Reachable only by boat, this remote Pacific atoll is inhabited by descendants of a footloose Englishman. The idyllic vibe is unmistakable, but it's tested by the realities of living in a very vulnerable place in a warming world.
“There will be moments that you wish you never came,” said Libecki.
We present our Trips of the Year, everything from whitewater rafting in Siberia to mountain biking in Argentina to the greatest multisport vacation in Alaska.
Our reconnaissance of French Polynesia turns up the South Pacific's freshest adventures
Unadulterated escapes to turn you on to the South Pacific
All it takes is one trip to change your life - and we've got 40 of 'em. Dreaming of close encounters with cheetahs or penguins? Want to climb a mountain in Peru? Experience an epic trek in China? One trip, one world - that's all it takes.
Nine more dreamy private isles to call your own
Going Beyond the African Safari