Discovering the Apetahi Express

It’s been a year since we left the islands of French Polynesia. Almost a year since I last wrote about Fenua. In fact, in August 2021, we left the Polynesian islands for another gentle way of life in the Caribbean, Guadeloupe. Do we regret it? Not at all for now, although we miss certain aspects of Polynesia.

Today I’ve decided to pick up the keyboard again to tell you about something very special, the Apetahi Express ferry. What’s that, you might ask? Well, it’s simply an alternative way of discovering the Leeward Islands, the ‘Raromatai’ as they are known in Polynesia (by ferry services). In fact, if you’re planning a trip to Polynesia, you’ll probably be travelling by plane with the local airline, Air Tahiti, with its famous Passes, just like everyone else.

Until now, for most people, this was the only way to travel… but that was before the arrival of the ferry: Apetahi Express and the introduction of sea transport (crossing boat). For the time being, the local airline, Air Tahiti, has a monopoly on air transport and on air ticket prices (from Tahiti), so you have no other option if you want to fly. There have been a lot of emails from you recently about the possibility of ferry-boat travel in French Polynesia. There are a few cargo ships, which I mentioned in my article on getting around Polynesia, but this is clearly not the most developed means of transport in the territory. I was familiar with the name of the Apetahi Express, but I have to admit that it was never before the subject of an article in my blog about French Polynesia.

Today, I’ve decided to introduce you to the company and the opportunities it offers to discover the Leeward Islands from March 2021, with 3 round- trips a week from the island of Tahiti by ferry services. This article is not sponsored by the ferry company in any way and I write what I want, in case you’re wondering. I have no particular interest in telling you to take the ferry-boat (like a water taxi) instead of the plane, but I thought it would be interesting to mention the possibility now. In any case, as you prepare for your polynesian trip, I invite you to read all our articles on French Polynesia.

As I said, the boat (Apetahi Express steamship) allows you to explore the Leeward Islands, with the exception of Maupiti tropical island. It’s a shame, because it’s a beautiful island. But I imagine there must be a reason, probably the narrowness of the pass to enter the area.

If you are a passenger of the Apetahi Express ferry you can discover by some cruises the islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a and finally the pearl of the Pacific, Bora Bora. You’ll find all the things to see and do, as well as all the practical things you need to know before visiting these islands, by clicking on the links for each paradise island.

To give my personal opinion, and after spending more than six years in French Polynesia, I’d say that visiting these islands will give you an excellent overview of French Polynesia (with idyllic and breathtaking landscapes, turquoise blue lagoon and polynesian culture). Of course, the Polynesian territory is not limited to the Leeward Islands. I urge you to discover the other archipelagos of the territory, especially what I like to call the remote archipelagos: the Gambier Archipelago, the Marquesas and the Austral Islands. I’ll tell you more about them later in the article, but I think it’s an excellent idea if you have some free time during your polynesian travel and want to visit the Leeward Islands (with cruises by ferry-carrying).

Photographs provided by Apetahi Express – ©Louis Moutard-Martin

Let’s get straight to the point, because that’s what many of you are most interested in. I’ll be talking to you about planning your ferry round-trips, the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by boat rather than by plane and for added convenience on days with departures to the list of islands served by the ferry system.

When it comes to booking your ferry trip, things are pretty straightforward. There are basically three options, whether you’re a tourist or a resident of French Polynesia:

• Firstly, you can simply book your ferry tickets or pass for your holiday in French Polynesia (or the islands, as we say when we live there) via their website. The Pass is printed on a special card that is not yet available in digital form and can only be bought at their sales outlets,
• Secondly, you can simply book by telephone at the various Ratere agencies,
• Finally, you can go directly to the Ratere agencies on the islands of Tahiti, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a and Bora Bora. The ferry pass can be purchased at all Ratere agencies and at the Moorea and Papeete ferry ports.

Here are the details of the different agencies (where you can buy your ferry tickets or ferry passes). If there are any changes, don’t hesitate to send me a message in the comments section:

• Ratere Agency in Tahiti – Rue des Remparts in Fare Ute. Opening hours and days:
  • Monday to Thursday from 7.00 to 17.00,
  • Friday from 8.00 to 16.00,
  • Saturday from 8.00 to 12.00.
  • Closed on Sundays
  • Phone number: 40.50.54.59

• Ratere Agnecy in Huahine – Fare. Opening hours:
  • Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 18.00,
  • Saturday from 8.00 to 12.00
  • Closed on Sundays
  • Phone number: 87.71.07.41

• Ratere Agnecy in Raiatea– Ferry Terminal. Opening hours:
  • Monday to Friday from 7.30 to 16.30,
  • Saturday from 7.30am to 11.30am
  • Sunday from 11.00 to 14.00
  • Phone number: 40.66.40.50

• Ratere Agency in Taha’a Opposite the Tapuamu wharf, on the mountain side. Opening hours:
  • Monday and Wednesday: 6.00am – 10.00am
  • Tuesday and Friday: 10am to 2pm
  • Thursday: 8am to 12pm
  • Sunday: 14.30 to 16.00
  • Phone number: 87.39.37.75

