A couple months ago we spent over a week island hopping in French Polynesia, stopping in Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora. On our first day in Tahiti, we visited the Marché Papeete (“municipal market”) or Papeete Market, as per the recommendation from our driver who picked us up in a fancy Cayenne at the airport. After traveling over 24 hours to get to paradise, we stopped by to see what the market had to offer.
The Papeete Market sells local farm products, handicrafts, souvenirs, and cheap eats. Here’s a photologue of the market.
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| Dozens of vendors have spaces in this 75,000 sq ft market. The first floor covers food, souvenirs, and flowers. The second floor has more souvenirs, including sarongs, wooden statues, and more. |
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| Fei bananas – one of the 2 types of bananas in French Polynesia that can only be eaten when cooked. The purple fruit to the left is Star Apple. When sliced in half there is a star-shaped core. When ripe, the fruit is sweet. The texture may be a bit slimy, but it is worth a try. |
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| A variety of sandwiches, egg rolls, shao pao and other snacks for sale, mostly under 250 XPF (or $2.70). |
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| An interesting sandwich that we had to try: Chao mein on a baguette. Price: 100 XPF (about $1.75) – not a bad snack if you’re hungry. |
