Crystal clear water, warm weather, tropical fruit: all the things that come to mind when thinking of Tahiti. And the same could be said for the huge pricetag attached to such a vacation. A trip earmarked for extra special occasions like honeymoons or 30-year wedding anniversaries.
But what is not commonly known is that a reasonable budget can still offer you an enjoyable vacation to the island! Your primary expenses are going to fall into three categories: airfare, lodgings, and food.
Let’s start with food. As Tahiti is an island, most of the food is brought in from other places. This increases the cost of everything you will be eating. To give you a general idea of the prices, my hotel bar charged around $21 for a grilled cheese sandwich. That’s it. Just the sandwich. No side salad or drink included. And the breakfast buffet ran upwards of $60 per person. Not super budget friendly. But if you are willing to venture outside of your hotel, there is an array of more reasonably priced food options. From the restaurants in the downtown area, where a main entree may cost you $12, to the food trucks that can be found lining the harbor area streets, where you can get a main entree, side dish, and drink for under $10. And if you want to stretch your money even further, check out the local grocery marts for bread, cheeses, meats, beverages, etc. The bread will still be more expensive than, say the US mainland, but it’s a whole lot cheaper than ordering something from your hotel.
Lodgings on the island can be another budget buster. The prices range dramatically, so it is also important to take into account what your top priority is for the place you stay. You may want to be close to nightlife, or maybe along the beach, or in the over-water bungalows. One way to cut costs is to book off-season. For Tahiti, that falls between November and late March. Keep in mind that is also when it’s hotter, with plenty of rain and humidity. Also, you don’t have to go the traditional hotel route. There are many other lodging options from the popular Airbnb to the local homestays (pensions).
Airfare runs along the same thread as lodging in that low-season is when you are more likely to find deals. Additionally, some airlines will even offer free two or three-day stays in Tahiti, referred to as stopovers, between Pacific destinations. For example, if you are flying from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand on a Tahitian airline, you may have the opportunity to book a multi-day stopover at a hotel in Tahiti at no extra cost to your bottom-line. The airline gives you a limited list of mid-range hotels to choose from, but it’s FREE! So a trip that could cost $3,000+ per person could be dropped down to the cost of a roundtrip airline ticket from LA to Auckland.
A tropical Tahitian vacation — on a budget — is within reach. Happy hunting!