TAHITI’S Capital Improvements

Friends were aghast when my wife, Andrea, and I said we were spending four of our seven vacation days in Tahiti’s largest city, Papeete.

“You will hate it there,” Bud said. “It’s dirty and it’s a tourist trap.”

“Papeete? You’ve got to be kidding,” another seasoned traveler said. “With all the other great places to see, why spend time in Papeete?”

Well, like it or not, all international flights into French Polynesia land at Faaa airport on the island of Tahiti, the largest of the 118 islands and atolls that make up this South Pacific territory. Papeete (pronounced pah-pay-ay-tay), the capital of French Polynesia, is 10 minutes from the airport. And believe me, based on what we heard before our trip compared with what we saw in September, one thing is clear: If you haven’t seen Papeete lately, you haven’t seen Papeete.

The downtown area has been spruced up thanks to a multimillion-dollar infusion from Paris (France still runs things). Tax incentives have persuaded merchants to put a fresh coat of paint on their properties. The Vaima shopping center, which opened in 1991, has had a face lift, too.

The French government has doubled the size of the police force, sending in a slew of gendarmes to patrol the waterfront area, especially in the evening, when mobile food vans called les roulottes come out. (Not that crime was a problem before, but as in any place, the patrols add to visitors’ sense of security.)

Even Hector, our driver from the airport, was excited about the changes.

“This highway we’re driving on, it’s brand new,” he said. “When it’s done, there will be two lanes on each side, and the time it takes to get from this side of the island to Papeete in the morning and evening rush hours will be cut in half.”

The new-look capital has also attracted major hoteliers. Le Meridien opened a resort near here two years ago, and Sheraton and Sofitel have built resorts, too.

But that’s not to say the island is turning into an overnight metropolis. According to Tahiti Tourisme, there are only about 4,000 hotel rooms in all of French Polynesia, with a target of 7,500 in 2010. For some perspective: Two hotels in Las Vegas, MGM Grand and Luxor, together have more than 9,000 rooms. And, while Hawaii gets more than 6 million visitors a year, Tahiti greets only 100,000.

Our first day in Papeete was a bit short because we took Air Tahiti Nui’s afternoon flight from Los Angeles. The 7 1/2-hour nonstop trip got us into Tahiti around 6 p.m. (Traveler’s tip: Be aware that overnight flights will arrive around 5 or 6 a.m., well before check-in--usually 1 p.m.--at most hotels.)

When we arrived at the airport, our first encounter with Tahiti came in the form of the tiare, the national flower, which smells like a gardenia and has delicate, narrow, white petals about 2 inches long. Official government greeters gave each of us a tiare to stick behind the ear--on the left if you’re single, on the right if you’re married.

We had chosen Le Meridien as our hotel, both here and in Bora- Bora about 100 miles to the west (we spent three days of this trip on Bora-Bora reliving our honeymoon). Le Meridien Tahiti is on the beach in the Punaauia region, a few miles from downtown Papeete on the island’s western coast. The resort has a great view of the ocean and the neighboring island of Moorea. Another bonus: a 2,250-square-foot swimming pool with a sand bottom.

Our garden-view room was well appointed and had some nice touches: Fresh tiares were left on the bed every day, and the shower stall had a speaker for listening to the television, if one so desired. The staff was multilingual (a plus, because my French is horrible) and knowledgeable about where to go and what to do. They even helped me surprise my wife on Day 2 of the trip with a cake to celebrate her birthday.

Our first full day on the island started with water aerobics in the pool. Then Andrea and I grabbed snorkeling gear and explored the coral reefs just off the resort’s beach. French Polynesia, of course, is known for its warm ocean water and abundant marine life--including sharks. We didn’t see any--not that we went looking for them--but shark excursions were offered by the hotel’s activities desk.

For a beginning snorkeler like me, the waters--so clear, so warm, with incredible coral formations--were exciting enough without sharks. Butterfly fish came right up and nibbled bread out of our hands. We saw larger fish, too: napoleons, giant barracudas, manta rays, moray eels, leopard rays, triggerfish, tuna, grouper and snapper. Warnings from older guidebooks and past visitors about polluted waters seemed unfounded.

All this incredible local sea life translated to some pretty impressive local seafood too, such as chevrettes (shrimp) and poisson cru, raw fish marinated with lime juice and soaked in coconut milk. It was melt-in-your-mouth delectable. For dessert there was poe, pudding made of taro root and flavored with banana, vanilla, papaya or pumpkin, topped with a coconut-milk sauce.

We were surprised to find chefs around here also making some fine Italian food. At Le Cigalon, a half-mile from our hotel, we managed to get a corner table in a packed house. The tossed salads were delicious, the margherita pizza was good and, although we passed on the desserts, they looked scrumptious. Our bill was 2,500 French Pacific francs, or about $23. (Traveler’s tip No. 2: Tipping is not required, nor is it expected. But it’s not discouraged, either.)

The roadside restaurants that dot the island are another option, accessible by foot or le truck, a bus that is Tahiti’s main transportation system. It’s the cheapest way to get around the island, and stops are everywhere. Just hop on and pay the driver (usually about $1.10 to $1.40) when you exit.

The hotel offered its own version, called Le Meridien Truck, running twice a day into downtown Papeete at no charge to guests. We boarded the late afternoon bus and got off at Le Marche, the public market.

