Le Taha'a
Motu Tautau, Society Islands, Tahiti

9:24 am
Roused by the waves splashing against the stilts of my over-water bungalow, I stumble out of bed and onto my deck, where I can see the South Pacific sun glittering upon the peaks of Bora-Bora in the distance and the rugged mass of Tahaa island behind me. With an overwhelming desire to breakfast in my skivvies, I reach for the room-service menu. An iced coconut parfait with roasted bananas and vanilla … that will do just fine. Before the meal arrives, I dip into the lagoon outside my back door, splashing around with the tropical fish and eagle rays that frequent the aquamarine depths surrounding this motu, or islet, named Tautau.

11 am
I meet resort guide Benjamin Marurai – his jet-black hair pulled back in a ponytail – for a private snorkel. Benjamin spots things that I would have never found solo: anemones with clownfish companions and a leopard eel that bares its little teeth at me. Afterwards, we find a cooler waiting for us that contains ingredients for lunch – fresh ahi tuna, onions, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and coconut milk. Benjamin deftly slices and dices them into poisson cru. We eat with out fingers from coconut shells.

1:45 pm
I board a speedboat from the motu to mainland Tahaa where I rent a tiny car for an afternoon of aimless wandering – my favorite pastime. Tahaa is a classic "high island" dominated by volcanic peaks with incredibly fertile soil: Growing all over the island are pineapples, mangoes, avocados, grapefruit, soursop, ylang-ylang and vanilla … lots of vanilla.

6:09 pm
Mai tai in hand, I watch dusk silhouette Bora-Bora's peaks and think this might be the single most incredible sunset I have ever seen. I hear the call of ancient drums and then realize it's only my stomach, telling me that it's time to eat. At the resort's Ohiri restaurant, perched in branches like a giant tree house, I order lobster medallions with coconut saffron rice. There's only one way to round off a meal like that: with another dip in the lagoon.