3 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.