The islands that make up the Tuamotus are low lying, dry and very different from the mountainous islands of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. The coral rings surround a lagoon and offer beautiful colors and clear waters. Manihi is a small remote hideaway located 330 miles from Tahiti. Most of the 450 inhabitants live in the village of Turipaoa, so privacy is easily attained. My favorite, if not the only, resort on the island is the Manihi Pearl Beach Resort. It is a refuge for those seeking to “truly get away from it all.”

The hotel offers a choice of beachfront and overwater bungalows and is a member of the Select Hotels and Resorts International. There is a PADI certified dive shop on property that will take you to the world renowned dive sites famous for manta ray. Guests can enjoy unique activities such as hand line fishing, picnic motus, black pearl farm visits, and drift snorkeling or relaxing treatments at Manea Spa. It is the only place I know of where you can ride your bike on the airport tarmac to view amazing sunsets. Newly added to the activities is a night time walk to the this tarmac for a view of the stars in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Manihi Pearl Beach Resort is an example of tasteful, traditional Polynesian architecture using a mixture of the noblest materials: local precious wood, bamboo, shells, pandanus and palm tree fronds. Bungalows come in 4 categories. The Beach Bungalow and Premium Beach Bungalow are all located on the beach. The Premium offers a view unobstructed by overwater bungalows. The garden bungalows have an open air garden in the bathroom and showers without walls. Each is free standing with a porch and hammock out in front of it. Overwater bungalows are located at the edge of a reef. You can jump right off your sundeck into the myriad blue and green water and snorkel an area filled with exotic fish.

Snorkel equipment is complimentary along with outrigger canoes to explore the bountiful water life. Tahitian TV (glass bottom coffee tables) makes this the best spot for discovering the multi-colored underwater world of the lagoon. The infinity pool will give you hours of relaxation watching the ocean view in front of you.

The quiet will calm your nerves and the sounds of the lagoon will gently relax you. For a truly heavenly experience unique from any other island in the world, you must visit Manihi.