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    "hero": {
      "kicker": "HowTo:Travel · Oceania · French Polynesia",
      "h1Lines": [
        "Five island groups,",
        "one lagoon logic:",
        "overwater bungalows and reefs that hold their breath"
      ],
      "issueLabel": "Issue Nº 47 · French Polynesia guide · Updated April 2026",
      "lede": "French Polynesia is not a country pretending to be unified—it's a diaspora pretending to be French. Tahiti rules from the west; Bora-Bora, Moorea, and the Tuamotus follow their own tidal schedules. The real logic is the lagoon: crystalline, shared, and defended by motus—sand islands that are technically not yours but feel like the world's common property.",
      "stats": "5 island groups · 118 islands · 280,000 people · 1 overwater bungalow standard",
      "metaRows": [
        {
          "k": "Currency",
          "v": "CFP franc (XPF) — fixed to euro"
        },
        {
          "k": "Plug type",
          "v": "Type A, B (US-style)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Visa for US/UK",
          "v": "Visa-free up to 90 days"
        },
        {
          "k": "Best for first-timers",
          "v": "Bora-Bora or Moorea (easier logistics)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Language",
          "v": "French (Tahitian (Reo Tahiti) widely spoken)"
        }
      ],
      "frames": [
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1559827260-dc66d52bef19?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Bora-Bora lagoon · 16°S"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1583422409516-2895a77efded?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Overwater bungalows, Moorea · 17°S"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1559827260-dc66d52bef19?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Coral reef, Fakarava atoll · 16°S"
        }
      ]
    },
    "anchor": {
      "label": "In this guide",
      "items": [
        {
          "id": "intro",
          "label": "Letter"
        },
        {
          "id": "drives",
          "label": "Lagoon routes"
        },
        {
          "id": "when",
          "label": "When to go"
        },
        {
          "id": "food",
          "label": "Food"
        },
        {
          "id": "language",
          "label": "Phrases"
        },
        {
          "id": "festivals",
          "label": "Festivals"
        },
        {
          "id": "faq",
          "label": "FAQ"
        }
      ]
    },
    "intro": {
      "lead": "The overwater bungalow is not Polynesian in origin—it was invented in Bora-Bora in 1960 by an American hotelier. But the lagoon is eternal. Warm, clear, enclosed by motus and reef, it holds the entire archipelago's logic: you arrive by air, you live on water, you leave by the same plane three days later. The food is French with coconut, the staff speaks Tahitian under their breath, and the sunset happens twice—once in the sky, once in the lagoon.",
      "side": "Do not visit French Polynesia for \"authenticity.\" Visit it for the lagoon, which is technically colonial infrastructure but functionally perfect. Overwater stays are expensive and brief. The real Polynesia—subsistence fishing, church on Sunday, no tourists—lives in the islands' interior and the outer atolls, where planes land twice a week.",
      "credit": "— The editors · Bora-Bora · September 2025"
    },
    "signoff": {
      "h2": "Three days, two lagoons, one regret",
      "body": "You will leave too soon. Book your next ticket before you land. The lagoon owns you now—not romantically, but economically. You will think about the water temperature and the price of a beer and the way the sun hits the motu at 6pm. You will be right to book again.",
      "credit": "— The editors"
    }
  },
  "drives": [
    {
      "id": "bora-lagoon",
      "num": "01",
      "name": "Bora-Bora",
      "nameEm": "Lagoon circle",
      "region": "Society Islands",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "from": "Vaitape",
      "to": "Vaitape",
      "km": 32,
      "hours": 0.5,
      "elevMax": 727,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "May–Oct (avoid Dec–Feb)",
      "surface": "RXS 5001 — two-lane coastal road, one serious climb",
      "car": "Rental 4WD or scooter (locals prefer scooter)",
      "blurb": "The island loop. Leave Vaitape at dawn, stop in Anau for a look at the lagoon from the ridge, eat grilled fish at Bloody Mary's in Anau or push to Matira Beach for late lunch. The drive takes 30 minutes; the experience takes the whole day.",
      "stops": [
        "Vaitape",
        "Anau viewpoint",
        "Matira Beach",
        "Faanui Bay",
        "Vaitape"
      ],
