5 of 11 Attribution: Valentin Coutaz

Ouvéa is one of the most beautiful atolls in all of the South Pacific. It earned itself the informal title of ‘the island closest to paradise’ after a young Japanese writer visited in the '70s, fell in love with the island, and decided on that as the title of the book she was working on.

Home to the whitest sand and most vibrant blue and turquoise waters, Ouvéa is as close to postcard-perfect as you can get. As it is a UNESCO World Heritage listed site, the purity of Ouvéa is well preserved.

The water surrounding the island is so famously clear that snorkels are barely needed to see through to the corals beneath the surface, brimming with all kinds of sea life.

The island is only 35 kilometres in length, with a singular road running along the beach from one end of the island to the other. Lékiny is connected to mainland Ouvéa by the famed blue Mouli bridge, under which turtles and eagle rays can be seen swimming during the day.