Honeymooners, if you're looking for a romantic destination to relax after the flurry of your big day, you can't beat an overwater bungalow in Tahiti. And Bora Bora has them strung around it like pearls on a necklace. Here are five I checked out.
If money is no object, book the Presidential Suite on two floors with its own massage and sauna. There are verandas for barbecues, a plunge pool and a Jacuzzi. For the rest of us, the Hilton's overwater bungalows have four-poster beds draped in fabric and glass-topped coffee tables that double as hatches so you can drop fish food to the colourful sealife below. But their private lunch on a motu is a highlight.
As you'd expect from a Four Seasons resort, there is no expense spared, and if you're after a holiday of a lifetime, this is my pick. I stayed in a huge overwater bungalow with the bedroom on one side, the lounge on the other and an enormous stone bathtub overlooking the lagoon in between. Venturing outdoors, their four restaurants mean you can take your pick each day and the best thing of all is the spa. Book yourself a massage and peep at the fish through the table!
The overwater bungalows have the biggest glass floors I've ever seen and take a bit of getting used to before walking on. But with your bed shrouded in curtains and petals on arrival, you'll soon love peering into the water below. The biggest draw here is the Turtle Sanctuary where injured turtles are nursed back to health, and you can swim with them. Bigger groups and families should check out their gorgeous villas with private beaches too.
If it's rustic and low key you like, this volcanic outcrop has overwater bungalows dotted around it and an open plan restaurant up a higgledy piggledy path. The real treat though, is to walk to the top (stilettos are not a good idea) for the sunset. Hors d'oeuvres are served with champagne as the sun slips over the horizon. Book dinner down on the beach if you want to continue the romance and enjoy local Tahitian dancers wiggling in your midst.
Bora Bora is a photographer's dream and the Pearl is gorgeous. Garden villas sprawl over the huge site and bungalows stretch into the sea. It has a large pool for when you decide you've had enough salty water and loads of activities that can be booked from the towering reception area, but I would urge you to try a massage. I only had half an hour but it was quite possibly the best I've ever had.