have trouble or need to ask the whereabouts for anything, just ask anybody. Tahitians are very friendly and most often will be able to direct you where you are trying to go. Of course there is the information desk as well.

After getting your rental car and you are ready to drive Tahiti, if you are in one of the largest of resort hotels such as the InterContinental Tahiti, the Sofitel, or the Le Meridein Tahiti, you take Route 1 west all the way, and just follow the signage.

If you are in the Sheraton Hotel Tahiti, take Route 1 east all the way until you see the signage. If you are going downtown, watch for the Route 5 sign directing you to the expressway that connecting Papeete to the west coast. If you go too far, just remember to pull over when you have the chance.

Tahiti is not that hard to get around. And it’s not much to backtrack if you actually feel you’ve lost your way. But do remember that the island essentially goes ‘round in a circle.

If for some reason you need to store your baggage, every hotel on the island will store your baggage for free.

Technorati Tags: Tahiti, island, hotels, Sheraton Hotel, resorts, airports, air travel, Papette, west coast, French Polynesia

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