      "tip": "Rent a scooter from your hotel. The road is empty before 9am. Stop at the northern tip—locals fish there at dusk.",
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        727,
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    },
    {
      "id": "moorea-loop",
      "num": "02",
      "name": "Moorea",
      "nameEm": "Bay crossing",
      "region": "Society Islands",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "from": "Arue",
      "to": "Arue",
      "km": 60,
      "hours": 2,
      "elevMax": 860,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "May–Oct",
      "surface": "RXR 4001 — coastal, two bays, one ridge pass",
      "car": "Any rental; the road is well-maintained",
      "blurb": "Two bays, one island. Start from the ferry dock in Arue, climb to the ridge viewpoint (Belvedere), drop to Opunohu Bay, lunch in Pao Pao, then circle back over the west coast through Haapiti. The bays mirror each other—one faces Tahiti, one faces the open ocean.",
      "stops": [
        "Arue (ferry)",
        "Belvedere viewpoint",
        "Opunohu Bay",
        "Pao Pao",
        "Haapiti",
        "Arue"
      ],
      "tip": "The Belvedere view is worth the drive alone. Go at 6am before tour buses arrive. Bring water.",
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    {
      "id": "tahiti-coast",
      "num": "03",
      "name": "Tahiti",
      "nameEm": "Leeward side",
      "region": "Society Islands",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "from": "Papeete",
      "to": "Teahupoo",
      "km": 45,
      "hours": 1.5,
      "elevMax": 200,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "May–Oct (swells June–Aug)",
      "surface": "RXR 5002 — coastal, narrow villages, black-sand beaches",
      "car": "Any rental",
      "blurb": "The leeward coast. Leave Papeete heading south, pass through Vaiao and Papara, stop for a swim at the black-sand beach in Vaihiria, continue to Teahupoo where the reef break is world-famous. One of the world's heaviest waves originates here.",
      "stops": [
        "Papeete",
        "Papara",
        "Vaihiria beach",
        "Teahupoo lagoon"
      ],
      "tip": "Teahupoo is a fishing village first, wave destination second. Eat grilled fish at a waterfront warung. The wave is often obscured by swell; sunsets are guaranteed.",
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    },
    {
      "id": "fakarava-strait",
      "num": "04",
      "name": "Fakarava",
      "nameEm": "Atoll drift",
      "region": "Tuamotus",
      "regionId": "tua",
      "from": "North pass (by boat)",
      "to": "South pass (by boat)",
      "km": 60,
      "hours": 2,
      "elevMax": 5,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "May–Oct (avoid Sep for pass drift conditions)",
      "surface": "Lagoon water — drift snorkel through the south pass (Garuae)",
      "car": "Motorized lagoon catamaran (hire locally)",
      "blurb": "Not a drive, a drift. Fakarava's lagoon is 50 kilometres long. Tour operators run drift snorkels through the south pass, where the tidal exchange brings sharks, rays, and deep-water fish into gin-clear water. The pass is only 800 metres wide; visibility is total.",
      "stops": [
        "North atoll",
        "South pass (Garuae)",
        "Tetamanu village"
      ],
      "tip": "Book your pass drift in advance. Sharks are present but docile. If you're nervous, sit in the boat; the view is almost as good. Morning drift is calmest.",
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    },
    {
      "id": "motu-picnic",
      "num": "05",
      "name": "Motu day-hop",
      "nameEm": "Lagoon islands",
      "region": "Society Islands",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "from": "Bora-Bora main island",
      "to": "Motu Tapu",
      "km": 8,
      "hours": 0.5,
      "elevMax": 2,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "May–Oct",
      "surface": "Lagoon water — speedboat or traditional outrigger",
      "car": "Lagoon taxi or hotel boat service",
      "blurb": "A motu is a sand island. Bora-Bora has dozens. Book a lagoon tour, skip the snorkel stop, ask to be dropped on an empty motu for lunch. White sand, coconut palms, one lagoon bench. The water is 25 degrees. This is as close to private island ownership as a traveller gets.",
      "stops": [
        "Vaitape lagoon dock",
        "Reef snorkel",
        "Motu Tapu (or equivalent)"
      ],
      "tip": "Bring your own lunch; resort food on the motu costs 45 euros for a sandwich. A cooler and two beers is the correct meal.",
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    }
  ],
  "when": [
    {
      "m": "Jan",
      "n": "Hot, humid, cyclone season. Rain in the afternoons. Lagoon is warm (28–29°C). Avoid."
