Rangiroa

Rangiroa (rung-ee-roh-ah) is one of the biggest atolls in the world, with a lagoon so vast that it could fit the entire island of Tahiti inside of it. While visitors coming directly from Bora Bora or Tahiti will probably find Rangi (as it’s known to its friends) to be a low-key, middle-of-nowhere sort of a place, this is the big city for folks coming from anywhere else in the archipelago. With paved roads, a few stores, a couple of resorts, plentiful internet and gourmet restaurants, there’s really everything here you need – and in the Tuamotus, that’s a really big deal!

But it’s only the beginning: Rangiroa’s richest resource lies below the surface. It’s a diving mecca, with world-renowned dive sites blessed with prolific marine life just minutes from your bungalow.

For landlubbers, the never-ending string of remote motu is the real draw and boat trips across the lagoon to the stunning Île aux Récifs and Lagon Bleu are not to be missed. Do be warned, however, that beaches are scarce.