Suzie Dundas

When it comes to diving in French Polynesia, there are some givens you can expect no matter which island you pick. Expect warm water (over 80 degrees F is the norm), great visibility (100 feet or more in some areas), and healthy populations of wildlife ranging from sharks to schooling neon-colored parrotfish.

Thought the world's flattest country was all about fresh fruit cocktails and overwater bungalows? Well, you're right – but that's not all.

As someone who flies at least once a month—or did, prior to 2020—I’ve felt the pain of being in the middle seat for a 16-hour flight. But it doesn’t take nearly that long to make a flight feel uncomfortable if you’re bored, sore, and forced to listen to the sounds of nearby kids squabbling or your fellow flyers chewing a bit too hard on their complimentary pretzels. The right travel accessories can make you forget all about the roomy business-class seats you walked by on the way to the back o...

Save some money in this normally pricey island paradise.

Frequent fliers know the annoyances of checking a bag, especially for short flights. Aside from the extra fees, checking luggage involves waiting in additional lines, waiting for your suitcase at baggage claim once you’ve landed, and risking your bag ending up in London when you’re in Los Angeles. A good piece of carry-on luggage solves all that.
Although carry-on suitcases gives you less space, the best models have features that make the trade-off worthwhile, including compression straps to ...

In the heart of French Polynesia, the beautiful island destination of Bora Bora has been a hot spot for glamorous, jet-setting Americans since the 1950s. After all, what warm-weather destination conjures up a more romantic or exotic appeal than Bora Bora?
The first Americans to visit Bora Bora were actually servicemen stationed in Fre...

Discover the best of the South Pacific when you arrive at this honeymoon haven.
If you're considering a Tahiti honeymoon, it's a great choice if you ask us. A speedy seven-hour flight time from Los Angeles or San Francisco, French Polynesia is an easier destination to reach and fall in love with. Best known for its too-blue-to-be-real lagoons and popular honeymoon islands like Bora Bora and Moorea, the country actually includes more than 150 islands along its tropical overseas collectivity. T...

Escape to one of the world's most luxurious honeymoon destinations.
We have included third party products to help you navigate and enjoy life’s biggest moments. Purchases made through links on this page may earn us a commission.
There are few places in the world like the Maldives. Equal parts laid-back and luxurious, the country has more than 1,100 islands with a unique concept of "one island, one resort." Most luxury resorts are on their own private Maldives island, where guests can stay in ...

Don't feel bad if you've never heard of Saipan. It's part of the Northern Mariana Islands commonwealth of the United States, in the western Pacific Ocean. That puts it at least 5,900 miles (9,495 kilometers) away from the continental U.S.
Truthfully, almost no one in the world had heard of Saipan until World War II — though its history goes back more than 3,500 years. A 2013 study published in American Journal of Human Biology suggests that Saipan and the Mariana Islands were inhabited well b...

We rounded up the best California campsites, whether you want easy car camping or backcountry fun.
See more stories on Insider's business page.
I've lived in northern California for the last ei...

In Chilean Patagonia, Dientes de Navarino is a trek of superlatives. It starts from the southernmost town in the world—Puerto Williams, on the 55th parallel. Because it’s so close to the Antarctic tectonic plate, cold air and ferocious weather blow up from the frozen continent below. No other landmasses extend this far south, so winds from the east race uninterrupted around the globe bef...

Exchange your vows in the shadow of world-famous Half Dome or next to the flowing Yosemite Falls.
Perhaps the most well-known – and most beloved – of America's 54 national parks, Yosemite is a true alpine wonderland. Most visitors will find themselves in the Yosemite Valley during their stay, where most of the park's hotels, activities, and attractions are located. The Valley is also home to some of the park's most famous landmarks, like Yosemite Falls, awe-inspiring Half Dome, or the 3,000-f...

If the idea of scuba diving gives you a thrill, think about doing it at night. Jumping into a pitch-black ocean may be scary for some, but for others, it's a chance to see creatures that only prowl the ocean at night.

Actun Tunichil Muknal cave is not for the claustrophobic, arachnophobic, or anyone afraid of the dark. In fact, ATM cave is best for travelers who don’t mind jungle hiking, river crossing, mosquitos, and mud--and that’s only the trek to the cave.

French Polynesia, also known as the islands of Tahiti, is just a speck in the ocean on a world map. The 118 islands and atolls that make up the region are remote from the rest of the world — it’s a seven-hour flight from Los Angeles. The location is perhaps why, historically, Tahitians were some of the world’s best navigators. They sailed between Tahitian islands and nearby neighbors as early as 200 BC in narrow outrigger canoes called va’a.
In recent years, tourism has brought people from ar...