French Polynesia—Bora Bora, Tahiti, Moorea, & beyond

Number of islands: 118 (across 6 archipelagos)

Miles of coastline: 1,569

Languages spoken: Tahitian, French, English—many islands have their own dialects or languages

Climate: Tropical—tempered by tradewinds

• Dive among massive manta rays and reef sharks in the glass-clear lagoon at Bora Bora
• Taste poisson cru—a Tahitian-style salad of fresh tuna in coconut milk—in Pape’ete
• Wander through the daily market at Cook’s Bay, Moorea, beneath the shadow of the shark-tooth-shaped Mouraroa mountain

The Cook Islands

Number of islands: 15

Miles of coastline: 75

Languages spoken: English, Cook Islands Maori

Climate: Tropical—tempered by tradewinds

Adventures:

• Dive into the remote lagoon at Aitutaki—and perhaps bump into migrating humpback whales
• Taste a splendid spread of fresh-caught fish and vegetables cooked in an underground oven during a traditional umukai feast on Rarotonga
• Wander across a nearly deserted white-sand beach fringed in palm trees at One Foot Island, fulfilling a castaway fantasy

Australia

Number of islands: 8,222

Miles of coastline: 37,118

Languages spoken: English, Aboriginal

Climate: Varies from tropical to semi-arid desert

Adventures:

• Dive through one the most mesmerizing wonders on earth—the Great Barrier Reef—along Australia’s stunning Queensland coast
• Taste smoky sausage and lamb chops cooked on the grill during a festive “barbie”
• Wander right up to the base of hulking Uluru, a sacred site for local Aboriginal people—and one of the largest monoliths in the world

New Zealand

Number of islands: 600

Miles of coastline: 9,404

Languages spoken: English, Maori

Climate: Varies from subtropical to temperate

Adventures:

• Dive into the cool, clear waters of Whale Bay along the Tutukaka Coast—one of the country’s most astounding, and secluded, bit of coastline
• Taste the flavors of traditional Maori cuisine during a hangi feast in Rotorua, where food is steamed for hours in an earthen pit
• Wander to the edge of northern New Zealand at Cape Reinga, where the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet at a dramatic, windswept point

Fiji

Number of islands: 333

Miles of coastline: 702

Languages spoken: Fijian, English, Hindi

Climate: Tropical

Adventures:

• Dive among the vibrant, hypnotic soft coral at Rainbow Reef, Taveuni—once the bain of sailing ships
• Taste a Fijian curry that tempers fiery spice with the sweetness of coconut milk and plantain
• Wander between the thatched-roof huts and friendly faces at Navala Village in the Nausori Highlands as you learn more about indigenous life