Communications

Internet

The Internet is still a relatively new phenomenon in French Polynesia, although Internet cafés are growing more and more popular on developed islands like Tahiti and Moorea. Few hotels offer room access, so check first before you lug your laptop overseas; however, most hotels do have communal computers with Internet access so you can check your e-mail. The cost is usually around 900 CFP per minute.

Contact

Cybercafes lists over 4,000 Internet cafés worldwide. www.cybercafes.com.

Phones

The good news is that you can now make a direct-dial telephone call from virtually any point on earth. The bad news? You can't always do so cheaply. Calling from a hotel is almost always the most expensive option; hotels usually add huge surcharges to all calls, particularly international ones. In some countries you can phone from call centers or even the post office. Calling cards usually keep costs to a minimum, but only if you purchase them locally. And then there are mobile phones, which are sometimes more prevalent—particularly in the developing world—than landlines; as expensive as mobile phone calls can be, they are still usually a much cheaper option than calling from your hotel.

Compared to other remote areas, the phone system in French Polynesia is modern and easy to use, but it's also costly—if you use hotel phones you will be charged about US$10 a minute, with a connecting charge as well. Public phones can be found in each village, and you'll also find them around the islands on the side of the road. A Telecarte (phone card) is required to use these phones and can be bought at the Pape'ete Airport snack bar and in many supermarkets, shops, and news agencies. Phone cards come in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 CFP.

The country code for French Polynesia is 689.

Calling Within French Polynesia

There are no area codes within French Polynesia, so numbers should be dialed directly. Phone cards are a good option for calling between islands. Local calls usually cost around 35 CFP for four minutes, with island-to-island calls being more expensive.

Calling Outside French Polynesia

To call the United States from French Polynesia dial 00 + 1 + area code + number. To call French Polynesia from the United States dial 011 + 689 + number. If you get stuck, ring information at 3612.

Mobile Phones

If you have a multiband phone (some countries use different frequencies than what's used in the U.S.) and your service provider uses the world-standard GSM network (as do T-Mobile, Cingular, and Verizon), you can probably use your phone abroad. Roaming fees can be steep, however: 99¢ a minute is considered reasonable. And overseas you normally pay the toll charges for incoming calls. It's almost always cheaper to send a text message than to make a call, since text messages have a very low set fee (often less than 5¢).

If you just want to make local calls, consider buying a new SIM card (note that your provider may have to unlock your phone for you to use a different SIM card) and a prepaid service plan in the destination. You'll then have a local number and can make local calls at local rates. If your trip is extensive, you could also simply buy a new cell phone in your destination, as the initial cost will be offset over time.

If you travel internationally frequently, save one of your old mobile phones or buy a cheap one on the Internet; ask your cell phone company to unlock it for you, and take it with you as a travel phone, buying a new SIM card with pay-as-you-go service in each destination.

You will need to check with your provider to see if your mobile phone will work in French Polynesia. If it doesn't, you can either rent a phone from one of the companies below, or you can tap into the local network—Tikiphone Vini Network. However, your network needs to be a roaming partner of Tikiphone Vini Network, otherwise there's the option of picking up a prepaid calling card from them to make and receive calls on your phone while traveling. Phone rentals are also available.

Contacts

Tikiphone Vini Network. www.vini.pf.

Cellular Abroad rents and sells GMS phones and sells SIM cards that work in many countries. 800/287–5072. www.cellularabroad.com.

Mobal rents mobiles and sells GSM phones (starting at $49) that will operate in 140 countries. Per-call rates vary throughout the world. 888/888–9162. www.mobalrental.com.

Planet Fone rents cell phones, but the per-minute rates are expensive. 888/988–4777. www.planetfone.com.