13 days London to London [B]

Moorea and Manihi both offer excellent opportunities for a variety of diving and the possibility of some impressive shark encounters.

Moorea, the sister island to Tahiti is a land of history and legend. Its many white sand beaches, the wide variety of its coral seabed and the richness of its underwater life make Moorea a very special destination.

Moorea has an international reputation for its impressive shark dives and is one of the places in Tahiti that you might encounter Humpback Whales. The short flight from Papeete, allows you a first glimpse of Moorea's craggy volcanic peaks, reflected in the tranquil waters of Cook and Oponohu Bays. This area is ideal for the less experienced diver and for those wishing to learn to dive in calm, clear waters, which teem with dense schools of small, brightly coloured fish. For the more experienced diver there is the impressive shark and eel encounters, a sunken ship and a big friendly Napoleon Wrasse as well as rays, Jackfish and barracudas.

Moorea Pearl Resort is situated on 3 hectares of white sand beachfront on the island's magnificent north coast and located only a 10 minute drive from the airport is the small and intimate Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa. The resort has 28 Overwater Bungalows with steps leading to the lagoon and glass bottom coffee tables in the living area through which you can view the colourful marine life. The premium overwater bungalows boast magical ocean views whilst the 8 overwater bungalows enjoy views of the beach and the mountains. There is also a choice of beach bungalows and delightful garden bungalows all of which are air-conditioned and have a include two restaurants, a bar, large swimming pool and the Manea Spa offers a range of pampering treatments. Moorea's stunning mountain scenery is also well worth exploring - join a jeep safari or hire your own 4WD - go horse riding - or follow one of the island's spectacular hiking trails with a guide. Watersports activities include kayaking, snorkelling, fishing, sunset cruises, water skiing, glass bottom boat rides and jet skiing. Within 10 to 15 minutes of the hotel is a selection of excellent dives that can be arranged by the on site PADI dive centre.

The Tuamotu Islands are Polynesia's hidden paradise; rings of low-lying coral atolls with white sandy beaches encircle lagoons of aquamarine waters. Best known as a major centre for black pearls and as the home of many large pearl farms, Manihi now has a growing reputation for shark diving. The concentrated dive sites offer a wide variety of lagoon, drift, and ocean dives with unique marine life experiences. Sharks abound along the dive sites in the south-west corner of the atoll where the lagoon pass can be found. Grey Reef, Blacktip and Whitetip Reef Sharks are seen in great numbers on virtually every dive. Other sharks that can also be seen are Tawny Nurse, Great Hammerhead, Silvertip and Oceanic Whitetip. Another highlight is the Marbled Groupers that breed in the pass each July. Other encounters are similar to other atolls with a rich variety of smaller and larger species meeting in and around the pass.

Stay at the small an intimate Pearl Resorts on both islands and enjoy two contrasting areas of Tahiti.