Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts

Le Bora Bora stands on Motu Tevairoa, a coral islet on the north-western side of the lagoon, ten minutes by boat from the airport and fifteen from the village of Vaitape. It opened in 1998 as the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort and belongs to Pearl Resorts of Tahiti, which describes itself as the only fully Polynesian owned hotel collection. That shows in the details: sculptures, paintings and tikis by island artists around the grounds, two electric boats among the airport shuttles, and a solar powered catamaran, the Okeanos Pearl, for the sunset cruise.

The 108 rooms and villas sit in the garden, on the beach or over the water. The Garden Villas with Pool are the most private, each enclosed in its own garden with a plunge pool and a gazebo; the Beach Villas open straight onto the sand. The Lagoon Overwater Bungalows look out across open water, the Otemanu category faces the mountain, and the Pool Overwater Villas at the end of the pontoon add a plunge pool facing Mount Otemanu. Children are welcome in every category. The Tāvai Spa works with taurumi massage, monoï oil and Vichy shower scrubs, and Poerava, the gourmet restaurant, serves dinner five nights a week.

Two Michelin Keys and membership of Relais & Châteaux have raised the resort's profile, yet the mood stays relaxed. Kayaks, paddleboards and snorkelling gear are free, the gym is open around the clock, and the resort keeps coral nurseries with the environmental group Espace Bleu.