Holidays to French Polynesia: An Overview
It doesn't get much more remote than diving in French Polynesia, but if there's any truth to the maxim that the harder the journey the better the arrival, this place is nigh on unbeatable
French Polynesia is a scattered archipelago of volcanic islands and atolls strewn across the South Pacific. For centuries, these beautiful islands have represented the epitome of the tropical island paradise to the European consciousness, and have lured and inspired visitors from Gauguin to 21st-century holiday-makers.
Pape'ete, capital of Tahiti, is not necessarily the best advertisement for an island chain that stretches across some million square miles of ocean, but beyond the city Tahiti itself has a lot of charm.
The real stars of the show, however, are the other picture perfect islands and motus (islets) twinkling in the turquoise waters. These island chains are divided into the Society Islands, the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, the Australs and the Gambier Archipelago, and they are home to some of the planet's very finest hotels and we have selected the very best for you to choose from.
And then there is the diving in French Polynesia. Perhaps the biggest draw (there is much, much more) is shark encounters and these can be plentiful and exciting. Add to these pristine hard coral reefs and you can see why people are willing to make the epic journey to get here for the diving.
Each of the different island groups that make up French Polynesia offer something different for divers and non-divers alike and if you have the time you should try and squeeze in diving in two, if not more, of the island groups if you can.