• Ratere branch in Bora Bora – Helen’s Bay Shopping Centre. Opening hours and days:
  • Monday and Thursday: 5am to 5pm
  • Tuesday and Wednesday: 7am to 5pm
  • Friday: 7am to 3pm
  • Saturday: 5am to 10am
  • Phone number: 40.67.57.47

Here’s what I found that might be worth remembering:

Changes

• Ferry tickets can be changed free of charge up to 48 hours before departure time. A price adjustment will be made if the fare is higher for the dates you have chosen. A credit note (valid for 1 year) will be issued in the opposite case,
• If you change your ferry ticket less than 48 hours before ferry departure, a fee of 500 xpf (€4) per person will be charged. The fee increases to 1000 xpf (€8) if you change your ticket less than 24 hours before ferry departure,
• If you can’t catch the ferry, it is also possible to suspend a ticket free of charge (if you do so at least 48 hours before ferry time). You can also rebook at a later date.

Refunds

• If you cancel more than 48 hours before departure time, the ferry ticket is refundable for free of charge.

Other issues

• If you do not show up for boarding, a fee of 3,000 xpf (€25) will be charged to change or cancel your trip.

As I said, the interesting thing is the Apetahi Express rates. They are obviously lower than those offered by Air Tahiti. As is often the case in Polynesia, there are resident fares (which are slightly cheaper) and tourist fares, which I’ll give you for information purposes:

• Tahiti -> Huahine: from 16,200 xpf (€135)
• Tahiti -> Raiatea: from 16,200 xpf (€135)
• Tahiti -> Tahaa: from 19.000 xpf (€160)
• Tahiti -> Bora Bora: from 16,200 xpf (€135)

For connections by ferry transportation between the islands themselves (e.g. Raiatea-Bora), the price is always the same, around 10,200 xpf (€80). I’ll go into this in more detail in another article, as there is now another airline, Tahiti Air Charter, the same company I used to fly over Bora Bora and Tupai in a seaplane (a marvel), which also offers flights between some of the Leeward Islands, and this may well be worth considering, knowing that you’ll be enjoying the magnificent aerial views.

As an example, I compared the price difference between Air Tahiti flights and Apetahi Express ferry company. I found (for the cheapest flights):

• Tahiti -> Huahine: from 34,500 xpf (290€)
• Tahiti -> Raiatea: from 38,000 xpf (€320)
• Tahiti -> Tahaa: Does not exist (there is no airport on Tahaa)
• Tahiti -> Bora Bora: from 45,000 xpf (€380)

As you can see, the difference between the rates of taking a plane and the rates of sailing by boat is enormous, literally double rates, which makes you think. Admittedly, as I’ll explain below, the ferry services and plane services are not really comparable, but then again…

We’re talking about airfares here, which not many tourists are actually going to take when travelling to Fenua. Domestic flights are an integral part of the budget for a trip to French Polynesia, but in spite of all that, the majority of tourists will consider taking a ferry pass during their holiday. I’ll tell you all about it below.

It’s a very good thing that the ferry offers passes to the Leeward Islands. It’s an excellent way for tourists to visit all the polynesian islands for less money by boat. There are two inter-island passes: the Raromatai Pass and the Apetahi Pass. Here’s what you need to know to choose between the two passes to plan your ferry trip:

• The Raromatai Pass allows you to visit 4 islands in the Leeward Islands: Bora Bora, Raiatea, Tahaa and Huahine for 17,900 xpf (€150),
• The Apetahi Pass corresponds to the Raromatai Pass plus the islands of Tahiti and Moorea (by boat on the Aremiti – the same as to Moorea) for just 23,900 xpf (€200).

To understand the two passes and give you my opinion on the matter, the Raromatai pass is for travel within the Leeward Islands but not to the islands. This has the advantage of avoiding the Huahine-Tahiti section, which can be quite rough, especially during the Mara’amu (a strong wind in July and August), as the boat is sailing with a head swell, whereas from Tahiti to Huahine the swell is in the rear, so the boat can slide smoothly over the water. In short, going up to Raromatai is no problem. If you want to disembark in Tahiti, be careful! It can be uncomfortable in heavy swells, but only from Huahine to Tahiti. The route from Bora Bora to Huahine is not quite head-on and the distances are shorter, so it is generally more comfortable, even in swell. After all, it’s quite rare to have big swells outside the Mara’amu period (July-August). And if the conditions are unbearable, or if there’s the slightest risk of getting swept out to sea, the company will cancel and reschedule anyway. On the other hand, this means that you have to take a flight from Tahiti to Huahine in order to start your pass on arrival.

The second pass, the Apetahi pass, gives you the full local experience and crosses all the Leeward Islands from Tahiti by steamship. You also have the option of going to Moorea island as part of the same package. In my opinion, if you have the time (more on this below because the ferry system is not fast), this pass is an excellent way to do some low-cost exploration of the Raromatai by ferry routes.

