Toasting the Pacific

BY NICKY PARK AND DIANA PLATER

There's nothing more convenient than sipping a cocktail at your hotel bar.

So if you can manage to secure accommodation that boasts a swanky nightspot then that's ideal.

Velvet bar is in the Hotel Tahiti Nui, which has recently been refurbished with a modern decor and is now considered one of the best place to stay in central Papeete.

It's close to all the nightclub and bar action of this French colonial town. Better yet, it's just a stumble away from our room. (The hotel also has apartments with full kitchens.)

After jumping off a six-hour flight we're getting a late start on happy hour.

But it's Saturday so we scrawl up some eyeliners and gloss up our pouts - at least we don't have too far to go.

We're weary but get a wake up call when we spot the sexy Tahitian DJ smiling cheekily beneath his brimmed cap.

Groups of hot 20-somethings pour shots of vodka from the bottles bought over the bar and a couple of tall, dark, handsome gents people-watch from their spot near the door.

Thanks to our late start, the place is winding down and everyone is moving on to their next destination in town - a short cab ride or walk away.

The next spot we head to is closer to the waterfront of this raffish old port city. Parking is easy, near the food carts that serve a variety of meals and at 2am are only just closing.

A crowd has gathered in the seedy laneway outside the Piano Bar, a popular transvestite hangout.

First we have to make our way past a small table with a couple of angry-looking bouncers selling what looks like raffle tickets, but actually collecting the cover charge. But once inside the atmosphere is friendly and the music is hip hop meets disco meets Hawaiian guitar.

We find a booth below a large mirror, a vantage point for watching the dancing. And soon we are chatting to a couple of French guys who used to live here and are back on holidays. They're wearing yellow leis and are slowing sipping $A25 ($NZ31) glasses of bubbly when she walks up to our table.

The tall, lean, tanned woman dances erotically in front of us, keeping one eye on herself in the mirror above our heads.

We laugh while a loved-up couple from New Zealand rustle around in their bag for a camera to snap the happy dancer.

The she pulls the top of her figure-hugging dress down, exposing her assets for us to admire before striding away.

So this was one of the ladyboys we'd read about, a typical addition to the colourful nightlife of Tahiti. Ladyboys are boys who have been brought up as girls by their families, a very common practice in French Polynesia.

They boast some of the sexiest dance moves, hottest legs and perfect make-up I've ever seen - and they're proud to show it off.

It's OK for European men to be seen together but not Tahitians, it's taboo, our new friends tell us.

And apparently this is a quiet night on the South Pacific island, according to French-born 33-year-old Tahiti resident Basile Bernard.

"The best night is Friday."

It's a mostly younger crowd, but with beers costing around NZ$18 and spirits at around NZ$25 a pop, we wonder how everyone could look so loose.

"(They) get sloshed in the carpark before going to the dancing club," says Bernard, who has lived in Tahiti for a decade.

"After the dancing clubs are closed they go back to the carpark."

BLOODY MARY'S

Bora Bora is not known for its wild nightlife scene but there are some restaurants that are worth checking out.

Resorts normally organise boat and bus pick-ups, which can be a bit disconcerting as you feel as if you're eating to a timetable, but definitely convenient.

Bloody Mary's is said to be a place that celebrities like to hang out unnoticed.

But at its entrance are two boards displaying names of celebs, including Nicole Kidman, Marlon Brando, Harrison Ford, Jane Fonda, Meg Ryan, Johnny Depp, Roman Polanski, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, who have dined there.

Co-owner Craig Goold, a Californian married to a Tahitian, is refreshingly absent minded about famous fans of the restaurant but he tells one story about Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who are regulars when they're in French Polynesia.

"They're real nice people," he says. "He's a wit. Goldie's alive. Somebody wanted a photo, and she said, 'Why don't you get these cute waitresses? Why do you want my photo? I have no ass. Look at these lovely girls'."

Other names he remembers with a bit of prompting include Noah Wylie, a doctor from ER, and Pierce Brosnan and his wife - "you know James Bond..."

What do they like about the place?

"It's the seafood, the vibe and a place they could go where they wouldn't be bothered at the tables," he answers.

Others like "the white sand floor, the quietness, we don't play traditional music, it's mostly rock and roll.

"You can't get a dinner in Bora Bora of the same quality as here."

The lobster comes from Florida, Australia and New Zealand. But the fish is local - particularly popular is the red tuna, sword fish and wahu.

He's been using the same family of fishermen for years.

"We're right in with the local people...if it's not good quality we won't buy it."

IF YOU GO:

Velvet is in the Hotel Tahiti Nui. It's also a restaurant serving fine dining and beautiful breakfasts.

The Piano Bar is in Rue des Ecoles.

Bloody Mary's restaurant is open for lunch from 11am to 3pm and for dinner from 6.30pm to 9pm, daily except Sundays.

For more information on Tahiti and its islands visit tahitinow.com.au.

- AAP