I am planning my honeymoon for September this year and want to visit Tahiti. Do you have any recommendations for specific islands/hotels, or perhaps an itinerary covering several? Also do you have any suggestions as to the best airline to get me there? Gillian Jacobs, Brighton

Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: Tahiti is shorthand for all of the 118 islands that make up French Polynesia, and the little capital of Papeete, actually on the island of Tahiti, is where your international flight will arrive. There are some stunning beaches and the textbook jagged peaks, but this is your honeymoon, and to find your ideal south sea island, you are best off hopping on from here.

And there is no more stunning setting on earth, than the island of Bora Bora, a short hop away by air. Most of the hotels are built on outlying Motu's (small islands in the lagoon), from where you can swim in amazingly clear waters and enjoy sumptuous views back to the jagged jungly peak of the 2,400ft high Mount Otemanu on the main landmass.

To honeymoon in real style, you've got to stay in an overwater bungalow too ­ have your breakfast paddled out by canoe and afterwards dive into the warm water straight off your large sun deck.

Welcome to the South Pacific

Paul Miles tracks down the ideal island itineraries

Gaugin in the Pacific

Gauguin came to the Marquesas to escape civilisation and find perfection. He couldn’t have picked a better place

BACKGROUND

• Failed tough guy in Fiji

• Which is the best South Pacific island?

• How to get to the Solomon Islands

• Diving in the South Pacific

• The Fabergé fish of Micronesia

Related Links

• Your Top 10 honeymoon questions

Seven nights in September costs from £2,803pp in an overwater bungalow (room only) at the Pearl Beach Resort, with flights from Heathrow to Papeete (via Los Angeles), and transfers. It's an excellent hotel, with 50 overwater bungalows, stylishly exotic public areas, and great service.

If you'd rather stay in more intimate hotels and experience two very different south sea settings, you could splash out on a stay on Taha'a (with sharp volcanic peaks, dreamy wafts of vanilla coming from little plantations, and your resort in a magical lagoon). Then hop to a low-level string of Crusoe-like atolls called Tikehau, all swaying palms and pinky-white sand beaches.

Bridge and Wickers (020 7483 6555) has a 10-nights in September from £3,980pp, with five nights at Tikehau Pearl Resort in a beach Bungalow and five nights in an Overwater Suite at Le Taha'a. This is probably the most exclusive address in the islands, with 48 supremely romantic overwater bungalows. The price and includes flights as in the above package, and transfers.

Your best flight option is with Air New Zealand from Heathrow to Los Angeles, and then on to Tahiti with Air Tahiti Nui (an Air NZ codeshare partner, which has departures from LA timed to fit with Air NZ flights from London). Both of the above packages include these flights.

Other tour operators to try or Turquoise Holidays (01494 678 400), include Seasons in Style (01244 202 000), Carrier (0161 491 7630), Abercrombie & Kent (0845 618 2200), or Kuoni (01306 747002). For more information visit www.tahiti-tourisme.com

Times recommends

• The world's 10 weirdest things to eat
• Correspondents: hoteliers revenge for Tripadvisor
• A slow, ponderous journey up the Mekong