| High Society Islands |
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ACCESS French Polynesia consists of five archipelagos scattered across some two million square miles of the South Pacific. The Society Islands, which include Tahiti, Bora-Bora, Raiatea, Tahaa, and Tupai, are the westernmost group. Air Tahiti Nui (airtahitinui.com) offers eight-and-a-half-hour nonstops from Los Angeles to the country’s capital of Papeete, on Tahiti. French Polynesia’s domestic carrier, Air Tahiti (from $280; airtahiti.com), has multiple daily turbo-prop flights from Papeete to Bora-Bora and Raiatea. If you overnight in Papeete, head three miles from Faa'a International Airport to the Sheraton Hotel Tahiti (doubles from $371; sheratontahiti.com), where slick teak- and cane-furnished rooms overlook the glass-smooth sea. LODGING > You can see why celebrities like Tom Cruise choose Le Tahaa Island Resort & Spa (bungalows from $1,118; letahaa.com), on the remote private island of Motu Tautau. Accessible only by jet boat or helicopter from Raiatea, it's got an ultraexclusive feel, with chains of stilt-raised bungalows stretching far into the psychedelically bright turquoise lagoon. Landlubbers can opt for beach villas with walled tropical gardens. > On the island of Tahaa, the Tiare Breeze Bed & Breakfast (bungalows from $349; tiarebreeze.com) has an intimate laid-back vibe, with art-filled bungalows on the sea. Fuel up on patioside breakfasts of tropical fruits and handmade pastries before a mountain-bike ride on jungle trails. > Balanced on the delicate rim of a coral island, the InterContinental Bora-Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa (doubles from $678; ichotelsgroup.com) has well-appointed thatch-roof villas in the shadow of misty Mount Otemanu. The concierge can arrange helicopter tours, shark-sighting trips, or private sunset cruises. SUSTENANCE > Bloody Mary’s (68-96-77-286), an unabashedly retro tiki bar and restaurant on Bora-Bora, has long been the place to go for florid tropical drinks and nightly displays of just-caught seafood. Call ahead a few days in advance for dinner reservations. > Just outside Papeete, at Le Royal Tahitien (hotelroyaltahitien.com), try the poisson cru, lime-marinated fish with coconut milk. The dining room opens onto a black-sand beach, offering one of the island’s wildest views. ADVENTURE > Surf Cascade offers eight-day adventure trips aboard its 64-foot power cruiser, Cascade, with pickup and drop-off in Papeete (itineraries from $1,920; surfcascade.com). Spend mornings surfing the reef breaks of the little-visited Tuamotu archipelago; afternoons are for kayaking, spearfishing, or relaxing on deck with an icy beer. > TopDive (dives from $85; topdive.com), a PADI Five-Star center with locations on Bora-Bora and Tahiti, offers dives for all levels. Swim with the eagle rays in the shallow Toopua lagoon, or explore the coral caves along the edge of the drop-off at Tupitipiti. Comments (0)
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