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"  Anyone who&amp;#039;s seen so much as a preview for the recently released Vince Vaughn vehicle Couples Retreat might wonder where the idyllic Eden Resort\u2014where the film is set\u2014is really located. There, in a sunny, turquoise-water paradise, four couples hitting the romantic skids attempt to rekindle the flame.  While Hollywood has done its best to turn the backdrop into &amp;quot;generic tropical island&amp;quot;\u2014the truth is, Bora Bora, where the film took place, is a great spot to keep any relationship from getting boring. In short, the South Pacific setting outshines the film. The basics: French Polynesia is an island chain, best known for Tahiti and Bora Bora. Fly into Tahiti&amp;#039;s capital city, Papeete\u2014eight hours direct from L.A.\u2014and island-hop from there. Guests are often delivered to their hotels\u2014across aqua waters\u2014by boat. It&amp;#039;s a land where you&amp;#039;ll float through crystal-clear lagoons, close enough to tropical fish to rub noses, and stay in chic over-water villas where stingrays glide idly by. Better yet, descend your bungalow&amp;#039;s back ladder by moonlight and sip champagne while bobbing in the bath-warm waters.  And if you&amp;#039;re in search of a honeymoon locale or considering a destination wedding\u2014couples will be allowed to be legally wed in French Polynesia for the first time ever next year\u2014check out ELLE&amp;#039;s insiders guide to an archipelago that&amp;#039;s utterly chic and relatively undiscovered. Better yet, if you book by November 23, there are deals no tropical island\u2013lover could refuse, below.   TahitiWhere to Stay: Tahiti is where you&amp;#039;ll first land but not likely where you&amp;#039;ll linger. Book a room at Le M\u00E9ridien , get acclimated\u2014and don&amp;#039;t leave without setting up a private cooking lesson with Chef Sebastien, who presides over Le Carr\u00E9, the on-site restaurant\u2014one of the best in the island chain. Straight out of central casting, he has twinkling eyes and a thick French accent and can julienne sea creatures with ease. After being fitted for your chef&amp;#039;s cap, you&amp;#039;ll be taught to make three types of tropical seviche, as well as lobster and shrimp samosas. And once armed with copies of the recipes, you can re-create a taste of your vacation at home.  Where to Shop: The main market in Papeete is a great place to soak up local color and stock up on souvenirs\u2014but there&amp;#039;s also good reason to make a beeline before embarking to other islands. Just around the corner is Marie Ah You (Boulevard Pomare B.P.N. 211, tel: 2.03.31), or tropical-dress central. Sold in every eye-popping hue imaginable (or crisp white cotton), they don&amp;#039;t come cheap but are chic and flattering and will help you slip right into the island vibe after a long flight. While in town, be sure to snag a bottle of Manoi oil \u2014sold everywhere\u2014a local elixir for hair, skin, nail...or whatever ails.   Bora BoraWhere to Stay: Hollywood-philes will head straight for the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort , which the cast of Couples Retreat took over last October and November to film. With its luxe over-water villas, 13,000-foot Miri Miri spa, and on-site Jean-Georges outpost, Lagoon , here the decadence is in the details: The attentive staff will deliver tropical drinks\u2014served in coconuts\u2014straight to your beach chair and even linger enough to give you, or your salty sunglasses, a cooling spritz.  Meanwhile, nature-lovers will flock to  Le M\u00E9ridien Bora Bora ,  where you can spend hours snorkeling alongside sea turtles that the resort is helping to rehabilitate, the only effort of its kind in French Polynesia. (Get there in December to time your stay with the new babies&amp;#039; arrival.) The green sea turtle is the most endangered turtle species on earth, and they&amp;#039;re so animated, they seem straight out of Disney. A great honeymoon souvenir? Adopt one for $50 and you&amp;#039;ll receive an official &amp;quot;godparent&amp;quot; certificate, complete with your turtle&amp;#039;s name\u2014and a plush stuffed likeness. The other star, by far, is the resort&amp;#039;s over-water wedding chapel, where for a stunning $1,500, they&amp;#039;ll provide hair and makeup (and prep you in your bungalow), an officiant who will conduct your ceremony in English, French, or Tahitian (&amp;quot;a lot of guests choose Tahitian just because it&amp;#039;s so beautiful,&amp;quot; says general manager Denis Le Nohaic), then, after the ceremony, float the two of you away in a flower-laden canoe, traditional Polynesian style.  Where to Shop:  Don&amp;#039;t leave home without the islands&amp;#039; crown jewel, the black pearl (which actually comes in shades ranging from gray and pink to an oceanic green-blue). While they can be found anywhere souvenirs are sold, for artisanal styles with an artsy edge, pop into Art Or ( artortahitiperles.com), an easy walk from the property.  Getting There: Air Tahiti Nui\u2014named one of the best airlines in the world by Travel and Leisure last year\u2014flies direct from Los Angeles. Book by November 23 and you&amp;#039;ll get round-trip airfare to Bora Bora for $998 per person, a 30 percent savings. Visit airtahitinui-usa.com for details. Tahiti Tourisme is also offering a seven-night Couples Retreat package from $1,899 per person, including airfare, through November 23. Package is valid for travel from November 13 to December 14, 2009, and January 12 to March 31, 2010. See tahititourisme/couplesretreat for details. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/life-love/sex-relationships/advice/a10622/french-polynesia-a-travel-guide-384672/>