TAHITI INFORMATION

	Le Truck
	Les Roulottes
	Papeete by Night
	Shopping in Tahiti
	The Market
	Museums
	Art Galleries
	Churches

They operate during the daylight hours, with night transportation provided only to the West Coast hotels, as far as Hotel Maeva Beach (last run depends on what's happening in town).

Authorized stops along the road are indicated by a blue sign with a drawing of Le Truck. Just wave to the driver to stop. Pay the Driver on the right side of the cab when you get off.

Note that a day's tour around the island of Tahiti cannot be made aboard Le Truck.

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LES ROULOTTES
Les Roulottes are mobile restaurants that set up shop each afternoon along the boat dock and serve hot meals until the wee hours of the morning. These colourful food-vans provide good, fast food at reasonable prices, as well as a bar stool to sit and watch the waterfront scene of Papeete-by-night.

Here you can order barbecue steaks, chicken and shish-kabob, served with French fries, Poisson cru and Russian potato salad. Specialty diners serve pizza cooked in a wood-burning stove, couscous, fish and chips, Tahitian food, barbecue veal and freshly worked hot delicacies from the provinces of China.
Your dinner can be a veritable movable feast, with a tempting choice of crepes for dessert.

No alcohol is served here, but the bars and nightclubs are just across the street.

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PAPEETE BY NIGHT
Papeete is often a swinging town after dark, and the sidewalk bars are usually very active, even during the week.

Some of the nightclubs close at midnight during the week and remain open until 2 or 3 A.M on the weekends.

Interesting places to drink and people watch at the same time include:
Le Chaplin's, with music and video clips, and more than 50 cocktails and Le Retro, a Parisian style cafe in the Vaima Center.
Le Tamure Hut in the Hotel Royal Papeete, is one of the city's most popular "in" spots, open Wednesday through Saturday nights, with dancing to old and new Tahitian tunes played by a live band.
Other nightclubs with a Tahitian atmosphere with music include La Cave (also located in the Hotel Royal Papeete).

For a european atmosphere and lots of disco music, go to L'Ibiza (Vaima Center), Le 106, Le Manhattan, Le Piano Bar (frequent transvestite shows), Le Zizou Bar, and Le Mana Rock Café.

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SHOPPING IN TAHITI
Interesting buys in Tahiti include exquisitely carved Marquesan bowls, drums, ukuleles and tiki, dancing costumes, basketry and woven hats, Polynesian fashions—from bikinis to ballgowns—in attractive hand-blocked materials from local factories.

The pareu, considered as Tahiti's national garment, can be bought at most of the stores along the waterfront, at sidewalk stands, in artisan centers around the island, hotel boutiques, and from the colourful kiosks set up permanently upstairs at the new municipal market in Papeete.

Shell jewellery and mother-of-pearl creations are popular, and the most elegant purchase is a South Seas black pearl, beautifully set in 18-karat gold designs.

French perfumes are sold at prices lower than Paris or New York, plus there are French fashions, crystal ware and French pates and cheeses. Gifts of Tahitian perfumes made with coconut oil and flowers are called monoi.

Don't forget Tahitian vanilla and video films of the Islands. The DUTY FREE shops are Bijouterie Mourareau in Fare Tony on Blvd. Pomare, and the DUTY FREE SHOP OF TAHITI in the Vaima Center.
Other shops may sell on a Duty Free basis.

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THE MARKET
The Papeete Public Market is in every sense the heart of the city. Pretty new buildings, located just one block from the waterfront, have been constructed to house the vendors in Le Marche , as the municipal market is called.

Open daily from 5 A.M. to 6 P.M., the marche reaches its peak of activity very early on Sunday mornings, when Tahitian families come to shop for their Sunday dinner.

This is the perfect place for photographs. Here are displays of lovely floral arrangements of orchids and anthuriums, marigolds and daisies, red ginger and jasmine, shell necklaces, woven hats and baskets.
The upstairs section is reserved for artisans selling Pareus, tifaifai quilts, cushion covers and other handicrafts. Luscious ripe fruits are on one side, Chinese vegetables on the other. Strings of brightly colored fish are brought from the fishing boats to the market each afternoon around 4 P.M., also a good time to visit.

