Manihi, known for its black-pearl farms, lies 520km (312 miles) northeast of Tahiti. French Polynesia's pearl-farming industry began here in the late 1960s, and although many farms are now closed, the remaining ones seem to sit atop nearly every coral head dotting the lagoon.
Most of the atoll's 800 or so residents live in the only village here, Paeua, which sits beside Tairapa Pass on Manihi's southern side, the only navigable entry into the lagoon. (Both the village and the pass are also referred to as Turipaoa.) The three pensions here are either very remote or cater primarily to workers at the pearl farms, and as a result, in my opinion, Manihi is a one-horse atoll, that horse being the luxurious Manihi Pearl Beach Resort . If you can afford its rates, Manihi offers very good diving and excursions out on its lagoon; otherwise, I would look to another island for my atoll adventure.
From the resort, you can visit Paeua village every day; the hotel launch lands at the jetty inside Tairapa Pass. From there, head inland for 1 block, turn right, and walk to the pass, where there's a grocery store fronted by a huge shade tree. After sipping a soft drink on a bench beside the tree, stroll along the seawall for a sensational view of the outer reef. You'll pass a small, picturesque Catholic church facing the sea.
The airport is on the same motu as the Manihi Pearl Beach Resort, which sends golf carts to fetch its guests from the terminal (which does not have restrooms). The resort has bicycles for its guests' use, but there are no rental vehicles available here, nor is there public transportation. There is no bank on Manihi, so bring local currency if you plan to visit the village. The post office (which has pay phones) and the nurse-staffed government infirmary (tel. 96.43.67) are both in Paeua. Do not drink the tap water; bottled water is available at the resort and from the grocery stores in Paeua.
