In the very heart of Papeete’s business district lies the public market that has occupied an entire city block for over 155 years. A block back from the waterfront, Le Marche is a 2-story open-air building containing hundreds of vendor stalls inside and around its outer perimeter. There you will find food as well as souvenir and gift items : fresh flowers, fruits, vegetables and fish in the produce sections;  hand-made crafts such as woven hats & baskets, wood carvings and elaborate shell jewelery; brightly-colored pareos (sarongs) literally by the hundreds; lightly-scented, moisturizing monoi (coconut oil) products; and some intriguing tropical fruit jams, jellies and juices.

Remember that Papeete is the both the capital and the commercial center of Tahiti. This is one-stop shopping at its best. You will find the largest variety of local products at some of the best prices in the islands. But I go there just as much for the direct contact with local people. 

The local currency is the French Pacific Franc (CFP or XPF).  It is handy to have some spending money for small items such as drinks, snacks and postcards. U.S. dollars may be conveniently exchanged at the airport or hotels.  Most larger businesses in tourist areas take major credit cards. However, Visa and Mastercard are more widely accepted than American Express. Be aware that smaller stores and street vendors may only deal in cash.

A quick word of advice – do not even attempt to barter with vendors. Bargaining and haggling over prices is NOT customary here. You may only manage to insult them. Always be friendly and polite when asking if they accept U.S. dollars and you may find that they have actually rounded the price down slightly. Just smile sweetly as you say Merci (french) or Mauruuru (tahitian) and walk away with your purchase(s).