When was the last time you had a tropical fix? If you have to stop and think about your answer, you need one quickly—and we have just the recipe to quench your thirst for absolute paradise: Start with a airline, add several hotels, then mix in two dive centers and a dose of environment-friendly tourism. Blend well with a liberal dash of tradition and voilà! You've got Bora Bora with a twist!

Upon arrival in Papeete, we boarded a twin turboprop ATR72 belonging to Air Tahiti, French Polynesia's inter-island airline. The flight to Bora Bora takes a mere 50 minutes and allows a pleasant view of the leeward pearls of French Polynesia: Huahine, Raiatea and Tahaa. Soon we were swooping in low over the crystal-clear aquamarine water of the lagoon that surrounds this mountainous volcanic island and is enclosed by a wide reef open to the ocean at only one spot. Though only 38 square kilometers in size, Bora Bora is considered one of the most beautiful tropical islands in the world. And since at most only 200,000 visitors travel to all of French Polynesia every year, it is easy to find a lone corner of paradise here.

The tranquil setting of Le Méridien Bora Bora

Le Méridien Bora Bora, and its sister resort Le Méridien Tahiti on the island of Tahiti, was the real reason we came here, for properties this breathtaking are rare: Set on its own isolated ten-kilometer-long "motu" islet off the east coast of Bora Bora, Le Méridien Bora Bora offers 99 thatched-roof faré-style bungalows either perched set over the lagoon or nestled at the edge of ivory sands. Outdoor terraces allow guests convenient water access. Overwater bungalows have a glass panel in the floor of the living area through which they can view the sea life.

We walked a short distance to the east side of the motu, where giant waves crashed onto the outer reef, and swam in the calm waters of the lagoon. In fact, every water sport imaginable is offered at Le Méridien, from parasailing to scuba diving, and a launch awaits to take guests to the main island throughout their stay. The service is Polynesian-friendly, and the daily-changing fare is French with a Tahitian twist, as in dishes ranging from pan-fried tazard, a delicate white lagoon fish, to roast suckling pig. Since Le Méridien faces the island of Bora Bora to the west, each evening we enjoyed watching the sun set behind craggy Mt. Otemanu.

We were delighted by another property designed along the lines of Le Méridien, the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa. Set on the largest of the motus surrounding the Bora Bora lagoon, the Pearl Beach was built with sensitivity to the natural environment. Much of the wood used for the 50 overwater bungalows, 20 garden suites, 10 beach suites, bars and restaurants, for example, was gathered from the resort site itself. Furthermore, the farés are decorated with bamboo, coconut-hemp rope and tapa cloth painted with images from ancient Tahitian legends. Guests staying in the overwater bungalows can observe sea life through glass tables in the living area, and enjoy breakfast delivered by outrigger canoe. A launch ferries guests to the main island for sightseeing, but with a tennis court, mini golf course and movie theater, they may find little reason to leave the motu. A boutique hotel in Bora Bora that's attached to a restaurant—as opposed to the other way around—Top Dive consists of nine luxurious rooms outfitted in marble and exotic woods, overlooking the lagoon in Vaitape, the only town on the island. As you can guess from the name, Top Dive is also a diver's center-and perhaps the top one at that.

A favorite hideaway for movie stars and celebs

You'd never know from looking that the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa was all but destroyed in a hurricane a few years back. This luxury resort on Motu Toopua, directly across the lagoon from Vaitape, is an impeccable blend of understated elegance and Polynesian charm. The farés—50 of which are over-water—are done in oiled yucca wood and coconut-shell inlay, with removable-glass-topped coffee tables in the sitting area so that guests can not only observe but also feed the fish below. As for service, at the BBLR, ask for the impossible and they will deliver—even if your request is to take your board of directors members to Tupai Atoll to celebrate your company's IPO.

A swift water shuttles take guests to Vaitape to enjoy the local folklore and shops. But there's no Neiman's here. Try Magasin Chin Lee if you have a craving for foie gras, French Camembert or a bottle of Dom Perignon. For a quick snack and a fix on French pastries you must stop in L'Appetisserie.

"La grande dame des iles," the 40-plus-year-old Hotel Bora Bora has undergone a major renovation. Set on a promontory on the southwest of the island, it features garden, beach and overwater bungalows. The resort has long been a favorite hideaway for stars of the American and French cinema that prefer to stay in one of the resort's suites outfitted with canopied beds and private swimming pools. With just 14 beachfront bungalows and 50 overwater suites, Intercontinental Le Moana Resort Bora Bora is an intimate resort set on Matira Pointe, the southernmost tip of the island. The beach here offers some of the best swimming on Bora Bora and an enclosed "lagoonarium" net through which you can observe sea life.

You can fly direct to Papeete from Los Angeles via: Air Tahiti Nui, 877-824-4846; Air France, 800-237-2747; Air New Zealand, 800-262-1234. To fly via Hawaii, call Hawaiian Air, 800-367-5320.

Packages: U.S.-based Tahiti Vacations offers a number of attractive and reasonably priced packages, including seven days on Tahiti and Bora Bora starting at $2,278 per person, including airfare. 800-553-3477, fax 818-773-8282, www.tahitivacation.com.

Tahiti Tourisme North America: Los Angeles 310-312-3368, x202 or 800-225-3614; Papeete 689-50-57-00, Fax 689-43-66-19; 877-GO-TAHITI, www.Tahiti-Tourisme.com.