Rangiroa, with its 42 mile long by 16 mile wide turquoise lagoon, is the largest atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago and the second largest in the world. Only an hour's flight from Tahiti, Rangiroa offers sunshine, white coral beaches and an immense playground for water sports and activities.

Activities on Rangiroa include line or drag fishing as well as motor boat outings to visit Tiputa village, various remote motu islets, the bird sanctuary on Motu Paio and the famous "Blue Lagoon" of Toeo'o. Picnics are sometimes included. All of the hotels and pensions can arrange these excursions. Rangiroa lagoon and the pass are also world famous for unsurpassed scuba diving which is available with professional diving centres.

Manihi is an atoll 312 miles northeast of Tahiti in the Tuamotu Archipelago. Its clear lagoon, which is 3 1/2 miles wide by l9 miles long, has a deep navigable pass through the reef. It is here, in the purest, blue-green waters surrounding this remote atoll, that that South Seas "gem," the rare black pearl, was first farmed. Manihi is still the centre of black pearl farming, and a visit to one of many black pearl farms sprinkled around the lagoon is a must.

Fakarava is an hour and a half flight from Papeete. Rectangular-shaped Fakarava is the second largest atoll in the Tuamotu, 37 miles long by 15 miles wide. It has a very large pass at the north end and a smaller one at the south end. Rotoava village has a small airport and is located 6 miles from the Ngarue pass. It is a charming village, home to most of the atoll's 248 inhabitants. Fakarava's immense lagoon has several black pearl farms, idyllic white sand beaches and is peppered with small islands, homes to many breeds of nesting birds oblivious to visitors. The passes provide endless and exciting discoveries for snorkelling and scuba where 150 foot visibility is the norm.

Haere Maru - Take it easy