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Fakarava
Fakarava, Havaiki-te-araro, is an atoll in the west of the Tuamotu group in French Polynesia. It is the second largest of the Tuamotu atolls. The nearest land is Toau Atoll, which lies 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) to the northwest. The shape of Fakarava Atoll is roughly rectangular and its length is 60 kilometres (37 miles) and its width 21 kilometres (13 miles). Fakarava has a wide and deep lagoon with a surface of 1,112 square kilometres (429 square miles) and two passes. The main pass to enter the lagoon, located in its north-western end, is known as Passe Garuae and it is the largest pass in French Polynesia; the southern pass is called Tumakohua (also known as Tetamanu). Fakarava has 837 inhabitants; the main village is called Rotoava.
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Rangiroa
Rangiroa (meaning Vast Sky in Tuamotuan), is the largest atoll in the Tuamotus, and one of the largest in the world. The nearest atoll is Tikehau, located only 12 km to the west. It is about 355 km northeast of Tahiti.
Rangiroa houses about 2500 people on almost 80 km2. The chief town is Avatoru, located in the northwestern part of the atoll.
The atoll consists of about 415 motus, islets and sandbars comprising a total land area of about 170 km². There are approximately one hundred narrow passages (passes), called hoa, in the fringing reef. The atoll has a flattened elliptic shape, with 80 km in length and a width ranging from 5 to 32 km wide. The width of land reaches 300 to 500 meters wide and its circumference totals up to 200 km. The lagoon has a maximum depth of 35 m and its surface is 1446 km².
Only two islands, located on the northern end of the atoll, are permanently inhabited. As of 2007, the total population on the atoll of Rangiroa was 2,473 inhabitants. The main villages are Avatoru (pop. 817), Tiputa (pop. 971), Ohutu (pop. 546), Taeo'o, Fenuaroa, Otepipi and Tevaro. They are separated by the major Tiputa Pass. The other major pass of the atoll is Avatoru Pass, immediately to the West of the island of Avatoru. Rangiroa is a major underwater diving destination because of its lagoon's clear blue water and exceptionally diverse marine fauna. The most popular diving sites are the Blue Lagoon, Avatoru pass, Tiputa pass and Les Sables Roses ("The Pink Sands").
Polynesia sunset
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Some nice pictures of Polynesia sunset
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