Picture this: a warm breeze envelops you as a ukulele band heralds your arrival. Garlands of aromatic gardenias are draped around your neck as you take your first steps into paradise.

Tahiti sounds nice... indeed.

When Marlon Brando filmed Mutiny on the Bounty in French Polynesia he loved it so much he bought an island. To be on his island of Tetiaroa, he said, was 'to live in paradise'.

And French artist Paul Gauguin wrote of his adopted home of Tahiti: 'On the 17th degree of latitude at the antipodes, all nights are beautiful.'

A languid life on an island where the water varies in shades from pale turquoise to cobalt blue has long appealed to the rich and famous.

You could be forgiven for thinking this slice of heaven is out of your price range. After all, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban honeymooned here for more than $15,000 a night.

And food here isn't cheap - a baguette with ham and cheese may cost up to $20, and a forgotten toothbrush can set you back $11.

But you can holiday like Nicole and Keith for just a fraction of the cost, as we've hunted down the best value Tahiti has to offer.

Join the club

Prices on Tahiti and its surrounding islands, such as Bora Bora, can be steep, but at Club Med Bora Bora accommodation and all meals, snacks, drinks and most activities are paid for beforehand.

The most affordable place to stay on the island, Club Med has comfortable bungalows among coconut palms overlooking a pristine lagoon.

While there are no thatched overwater huts, some bungalows have beachside decking where you can sit back with a cocktail and gaze out at what Captain Cook called 'the pearl of the Pacific'.

Spend your days laying on the soft, sandy beach, following the sun to the lagoon in the morning, then to a nearby island for swimming in the afternoon.

For the energetic, Club Med offers bike rental. You can cycle around the island and view the tropical flora cloaking the valleys and mountains. If you get thirsty just make a pit stop at one of the many roadside pineapple stands run by locals.

If Club Med's free kayaking and windsurfing are not enough to keep you entertained, try the aqua-gym. You'll be transported to a nearby island where a qualified instructor takes you through your paces in the warm water.

The daily gym class will make you feel less guilty about indulging in the all-you-can-eat buffet three times a day. The selection of seafood dishes - and French pastries on offer for dessert - is practically endless.

Bora Bora is a 50-minute hop on the local airline Air Tahiti from Papeete (the capital of Tahiti and its international entry point), then a shuttle boat to the island.

A haven in Papeete

Bookend your Club Med sojourn with a stay at the Sofitel Tahiti Resort in Papeete. Just a quick drive from the airport, the refurbished hotel looks over the only white-sand beach on the main island.

The Sofitel Tahiti has Papeete's best teppanyaki restaurant, and there are tennis courts and a driving range for golfers.

Sip cocktails by the pool and return to your balcony suite with sweeping views of the wonders that await in French Polynesia, including the nearby island of Moorea.

Close by are restaurants, nightlife and the giant French supermarket Carrefour for staples. Be sure to sample local fare from the food trucks called roulottes that are set up on the waterfront, and stop by the Pearl Museum in the Vaima shopping centre for a fascinating look at pearl cultivation.

Underwater discovery

French Polynesia is a renowned diving destination year-round, with more than 800 species of fish to discover. Best of all, the water is warm and you don't have to worry about goosebumps.

Club Med Bora Bora offers free snorkelling in their lagoon, and further out you can explore from a boat a colourful coral garden filled with vibrant parrotfish, trumpetfish and turtles.

However, if you really want to see the treasures of the sea, head out on a shark-feeding excursion. This expedition will have the adrenalin pumping, but be assured you're safe from the sharks' ferocious bites. Book at the Club Med excursions desk.

Scuba fans can go on dives off both Papeete and Bora Bora with Top Dive. Either way you'll be taken deep into the ocean to encounter wrasses, moray eels, sharks and barracudas. Sofitel Tahiti can also arrange a snorkelling tour off Moorea.

Tahitian Phrases

The official languages of French Polynesia are French and Tahitian. Here are some helpful greetings that will get you a long way with the locals.

Hello: La orana (yo-rah-nah)
How are you?: Maita'i oe? (my-tie oh-ay)
I am fine: Maita'i vau (my-tie vah-oo)
Thank you: Mauruuru (mah-roo-roo)
Goodbye: Nana (nah-nah)

TO GO: Club Med is offering 20 per cent off packages for stays of seven consecutive nights on Bora Bora, if you book before February 29, 2008. Packages include three meals a day, drinks and sports, plus return airfares and superior accommodation.

Visit http://www.clubmed.com.au/

Sofitel has five-night packages at the Sofitel Tahiti Resort from $1929 ex Sydney and $2099 ex Brisbane and Melbourne (per person twin share). Includes return airfares, transfers, accommodation and, as a bonus, breakfast and dinner daily. Available for sale and travel between January 21 and March 31, 2008.

Conditions apply. Call Talpacific Holidays on 1300 665 737, or visit http://www.talpacific.com.au/

Fly to Tahiti on Air Tahiti Nui - visit http://www.airtahitinui.com/For more on Tahiti, visit http://www.tahitinow.com.au/