    },
    {
      "m": "Feb",
      "n": "Still cyclone risk. Some resorts close for maintenance. Not recommended."
    },
    {
      "m": "Mar",
      "n": "Tail end of summer. Humidity peaks. Good for a last-minute cheap rate. Expect to skip one day due to rain."
    },
    {
      "m": "Apr",
      "n": "Transition month. Rain decreases. Lagoon is still 27°C. Fewer tourists. Underrated."
    },
    {
      "m": "May",
      "n": "Peak season begins. Dry, sunny, 25°C water. Prices climb. Book now. The Notte della Taranta equivalent here is empty boats and full tables."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jun",
      "n": "Coolest, driest month (22–24°C). Southern swell peaks—good for Teahupoo surfers. Wetsuits appear. Europeans book everything."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jul",
      "n": "School holidays in France. Peak crowds. Prices highest. Lagoons are still clear. Book 6 months ahead or don't."
    },
    {
      "m": "Aug",
      "n": "Still busy. Swell continues. 23°C water. Better value than July. Last month before shoulder season."
    },
    {
      "m": "Sep",
      "n": "Transition. Rain starts. Lagoon warming (25°C). Tourists thin out. Good for pass-drift (less swell disturbance)."
    },
    {
      "m": "Oct",
      "n": "Sweet spot returning. Dry days, warm lagoon (26°C), manageable crowds. Underrated. Book now."
    },
    {
      "m": "Nov",
      "n": "Hot and humid. Cyclone season approaches. Showers in afternoons. Cheaper. Accept 50–50 sun odds."
    },
    {
      "m": "Dec",
      "n": "Cyclone season in full. One major storm per month, statistically. Lagoons are warm (29°C) when not evacuated. Avoid."
    }
  ],
  "food": [
    {
      "dish": "Poisson cru",
      "where": "Society Islands, Tuamotus",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "note": "Raw fish in coconut milk and lime. The national dish. Served at lunch everywhere—hotels, food trucks, family tables. Eat it cold, fast, fresh.",
      "emoji": "🐟",
      "span": 2
    },
    {
      "dish": "Fafaru",
      "where": "Tuamotus (especially Fakarava)",
      "regionId": "tua",
      "note": "Fermented coconut broth with raw fish and coral sand. Sounds alarming. Tastes ancient, oceanic, correct. Order it once; order it twice.",
      "emoji": "🥥",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Uru (breadfruit)",
      "where": "All islands",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "note": "Boiled or fried. Starchy, neutral, appears at every family meal. Fried uru chips with sea salt are the honest snack.",
      "emoji": "🌳",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Grilled mahi-mahi",
      "where": "Bora-Bora, Moorea (waterfront)",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "note": "Caught that morning. Grilled whole, skin blackened, flesh sweet. Squeeze lime. Eat with your hands over white paper. Five euros at a food truck, fifty at a resort.",
      "emoji": "🔥",
      "span": 2
    },
    {
      "dish": "Arue (Moorea)",
      "where": "Moorea markets",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "note": "Taro leaves in coconut cream. Earthy, creamy, Pacific. Eaten as a side. Vegetarian option in a fish-and-rice culture.",
      "emoji": "🌿",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Shaved ice with coconut syrup",
      "where": "Everywhere (markets, street)",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "note": "Called 'glacé coco.' Blue or red syrup over shaved ice. 2 euros. Eaten at 3pm when the sun is hottest. Essential.",
      "emoji": "🧊",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Tahitian vanilla",
      "where": "Raiatea plantations (gift purchase)",
      "regionId": "soc",
      "note": "World-famous. Buy the real stuff (not the extract). One pod costs 8–12 euros. Worth carrying home in checked luggage.",
      "emoji": "🌺",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Coconut crab (upa)",
      "where": "Tuamotus (specialist restaurants)",
      "regionId": "tua",
      "note": "Massive land crab. Sweet meat. Expensive and increasingly rare. Eat it if offered; order it rarely. Acknowledgment of an older Polynesia.",
      "emoji": "🦀",
      "span": 1
    }
  ],
  "language": [
    {
      "lc": "Ia ora na",
