Oceania
Overwater bungalows, jagged peaks and some of the clearest lagoons on Earth.
French Polynesia is 118 islands and atolls scattered across an area the size of Western Europe. Tahiti and Moorea have sharp green peaks and black-sand beaches, while Bora Bora's lagoon is the famous turquoise image. Divers head to the Tuamotu atolls of Rangiroa and Fakarava for sharks and manta rays, and the remote Marquesas offer cliffs, ancient stone platforms and carving traditions.
Tahitian culture is strong, from tattooing and dance to poisson cru, raw fish in lime and coconut milk. French bakeries and roulottes, evening food trucks, add to the mix. Island-hopping relies on domestic flights and a few ferries, and costs add up quickly. May to October is drier and less humid; November to April is warmer and wetter, with occasional cyclones.
June, July, August, September.