Tahiti, A Brief History

Settlement
4000 years ago, settlers from South East Asia left the mainland and travelled eastward, populating Melanesia and Micronesia. They sailed across the vast Pacific Ocean on double-hulled sailing ships made from tree trunks and plant fibre. These Austronesian people became masters of high sea navigation as their journeys became longer as land masses became further and further apart.
Instinctually, using nature-based navigational techniques (star positions, reading the swell in the ocean and cloud formations) these incredibly skilled navigators and sophisticated, highly organized people discovered and settled the current Cook Islands and most of the Polynesian islands between 700 – 500 BC.
From the Polynesian islands, these people (the “Moahi”) sailed to and settled Hawaii, The Easter Islands and New Zealand between 300 AD and 700 BC. This formed what has become known as “The Polynesian Triangle”.
Due to their isolation, the Moahi people across the Polynesian Triangle developed a unique Polynesian identity that has fascinated and charmed visitors for centuries.
Discovery And Influential Visitors…
In 1521, the first Polynesian Island Puka Puka in the Tuamotu island chain was discovered by Magellan on a Spanish expedition. It wasn’t until 1767 that Captain Wallis discovered Tahiti for the British, and the islands were officially charted.
On the first round the world expedition by the French Navy, Captain Bougainville arrived on Tahiti in 1768. He wanted to rename the Islands ‘La Nouvelle Cythere’, (where according to Greek mythology the greek goddess of love Aphrodities was born) and so began the myth of paradise found on earth.
Later, Captain Cook was commissioned by the Royal Society of London to trace the transit of Venus across the sun’s surface. He arrived in Tahiti in 1769. Cook made three journeys to Tahiti, and accuratelty predicted the inevitable arrival of tradesman and missionaries that would radically change local life style.
The arrival of HMS Bounty in 1788 and the return of the mutineers to Tahiti a year later played an important role in Polynesian history. The mutineers who stayed on Tahiti trained the local population in the use of firearms and European war tactics, also exposing them to language, customs and western culture.
With the arrival of the first Protestant missionaries on the Duff sent by the London Missionary Society in 1797 followed by the Catholic missionaries, Christianity spread rapidly. When in 1819 the second King of Tahiti, Pomare was converted to Christianity new laws and codes of conduct were introduced which saw the quick demise of an ancient culture, demonised and rejected by the missionaries.
Ancient
Culture
The first visitors discovered a highly developed hierarchy of social and religious chiefs, a complicated code of etiquette and highly skillful fishermen, sailors and craftsmen.
They discovered an oral culture where colorful legends, story telling, dance and music were linked to every aspect of life, from greeting and welcoming visitors, praying, challenging other authority or power and to seduction. They discovered a people where respect, order, joy, courage and generosity were and remain key to their identity.
Control
Britain and France fought for control of Polynesia, through the influence of the Protestant and Catholic church. The Tahitian Dynasty (formed shortly after the arrival of the first explorers and missionaries) signed the islands over to France in 1842 when it become a French Protectorate. In 1880, the islands of Tahiti and Moorea were annexed (colonialised), their fate sealed by the last king of Tahiti, Pomare V.
Of the 119 islands that make up French Polynesia the last of the islands to be annexed were Rimatara and Rurutu in the Austral Islands (southeast of Tahiti). These two islands resisted French rule up until 1889, and were annexed in 1900 despite their plea for help to the British. These days the county has its autonomy and is considered a self governing overseas country of France.
Modern Change
Immigration was actively encouraged by the governing bodies during the late 1800s. In the 1900’s French Polynesia saw an influx of many European, American and Chinese citizens which led to the mixed race, tolerant society evident today in Polynesia. The ideas of chiefs and old rituals were replaced by modern living. The return of Polynesians who served under the French flag in both the First and Second World Wars resulted in a political awakening in Polynesians. Some began to call for their autonomy and some for complete independence from France.
With the creation of an International airport in 1962, Tahiti opened up to the world. The setting up of the CEP, the Pacific Experimentation Centre (Centre d’Expérimentation du Pacifique) the nuculeur tests that took place 1200km from Tahiti on the Polynesian islands of Mururoa and Fagataufa from 1966-1996 employed more than half of the Polynesian population. Looking for work and new opportunities, there was a massive migration of Polynesians from the outer islands to Tahiti. Polynesia became part of the world economy. Polynesians became modern day consumers.