      "tr": "Hello (formal)",
      "note": "The standard greeting. Pronounced ee-ah-OH-rah nah. Used morning and evening. 'Aloha' means 'hello' and 'goodbye' and 'love' — Tahitian is more specific."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Mauruuru roa",
      "tr": "Thank you very much",
      "note": "Pronounced mah-roo-OO-roo row-ah. Gratitude is expected after any transaction. Use it."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Poi (poi)",
      "tr": "How much? (polite question form)",
      "note": "Pronounced poy-EE. The question mark is in tone. Essential for markets and food trucks. Staff will quote in French if you struggle."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Te ava (tē ah-vah)",
      "tr": "Kava ceremony",
      "note": "Communal drink. Offered at village gatherings. Accept it. The numbness in your mouth is normal. Taste the ocean-floor soil in every sip."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Faanou (fah-AH-noo)",
      "tr": "Cheers (drinking)",
      "note": "When clinking glasses or sharing ava. Volume does not matter; intention does."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Ahh (ah)",
      "tr": "Yes",
      "note": "Short, sharp. Not to be confused with 'no' which is also 'aita' (longer). Context is everything."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Aita (AH-ee-tah)",
      "tr": "No / Not",
      "note": "As in 'aita maitai' (not good). Also means 'nothing.' Heard often in casual speech."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Maitai (my-TY)",
      "tr": "Good",
      "note": "Pronounced my-TY. Everything can be 'maitai'—food, weather, waves. It is the most useful word in French Polynesia."
    }
  ],
  "festivals": [
    {
      "num": "01",
      "name": "Heiva i Tahiti",
      "where": "Papeete, Arue (main stadium)",
      "when": "July",
      "text": "Six weeks of dance, canoe racing, traditional sports. Troupes from all islands compete in traditional hula and modern fusion. The opening parade is the size of a small nation's military. Book hotels in June.",
      "regionId": "soc"
    },
    {
      "num": "02",
      "name": "Te Tiurai Festival",
      "where": "Bora-Bora",
      "when": "July",
      "text": "Lighter version of Heiva. Local dance groups, outrigger races across the lagoon, fire-dancing at night. Food stalls sell grilled fish and shaved ice until 2am.",
      "regionId": "soc"
    },
    {
      "num": "03",
      "name": "Hawaiki Nui Va'a",
      "where": "Raatea–Bora-Bora–Maupiti (lagoon)",
      "when": "October",
      "text": "Three-day outrigger canoe race across 128 kilometres of open ocean. Teams of six paddle between islands. The finishing line is madness—families, music, ti'i tattoos. Accommodation fills in August.",
      "regionId": "soc"
    },
    {
      "num": "04",
      "name": "Larmina Festival",
      "where": "Raiatea",
      "when": "November",
      "text": "Sacred site celebrations. Land dives, traditional sports, ukulele contests. Less touristy than Heiva. More immersed in local life.",
      "regionId": "soc"
    },
    {
      "num": "05",
      "name": "Tahitian Tattoo Festival",
      "where": "Papeete, Arue",
      "when": "June (varies)",
      "text": "Tattoo artists from Polynesia, New Zealand, Japan, and Europe gather. Public performances and ceremonies. Design draws from ocean, tiki, and personal family lines. Queue times are long; patience is part of the ritual.",
      "regionId": "soc"
    },
    {
      "num": "06",
      "name": "Mistral Festival",
      "where": "Moorea (waterfront)",
      "when": "October",
      "text": "Art, music, and film festival. French documentary screenings, local musicians, gallery openings. Smaller and more cerebral than Society Islands beach festivals.",
      "regionId": "soc"
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Is French Polynesia actually French?",
      "a": "Technically, yes—it's a French overseas collectivity, not independent. The euro-backed CFP franc is controlled from Paris. French is official; Tahitian is spoken by locals. You'll feel France in the bureaucracy, the wine, the café culture. But the islands run on Polynesian time, which means 'maybe today, maybe next week.' The French provide infrastructure; Polynesians provide patience."
