I sell my time and my judgement
Advisory calls, written analysis, and physical support on the ground. Billed by the day or by engagement. That is all.
Independent advice
Thinking of moving to French Polynesia?
You work online and you are considering a move here. Before you buy a one-way ticket there are five or six things that have to be checked in person, and nobody can check them from Europe or North America. I have lived here since 2019 — Tahiti, then Raiatea, now Moorea. I have made this move three times for real. I help you find out whether your plan holds up, including when the answer is no.
The frame
What I sell, and what I do not
The distinction is not cosmetic. It decides who you pay, and who carries the risk on your bookings.
I sell no travel of any kind
Flights, accommodation, car, meals: you book them yourself, direct, at the real price. I do not organise, I do not book, and I collect nothing on behalf of anyone else.
I earn no commission on you
Every contact I give you is in the clear: name, phone, official website. No tracking links, no kickbacks. That is unusual in this field — most sites recommending an agency or a guesthouse in French Polynesia are paid for it, which makes their advice unusable. My only income is your fee, which leaves me free to warn you off anyone.
The real issue
The time difference kills more plans than the budget does
French Polynesia sits at UTC−10 and does not observe daylight saving. That is twelve hours behind Paris in summer, eleven in winter, and six behind Los Angeles. The European working day happens while you sleep.
| In Paris (summer) | Here | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 21:00 the previous day | Your clients start work at your dinner time. |
| 15:00 | 03:00 | The slot where most meetings get booked is the middle of your night. |
| 18:00 | 06:00 | Their end of day is your alarm clock. |
The honest test
Open your calendar for the last four weeks and convert every meeting into local time here. If more than a quarter of them land between midnight and 6 am, the problem is not French Polynesia — it is your working model. That can be changed, but not at the same time as a move.
Services
Four steps, each useful on its own
You may stop after the first one. Many people do, and that is a result rather than a failure: finding out that a plan does not hold up costs far less than discovering it after you arrive.
| Service | Format | What you leave with | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualification call | Video, 20 min | A straight opinion on how ready your plan is | Free |
| Feasibility review | 75 min + written report | PDF report: feasibility, costed budget, suitable islands, timeline, blockers | €150 |
| Scouting preparation | Remote + 30 min call | Tailored scouting plan, field checklist, local contact list | €450 |
| On-the-ground support | On site, 6 h per day | Me alongside you during viewings, admin and introductions | €350/day |
| Follow-up | Monthly | One call a month plus email support | €90/month |
Prices in euros. On-the-ground support is at a launch rate: it moves to €450 a day after my first three assignments, and anyone who books before then keeps the original price.
On the ground
What a scouting day actually looks like
We test the connection for real
In the property you are viewing, at the hour you would take your calls, on your own equipment. Not the coverage claimed island-wide: the actual upload speed at that address.
We go and see the discouraging parts
The price of a weekly shop, the wait at the health centre, the cost and delay of freight, the state of the road at night. What lagoon photographs never show, and what makes people leave after eighteen months.
I introduce you to people
Estate agents, tradespeople, head teachers, community groups, others who arrived two or three years ago. Real people, briefed in advance, whom you meet directly and on whom I earn nothing.
I tell you no when it is no
I live here and I am staying. I have no interest in you settling somewhere that does not suit you. What you can verify about me.
Area covered: Moorea and Tahiti, where I live, and the Leeward Islands — Raiatea, Tahaa, Huahine, Bora Bora — where I lived for five years.
Transparency
What the fee does not include
None of this goes through me. You pay each provider directly, at the price they charge.
| Yours, paid direct | Added at cost, with receipts |
|---|---|
| International and inter-island flights · accommodation · meals · car hire · insurance · any third-party service | My own inter-island travel when an assignment requires it |
Why so rigid?
Because a provider who collects money on behalf of third parties becomes a travel seller, which is a licensed activity in French Polynesia. I am a consultant and I intend to stay one — and you benefit: no intermediary margin on your bookings.
Who writes this
Seven years in French Polynesia, three islands
Tahiti from 2019 to 2021, Raiatea from 2021 to 2026, Moorea since April 2026. I have made this move three times for real — freight, contract cancellations, house hunting, and the time it takes to know people. What you can verify.
First step
Twenty minutes, free, no strings
You tell me where you are, I tell you straight whether your plan holds up — and I say so when it does not.
Reply within two working days. French Polynesia is at UTC−10, so slots usually land in my morning, which is late afternoon in Europe and early evening on the US East Coast.
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