DREAMSCAPES WINTER/SPRING 2024
14
B U C K E T L I S T T R A V E L
POLYNESIAN
PARADISE
BY ILONA KAUREMSZKY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN SMITH/MYCOMPASSTV
How creative souls
are luring culturally
curious tourists in
The Islands of Tahiti
I
n a scene akin to the popular HBO streamer The White
Lotus, my personal concierge at this luxury outpost,
famously known for overwater bungalows in only the
bluest waters on Earth, is calling me on WhatsApp.
"We have the Royal Pool Overwater Villa available and wish
to invite you and Stephen."
Welcome to the Conrad Bora Bora Nui where surprises
await even for the discerning traveller.
Surrounded by a blue lagoon, rife with the most abundant
living aquarium, life's simple pleasures—as this Tahiti first-
timer discovered—are easy to encounter when you're in
French Polynesia. The day before, the resort's resident marine
biologist had brought to life her manta ray conservation pas-
sion on a private catamaran tour that had us up close and
personal with them.
The Islands of Tahiti, a necklace of five archipelagos each
linked by an ancient Polynesian civilization, are home to 118
fantasy islands and atolls that have intrigued early settlers for
