This was quite a find as this particular vendor was head of Tourism for the island and her husband was mayor. Obviously she knew this island very well and as she drove us around she gave us lots of cultural detail and took us to the most beautiful spots for picture taking. She likes your attention so please note if you're wondering too much or not paying attention to what she says she takes a little personally but believe me she knows this island well.

I stumble across incorrect information on CruiseCritic all the time. This one came up yesterday on CruiseCritic. Sometimes when people have only been on the ship one time they think they're an expert and they start telling you the policies. In this case the op had some of it correct and some not. Here's the current policy on three important topics.

These two excursions are wonderful and two of the very best guides who know so much about the islands and are great storytellers. Click...

We found this cute little place as we were driving around Papeete. Close to one of our favorite places to stay.

This is a comparison between the Paul Gauguin and the Star Breeze ... here are the pluses of both ships ...

There are several rental places on Raiatea and I've checked them all out but I've found one that has good cars, will pick you up at the pier and return you ... and their prices are some of the best. Can't say enough good things about this find. We've rented from them at least 4 times ....

I cover everything so you will be well prepared for your trip of a lifetime.

As we've taken 34 trips to French Polynesia we've had the chance to use several different brands ... here is the one we've used for the last 2 decades .... This comes in Deet, no Deet and scentless. https://bugg.com/repellents/

Here is a taxi driver on Moorea that is recommended and you can book ahead of time ... sometimes there are taxi's at the tender drop off locations but sometimes they are handling other people. Nice to be able to plan ahead of time ...

Some hotels/accommodations in French Polynesia do not have 110v or USB outlets. Which adapter should you bring with you?

Even with 34 trips to French Polynesia there are places I haven't stayed at that I've researched and have in the back of my mind 'someday' ... here is my first choice ... someday.

There are several on the island and many are under contract with the ships ... but here is a 4X4 vendor that you can pre-book. He does a wonderful job ... I use him for my groups and he speaks perfect English ...

Rangiroa can be a bit tricky for vendors ... much of this is because of the length of time some ships visit. One ship only visits for 5 hours which eliminates going to places such as the Blue Lagoon. Here are two vendors that do a great job ...

What a wonderful day ... e-biking around Fakarava. Our vendor gave us a few tips and away we went. We headed to the old lighthouse which was very cool. Then past the airport to the PK9 beach ... so pretty ... just lovely and we had it all to ourselves. Then back the other way but we had to stop at the market to get an ice cream. Than on the the old church ... a must see on Fakarava. Onward we went ... Contact info: https://www.havaiki.com/nos-services/velos-electriques/

This was a great find ... lovely lady who comes to the tender location and picks you up. She has two nice little cars (manual) with great A/C and two 125cc scooters. Pictured are Zelle and myself. The price was very fair and they were in good condition. Her contact info is: 689 87 24 19 94. You can use WhatsApp to contact her. Her name is Tihoni Evelyne (pictured)

Great couple who has 2 rental cars in great condition. A/C worked fantastic. The price was very fair and they even delivered to the tender location. Here is their names and contact information. Poe and Rudy: kohaimitivallet@gmail.com

Often when I take my groups on a private excursion on Bora Bora the Polynesian family I use will go the extra mile to make sure we see manta rays.

I've personally taken two vendors multiple times. They both do a wonderful excursion but different from each other. I'm also going to recommend two others simply because I know they do a wonderful excursion as per others in my groups.

I've used this vendor several times ... he is a tried and true choice. Everything is included on his excursion. Several snorkel stops, pearl farm, vanilla farm, BBQ lunch on a motu and of course a visit to the famed drift snorkel.

My Better half packs weeks ... sometimes months ahead of our trips to paradise. I pack my bags in the last 48 hours