Why the South Pacific's Taha'a Island Is the Perfect Tropical Vacation

"A locally led tour experience guided by George Teihotaata that winds along jungle roads and lagoon shores to visit a pearl farm, a rum distillery, and a four‑generation family vanilla plantation (with an explanation and demonstration of the delicate hand pollination required for vanilla orchids). The outing includes a boat outing where the guide announces arrival with a conch shell, feeds blacktip reef sharks (using chicken giblets) and invites snorkeling among the curious, harmless sharks; a friendly stingray dubbed Sophie interacts with the guide, and the group enjoys lunch on a tiny private motu." - Maggie Shipstead Maggie Shipstead Maggie Shipstead is a New York Times best-selling and prize-winning novelist, essayist, and travel writer. She has covered destinations and topics ranging from cities to wilderness, tropics to polar regions, and luxury hotels to tents. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines