3 Best Sights in Tikehau, Tuamotu Archipelago

This island in the middle of the lagoon is a haven for thousands of boobies (birds, people!), sooties, noddies, and terns. It's a noisy day out, to say the least, but the birds are amazing and there's usually a picnic included in the trip. Day trips take off from Tikehau Pearl Beach Resort.

Sables Roses, a tiny motu adrift in Tikehau's gorgeous lagoon, with towering coconut trees and pink-sand beaches. The day trips here are leisurely affairs—swimming, snorkeling, and beachcombing. When the tide's out it's possible to walk across the shallow channels to other motus and even out to the ocean side.

The name of the main town and the motu on which the airport is built, this busy little center has four churches (three on the same corner and the other near the quay), a town hall, medical center, a general store, and a snack bar, but no bank. Most of the pensions are located near the town and folks are transferred by car; the Tikehau Pearl Resort is 10 minutes away and requires a boat transfer.