French Polynesia Family Adventure: Tahiti, Moorea & Bora Bora

This morning the family crosses to Moorea, Tahiti's spectacular heart-shaped sister island, by a quick, scenic flight or ferry, an exciting journey for the kids. As you approach, jagged emerald peaks rise sheer above a sapphire lagoon, a landscape of almost theatrical beauty. On arrival you are welcomed with tiare flowers and transferred to your family-friendly beachfront bungalow, opening onto the crystal-clear lagoon beneath the soaring skyline. The rest of the day is yours to settle into this iconic Polynesian paradise, the children splashing in the warm, calm shallows, snorkelling the coral off the beach, or building sandcastles, while parents relax in the shade. Moorea's warm lagoon, white beaches and dramatic scenery make it a wonderful family base. As the sun sets over the peaks in a blaze of colour, the family settles in for four days of snorkelling, adventure and island fun on beautiful Moorea.

Today brings the highlight the whole family has been waiting for, a boat trip across Moorea's spectacular lagoon to swim with rays and reef sharks. In the warm, shallow, crystal-clear water, the children can wade or snorkel among gentle stingrays that glide up to be touched, their velvety wings brushing past, while harmless blacktip reef sharks circle nearby, a safe, exhilarating and unforgettable encounter that leaves kids wide-eyed with wonder. You also snorkel vibrant coral gardens alive with rainbow fish and turtles, and perhaps land on a motu for a picnic. Guided by local operators, the whole experience is safe and gentle, perfect for families. Floating among the rays and fish with the island's soaring green peaks as a backdrop is the stuff of children's dreams, and for many kids, touching a ray becomes the most exciting moment of the whole holiday. As the sun sets, enjoy a relaxed family dinner beside the lagoon.

A day of gentle family adventure exploring the dramatic beauty of Moorea beyond the lagoon. You might take a fun 4x4 safari into the lush, mountainous interior, bouncing along jungle tracks to the Belvedere lookout for breathtaking views over Cook's and Opunohu bays and the soaring peaks, an exciting adventure for the kids. Along the way you tour a pineapple plantation to taste tropical fruits, visit ancient marae ceremonial sites steeped in legend, and learn about the island's culture. Alternatively, between roughly July and November, you might take a whale-watching trip to see humpback whales and their calves, or spot spinner dolphins year-round, a magical wildlife encounter. Moorea's blend of soaring green peaks, deep bays and turquoise lagoon makes it one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific, and exploring its dramatic interior adds a wonderful sense of adventure for the family. As the sun sets, a Polynesian dance show might round off the day with electrifying drums and dancing.

A free day for the family to enjoy the beauty of Moorea at your own pace. The children might snorkel the coral, kayak or paddleboard the calm lagoon, take a glass-bottom boat trip, or simply splash in the warm shallows and build sandcastles, while parents relax by the sea. Equally, the whole family might take a lagoon cruise to a motu for a picnic, cycle the coast road, or explore the island. Moorea's warm, calm lagoon and relaxed, authentic atmosphere make it a wonderful, safe place for children, and there is always time to swim, snorkel and unwind together. On Sundays, a village church service reveals the extraordinary Polynesian hymn singing. As the sun sets over the soaring peaks, enjoy a relaxed family dinner beside the lagoon and rest ahead of tomorrow's flight to Bora Bora, perhaps the most beautiful island on earth, where the incomparable lagoon and white beaches await.

This morning the family transfers for the short, scenic flight to Bora Bora, and the children press their faces to the windows as the plane banks over the island and its breathtaking lagoon unfurls below, a hundred shades of turquoise and jade encircling the dramatic peak of Mount Otemanu, dotted with palm-crowned motu. On arrival you are transferred by boat across the lagoon to your resort, welcomed with tiare flowers. Settle into your family-friendly bungalow, opening onto the luminous water, and spend the rest of the day sinking into paradise, the children swimming in the calm lagoon, snorkelling the coral, or playing on the white sand, while parents relax in the shade. Bora Bora's incomparable lagoon is the stuff of children's treasure-island dreams, and as the sun sets behind Mount Otemanu in a blaze of colour, the family settles in for the beautiful finale of the adventure.

Today the family experiences the wonder of the Bora Bora lagoon on a full-day cruise, gliding across water in a hundred shades of blue beneath the dramatic peak of Mount Otemanu. You stop to snorkel over vibrant coral gardens alive with rainbow fish and giant clams, and to the shallows where the children can swim among gentle rays and reef sharks, an exhilarating, unforgettable encounter. You land on a palm-crowned motu of blinding white sand for a barbecue lunch of freshly grilled fish, where the kids can run free, swim in dazzling shallows and explore. The crew share island legends and music as you go, and the whole day unfolds at the gentlest of paces. Part treasure-island fantasy, part underwater discovery, it is a magical family day out, and floating in that warm, brilliant water with Mount Otemanu as a backdrop is the stuff of children's dreams, a highlight of the whole adventure that the family remembers for years.

A final full day to enjoy the incomparable beauty of Bora Bora as a family. The children might snorkel the lagoon, take a glass-bottom boat trip, kayak the calm water, or simply play on the white sand and swim in the warm shallows, while parents relax by the sea. Equally, the whole family might take a 4x4 safari into the island's lush interior with its viewpoints over the lagoon, or take a last boat trip. Bora Bora's warm, calm lagoon and stunning beauty make it a wonderful, safe place for children to enjoy the ocean. On Sundays, a village church service reveals the Polynesian hymn singing. As the sun sets over Mount Otemanu in a blaze of colour, a farewell family dinner beside the lagoon celebrates the adventure, from the rays of Moorea to the lagoon of Bora Bora, and the family watches one last unforgettable sunset over the water, deeply happy and reluctant to leave this paradise.

After a final barefoot family morning by the lagoon, perhaps a last swim or snorkel beneath Mount Otemanu, you transfer by boat and fly back to Tahiti for your onward international departure. The children leave with sand between their toes, shell necklaces around their necks and a head full of memories, touching a ray, snorkelling with reef sharks, exploring a deserted motu, dancing at a Polynesian show, while parents leave having shared some of the most beautiful scenery on earth as a family. You depart with the warm 'ia orana' of the Polynesian people in your hearts, having experienced the dramatic peaks of Moorea and the incomparable lagoon of Bora Bora, and already talking about when the family can return to these magical islands of soaring green peaks, jewel-like lagoons and abundant marine life, among the most beautiful places on the planet.