When you think of Tahiti, the heart of French Polynesia, two images probably spring to mind; palm-fringed, wave-lapped white sand and smiling locals. Well, it's balderdash. Though the island's interior is stunning, there are no real beaches, except for the artificial, out-of-bounds crescents attached to the most expensive resorts. (You know, the sort where for the GDP of a small country you can stay in an 'idyllic' thatched hut over the water, identical to the 20 that surround you and the 20 a few yards either side).

The natural 'beaches' are puny strips of black sand, often polluted by industry or, near the capital Papeete, sewage. And as for the racial stereotypes? Well, let's just say that poor Tahitians are tired of tourism, tired of smiling benignly at rich Europeans - and tired of being paid damn-all to do it. Stay overnight by all means, but then head off to the happier outlying islands.

· Do you have a tip for fellow travellers? Send in 150 words explaining it to us. Email escape@observer.co.uk or write to Escape, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER. The best letters published here will receive a year's free subscription to Wanderlust Travel magazine. Please include your full postal address and daytime phone number with your entry.