Fakarava

There are only a few flights in on certain days of the week. You will connect through Rangiroa or Manihi. See Air Tahiti for specific flights.

As Fakarava has only 855 inhabitants (and it seems like less), solitude is the key word here. Although the atoll might seem like a desert at first, plunge your head underwater or watch the coconut crabs crawl around, and think again!

Diving

As Fakarava is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and whether you snorkel or scuba dive, you will see innumerable wonders including: Camouflage Grouper (Epinephelus polyphekadion), Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobis narinari), Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus), Gray Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), Titan Triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens), Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), known locally as the 'Napoléon fish'. The southern pass of Fakarava claims to have the largest concentration of Gray Reef Sharks in the world and hundreds can be seen at one time.
There are a few dive shops available of which: Top Dive (in the north and south of Fakarava) and Tetamanu Diving Center by Eleuthera (in the south) both of which are professional and extremely knowledgeable.

You will be limited in choices to where you stay because there are few people on the island.

• Le Maitai FakaravaThis is the only real upscale hotel on the island. Very nice and good service. Don't count on air-conditioning. Keep the doors open at all times when possible to get air flow in the room. The shower is open to the air and is nice. Affiliated with the excellent dive shop Top Dive.

• Tetamanu Village

  phone: +(689) 71 38 34 (Annabelle)
  address: Fakarava, South Pass
  Owned and operated by the friendly Annabelle and her husband Sane Richmond. They are right on the pass with individual bungalows in a miniature "village" called Tetamanu Sauvage. There are showers and bathrooms in each bungalow. The view on the pass in unforgettable! Affiliated with Eleuthera Dive Shop.