    },
    {
      "q": "How much does an overwater bungalow cost?",
      "a": "Between 500 and 2,000 euros per night, depending on resort and season. May–October (dry season) is pricier. They are not cheap. If you can only do one, stay overwater in Bora-Bora, where the lagoon is shallower and the view is total. Moorea and Raiatea have fewer overwater options and often charge less. Fakarava has none—it's for serious divers and budget travellers."
    },
    {
      "q": "How long should I stay?",
      "a": "Three days absolute minimum. One island only—choose Bora-Bora or Moorea. Longer: four to six days, two islands. Two weeks or more: add the Tuamotus (Fakarava for diving, Rangiroa for easier access) and Raiatea for vanilla plantation tours. Flying between islands costs 250–400 euros each way; plan accordingly. The flight from the US West Coast is 14 hours minimum via Tahiti."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is it safe?",
      "a": "Safer than you expect. Petty theft is real in Papeete; elsewhere, it's rare. Do not leave valuables in rental cars. Stings and sea urchins are the real hazard—wear reef shoes, ask locals about conditions, check for crown-of-thorns starfish before entering the water. Sharks are present and uninterested in tourists. Box jellyfish warnings post on beaches—follow them."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's the best island for a first visit?",
      "a": "Bora-Bora. The lagoon is enclosed, the resort infrastructure is mature, and the landscape is dramatic—Otemanu Peak rises 727 metres straight from the water. Moorea is quieter and cheaper; good for second visits. Raiatea is for vanilla plantations and outdoor divers. Fakarava and the Tuamotus are for specialists. Tahiti itself (Papeete) is a transit hub—one night only unless you're investigating French colonial architecture and Polynesian street culture."
    },
    {
      "q": "When do I absolutely not go?",
      "a": "December to March: cyclone season. Resorts stay open, but storm risk is real, and daily afternoon rains are guaranteed. July is peak season—crowded, expensive, and often booked months ahead. April and October are the underrated sweet spots: fewer tourists, warm lagoons, dry skies, 30–40 per cent cheaper than peak. Book in March for April; in August for October."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I need to rent a car?",
      "a": "For Bora-Bora and Moorea, no—hotels arrange lagoon tours and island shuttles. A scooter is faster and cheaper (15–20 euros per day). Tahiti: a car is useful if visiting the leeward coast beyond Papeete. Fakarava and the Tuamotus: no roads, so it's boats only. Budget airlines and ferries connect islands; plan interisland transit in advance."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's the visa situation?",
      "a": "US, UK, and EU citizens get 90 days visa-free. Australians and New Zealanders get six months. Proof of onward travel may be requested (book a return flight in advance). Work permits are separate and nearly impossible to obtain. Bring your passport; French Polynesia takes border control seriously."
    }
  ]
};