It is in the middle of nowhere but this collection of tropical islands is the perfect holiday destination
French Polynesia sits in the middle of the South Pacific, further from anywhere than most people ever travel, and rewards the journey with lagoons, overwater villas, and a quality of light on the water that people who have been here struggle to adequately describe to people who have not.
It also operates under French law, which means same-sex relationships have never been criminalized, anti-discrimination protections are in place, and same-sex civil partnerships are recognized. For LGBTQ+ couples, it is one of the most straightforwardly welcoming luxury destinations in the world.
The Islands
French Polynesia is not one island. It is 118 of them, spread across an area of ocean roughly the size of Western Europe, organized into five archipelagos. Most visitors see a fraction of what is here, which is partly a function of distance and partly a function of finding somewhere so good that leaving feels unnecessary.
The main island is Tahiti, where almost all international flights land at Faa’a International Airport in Papeete. The capital has its own appeal, a working city with a Sunday market, a strong food scene shaped by French, Chinese, and Polynesian influences, and views across the water to Moorea that make the stopover feel like part of the trip. Spend a night or two here. It is worth more of your time than most people give it.
From Papeete, the islands open up. Air Tahiti connects the main ones with short flights, and speedboat transfers handle the rest.
Bora Bora
Bora Bora is the reason most people come, and it earns its reputation without difficulty.
The lagoon here is one of the most extraordinary bodies of water on earth. Enclosed by a barrier reef and ringed by small palm-covered islets called motus, it produces color gradations from pale mint over the sand flats to deep cobalt at the drop-off that no photograph fully prepares you for. Mount Otemanu rises 727 meters at the island’s center, and the combination of volcanic peak, coral reef, and sheltered lagoon is not replicated anywhere else in the Pacific.
The island invented the overwater bungalow in the 1960s and has spent the decades since refining what that experience can be. The Four Seasons Bora Bora is the island’s benchmark property, with bungalows positioned across the lagoon and a spa informed by traditional Polynesian healing. The Conrad Bora Bora Nui holds the largest private beach on the island. The St. Regis sits on its own motu with some of the most expansive overwater villa footprints in the Pacific.
For LGBTQ+ couples considering a honeymoon or a milestone trip, Bora Bora is one of the strongest cases in the world. The legal environment is open, the hotels operate to international standards, and the setting does things to people that are difficult to account for rationally.
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Tetiaroa and The Brando
Marlon Brando discovered Tetiaroa while filming Mutiny on the Bounty in 1962, fell in love with it, and eventually bought it. The Brando resort, which opened in 2014 following years of environmentally careful construction, now occupies one of the atoll’s twelve islets. It runs on nearly 100% renewable energy, employs a marine research station on site, and delivers a level of seclusion that very few resorts anywhere can match.
Barack Obama spent a month here with Michelle after leaving the White House, writing his memoir. The guest list has never been the kind that gets discussed, which is part of the appeal. The villas are large, private, and positioned among the trees with direct beach access to a lagoon that rivals Bora Bora’s for sheer beauty. The diving around the atoll’s reefs is exceptional.
For those for whom Bora Bora feels too well-known, Tetiaroa is the answer.
Moorea
Twenty minutes by ferry from Papeete, Moorea offers some of the same lagoon beauty as Bora Bora at a more accessible price point. The island’s interior, a series of volcanic peaks rising above pineapple plantations and lush valleys, gives it a different character from the flatter motu landscape further west. The Intercontinental Moorea Resort and Spa has overwater bungalows directly above the lagoon and is consistently one of the best-value luxury properties in French Polynesia.
For couples looking to island-hop, Moorea works well as either an opening or closing stop alongside Bora Bora.
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Pearls
French Polynesia produces some of the world’s finest black pearls, cultivated in the lagoons of the Tuamotu Archipelago. Tahitian pearls, which range in color from silver-grey to deep black with overtones of green, pink, and peacock, are among the most sought-after in the world and considerably more affordable when bought in French Polynesia than anywhere else.
Natural Wonders
The marine environment across French Polynesia is among the most biodiverse in the Pacific. Bora Bora’s lagoon supports large populations of blacktip reef sharks and stingrays in the shallows, accessible on excursions that require no diving experience.
The outer atolls of Rangiroa and Fakarava are world-class dive destinations, with drift dives through the passes that attract schools of hammerheads, dolphins, and in season, humpback whales. Fakarava is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The snorkeling directly off the motus in Bora Bora is consistently rewarding even for those who never go below the surface.
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Honeymoons
French Polynesia has built much of its luxury identity around honeymoon travel, and the resorts support that with benefits that most other destinations cannot match. Overwater villa upgrades, private motu picnics, sunset champagne on the lagoon, in-villa dining above the water, these are the standard offerings at the major properties rather than the exceptional ones.
For same-sex couples, the honeymoon proposition here is as straightforward as it gets. Legal civil ceremonies are available in French Polynesia for same-sex couples, and Out Of Office arranges gay weddings in Bora Bora regularly. The setting, the legal environment, and the quality of the hotels combine to make it one of the world’s most complete honeymoon destinations for LGBTQ+ couples.
Getting There
Almost all international flights arrive at Papeete on Tahiti. From Los Angeles the flight is around eight hours, and direct services operate regularly. From the East Coast, factor in a connection. From the UK, most routes go via Los Angeles, making a two or three night stopover there a sensible way to break the journey rather than a compromise.
From Papeete, Air Tahiti connects to Bora Bora in around fifty minutes. The airport sits on a motu, and your resort arranges the speedboat transfer from there, which is an arrival experience in its own right.
If you are making the journey, make the most of it. Island-hopping between Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora adds relatively little logistical complexity and considerable depth to the trip. For those with more time, Tetiaroa and the outer atolls reward the extra effort considerably.
Out Of Office has been sending LGBTQ+ couples to French Polynesia for years. We know which properties to book, which islands to combine, and how to build a trip that earns the journey. Tell us what you are looking for and we will take it from there.
