16 days in French Polynesia Itinerary

Spanning an area of the South Pacific as large as Western Europe, French Polynesia includes 118 islands and atolls scattered across the blue ocean. White sand beaches (and pink and black) skirt rugged island peaks, while magnificent coral reefs form tranquil lagoons, dyed a startling blue and teeming with fish, eels, dolphins, rays, turtles, and sharks. The names Tahiti and Bora Bora conjure up images of private thatched bungalows built out over a lagoon, and couples silhouetted against the sunset. That said, a wide range of family-run hotels and bed and breakfasts offer less extravagant (and surprisingly affordable) experiences that take in more of the laid-back local culture.

One of the largest atolls in the world, Rangiroa encircles a chilli-shaped lagoon so large, the entire island of Tahiti would fit inside of it. Two islands at the northern end of Rangiroa support the atoll's small permanent population, with a handful of paved roads, churches, resorts, stores, and gourmet restaurants. A string of uninhabited motus (islets) and sandbars form the rest of the lagoon's perimeter, rising no more than 0.9 m (3 ft) above the ocean waves, sometimes topped with swaying coconut palms. While boat trips across the lagoon and sunbathing on the remote white sand beaches are certainly blissful, the real excitement happens beneath the waves, where crystal clear waters and teeming coral reefs create an underwater Eden with some of the best diving spots in the world.