Located two blocks off Boulevard Pomare, the main drag downtown, Le Marche covers a city block. Think of your local farmers market and multiply by 10. Established in 1847 and rebuilt after warships shelled it during World War II, the market has two floors of vendors. On the first floor merchants sell spices and seasonings; papaya, mangoes, breadfruit, taro and other produce; and the day’s catch, including lobster and mahi-mahi. If you want to buy vanilla, this is the place--slender beans grown on the island and coveted by cooks. Arts and crafts vendors fill the second floor with woven hats, bags, mats, shell necklaces and the like.

Andrea and I bought gifts galore: little bottles of vanilla extract for $8 to $15, containers of vanilla beans for $12 to $22, coconut- and tiare-scented soap for $3 to $5, and $10 pareos, painted pieces of fabric used as a wrap.

We also took a half-day guided tour of the island. It included the Lagonarium, a marine-life viewing exhibit that I could have done without, as well as the Botanical Garden, Maraa cave and the Gauguin Museum, where I would have loved to stay longer. Paul Gauguin spent much of his adult life painting the faces and vivid colors of the islands, and much of his work is documented in this museum.

As much as we were enjoying Papeete, Andrea and I were eager for a few days in Bora-Bora, where we spent our honeymoon 2 1/2 years ago. We think it’s the most beautiful island in the world.

Le Meridien Bora-Bora opened in 1998 and is built on the southern point of Motu Piti Aau, a 6 1/2-mile-long islet on a coral reef with a fabulous view of Mt. Otemanu.

Unfortunately, we never saw much of Otemanu; it was enshrouded by low clouds. And because of heavy winds and rain, some of the best views were inside our beautiful over-the-water bungalow with a glass floor.

Despite the bad weather, we went snorkeling in the turquoise water, but fish were few and far between. As luck would have it, the weather broke just in time for us to fly back to Papeete for our last two days. But whatever disappointment we experienced on Bora-Bora was compensated by the continued pleasant surprises of Papeete.

After some kayaking and more snorkeling, Andrea and I wanted to see downtown Papeete at night and get a taste of les roulottes. We couldn’t miss the rolling restaurants. Eighteen vans with wild paint jobs and neon signs encircled the parking lot next to the cruise ships’ docks. (Another traveler’s tip: Go after 7 p.m. when the flying termites aren’t so annoying.)

The food turned out to be good and inexpensive--about $8 to $10 per person. One night we tried a bunch of roulottes: Chez Pansi for a variety of fish, Chez Michou for Chinese food. We ordered steak frites at Chez Roger, and pizza and salad at La Cigale. We chatted with a cruise director, who recommended La Boule Rouse for its chocolate crepes. He was right. The dessert was to die for.

Although les roulottes were wonderful and the rest of Papeete has regained some of its luster, it’s true visitors expecting an unspoiled paradise or an isle of uninterrupted serenity will be disappointed. Nevertheless, when it came time to leave, we were pleased with our stay--surprised with how many of the warnings had turned out to be false alarms.

As we boarded our flight, the airline gave us tiare leis. Back in Los Angeles, the blossoms scented our home for days.

*

Gary Metzker is a news editor at The Times.

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GUIDEBOOK

At Play in the New Papeete

Getting there: Air France, Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui, AOM, Qantas and United fly nonstop from LAX to Tahiti. Hawaiian Airlines offers connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares start at $599.

Where to stay: In Tahiti we stayed at Le Meridien, a few miles from downtown Papeete looking out on the island of Moorea. Double rooms start at $340 per night. P.O. Box 380595, Tamanu, Punaauia, French Polynesia 97718; tel. (800) 543-4300 or 011-689-47-07-07, fax 011-689-47-07-08, Internet https://www.lemeridien-hotels.com.

Guidebooks also recommend the Hotel Tiare Tahiti. Like Le Meridien, it’s only a couple of years old. Rooms run about $110 to $135 per night. P.O. Box 2359 (417 Boulevard Pomare), Papeete; tel. 011-689-43-68-48, fax 011-689-43-68-47.

On Bora-Bora, we stayed at Le Meridien in a bungalow built over the water. Bungalows over the water are about $635 per night; beach bungalows are about $545. P.O. Box 190, Vaitape, Bora-Bora, French Polynesia 98730; tel. (800) 543-4300 or 011-689-60-51-51, fax 011-689-60-51-52.

Where to eat: We often ate at our hotel or at inexpensive roadside stands that dot the island, accessible by le truck.

We also tried les roulottes in downtown Papeete. The restaurants on wheels serve all kinds of meat, fish, poultry and dessert. One of our favorites was La Boule Rouse. Expect to pay $8 to $10 per person.

Le Cigalon is a popular, excellent Italian restaurant in Punaauia, a half-mile from Le Meridien; local tel. 42-40-84. Dinner for two runs about $25.

L’O a la Bouche is known for its elegant ambience and superb French fare, with an emphasis on seafood. Passage Cardella; tel. 45-29-76.

For more information: Tahiti Tourisme, 300 Continental Blvd., Suite 160, El Segundo, CA 90245; tel. (800) 365-4949 or (310) 414-8484, fax (310) 414-8490, Internet www.gototahiti.com.