Getting Around

Rangiroa's airstrip is on the main island, about equidistant between Avatoru and Tiputa passes. The hotels and pensions send buses or vans to meet their guests. Otherwise, you are on your own, since there is no public transportation on the island.

I usually rent a bicycle, scooter, or car for a day to explore the main island. Its only road crosses six bridges, none of them with guardrails and some of them only one lane wide. The pavement is uneven, adding to the need for constant caution when driving here.

Rangi Rent a Car is the local agent for Europcar (tel. 800/227-7368 or 96.08.28; www.europcar-tahiti.com). It has an agency near Avatoru and desks at the Hotel Kia Ora and Novotel Rangiroa. Cars rent for 12,000CFP (US$150/£76) a day. Scooters and open-air "Bugsters" (the most you'll need here) cost about 6,500CFP (US$81/£41) for 8 hours (which is longer than you'll need to see the islet). Bicycles rent for 1,500CFP (US$19/£9.50) for a half-day, 1,800CFP (US$23/£11) for a full day.

Arehahio Locations (tel. 98.82.45 or 73.92.84) in Avatoru rents cars for 8,400CFP (US$105/£53) per day, scooters for 5,200CFP (US$65/£33) a day, bicycles for 1,600CFP (US$20/£10) a day.

You can cross Tiputa Pass to Tiputa village via Maurice Navette (tel. 96.67.09 or 78.13.25), which operates water taxis daily from 6am to 5pm. Call or check with your hotel staff for schedules and fares.

Fast Facts

Camera & Film -- Pata Hoh'a Photo, near Restaurant Le Kai Kai (tel. 93.12.85) sells film and will burn your digital photos to CDs. Open Monday to Saturday 9am to noon and 2 to 5:30pm.

Currency Exchange -- Banque Socredo has an agency with an ATM in Avatoru post. It's open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8am to noon; Monday and Thursday from 1:30 to 4:30pm. Banque de Tahiti also has a branch in Avatoru. It's open Monday and Friday 8am to 4pm, Tuesday and Thursday 8am to 2pm.

Drugstore -- Pharmacie de Rangiroa, in Avatoru (tel. 93.12.35), is open Monday to Friday 8am to 12:30pm and 3 to 6:30pm, Saturday from 8am to 12:30pm and 4:30 to 6:30pm, Sunday and holidays 10 to 11:30am.

Emergencies & Police -- The emergency police telephone number is tel. 17. The phone number of the gendarmerie on Rangiroa is tel. 96.03.61.

Healthcare -- There are infirmaries at Avatoru (tel. 96.03.75) and across the pass at Tiputa (tel. 96.03.96).

Internet Access -- Pata Hoh'a Photo, near Restaurant Le Kai Kai (tel. 93.12.85), has Internet access for 330CFP (US$4.10/£2.10) for 15 minutes. Open Monday to Saturday 9am to noon and 2 to 5:30pm.

Mail -- The post office in Avatoru is open Monday to Thursday from 7am to 3pm, Friday 7am to 2pm.

Telephone -- Public pay phones are at the post office in Avatoru and at the dock on the eastern end of the island. Residents in the Tuamotus tend to write their phone numbers in groups of three digits; that is, 960 375 instead of 96.03.75.

Water -- Except at the hotels, the tap water is brackish. Don't drink it.

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