Fast Facts in Raiatea and Tahaa at Frommer's

Fast Facts

The following facts apply specifically to Raiatea and Tahaa.

Currency Exchange -- French Polynesia's three banks have offices with ATMs on Uturoa's main street. There is no bank on Tahaa.

Drugstores -- Pharmacie de Raiatea (tel. 66.34.44) in Uturoa carries French products. Open Monday to Friday 7:30am to noon and 1:30 to 5:30pm; Saturday 7:30am to noon; Sunday 9:30 to 10:30am.

Emergencies & Police -- The emergency police telephone number is tel. 17. The telephone number of the Uturoa gendarmerie is tel. 66.31.07. The Tahaa gendarmerie is at Patio, the administrative center, on the north coast (tel. 65.64.07).

Eyeglasses -- Optique Te Mata Ore is on Uturoa's main street (tel. 66.16.19).

Healthcare -- Opposite the post office, the hospital at Uturoa (tel. 66.32.92) serves all the Leeward Islands. Tahaa has an infirmary at Patio (tel. 65.63.31). Dr. Sonia Andreu and Dr. Pascal Diochin (tel. 66.23.01) practice together on Uturoa's main street.

Internet Access -- ETS, in the Gare Maritime on the Uturoa waterfront (tel. 60.25.25), has computers with Internet access for 500CFP (US$6.25/£3.15) for 35 minutes. Open Monday to Friday 7:30am to noon and 1 to 5pm, Saturday 7:30am to noon. It will burn your digital photos to CDs.

Post Office -- The post and telecommunications office is in a modern building north of Uturoa on the main road (as opposed to a new road that runs along the shore of reclaimed land on the north side of town). It is open Monday to Thursday 7:30am to 3pm, Friday 7am to 2pm, and Saturday 8 to 10am. There's a small branch upstairs in the Gare Maritime on the waterfront.

Restrooms -- The Gare Maritime on the waterfront has clean restrooms.

Telephone -- There are télécarte phones on the waterfront and at the post and telecommunications office.

Visitor Information -- Tourisme Tahiti (tel. 60.07.77; fax 60.07.76; www.tahiti-tourisme.pf) has a visitor information office in the Gare Maritime on the waterfront. Open daily 8am to 4pm.

Water -- Don't drink the tap water on either Raiatea or Tahaa.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.