French Polynesia

A hundred and eighteen islands across five archipelagos and an area of ocean the size of Europe. The Society Islands — Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine — hold nearly all the tourism. The Tuamotus are flat coral atolls with the diving. The Marquesas have no reef at all and look like nowhere else in the Pacific.

This is where the overwater bungalow was invented, and it is still the benchmark. It is also the most expensive and the hardest to reach of anywhere in this set, and both of those are structural rather than seasonal.

Getting there

Faa'a (PPT) on Tahiti is the territory's only international gateway. Everything beyond it is a domestic flight or a ferry.

Entry

French Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity. French and EU citizens need no visa, and many other nationalities are exempt for tourist stays under three months. A valid passport is required in every case; check the French visa site for a specific nationality.