These Islands Are Like Hawaii But Without the Crowds

This is the latest in our series on underrated destinations, It’s Still a Big World.

Nothing will ruin a vacation quite like crowds. Whether it’s beaches and bars or museums and mountaintops, large groups of tourists often make a visit more difficult, annoying, and expensive. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time in Hawaii and it’s definitely one of the most beautiful places on earth, but the more I travel and the older I get, the less tolerant I am of crowds (and the more I begin sounding like my grandfather, apparently).

As such, I jumped at the chance to visit French Polynesia, which receives fewer tourists in an entire year than Hawaii receives in a single day. Where did I get this fun fact? From virtually every tour guide and hotel representative I met in French Polynesia, actually. This comparison seemed a bit far-fetched so I figured someone started a rumor on the islands that everyone picked up on so I decided to fact-check it. Sure enough, they were right. Last June, the Hawaiian Islands received 265,157 visitors per day while the Islands of Tahiti received about 230,000 visitors throughout the year.

Read more at The Daily Beast.