Maupiti is what Bora Bora used to be before it became overly touristy - more authentic, secluded, and affordable. I say this as a Maupiti native.
Won’t this just make Maupiti the same as today Bora Bora?
Maupiti doesn’t have the massive tourist infrastructure that Bora Bora has - and it likely never will. Bora Bora received significant foreign investment to become what it is today: the go-to destination for a luxurious tropical paradise experience. Even larger islands, like Moorea, have tried to reach the same level of fame, but haven’t been able to match Bora Bora’s status. For example, there are no hotels or resorts on Maupiti - accommodation is limited to locally run pensions.
Not yet…
There are different dynamics at play here. The people of Maupiti have opposed the development of hotels and resorts from the beginning - even turning down offers - in order to avoid becoming a major tourist destination, unlike Bora Bora and other islands. At the same time, tourists are very welcome on Maupiti, as long as they come in limited numbers. As mentioned, all accommodations are provided by locals. Tourism is an important source of income for a place with little industry.
But just one corrupt politician can break this. Meaning hotels will start popping up everywhere, despite the locals are against it.
Just saying. Don’t take it for granted.
But if people are visiting, don’t most people want massive tourist infrastructure?
How can we “visit” if there’s not even a hotel? Do tourists need to learn the native language to find a place?
Luckily Lemmy isn’t that popular yet. (Plus we’re all poor.)
Speak for yourself. I have a collection of jelly beans worth at least -37¢.
https://www.tahititourisme.com/preparing-you-trip/accommodations-in-the-islands-of-tahiti/
Filter by island. Plenty of options.
Definitely, but Maupiti is the island which provides the most similar experience to Bora Bora specifically. They’re close to each other and have had strong historical cultural links. For example, if someone was more into lush vegetation, mountainous, cultural stuff, I’d recommend Huahine. Tahaa has the vanilla and pearls. Etc. Different islands have different things going for them.
This may be a dumb questions, but are there mosquitoes in the vegetation zones in islands in the middle of the ocean like Huahine?
The warmer zones here in Colombia tend to have lots of vegetation, and also tons of mosquitoes but well, we are in the middle of a continental mass.
The islands do have mosquitoes; their peak is during the wet season (December-March) + dawn/dusk.
There are mosquitoes most definitely. https://www.mosquito-forecast.org/en/forecast/french-polynesia/maupiti
Which one doesn’t have dinosaurs on it?
You should cross-post this too !buyoceanian@quokk.au
Also seeing as you’re from there, do you ever call France, French France?
No, we call it Metropolitan France (la Métropole) or European France (le territoire européen de la France). First one is the actually most common one, second one is the “politically correct” one.
Great timing! My wife and I are planning a trip for next winter right now. I can’t wait to show my wife!
I would really love to visit but it’s quite far away and the ticket is expensive
I went to Mo’orea in 2023. It was the best place I’ve ever been. Highly recommend.
Only connection I have to maupiti is my monthly noni shipment used to be from maupiti.
Sounds like kind of a first-world problem.
More like if you are planning a trip to a place that already suffers from overtourism, don’t.
Tourism is not a problem. Mass tourism is. Tourism is welcome in reasonable numbers and a great source of income for the locals in a place with not many ways to make money.
Oh. At what point does harmless tourism become mass tourism?
At the point where the influx of tourists surpasses the organic capacity of the place, as it’s the case in Bora Bora with the Four Seasons and St Regis (and the other resorts) for example. In Maupiti everything’s run by locals, so once all the guesthouses/pensions are booked - max capacity is reached. The influx is thus controlled organically.
It’s crazy that people live here, I can’t even imagine being surrounded by such beauty 24/7 what’s it like?
Is the Island accessible by sailboat?
