Te doen in Frans-Polynesië

Tahiti, the largest island, rises in green peaks above a black-sand coast, and Papeete, the capital, is a busy harbour town with a covered market where flower crowns, vanilla and pearls are sold. The islands are a French overseas collectivity in five archipelagos scattered across a huge stretch of ocean.

Near Tahiti, Moorea has two deep bays under jagged peaks, and Bora Bora, ringed by a lagoon, has the rock of Mount Otemanu in its middle. Rangiroa, in the Tuamotu islands, is one of the world's largest coral atolls, a ring of reef islets around a vast lagoon with passes where dolphins and sharks gather. The painter Paul Gauguin lived in Tahiti and the Marquesas.

Poisson cru, raw tuna in coconut milk and lime, is the national dish, followed by breadfruit, taro and sweet coconut bread. Tahitian vanilla and black pearls are local products, and dance, drumming and tattoo are central to Polynesian culture. The drier months from May to October are cooler, and the wet season runs from November to April.