French Polynesia

Many a tale drifts on the sweet wind and azure waters of French Polynesia. Tahiti's capital has captured the imagination of minds as diverse as Paul Gauguin and Robert Louis Stevenson as well as Herman Melville, who was imprisoned not by his creative torments but by the bars of Papeete Prison. Whatever the reason, it is more than easy to find yourself unable to leave French Polynesia's enticing realm. Tahiti and its surrounding islands may seem like a mirage, they may seem to be a part of a translucent day dream which hovers around the office on a grey day. Yet whether you arrive there thinking you are part of some cruel Matrix-like operation or not be sure to remember, this is real. Locals who sleep beneath the white sands in dugouts, huts which hover over shimmering tides, giant oysters offering black pearls, tropical fruits falling at your feet and valleys cut by crystal rivers and waterfalls; it's all real.

When to go: French Polynesia's tropical climate means that each year the islands undergo extremely humid and cloudy conditions, and dramatic periods of torrential rain. This is more than likely to occur between November and April when the temperature rises. May to October is the best time to go - it's drier and the weather is cooler, yet still reaches temperatures between 20-30 degrees. Peak season is between July and August coinciding with the annual Helva festival. The canoe race in November draws the whole of French Polynesia together. Run over three days, 60 teams from different regions race around the islands.