French Polynesia has delivered the idealized image of the South Pacific to outsiders since the 19th century. After all, two of its islands, Tahiti or Bora Bora, are basically synonymous with paradise. And while the five-star-resort experience—complete with those iconic thatch-roofed, stilt-legged bungalows backed by green mountains and opening to a cerulean seascape—certainly can be found here; so can authentic insights into Polynesian customs and unbelievable spectacles of marine life.
Even the most commercialized corners of French Polynesia retain the beauty—sharp seaside peaks, black-sand coves, sparkling lagoons, palms beyond counting—which made them such magnetic vacationlands in the first place. Nearly every vista seems made for honeymooners and other romantics. Yet there’s much else to see and do here than gaze at the stupefying splendor from a palm hammock or a pier-end bar. Visit Raiatea in the Society Islands, a longtime springboard for Polynesian forays to Hawai’i and other farflung locales. Visit the ancient tikis of Iipona and the sacred stone maraes of Raiatea, watch a traditional outrigger-canoe race, or attend Tahiti’s famous Heiva celebration for more insights into Polynesian heritage, and ponder the islands' colonial side via the vintage French architecture of Papeete’s old quarter.
The wild side of French Polynesia? It can be spectacular. In the Tuamotu Archipelago, Rangiroa delivers world-class diving; its lagoon and passes support bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, and a whole miscellany of sharks—from tigers to hammerheads. In the Australs, the nearshore waters of Rurutu serve as mating grounds for the humpback whales that annually circuit between here and Antarctica. In the mountainous backcountry of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas, meanwhile, you can marvel at the epic plunge of the Vaipo Waterfall in the Hakaui Valley.
Travel to French Polynesia to experience the lagoon resorts and smiling faces framed by ear-tucked hibiscus flowers, you won’t be disappointed. But there are rewards in store for those who dive deeper.
8 things not to miss.
- TahitiBlack-sand beaches, traditional Polynesian dancing, the Arahoho Blowhole—the country’s most populous island makes a rewarding hub for any visitor.
- Cook’s Bay (Moorea)The panorama here, encompassing the toothy green peaks of Moorea’s volcanic interior, is among the most fabled in the South Pacific.
- Taputapuatea Marae (Raiatea)This archaeological and religious site marks one of the most important spiritual complexes in Polynesia.
- Bora BoraFrom the manta rays and coral delights of its lagoon to the pillar of Mount Otemanu, this honeymooner’s island steals everyone’s heart.
- RangiroaAmong the biggest atolls in the world, Rangiroa offers diving at its very best.
- Hiva OaThis fabulously beautiful Marquesas isle has Paul Gaugin’s grave (in Calvary Cemetery) and outstanding stone tikis (such as Iipona’s).
- Vaipo Waterfall (Nuku Hiva)This sublime waterfall, which drops some 1,150 feet, is one of Polynesia’s tallest.
- RurutuHumpback whales breed and calve in this Austral isle’s nearshore waters, making it one of French Polynesia’s prime whale-watching sites.
