Bora Bora

Chances are that if you were asked to draw your idea of a Pacific island, you might come up with a picture that looks like Bora Bora, which has rain forest-covered peaks soaring more than 2,000 feet above a classic lagoon of blues and greens. The entire volcanic mass is surrounded by a ring of coral reef and tiny islets with lovely beaches and coconut trees. The island itself can be explored in a few hours; there are sweeping beaches in the south and ancient Polynesian temples hidden in the jungle. It's populated by 8,880 Polynesians who love to show visitors their treasured lagoon and its marine inhabitants. They also love to entertain visitors with music and dance. The island is a caldera, or collapsed volcano; Pofai Bay is the crater center, while the towering Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu are all that remain of the volcano walls.