Papeete Nightlife, French Polynesia

Papeete Nightlife – The Local Vibe

Papeete is the capital city of the Tahitian territory of French Micronesia, so Papeete nightlife is typical of the area in its colors and flavors, its availability and rhythm. The local Tahitians blend with the Chinese and Polynesians and make up the local crowds, while French citizens along with Australians and Americans blend with each other and form another crowd, the tourists. There are also Europeans and you can only imagine what this does for Papeete nightlife, which is the only urban center on the island providing nighttime entertainment for all tastes and pockets, as you can also read in the Papeete Travel Guide. The waterfront in Papeete is where it all happens, between the ferry quay and the main dock, so this is the place where you’ll find all the cafes, bars, clubs, restaurants and pleasure houses you are looking for. With some real energy saved up you can probably cover all the entertainment area in one night, but further exploration is where it starts to get really interesting.

Papeete Nightlife – Cafes and Late Night Entertainment

The whole waterfront area is especially designed for night owls so you won’t have any trouble finding cigarettes, beer or gums, and there are also snack bars and restaurants that remain open through the night. In fact, these and some nightclubs are the only venues that are open at 7.00 AM in the whole city. This means that you don’t have any chance of being thrown out of a place because it is about to close and most bars and restaurants will remain open at least until they have the last client. This usually means 2 AM during the week and as late as 7 AM during the weekend. The cafes in Papeete also have some striking features, as they are all designed to attract specific crowds, and they do this by serving alcohol, or providing computers with internet connection, or by offering a snack. The café scene is as diverse as the crowds that frequent it. Another characteristic of Papeete is its evolution where cyber cafes are concerned, as they have become a real trend and their design and access is improving all the time.

Papeete Nightlife – Illegal Gambling

A stop you can’t miss on the Papeete night entertainment map is Club Le Paradiso, which is only open at weekends in the bar at Hotel Kontiki. This hotel also offers the best pool tables in town, so if you’re looking for a game it is the only place to go. Gamblers will unfortunately be disappointed, because gambling is not legal anymore in Papeete or in cities like Huahine. There used to be lots of thriving businesses and casinos but now they all became illegal and you won’t be able to find any organized and legal game going on throughout town. There are private clubs that organize their games and play by their own rules, but it is not recommended for tourists to join these clubs, even if they can find them.

email to a friendAsk our travel experts a question about Papeete
ask now

Things about Papeete you may be interested in

Be the first who requests a site listing for this page.

 

+ list your site

 

ReviewsTravel TipsWrite a reviewWrite a travel tip

 

 

Read our members' reviews about Papeete

No reviews have been added yet for this category. Be the first to add a new one.

 

Read our members' travel tips about Papeete

No travel tips have been added yet for this category. Be the first to add a new one.

 

 

Community

Members Who Have Been to Papeete

See who has been to Papeete and ask them a question (membership required)

chas ask a question add to friends

 

show all

 

 

the best travel deals provided by TravelZoo...