However, you can’t really compare it with the Air Tahiti Passes offered by the airline, because it’s not really the same thing, considering that the Moana and Ninamu Passes, which I describe in detail in the article, seem to be available only to residents. The .fr version of the Air Tahiti website, which I can see now that I’m no longer in Tahiti, does not offer them. The only thing you have access to is the Discovery Pass, which only allows you to discover Moorea, Huahine and Raiatea. It costs between €330 and €360 depending on the season.

For something close to the Apetahi Express ferry equivalent, you’ll have to look at Air Tahiti’s Bora Bora Pass, which also takes you to Maupiti, but costs between €430 and €470 depending on the season, more than double of the Apetahi Express price.

In addition to the points made above, there are a number of things I wanted to make clear, even if the aim is not to compare Air Tahiti with the Apetahi Express ferry. Remember that:

• The ferry passes are valid for an unlimited period of 31 days (from the date of your choice), which means that you can take the same ferry route several times during your month of travel (which is impossible with Air Tahiti, which offers only 1 pass per island),
• You must buy the ferry passes at the ticket offices (see contact details above). The passes are personal and can be renewed by paying a second time.

Ferry timetables and days may change, so please check the dedicated page on the website. Here are the current traffic ferry times at the time of writing:

• Departures day from Tahiti to the other islands on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday mornings,
• Return day to Tahiti on Thursday, Saturday and Monday mornings,
• On both the outbound and return trips, the boat stops at all the islands in the order Tahiti – Huahine – Raiatea – Tahaa – Bora (on the outbound trip) and in the opposite direction on the return trip,
• Allow 3 hours 50 minutes from Tahiti to Huahine (the longest crossing), then 1 hour from Huahine to Raiatea, 45 minutes from Raiatea to Taha’a and 1 hour 15 minutes from Taha’a to Bora Bora. There is a 20 minute stop on each island crossed, all on the same day (very practical for a day-trip). As I write these lines, there are regular ferries and the ferry traffic is 3 days a week.

I also suggest that you take a close look at the departure ferry and return schedule and organise your journey according to your stop and the ferry terminal of your journey.

This is one of the airline’s strong points and, in my opinion, a real selling point for some people, so I thought I’d say a few words about it. With Air Tahiti, you are limited to 23 kg of standard baggage. If you are a ferry passenger of Apetahi Express, you are allowed to check in 2 pieces of baggage weighing 23 kg each (one adult and one child over 2 years old) and 1 piece of hand baggage weighing 10 kg each. If you pay 2,000 xpf, you have access to an additional 2 pieces of baggage weighing 23 kg.
Ferry services are more convenient if you have a lot of luggage. This is one of the advantages of the boat sail in the South Pacific (Polynesian islands).

To take the ferry, please note that it is not possible to take a car on board, but 2-wheeled vehicles (motorcycles/scooters) can be taken on board depending on availability. Please check with your travel agent or ferry operator for availability of ferry vehicles.

Finally, for a supplement (per steamboat trip), you can also take on board:

• A Va’a (2000 xpf)
• Paddle (2000 xpf)
• Bicycle (1500 xpf)
• Surfboard (1000 xpf)
• One pet (1500 xpf)
• One oversized bag (2500 xpf)

I wanted to end with this. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to travel by boat (steamship) when I lived in Polynesia, but I would have loved to have tried this kind of excursion. The few trips I’ve been able to make between Polynesian islands have been really good experiences. Of course, if I still lived there, it’s something I could easily imagine: leaving Tahiti on a Friday morning for a long weekend in Huahine by ferry ride, for example, for as little as 13,500 xpf for residents, which is almost 3 times cheaper than flying! In my opinion, this new mode of transport provides good accessibility to the Polynesian islands!

Personally, then, I’d say it’s definitely worth considering travelling between the Leeward Islands on the Apetahi Express ferry if :

• You live in the islands and want to spend a long weekend or a few days there, while keeping costs down (a 4 hour boat trip is not easy),
• You want to experience travelling with locals and avoid the impersonal experience of a plane full of tourists,
• You’re on a budget and want to travel to (almost) all the Leeward Islands for 1 month with no restrictions. Then the Apetahi Pass for just €200 is not bad at all.
• Of course, you’ll need more traveltime as the journeys are longer than by plane, but it’s also an easier and slower way to enjoy the cruises and the beauty of these polynesian islands,

Taking a ferry to the polynesian islands, it’s also an economical and accessible way if you need to transport bulky items.

That’s all I have to say about the Apetahi Express ferry company. You now have all the information you need to plan your cruise between the Leeward Islands (to do some activities like snorkeling, scuba, admiring magnificent coral, discovering reefs and staying in overwater bungalows). I hope this article is useful for the new ferry transportation Apetahi Express and that some of you who have had a chance to try this mode of transport can tell me about it in the comments. I’m even waiting for you to tell me about your experience in the comments if you’ve already taken a ferry ride!

Even if I have to update the article, if you’re planning your trip here, I invite you to read our article on itineraries in French Polynesia.

See you soon,

Sylvain

Written by Sylvain PONS

From 2015 to 2021, French Polynesia was our home, with Mélanie and our children. I'm happy to share my experience and advice to help you organize an unforgettable stay in French Polynesia, based on my in-depth knowledge of the territory.

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