The vibrancy of Tahitian culture comes to life at the Tiki Village Cultural Centre. Discover a rich collection of exhibits that display thousands of years of Polynesian traditions through reconstructions of dwellings and live demonstrations. Join a cultural workshop to learn about intricate handicrafts or dine on local cuisine at the cultural center’s restaurant.
The first section of the cultural center is a gift shop, which presents a showcase of the handicrafts you are about to discover at the cultural center’s workshops. Admire Tahitian black pearls, elegant pareo garments and woven crafts. Wander around the reconstructed village to see 20 different dwellings, known as fare.
Local village people run workshops and craft demonstrations on basket weaving, braiding, pareo dyeing and tifaifai, or Tahitian patchwork. Try your hand at weaving or watch the experts making costumes and drums. You can also discover age-old Tahitian recipes, learn the basic steps of a Tahitian dance or strum a few chords on the ukulele. Continue exploring the galleries to see an exhibition of photographs taken by the French photographer Adolphe Sylvain in the 1940s and ’50s.
Make your way to the cultural center’s restaurant to sample a range of Tahitian seafood dishes and fresh fruit platters. Watch the lunchtime performance of Polynesian song and dance or return in the evening for the full evening extravaganza. In the evening, you can see awe-inspiring Tahitian fire dances and listen to the beautiful choral songs that have been passed down through generations. Reserve a spot at the dinner show to experience the full 4-hour program, which includes punch cocktails, demonstrations on the uses of coconuts, a tour of the cultural center and a delicious dinner cooked traditionally in an earth oven.
The Tiki Village Cultural Centre is located in the town of Haapiti on the edge of the lagoon on Moorea’s west coast. Pick from a daytime or evening experience, with or without a meal. Ticket prices vary and hotel transfers are included in the price. The cultural center is open daily, except for Sundays and Mondays. Evening shows are available on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday during the high season. Shows are limited to Tuesdays and Fridays in the low season.
