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SHERATON MOOREA LAGOON RESORT & SPA

This pretty resort is not the most lavish in French Polynesia, but it's a favorite of many because it is so enviably positioned, so beautifully laid-out, and so homey. The over-water bungalows sit atop four or five feet of glistening, parrotfish-filled water and are reached via wood-planked walkways that always curve at just the right spot. There's a bar and lounge with a tall, thatched roof smack in the middle of the over-water walkway, and the rooms are flanked by friendly pots of bougainvillea.

SPA SPECIFICS  The resort's Mandara Spa, accessed right off the beach, is modern and candle-lit. The Polynesian Indulgence, which takes three hours to complete, lives up to its name: it starts with a cleansing footbath in a copper basin, continues with a vanilla/lavender body wash and coconut scrub, reaches its peak with a massage of your choice, and concludes with a flower-filled bath where fruit and ginger tea are served. The eighty-minute Ve'a ve'a Massage utilizes lava rocks and monoi to relieve tense muscles while the Exotic Island Facial employs honey, lime, papaya, coconut milk, and flower essences to clarify and mositurize.

GET A ROOM!  The rooms are well-designed, with comfortable beds, sitting areas, and open-style bathrooms. The claw-footed tubs are the calling card here, as well as the dual-level decks: the lower platforms have lounge chairs just inches above the aquamarine lagoon. The views of the Moorea mountains are so striking, that for uninterrupted vistas, you'll want to book an odd-numbered over-water bungalow between 100 and 110. Early risers will appreciate the morning sun from the even-numbered rooms between 101 and 109.

DOWNTIME All kinds of vehicles are available for rent right on property. Take one of the open-air buggies around the magnificent top half of the island. The road winds around deep bays and leads up to Belvedere Point, with its dreamy views. Just staying put is rewarding, too, for the snorkeling is among the best on the island. The entrance to the Arii Vahine restaurant is especially lovely, with its waterfall-flanked walkways suspended over koi ponds. The varied cuisine lives up to expectations, with dishes like tuna sashimi, a duo of langoustines and scallops, Moorea prawn ravioli with vanilla butter sauce, and Polynesian snapper.

CONTACT (800) 782-9488, www.sheratonmoorea.com

Taha'a Le Taha'a Private Island & Spa

Vanilla is known to be an aphrodisiac so it should come as no surprise that Taha'a, the Vanilla Island, is alluring and seductive. After your private helicopter charter from Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort, you'll be transported to your private over-water oasis, with sparkling and breathtaking views of Bora Bora just beyond the lagoon. Le Taha'a Private Island & Spa, a member of Relais & Chateaux, is located on the Tautau Motu and is surrounded by even more motus, which make for blissful hideaways for romance.

SPA SPECIFICS  Nestled in the shade of a coconut grove, you'll find the Manea Spa featuring several thatched roof huts connected by an intricate weaving pathway. Couples will enjoy the couples suite, replete with a double Vichy shower, located outside, allowing the fresh tropical breeze to warm your skin without sacrificing privacy. Another alluring option is the Manoi Pape Miti, a massage set on a floating table in the lagoon. Treatments focus on indigenous therapies including Polynesian massage, but be sure to book an experience that highlights the island's true magic: vanilla.

GET A ROOM!  Overwater bungalows include Sunset View, Bora Bora View, or Taha'a View, so choose your accommodations based on the scenery you prefer. From your room, filled with light native woods, beige and white linens, and modern fixtures, step outside and descend just a few steps into the warm waters. When you return you'll find a private outdoor shower for removing any last traces of white sand before heading to your deck for a snack and some R&R. Inside your room, you'll find that the foot of the bed as well as several locations in the bathroom feature cut-outs allowing you to watch the fish swim below your private little oasis.

DOWNTIME Head to the freshwater infinity pool overlooking the beach where you can swim up to the bar and order an afternoon cocktail. Traditional Polynesian beach barbeques can also be arranged, replete with a firepit, roasted piglet and veggies, music, dancers and even fire-eaters covered in tattoos, which have origins as well as cultural significance in Polynesia. Pearls are renowned in this area and tours to local black pearl farms are available, or you can head to the gift shop and pick out a strand ready to wear.

CONTACT (800) 735-2478, www.letahaa.com

—M.B.W.

 

Getting There

For more information about Tahiti, visit www.tahiti-tourisme.com.

International flights from Los Angeles and New York are available on Air Tahiti Nui. www.airtahitinui-usa.com.

Inter-island flights are available via Air Moorea (www.airmoorea.com), Air Tahiti (www.airtahiti.aero), and Polynesia Helicopteres (www.polynesia-helicopter.com).

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May/June 2007