Bora Bora's lagoon. The numbers get thrown around — "most beautiful island in the world," "bluest water on earth" — but the lagoon at Bora Bora is genuinely extraordinary. The colour of the water over the coral shelf, with the black volcanic peak of Mount Otemanu behind it, is the kind of view that makes you understand why people spend years saving up to get here.
Diving at Rangiroa. The Tiputa Pass at Rangiroa is one of the world's great dive sites. Drift through on an incoming tide and you'll pass sharks, dolphins, manta rays, and schools of fish in numbers that require re-calibrating your idea of what the ocean is capable of. Even snorkeling along the lagoon edge is memorable.
The Marquesas. No other group of islands in French Polynesia feels this remote or this dramatic. Ua Pou's basalt spires, Hiva Oa's deep valleys, the archaeological platforms (me'ae) hidden in the forest, Gauguin's grave in Atuona — the Marquesas are for travelers who want something other than a beach holiday. The effort of getting there is part of the point.
The roulottes in Papeete. Every evening, a row of food trucks sets up along the Papeete waterfront and in the car park behind the market. This is where locals and visitors alike eat well and cheaply — poisson cru (raw fish marinated in coconut milk and lime), grilled fish, Chinese noodles, crepes. It is the best meal deal in the country and one of the most enjoyable places to spend an evening.
Moorea by scooter. The coastal road around Moorea takes about two hours by scooter. Cook's Bay and Opunohu Bay cut deep into the island interior, framed by green peaks. The drive is one of the most scenic in the Pacific, and Moorea is accessible enough — 30 minutes by ferry from Tahiti — that it should be on almost every itinerary.
Mangareva and the pearl farms. The Gambier Islands, 1,600 km southeast of Tahiti, are where the finest Tahitian black pearls come from. Mangareva has a cathedral — absurdly large for its population of around a thousand — and pearl farms you can visit. Getting there is an adventure in itself: a four-hour flight on a small plane, or a long voyage by supply ship.