Ron Hall sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti with the actor Peter Fonda in 1974. Peter went home; Ron didn't. Now Ron and his son, Heimata, run this air-conditioned Moorea retail outlet. It's worth a stop to see the antiques and old photos, including one of the infamous Quinn's Bar and a William Leeteg painting of a Tahitian vahine (Ron's wife and Heimata's mother, Josée, was herself a championship Tahitian dancer). In 15 minutes of "pearl school," you will learn the basics of picking a pearl. They will have your selection set in a mounting of your choice, their prices are fair, and they donate 10% of every pearl purchase to Dr. Michael Poole's dolphin and whale research. They also carry one of Moorea's best selections of bathing suits, aloha shirts, and T-shirts. Open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Tahiti & French Polynesia, 2nd Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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