Schedules are not publicised, so you will need to ask at the port in Papeete.

BBC: Travel - Island hopping French Polynesia, without breaking the bank

Supply ships also ply the waters between Papeete and most of the inhabited islands, and some take passengers.

BBC: Travel - Island hopping French Polynesia, without breaking the bank

Hurried tourists keen to experience some of French Polynesia's original soul need look no further than the burst of colour and art that illuminates Papeete every winter.

BBC: Getting in the Tahitian spirit

Our first glimpse of the islands after three days of sailing from Papeete was the town of Hakahua (population: 3, 000), located on the island of Ua Pou.

BBC: A cruise to hidden Polynesia

The Tiki Village on Moorea, a ferry ride from Papeete, also offers a glimpse into the tribal customs of the past, along with fire dancing and delicacies from an earth oven.

BBC: Getting in the Tahitian spirit

Its breezy cosmopolitan capital, Papeete, sits on Tahiti's northeastern tip and is the gateway to a captivating world of indigenous culture that infuses a chain of islands spread across 5 million square kilometres of sparkling ocean between Australia and South America.

BBC: Getting in the Tahitian spirit

If you book in the shared cabins, you can make the 14 day cruise from Papeete to the Marquesas and back (about 1, 600 nautical miles) stopping in the Tuamotus and the larger of the Marquesas Islands, for just 25, 000 francs a day, full board, including all guided shore excursions.

BBC: Travel - Island hopping French Polynesia, without breaking the bank