13 years ago, I visited this property as a journalist on a sponsored press trip and never forgot my experience. I hoped to be able to afford to one day return as a guest, as being a young reporter, staying here would’ve been completely cost prohibitive. Over a decade later I returned with my fiancé to celebrate his 50th birthday. Since my last visit, the hotel has evolved into being one of the most luxurious resorts in the world, though the beauty of Le Taa’ah is that you never really feel like you’re in a resort — more like a rarefied boutique hotel where no detail has been spared. This is paradise on earth. Every experience from the spa to a private motu picnic to simply a poolside cocktail feels completely bespoke. Try to time your visit for Polynesian night, when there is a bountiful spread of fresh caught fish and beautiful sashimi on offer as well as live music and dance under the stars. Tipairua is the fine dining restaurant on property and Chef Christophe certainly plays up to his two-Michelin star rating. (Though even the most casual meal at Le Taha’a is as vibrant on the palate as it is visually stunning). I can’t recommend this hotel enough. Whether you go as a couple for the most romantic getaway of your life or by yourself for a restorative wellness retreat, you will return home dreaming of the technicolor waters, the scent of vanilla and tiare, and the warm hospitality you are enveloped in at this property for weeks on end.