Tahiti is small but so beautiful. Both geographically and culturally, Tahiti is so far away from the mainland of the continent. Tahiti, it’s like you’re in the sector capital of one of those space operas when humans colonised dozens of far-off planets.
If worrying about the globe or a nuclear war makes you uneasy, this can be a great plus. or just if you enjoy silence (Tahiti is busy, but the dozens of surrounding islands and atolls are sleepy villages in the middle of the ocean).
It can also be a drawback, particularly if you’re young and uninterested in the trade of pearls, cocoa, or the travel and hospitality sectors. Other than this, the benefits and drawbacks are comparable to those of other tropical paradises.
I can’t help but make the joke that when we colonise space, the Polynesians should be given the programme because they are the only people with substantial experience in colonising brand-new worlds, and they aren’t afraid to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Perhaps you’ve experienced a sense of isolation elsewhere, but few places can compare to the Polynesian islands in terms of distance from the continents where our bipedal ancestors first evolved. They hear about global issues, wars, crises, and pandemics, but they don’t seem bothered because it may as easily be information from another planet.
Even external music was uncommon and only occasionally made it to their islands before the 1990s. Even today, two-thirds of radio shows feature international music and global successes that have been so-called “polynesianized.” Which I think is fantastic but might drive some people mad.
Why should I live in Tahiti ?
Tahiti is like a Paradise on Earth. When people return, despair frequently sets in. I’ve visited numerous “paradise” locations in my life (the Carabes Islands, the Mediterranean Islands, Andman and nicobars islands etc.), but none of these places even come close to Polynesia. This site has a very otherworldly quality.
The residents are friendly, carefree, grinning, and like singing and dancing. Certain of them resemble human dodos. The complete contrast of the concrete jungles on the continents (note that I’m generalising here; the people there are obviously much more than that, but that’s the impression every outsider has). At its best, mankind. There, I met some very lovely folks.
At first glance, it may not seem that Tahiti is fully integrated with the internet, international shipping networks, etc. Thousands of people also reside there. It’s not an island like St. Helena or Svalbard. The supermarkets are therefore comparable to those found anywhere else, and the economy is reasonably diversified.
Why Tahiti is not suitable to live
Tahiti is very far away from every main continent mainland and may be remote islands aren’t for you in the long term if you enjoy road vacations, spending one weekend in Barcelona and the next in Amsterdam, or just “going somewhere else.”
Air travel is required to get somewhere, and international air travel is required to get anywhere else. Everything is imported in large quantities to the little islands. The cost of living is reasonable, but if you try to eat or consume as you would on the continent, it becomes really unreasonable.
The unemployment rate is structurally quite high on small, densely inhabited islands. Thus, problems like obesity, intoxication, drug abuse, and crime are not minor ones. In the middle of the day in Tahiti, you can be assaulted by local goons. Additionally, everyone cautioned me against visiting Bora Bora due to these issues, and everyone was correct.
Tahiti’s housing market is becoming more and more difficult to navigate as time goes on. The local parliament began researching harsh measures to safeguard the populace and discourage foreign buyers. For instance, a tax rise of +100% when foreigners purchase real estate.
The law is currently being contested in court, and it could very well reach Paris’ Conseil d’état. In my opinion, the Polynesian Parliament will prevail but settle for a smaller tax rise. Personally, I completely concur with them: a democracy must defend its citizens.
Most people work and live in Pape’ete, where the daily drive will drain your energy due to the extremely congested traffic. You’re alright during non-peak times. The majority of the island’s main road has neither a bike path nor a sidewalk, so be prepared to avoid everything that may be on it, including skateboarders, cyclists, prams, dogs, chickens, etc.
Due to the high volume of traffic and poorly designed urban growth, it is extremely dangerous, and an accident occurs every day.
Starting with the steak frite, which is a razor-thin piece of beef covered in a mountain of soggy fries and drenched in a super-fat sauce like blue-cheese sauce, plain butter, or ketchup, the food at the roulottes (food trucks) is always the same. Apart from that, make sure your poisson is prepared with real lime and coconut cream rather than canned lime and coconut cream.
If you are a foreigner, rent won’t cost much, but the locals think it’s pricey. Food is imported in 95% of cases. Make sure you consume a lot of tuna because it is inexpensive.
Tahiti will hold activities (you got it: surf) during the 2024 Olympic Games in France, making the situation mentioned earlier much worse. Overall, having a home in Tahiti is a lovely privilege, but reality is much more nuanced than that. And I worry that the Fenua will suffer significantly over the coming years from both rising energy prices and climate change (sinking atolls and drier islands mean Tahiti and Moorea will be hotter and more populous) (fewer tourists able to fly there, costlier imports).
About the Author
Manish love to write and he is a Civil Servant. Users can follow Manish on Instagram 
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