Despite being “discovered” and all the tumultuous changes that followed over the last 250 years in Polynesia, the ancestral skills of the artisans, navigators, tattoo artists, fishermen, farmers, local doctors and remedy makers have survived. In fact, like the culture in general, they thrive. Just look at the men and women rowing in their Vaa’as (Tahitian canoes) in the lagoon near downtown Papeete on their lunch hours to see this testament of their culture’s endurance. Or catch the nightly news, today typically broadcast first in Tahitian, then in French. After years of being subdued and crushed the local culture is seeing a massive revival. The Polynesians’ strength and resilience go hand in hand with the amazing beauty of these breathtaking islands.
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Tripadvisor Ratings & Reviews
With an unwavering commitment to quality, we've left a trail of delighted customers eager to share their stories.
Verified Full day with Tracey! Tracey accommodated our ship's (Koningsdam) very late breaking itinerary change easily and put our minds at ease. She was very prompt, friendly, and kept us up to date with when she would pick us up. Tracey was a wonderful host, showing us Tahiti as a local would, and getting insights into everyday Tahitian life. We really enjoyed our day. She did not rush us yet kept our small group moving. It was a fun day! Mike R2025-03-29Verified Příjemný den na Tahiti bez jazykové bariéry. Absolvovali jsme tuto tůru po Tahiti jako poslední akci po měsíčním pobytu na ostrovech a dvou týdnech na katamaránu, den před odletem. Byl to dobrý nápad. Agentura nám poskytla slovenského průvodce Ronyho, z jehož přístupu jsme byli nadšeni. Na Tahiti trvale žije. Projevil velké znalosti v oblasti historie, geologie, botaniky, zoologie i antropologie. Přizpůsobil se našim potřebám a jeho přístup měl ryze kamarádský charakter. Opravdu velmi aktivně a příjemně strávený den. Múžeme vřele doporučit. Monika K2025-03-23Verified Historical implications, botanical and zoological knowledge, landscape morphology and more. Congratulations to guides like Rony. Bravo. Very interesting, professional interpretation with a human approach and respect for the clients. Milan K2025-03-16Verified Great experience Great visit of west Tahiti. Dominic was very knowledgeable and engaging. The tour covers historical sites, typical plants and their medicinal properties, botanical gardens and black sand beaches. Ariane M2025-03-12Verified From one end to the other of Tahiti! Looking to learn about Tahiti, looking to see all the hidden jewels and meet amazing locals, Unique Tahiti is the company! This is not a commercial tourist tour of the Island, it’s a personal excursion and history review managed by an amazing guide and owner Tracey. This day was easily the highlight of our 10 days! Thank you Tracey! Mike H2025-03-11Verified Great tour in Tahiti! Excellent tour of the west side of Tahiti. Tracey is knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor. We enjoyed seeing the “real” Tahiti, meeting locals and learning about their culture and way of life. The van was comfortable, very clean, easy to get in and out and had great AC. luvseaside2025-03-09Verified Great Local company We did both the east and west coast tours over 2 days. We had Dominic for both and he’s great! We learned a lot about the culture and were able to see some beautiful sites. Each day was 4 hours which is a nice amount of time, not too long but long enough to enjoy and learn. Tracey the owner was so great to work with. Our cruise ship changed itineraries at the last minute and she took great care of us. The red Mercedes van is comfortable even with our group of 8. JoeFayetteville2025-03-06Verified A good way to see Tahiti We did the West Coast tour with Tracy. It was a fun afternoon of seeing the sites and hearing stories. Tracy is fun of excitement and makes the day really fun. She shares her knowledge of the island, people and their customs. Greg17712025-03-02Verified Great Day with Dominic This was our second tour with Tracey's company. Both were great. Yesterday we did the half day west side tour with Dominic. We have learned over the years that the enjoyment of the tour has a great deal to do with the guide we have. Dominic was great. He is obviously proud of his country and village and you can't help but absorb his enthusiasm. You can't go wrong with Tracey and Dominic. Joy-Dawn Colburn Joy-Dawn C2025-02-27Verified Special and Unique Spots on Tahiti Tracey was a delight. She showed us some beautiful little corners of the island. I really enjoyed seeing the cave and waterfalls. The botanical garden was a relaxing place to spend some time. We had a wonderful afternoon. She gave me a few tips to make the rest of our stay go smoothly as well. Teresa W2025-02-25