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The Draw
• The romance evoked by Paul Gauguin's sensual paintings and Fletcher Christian's love-struck mutiny.
• Over-water bungalows with gourmet room service, ultra-private decks and gorgeous views.
• Mist-shrouded peaks rising from translucent lagoons.
The Scene
Tahiti is the largest, most populated landfall in French Polynesia—and the setting for Gauguin's wonderful paintings—but is by no means the most enticing. Right next door is Moorea, featuring jagged volcanic peaks rising up from lush jungles, while fabled Bora Bora lies farther west. The region's other islands are less developed but equally intriguing. Huahine, with its ancient ruins, is one of the heartlands of ancient Polynesian culture and a place of endless white-sand strands. Taha'a is the lush "Vanilla Island" surrounded by pristine coral gardens and beaches. The Tuamotus offer the world's largest collection of coral atolls, while the remotely wild Marquesas are where Survivor was filmed a couple of years ago. Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora are relatively crowded, but the rest of French Polynesia is refreshingly empty. On those islands you can easily find a private beach.
To Be Seen
• Maeva. This old royal village on the island of Huahine boasts the greatest treasure of archeology anywhere in Polynesia: hundreds of black stone ruins scattered along the shores of Lake Fauna Nui. Several of the palaces and temples have been restored, and other artifacts are housed in a thatched-roof museum perched on stilts over the lake.
• James Norman Hall Museum. Everyone flocks to the Gauguin Museum, but this rambling Victorian house on Tahiti's north shore is a much better snapshot of bygone Polynesia. Who was Hall? Only the fellow who penned Mutiny on the Bounty and several other South Seas classics. He's buried on a grassy bluff overlooking the museum.
• Cook's Bay. This fiord-like inlet on Moorea's north shore could be the single most beautiful spot in the entire South Pacific, a natural canvas so rich that not even Gauguin could capture it.
For the VIP
• Fully crewed yachts (stocked with whatever you want) can be chartered at both Sunsail and the Moorings on Raiatea Island, about an hour's flight from Papeete. Bareboat charters are available for those who already know the ropes.
• Le Taha'a Private Island & Spa isn't just the best resort in Tahiti; it's the nicest spread in the entire South Pacific. Here you'll find talcum-powder beaches and over-water bungalows, including the famed Bora Bora View Suites.
• Rent a luxury garden or beach villa on the island of Moorea, including full housekeeping and cooking staff, as well as a driver.
Overrated
Bora Bora. Still drop-dead gorgeous, but it's been invaded. There's only so much sand, reef and water to divvy up between an ever-increasing swarm of visitors. The territorial government should have slapped a limit on growth here years ago.
Underrated
Papeete. Tahiti’s capital may have its traffic congestion and crime, but there isn’t a finer port town in the South Seas. Tattoo parlors, dive bars and seductive sirens are just part of the charm. And did we mention homemade croissants each morning in the outer cafes along the waterfront?
Don't Miss
The Tuamotus. About an hour's flight north of Papeete, this chain of coral atolls is largely untouched. And only four of them (Rangiroa, Tikehau, Manihi and Fakarava) have hotels. Dive with manta rays, kayak endless lagoons or ride your bike along sandy roads to an empty beach on the backside of your atoll.
When to Go
Tahiti's rainy season runs November to April, the dry season May to October. Temperatures are a little cooler in the rainy season (80s in the daytime, 70s after dark), but frequent showers can put a damper on outdoor activities.
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