French Polynesia Offers The Season's Much-Needed Escape

A reopened (and largely COVID-free) French Polynesia offers the season’s much-needed escape.

- Mark Ellwood

When the pandemic prompted border shutdowns across the world, long-haul travel seemed unlikely for months, if not longer. Reassuringly, though, a few nations already began reopening borders to travellers in the summer; most were countries that escaped severe outbreaks. Undoubtedly the most appealing so far is French Polynesia.

The country recorded fewer than 70 COVID-19 cases in total, and no deaths. As a result, it reopened in July for quarantine-free visits, albeit with caveats. Travellers must provide a negative test carried out within three days of their international departure and submit a self-administered test, provided by the local government at port of entry, in situ four days after arrival. But its reopening has turned the island nation into one of the “hot spots for private-leisure travel” right now, according to Justin Crabbe of Canadian charter firm Jettly, which saw six quick bookings once the borders reopened. Crabbe expects that number to at least double by the end of peak season, which runs through late October, as the weather remains appealing with minimal rain and humidity and balmy temperatures in the upper 20s.