54 Best Shopping in French Polynesia

The gallery's French owners came to Bora Bora 38 years ago on their honeymoon, loved it, and returned a few years later to live there. The lovely thatched building displays both their works—she paints on canvas and he specializes in hand-painted pareos—and the work of local artists (painters and sculptors) who they nurture and promote. The gallery also sells etchings, tapas (Polynesian painted cloth), and books.

This French artist moved to Bora Bora in 1986, and from his hillside studio above Matira Beach, paints vivid Bora Bora scenes and depictions of tikis, using acrylic and enamel on canvas. He achieved international fame for his painting of a bottle of vodka floating in the Bora Bora lagoon to promote Absolut vodka.

Arri Boutique. On Raiatea you can stop by Arri Boutique. 66–35–54.

You'll see artworks and Marquesan artisans at work in this workshop and gallery. The best-known carved item is the "tiki" (a representation of a god); delicate pieces made from mother-of-pearl and bone may be on display at various times.

This boutique, which is not far from the "wine cave" or wine cellar of Vin de Tahiti, sells single pearls, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, and earrings, as well as a selection of artwork.

Garrick Yrondi is a Frenchman who has lived on various islands of French Polynesia since he was two years old. He paints oils and watercolors and sculpts in a Mediterranean style villa studio 4 km (2 mi) south of Vaitape. His 2-meter rose marble statue of a woman, known as Vahine E ia is displayed on a tiny island in the lagoon just near Bora Bora airport. You can't miss it.

Apart from black Tahitian pearl jewelry, there are many local crafts including wood carvings, basketware, and hand-painted pareos.

Deep Ocean Spa by Algotherm has the only Thalassotherapy spa in the South Pacific, which means it uses seawater pumped from 2,500 feet (762 meters) below the ocean's surface in therapies to replenish body minerals and restore equilibrium. Before your treatment, take a soak in a private Jacuzzi with views out to Mt. Otemanu. The spa also has a long list of exotic treatments.

Divine & Sens one-room "spa" offers 30-, 50-, and 90-minute relaxation massages. It's 19,000 CFP for a 15-minute Jacuzzi soak and a 45-minute massage. There's a Jacuzzi on the terrace that guests can partake in before or after their services.

Goldsmith and jeweler Eva Frachon has been working with Tahitian cultured pearls for 18 years. The gallery-store has single pearls and jewelry pieces. Free transfers are available.

Exotica Shop has an eclectic mixture of clothes, jewelry, and gifts, but the range is not really Polynesian. It's on the second level of a small retail complex near the tourism bureau.

Don't be fooled by its name. If you want a new swimsuit or some beach and resort wear, this is a good place to look. It's in the Commercial Center at Maharepa.

Fare Super Nui is a huge supermarket that carries everything from wine and beer to milk, snorkeling gear, and clothes. It even has pigs ready for roasting. This is the hub of life in Huahine.

Galerie Van der Heyde. This gallery displays the work of resident Dutch painter Aad Van der Heyde, who has lived in Moorea for more than 30 years. Other displays include Marquesan wood carvings, shell jewelry, tapa cloth, and other South Seas souvenirs.

There's an on-site boutique selling single pearls and pearl jewelry. Free tours of the pearl farm are easily arranged.

The gallery displays paintings of local artists—island and islander scenes—sculpture, and photographs. Gallery pieces are also exhibited at the InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa.

The usual art and handicraft shops sell a wide variety of woodcarvings and shell and pearl items, with most guaranteed to have been locally made. Local artists often sell at the Hawaiki Nui Federation at Uturoa airport and the Maritime Harbor.

This is the home of Helene Spa, the only spa concession on the island. Relax in a river bath, be revitalized with a pineapple, papaya, or grapefruit wrap and scrub, and be cleansed under a waterfall shower.

If you want to visit a pearl farm, check out Hinano Pearls, about 19 km (12 mi) south of Rotoava. To arrange a visit, call or e-mail the owners.

Huahine Pearl Farm has loose pearls and pearl jewelry, as well as pottery crafted by ex-Californian Peter Owen and his Tahitian-born wife Ghislaine. Take the free boat transfer over to the motu off the village of Faaie, which leaves every 15 minutes.

Traditional tattoo artist James Samuela, who has been practicing for more than 10 years, is one of only seven artists in French Polynesia who still practices the ancient techniques first used by the warriors of the Marquesas Islands. The ban on traditional tattooing (using sterilized wooden and bone implements) was lifted in 2001.

Both islands have an active community of artisans, but one of the more unusual is Jean Luc Liaut, a native Raiatean whose fishing boat Te Manu Ata is based in Uturoa and is available for charter. He has turned handmade fishing lures into an art form, and his products are sought globally.

La Palme D'Or. La Palme D'Or is a recommended place to shop for pearls on Raiatea. 66–23–79.

Here you can escape the world in a papaya cocoon or be revitalized by a hot and cool shell massage, where shells are placed on the body at various pressure points. The refurbished hotel has seven new treatment rooms.

Local Style has a colorful range of surf gear including the Tahitian label, Hinano. There also are shorts, shirts, and bikinis.

A short drive from Pension Mauarii, this small "corner store" sells beer, water, soft drinks, ice cream, packaged snacks, and a small range of groceries such as tinned food and eggs.

From post cards and toothpaste to Vini cards for your mobile phone, you'll find most things you need at this popular supermarket. There are also upscale items as well, including foie gras and French champagne.

Apart from buying food items, you can pick up sunglasses, pareos, and Tahitian shirts and board shorts. It's across the road from Les Relais de Joséphine.