Few people realize there are actually five different archipelagos in the group of islands called French Polynesia. Tahiti is actually just one island, but its name has become synonymous with the entire region. The whole area is volcanic and many of the islands are the remnants of extinct volcanoes.

Tahiti is in the Society Islands and my next hop took me to the Tuamotu Islands and the island of Rangiroa, the largest

atoll in the entire South Pacific. It is a circle of small islands called motus around a large lagoon. The fascinating hour-long airplane ride to get there took us over numerous other islands, which added to the remoteness of the journey.

The crystal clear waters of Tuamotu are renowned among divers and considered among the best for pearl cultivation because they are far from shipping channels and so clean. I experienced the clarity first hand when I went diving at the Kia Ora Resort. As with most resorts there, Kia Ora has its own dive shop, and I was barely on land before I was led underwater to explore the coral beds and see the fish and stingrays. Dive trips are scheduled according to the diver’s expertise and because it had been a while since I’d last been below the waves, I opted for a refresher course. With the array of fish and the clarity of the water, I felt like I was swimming in a huge aquarium. There was even a close encounter with a small shark that luckily seemed to accept us as if we were just part of the background.

A storm off shore kept me from going on a drift dive the next day, so I took a break from sunning at the resort’s infinity pool and rented a “fun car” to explore the motu and its two villages, Avatoru and Tiputa. I buzzed my way along the seven-mile strip of road, passing bicyclists and other fun cars as I stopped to explore churches, beaches and — of course — pearl shops.

The Gauguin Pearl farm offered a comprehensive look at how the graphs of the color of the oyster are made and how the cultures are created. Believe it or not, each and every black pearl in the whole of Tahiti is started with a seed from a fresh water pearl from, of all places, the Mississippi River! Visitors can stare over the shoulder of a technician as he implants the oyster with surgical precision, including administering an antibiotic to prevent infection.

I succumbed to temptation enough to buy an inexpensive baroque, or asymmetrical pearl, which I had set there. But I had more to learn and I’d seen enough to know I wanted to see much more.

The next stop was the Tahitian playground of Bora Bora. The main island is steeped in military history, while the motus that surround it are dotted with luxury resorts such as the Bora Bora Nui, the Bora Bora Pearl and the Four Seasons.

If you arrive by air, as I did, every transfer is by boat, because even the airport is located on a motu. In fact, just about anywhere you go you need to go by boat.

I spent one luxurious night in an over water bungalow at the Nui hotel before taking a day to explore the island and transferring to the Pearl. (How appropriate, don’t you think?) Tupuna Safari Tours and my wild man of a guide, George of the Jungle, provided great insight to the history of the island, where the lagoon is actually the caldera of an extinct volcano. Venturing high up on Mount Pahia through lush vegetation, we even passed old bunkers from World War II. The vistas offered great views of the ever-changing shades of bright blue in the lagoons, and George livened things up by calling out jungle yells and getting us airborne a few times as we bumped our way along the muddy and rocky roads.

Again, the water beckoned and the next day I went on a sailing/snorkeling trip right from the docks of the Pearl. The half-day on and under the water was just what I needed after all that excitement from the jeep safari! Relaxation continued on the beach later that afternoon until movement caught my eye. I watched with curiosity as a group of girls brought out arm loads of flowers and began making designs in the sand.

Soon it became clear that they were making preparations for a wedding and slowly a crowd gathered for the event. As dancers took their places on the beach, I heard the sound of a conch being blown and eventually a bride and groom dressed in white pallau’s or sarongs arrived in separate dugout canoes. A high priest, clad in feathered cap and cape, performed the ceremony, and then the place erupted in a chorus of drum music, singing and dancing. The couple alternated between romance and amusement, while participating in the festivities. By the time they departed in the same dugout, it was time to call it an evening.

Next, it was onto Moorea. It was easy to see why this island was used as a model for the mythical Bali Hai. With its lush, green mountains sticking straight up out of the center of the island, it looks almost deserted from the air and the sea. It is just the sort of island that we all dream of running away to someday. A mixture of exclusive resorts and mom-and-pop hotels, I got a greater sense of how the locals live. Moorea’s population and resorts are on the main island itself, unlike Bora Bora, where most facilities were on the motus. There is a lot to see and do without ever feeling rushed and without ever seeing it all.

My island tour went in a complete circle, taking us by the Tiki Village Cultural Center for a sampling of local artisans’ work, followed by a visit to a rum factory and then up to a vanilla farm before capping the journey with an incredible view from the heights at Belvedere Point.

In just two days, I was able to spend the day snorkeling, swim with stingrays on a small motu and also enjoy a massage at the wonderful Sheraton spa. I relaxed and drank in the island atmosphere. I even discovered a locally owned restaurant called the Fisherman’s Wharf that became my “hangout.” Inexpensive and offering a very good menu, Isat on the deck with the locals, overlooked the water and became one with paradise.

By now I had also done some research and had heardfrom several people about a woman who had some of the best pearls and pearl prices in the islands. Caroline Bernicot was originally from France, but fell in love with a pearl farmer. She married him and lived in a hut over the water with no electricity until her second child was born. Then he conceded to her request for a little more civilization, so they moved to land and she began designing and selling her Black Pearl creations.

A bubbly Caroline welcomed me and a few friends I’dmet on my snorkeling trip into her small shop next to her home. The rainbow of pearls before us was astounding, and we were each immediately drawn to pearls we wanted to claim as our own. For me, it was a cross of simple and elegant black pearls.

We struck the deal and I made my purchase. I had just enough time to get back to the hotel and gather my bags before heading to the airport and back to reality. As the plane lifted off for home, I fingered my cross made from “tears of angels,” knowing that every time I wore it, it would take me back to my time in Heaven on earth: Tahiti.

Beautiful Tahitian flowers.

A Tahitian dancer shares in a wedding celebration on Bora Bora.

Pool at the Kia Ora in Rangiroa. .