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.

On the tattered triangle of Mo'orea, green peaks and ridges jut up out of the flat, fertile valleys. Hiking routes take you past tumbling waterfalls and ferny cliffs, to villages painted pastel and gardens filled with hibiscus. Birds of paradise fly from tree to tree, while rays, sharks, and fish of every color flit among the protective coral reefs around the island. Swim in the irresistibly warm, translucent waters of the lagoon, and head to the tiki village at night, where grass-skirted dancers shake their hips to thunderous percussion and fire dancers trace glowing trails against the darkness.