The Raiatea airstrip, 3km (2 miles) north of Uturoa, serves both islands. You have to rent a vehicle or take a taxi, for there is no regular public transportation system on either Raiatea or Tahaa.

Europcar (tel. 800/227-7368 or 66.34.06; www.europcar-tahiti.com) and Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 or 66.44.88; www.hertz.com) have rental-car offices here. Europcar's prices start at 9,700CFP (US$121/£61) a day, including insurance and unlimited kilometers. It also rents scooters, bicycles, and open-air "Bugster" vehicles. Europcar also has an office at Tupuamu Wharf on Tahaa's west coast (tel. 65.67.00), so you can take the ferry there, rent a car, and drive around the island. You must take a water taxi back to Uturoa.

Trudy Tours (tel. 78.23.36) provides transfers from the airport to the hotels and to Apooti Marina for 500CFP to 700CFP (US$6.25-US$8.75/£3.15-£4.45) per person. There is a taxi stand near the cruise-ship terminal in Uturoa, or you can contact René Guilloux (tel. 66.31.40), Marona Teanini (tel. 66.34.62), or Apia Tehope (tel. 66.36.41). Fares are about 600CFP (US$7.50/£3.80) from the airport to town and 1,200CFP (US$15/£7.60) to the Raiatea Hawaiki Nui Hotel.

The passenger ferry Tamarii Tahaa (tel. 65.67.10) docks in front of the Champion store on Uturoa's waterfront and runs from there to Patio on Tahaa's northern coast. It departs from Uturoa Monday to Friday, usually at 10am and 4pm, Saturday at 10am. You should make sure it will return to Uturoa on the same day it leaves. Fares range from 500CFP to 750CFP (US$6.25-US$9.40/£3.15-£4.75) one-way. Dave's Tours (tel. 65.62.42) also runs a shuttle from Uturoa to Tahaa, departing Monday to Saturday at 9am, returning at 4:30pm. Fares are 1,500CFP (US$19/£9.50) one-way, 2,500CFP (US$31/£16) round-trip. Water-taxi service is available at the waterfront (tel. 65.66.64); rides cost about 2,000CFP (US$25/£13).

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.

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