Imagine what The Islands of Tahiti must look like to a seven- or eight-year old—a world that is so different from home and so profoundly beautiful. What is it like, at that age to see dolphins flipping in the water, hearing the pooofffft of exhaling blowholes, and getting a close look at those magical creatures of legendary intelligence, smiling and speaking in their clicking language. What kid wouldn’t want to swim alongside rays and parrotfish as well as friendly sharks.
The magic of Tahiti continues above the sea too. You can feel it standing on a beach at night at the edge of a circle of torches, hearing the thumping of drums at a welcome dance. For a girl visiting the island, she’ll see others her own age stepping to a rikuhi dance and she may want to learn to dance like that too—and the next day she can.
The Islands of Tahiti are famous for romance, but they are a natural choice for families as well. Children are cherished and celebrated in Tahiti, where family forms the roots of the culture. The stories of Tahiti’s clans are proudly told in tikis chiseled from stone, tattoos of ink dyed with burned candlenuts, and tapas painstakingly sketched into paper made from the bark of banyan and burau trees. A family vacation here offers a chance to create a tale of your own clan—one that you will cherish even after you return home. Explore the island for a few days by staying at Villa Te Tavake, Tahiti Homes to fit the whole family.
For younger travelers, The Islands of Tahiti are a dazzling paradise. They can set off on a hike through a forest of dense green, a lush fairy-tale land. Here, when you’re hungry, you knock papayas and mangos from the trees when they are at their peak of ripeness. A stream trickles through the underbrush and then the foliage clears and a waterfall plummets from the sky into an emerald plunge pool. The scene is captivating, for travelers of every age.
From reef snorkeling to waterfall hiking, zip lining to paragliding, stand-up paddleboarding to hip-shaking Tahitian dancing, there are activities for every kid, regardless of their interests. And the people they meet will make their experiences unforgettable—the street vendor who offers sweet slivers of coconut sizzled in sugar until it caramelizes. The woman who weaves flowers into your daughter’s sun-streaked hair and teaches her how to dance the rikuhi. It’s impossible to visit The Islands of Tahiti and not be wowed by the land and the sea—the powerful force of mana that courses through Tahitian tides and winds. Along every trail, in each village and every waterfall, moment by moment, young travelers have chances to experience a new—to them—and graceful way of being connected to the world.
And, meanwhile, the ocean is endlessly captivating. The islands’ sandy shallows, with their warm and welcoming and sparkling clear water, reveal natural wonders large and small—fairy terns, hermit crabs, and sea snails. Tiny coral castles are surrounded by glittering reef fish while sea turtles as wise as ancient mariners swim in the surf. There is nothing quite like watching the joy of a child catching sight of a glittering fish in these pristine waters.
Your family will return from Tahiti with your own high points and memories, but what is guaranteed is that your vacation will be a tale filled with wonder.
Start the tale of your visit to the tropical paradise of Tahiti by booking your family’s tickets on Air Tahiti Nui , which has daily nonstop flights to Tahiti from Los Angeles. Thanks to its codeshare program with American Airlines, the tropical paradise of Tahiti is easy to reach from everywhere in North America.
Spin and explore your own adventure in The Islands of Tahiti.
