Green Travel Flourishing In Tahiti

Tahiti should be an attractive holiday destination for many people, especially sea lovers. The island of Tahiti boasts some of the most pristine beaches in the South Pacific. Besides this, Tahiti's interior wilds offer some of the South Pacific's best, most accessible eco-tourism excursions. Green tourism is very alive at this island, where it can claim to be greener than many similar mainstream resort destinations.

Go Green
Going green in Tahiti means travelling in a public transportation system consists of vehicles known as Les Trucks. It is a cross between a cargo-hauling vehicle and a passenger bus that ferries locals from town to town around the island and between major sites in the capitol city of Papeete.Scooters and bicycles are the other green options, and the island is not too big for any eager traveller to explore around the island.

Sleep Green 
There are plenty of smaller, cheaper and greener sleeping options, including bed-and-breakfasts, guesthouses and bungalows that Tahiti can offer. Even the luxury hotels are involved in adopting green practices. Bora Bora's InterContinental Resort uses a state of the art cooling system that pumps seawater from the depths of the ocean to be used in lieu of traditional air conditioning units with nearly twice as efficient, and produces no pollutants, and The Intercontinental on Tahiti gives regular financial support to Te Mana o te Moana, a conservation organization that works to protect wildlife and ecosystems in French Polynesia.


Eat Green 
Food carts called roulottes are the cheapest eating option. Shopping at Papeete's central market, Marche Papeete, is a great place to find locally grown fruits and vegetables, and eat green. This is a good alternative especially for travelers who are staying in a place with access to cooking equipment, such as a bungalow.

See Green
Besides the seaside, Tahiti also offers other beautiful landscapes that range from dense foliage to rocky slopes. There are hiking trails and guided tours that pass over the island's peaks, such as Mount Orohena and the Fautaua Valley boasts even more stunning waterfalls, rock formations and a distinct lack of tourists. Meanwhile, Tahiti Iti, the sparsely inhabited peninsular area of the island, is acclaimed to own the last place on Tahiti where visitors can find unspoiled coastline, with beaches that are accessible only from the water.

The island of Moorea is more rural and less touristy than Tahiti, and it is only a few minutes' boat ride from Papeete. Moorea comes with large areas occupied by farms and local life that is unhindered by the tourist scene, and it has the same type of hiking trails as Tahiti and a stunning peak, Mouaputa, that draws climbing enthusiasts.


A dream holiday in Tahiti is expensive, but to enjoy its beauty in a green way is possible by choosing a green resort and making an effort to step outside of the mainstream tourist scene and find yourself lost in some of the most natural landscapes in the Pacific.

*Note: This blog entry was written based on an article in www.cnn.com