BudgetTravel

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Cambridge, MN: Hi Jason! I would love to visit Tahiti. Could you tell me when is the best time of the year to visit? And when is the time of the year that Tahiti is overflowing with tourists? Or do I even need to worry about that? Thanks!!

Jason Cochran: The weather patterns are a little different than what they are at home. February and March are very hot and humid--even the locals, who are presumably used to it, scramble for shade. High season is in July or August, when European vacationers flood in and the weather is splendid. Rain peaks from November to April. I prefer May or October, which have good weather but aren't that crowded.

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Benicia, CA: We really like Tahiti and went to Moorea when the dollar was strong several years ago. We would like to go to go again; the small hotels from the article seem ideal, but the price for airline tickets make it too costly. How can the small hotels compete with the ones who are combining with airfare? With airfare from SF to LAX and then LAX to Papeete, the cost becomes higher than the expensive hotel packages. Are there consolidators for airfare to Tahiti?

Jason Cochran: Because of the purchasing power wielded by the big hotels and the airlines, they can often come up with air-hotel deals that are unbeatable, in terms of price. But not always! Often, only the least expensive hotels are packaged with airfare at a price that beats the family-owned pensions. Which means that your hotel could end up being kind of gross. The fancy resorts most people dream about (overwater bungalows, clear waters, huge blue pool) are often much more expensive than the lowly two-star resorts that first grab shoppers' eyes with ultra-low prices. So if you're going to go the package route, do some serious research into the hotel first, just to make sure it's the kind of place (with the kind of peace and on the kind of clear waters) that you're dreaming of. You may find that it's still to your benefit to buy hotel and airfare separately. To shop for airfare alone, make sure to look for deals from the big player to Tahiti's capital city, Papeete: Air Tahiti Nui (airtahitinui-usa.com/). Sometimes, but not often, Qantasqantas.com/) sells codeshare sale flights there, too. Air New Zealand offers what's called the South Pacific Airpass, and if you're planning on visiting a few other countries or islands in the region (including Australia, New Zealand, the Cook Islands, and Fiji), you can often put together a multi-stop package at a substantial savings. Flight Cenflightcentre.com/) can often find flights for cheaper than anyone else, and it also offers a lowest-price guarantee. Other players to check: FlyCheap (800/FLY 1800flycheap.com/) and Air Tickets Direct (800/7; airticketsdirect.com/). Sometimes you can find a marked-down "Bula Fare" on Afic (airpacific.com/), fly Fiji from Los Angeles or Vancouver, and then change for a flight to Tahiti for a few hundred dollars. It takes more work and planning, but it's possible to save that way. If you're feeling really ambitious (and if you speak French), check in with a French travel agent before booking. Huge amounts of French people vacation and retire in Tahiti (it's like France's Hawaii), and so there are plenty of flights heading from Paris and other French cities all year round. Which means there are are plenty of deals to be had, if you have the language skills to buy them.

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Mesa, AZ: Jason, Not a question but more of a warning: I visited Tahiti, Bora Bora and Moorea in 1996 and discovered that the sun is so powerful down there that you MUST wear a hat and drink plenty of bottled water or face island fever, which happened to me. I was quite miserable for the entire trip, so please take heed and also have plenty of bug spray to repel mosquito bites. Other than that, the scenery and people were wonderful experiences not to mention the snorkeling. Thanks.

Jason Cochran: I love it when readers help me out! You're absolutely correct. The sun is a whopper in the South Pacific, so arrive prepared. Buy sunblock at home, since it's cheaper in America (nearly everything you'll buy in the islands has been imported all the way from France). And only drink bottled water, since the tap water throughout French Polynesia is not considered safe to drink (although some hotels and pensions treat their water for guests' convenience). Most hotels and pensions will also provide the tools you need to keep the bugs away--but even fancy hotels can't keep mosquitos out (no matter what that Expedia TV ad says). Fortunately, on the water, there are far fewer insects than there are inland.

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Cleveland, OH: What is the total air time for this trip from Cleveland, OH? Is a day lost on the return trip?

Jason Cochran: I'll answer this in terms of Los Angeles so it will be of use to everyone. The flight to Papeete takes about 7 1/2 hours from LAX. From there, flights to the most popular outlying islands take as little as 10 minutes (Moorea) to about an hour (Bora Bora). I'm guessing that Cleveland is about three hours from LAX, so add that to the total--though, of course, you'll have time to get off the plane and stretch your legs in LAX. Also, French Polynesia is not on the other side of the Interntaional Date Line (it's actually slightly more eastern than Hawaii is), so you don't lose or gain a day when you travel to or from it.