A wonderland above and below the sea, French Polynesia is as much a home to reef sharks and rainbowfish as it is to the smiling Polynesian locals of the Marquesas and Society Islands. In fact, as this sprawling archipelago ranges from Motu One in the west to Gambier in the east, it covers a similar landmass to the whole of Europe, of which only a small proportion of the coral bluffs and volcanic rocks actually jut out above the Pacific Ocean. Two of these, Bora Bora and Tahiti are famous across the planet. The first is famous as a land of stilted five-star honeymoon retreats and glistening bays, framed by the muscular outlines of great black and green volcanic hills. The latter enthrals as a black-sanded paradise of pearls and pirates, wrapped up in tales of HMS Bounty and home to mouth-watering tropical dishes of coconut-doused fish cuts, mango salads and Polynesian chow Mein. French Polynesia tour guides can help reveal the more off-the-beaten-track sections and wonders of their sprawling nation too; the brown booby colonies of Tetiaroa; the mythical petroglyphs of Maupiti; empty Fakarava; the surf swells and pineapple forests of Moorea – the list goes on!