F re nch Pol y nesi a

After my 24-hour flight I enjoyed a muchneeded sleep in Tahiti before embarking on a short 55-minute flight to Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort in the glistening Tuamotu Archipelago.

A hidden gem, Tikehau is a true paradise with its rustic Polynesian charm making it all the more alluring. As I settled into my tropical beach bungalow, equipped with its own outdoor shower and hammock, I couldn’t wait to explore this remote coral atoll.

I spent the next day wandering through lush coconut gardens, leaving footprints on pink sand beaches and spotting manta rays in the shallows of the blue lagoon.

I didn’t want to leave this paradise but we headed back to the Society Islands to find another. Moorea is Tahiti’s sister island, a 15-minute boat ride away. The lush, tropical surroundings and soaring peaks are very different to the flat desert islands of the Tuamotus, more akin to a scene from Disney’s Moana, or the Garden of Eden. At Hilton Moorea’s overwater crepe bar I watched sharks swimming in the surrounding water as I ate.

I spent the

Pearl

Lady