Faa’a International Airport in Papeete,Tahiti.Credit:Alamy
The flight
Air Tahiti VT35 from Papeete to Rarotonga (RAR),Cook Islands.
The arrival
The airport is seven kilometres west of central Papeete,which takes 20 minutes on the airport shuttle or 10 in a taxi. Most people transfer from outlying resorts,however. I’m on an organised transfer from a cruise ship,so have no hassles.
The look
To suggest this airport has a look is to raise false hopes. Nothing attracts the eye but a large open-air car park and the tumult at the terminal’s kerb. You might imagine characters from a disaster movie fleeing with all their worldly goods,but it’s only dishevelled tourists crammed into a space created for a fraction of their current numbers. The best look is on take-off,which showcases the fabulous lagoon that flanks the runway.
Check-in