BORA-BORA, French Polynesia

Bora-Bora has been called the world's most beautiful island so many times, it's almost a cliché. But as the saying goes, there's a lot of truth in clichés.

Spectacular peaks soaring over the world's most beautiful lagoon (not much argument there) offer a vision of the classic South Pacific paradise. It's a vision that many visitors (a sizable number of them honeymooners) experience from the luxury of an overwater bungalow at one of the several world-class resorts scattered around the island. When you can swim, snorkel, or canoe from your front porch, you may not feel an urgent need to journey far from "home." But the best way to really see Bora-Bora is from the water. It's easy to find a day-sail, a sunset cruise, or a deep-sea sport-fishing boat that will take you out for marlin or other big-game fish.

It doesn't take long to sightsee on Bora-Bora (a half-day on a bicycle should do it), and the nightlife is mostly limited to Tahitian dance shows at the major hotels, where the food can be a superb mix of French culinary expertise and South Pacific flavors. On this island, though, it's the views that justify the price of admission.

Matira Point, one of the most enchanting sites in French Polynesia, lies at the convergence of two perfect white-sand beaches on the south side of Bora-Bora. Bora-Bora's overwater bungalows take full advantage of this pristine location with glass-top coffee tables that gaze down into the impossibly blue waters of the island's prized lagoon. Following a major renovation, our bungalow, along with others in the nearby resort, combine island decor with modern amenities like DVD and CD players, TVs with international channels, direct-dial phones, electronic safes, and air-conditioning. The bungalows offer living rooms, bedrooms, and bathrooms with dressing areas shared by vanilla orchid plants. Guests can spend all day enjoying the privacy of their bungalows, lounging on the beach, or taking part in activities that range from scuba diving to parasailing.

Nearby Vini Vini restaurant serves a tantalizing menu for lunch by the pool. At night, the Noa Noa offers traditional Polynesian cuisine accompanied three times a week by fire dancing and other entertainment. Day and night, guests experience the highest standards of hospitality-including the services of the only Clef d'Or concierge in French Polynesia.

DIVING Bora-Bora's shallow lagoon is better suited to snorkeling than scuba diving. Swim out over the sandy bottom for any distance and you'll see manta rays gliding gracefully below you. Better yet, take a kayak or an outrigger canoe off the southern end of the island to the channel between a pair of small motus just offshore. Hop in the water and let the current carry you through a coral garden rich with tropical fish, and you'll want to go right back and do it again.

BICYCLING Lance Armstrong could race around Bora-Bora's coastal road in less than an hour, but to enjoy the great views, plan on making a half-day of it. Rent a bike (they're everywhere) on a day when the winds are gentle, pack a picnic, and go counterclockwise, which will put the breeze at your back on the windward side of the island. The 20-mile-long road is paved, and the only hill is a short climb on the southeastern side.