One hundred and eighteen islands. Five separate archipelagos. One of the world’s most dreamed-about destinations.

Tahiti is one of those places that has been conjuring up images of sun-kissed beaches, deep jungle mountains and, yes, girls in hula skirts since the time of Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh from the HMS Bounty. It still resonates strongly with anyone with an affinity for soft, warm breezes, crystal-clear lagoons and a warm and welcoming culture.

But there’s a common misconception that it’s an unreachable goal; simply too expensive for the average traveller. An overwater bungalow in Tahiti isn’t a cheap date, but Tahiti Tourism these days is promoting the idea of home stays, which can be cheaper than a non-descript hotel on Highway 401.

Tahiti Tourism and Goway Travel representatives gathered at a meeting in Toronto on Thursday to talk about the affordability of a South Pacific vacation.

“A Tahitian guest house is usually a two-star or three-star experience. Even on Bora Bora, you can find a place for $200 CAD a night or less,” said Tania Kedikian of Development Counsellors International (DCI), which represents Tahiti in the Canadian market.

“Canadians want those unique experiences and they want their visit to feel authentic,” Kedikian said. “If you stay at a guest house you’ll eat with the locals. They might even take you spear fishing or teach you to play the ukulele.”

In addition to offering cheaper accommodations than people might suspect, it’s also increasingly easier to fly to Tahiti. Air Tahiti Nui has long flown to the destination from California, but there also are now flights from United and discount airline French Bee, she said.

Tahiti Tourism has come up with a new “pick your paradise” campaign, which allows visitors to build their own itinerary, which could include anything from a thrilling 4 by 4 ride on Bora Bora to an underwater diving certification course.

Mike Bertoia of Goway Travel in Toronto said Goway will have exciting promotions for Tahiti in the coming year, which marks Goway’s 50th year in business. There also will be plenty of fam trips, said Goway’s Richelle Emefe.

I had the pleasure of visiting Moorea for two days some years ago and found it truly astonishing. The physical beauty of the island and its craggy bays and jagged mountains is breathtaking, but I also loved the black pearl seller I chatted with on the side of the road and the guy I met playing a ukulele in the park. I didn’t know until yesterday, but apparently there are something like 164 varieties of black pearls to be found; 26 times what you’ll find for white pearls.

The Hawaiki Nui Va’a is a crazy outrgigger canoe race that takes place every year in Tahiti. Dozens of boats from around the world enter the contest, which features long-distance canoe races between some of the islands in the Society Islands archipelago. The finish line is a beautiful bay on Bora Bora, where you’ll find hundreds of boats awaiting the winner and a party scene that’s like the Olympics, the World Cup and New Year’s Eve on Times Square all rolled into one.

The islands of Tahiti proper, Moorea and Bora Bora get most of the attention, but I also loved Huahine, Raiatea and Taha’a, which is famous for its vanilla beans, which were part of the dessert at yesterday’s lunch. Not that we needed another reason to go.