Farm-fresh meats are sold, sometimes on the hoof, with squealing pigs and quacking ducks adding their voices to the din.

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MUSEUMS

	MUSEUM OF TAHITI AND HER ISLANDS
	PK 15 7, Pointe des Pecheurs, Punaauia P O. BOX 6272, Faaa - Tahiti Tel. (689) 58.34.76/Fax. (689) 58.43.00 9 30 A M.-5 30 P.M. Closed Monday Polynesian history, culture, environment, ethnology.
	PAUL GAUGUIN MUSEUM
	PK 51,200 Papeari P O. BOX 7029, Taravao - Tahiti Tel. (689) 57.10.58/Fax (689) 57 10 42 9 A M.-5 P.M. Admission fee. Open daily. A memorial to the late French artist, with original works and reproductions.
	SEASHELL MUSEUM
	(Musee du Coquillage) P K 36, Papara, Tahiti Tel. (689) 57.45.22/Fax. (689) 57 37.78 8 A.M.-5 P.M. (9 A.M. - 5 P.M. Saturdays and Sundays) open daily. Admission fee. Shells and fish from Polynesian lagoons.
	TAHITI PEARL CENTER
	Blvd Pomare next to Protestant Temple . P.O. BOX 850, Papeete - Tahiti Tel (689) 43.85.58/Fax (689) 43 49 01 Open Monday to Friday 8 00 A.M - 12 00 Noon 2 00 P.M - 5 30 P.M Saturday 9 00 A M - 12 00 Noon Sunday 2 00 P.M. - 5 30 P.M Closed Saturday afternoon Free admission Video films, displays and miniature pearl farm to present the history, culture and qualities of the famous black pearl. English - Japanese speaking hostess. Black pearl jewellery for sale.

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ART GALLERIES

	GALERIE ETIENNE SIQUIN
	AV Prince Hinoi, behind Hotel Prince Hinoi P.O BOX 256 Papeete - Tahiti Tel. (689) 42.09.81 Paintings and pareu creations by owner
	GALERIE LES TROPIQUES
	Corner of the Blvd Pomare and rue Cook P O BOX 21 757,Papeete - Tahiti Tel (689) 41.05 00 Paintings by resident artists.
	GALERIE MATAMUA
	Blvd. Pomare,Papeete P 0 BOX 818,Papeete - Tahiti Tel. (689) 41.34.95 Creative wall hangings,lamps,paintings and carvings depicting Polynesian legends.
	GALERIE NOA NOA
	Blvd. Pomare,Papeete P.O BOX 2012,Papeete - Tahiti Tel (689) 42.73 47/Fax. (689)41.92.45 Chinese antiques and crafts.
	GALERIE PAUL GAUGUIN
	62, Rue Paul Gauguin P.O BOX. 4 616 Papeete - Tahiti
	GALERIE O TAHITI NUI
	P.O. BOX 2642 Papeete - Tahiti Tel/Fax. (689) 58.40.99 Large choice of paintings (modern) from French and local artists.
	GALERIE REVA REVA
	36 Rue Lagarde,Papeete PO BOX 3 338,Papeete - Tahiti Tel. (689) 43.32.67 Paintings by resident artists.
	GALERIE WINKLER
	Rue Jeanne d'Arc, Papeete P.O BOX 842,Papeete - Tahiti Tel. (689) 42.81.77 Paintings and pottery by resident artists
	ATELIER TIAMAO
	P K 29,Papara - Tahiti Tel. (689) 57.34.82

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CHURCHES

The churches have a preponderant place in the Polynesian society They manage most Youth organizations and have an important educational role.
The typical Polynesian Cathedrals and Temples are worth a visit:

NOTRE-DAME CATHEDRAL OF PAPEETE
Notre-Dame place, Papeete

SAINT-ETIENNE CHURCH OF PUNAAUIA
P.K. 12,100 Punaauia, on seaside

SAINT-MICHEL CHURCH OF PAPARA
P.K. 35,600, Papara, on seaside

PAOFAI TEMPLE OF PAPEETE
Blvd. Pomare, Papeete

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