Bora Bora

BORA BORA ~ Probably most famous for the musical South Pacific, Bora Bora was also home to more than 5,000 American G.I.s during World War II. Mount Otemanu rises out of the lagoon and is seen in the opening scene of the movie Couples' Retreat.

Bora Bora, Pearl of the Pacific: The island was once called Vavau. Some attribute its change in name (perhaps wrongly) to Captain James Cook, the first European visitor to the island in 1769. Because he often heard people use the word "apooraa" (assembly), he understood "borabora" and gave this name to Vavau. A more ancient legend gives a better account for the origin of the Tahitian word pora pora or popora: mai te po ra (emerge from the night, from the world of the gods).

This land was the first to rise from the oceans, before the creation of Raiatea. Thus, Bora Bora is the oldest of the islands. Bora Bora is located 167 miles northwest of Tahiti, 45 minutes by plane. With its volcano and lagoon circled by islets of white sand, it unites all the characteristics of a high Polynesian island.  Coral attached itself to the outer volcanic crown, creating an immense lagoon (48 sq. miles) enclosed by a very large barrier reef.

We took a boat from Taha'a to the airport for a flight to Bora Bora, then transferred by boat to the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort and Spa which is a member of the Leading Small Hotels of the World. This was a lovely resort with 50 deluxe overwater bungalows which featured a lagoon viewing glass coffee table, 10 luxury beach suites featuring an indoor/outdoor bathroom and private garden with Jacuzzi and sundeck, and 20 deluxe garden pool suite bungalows.

The spa manager is an American from Arizona (her husband manages the spa at the Bora Bora Nui). They offer outdoor massages as well as the traditional indoor treatments. The spa has a very "green", very natural atmosphere.

Complimentary activities include snorkeling equipment, outrigger canoes, fresh water swimming pool, tennis, windsurfing, bocce, badminton, pareo show, coconut show, Tahitian dance show, billiards, games, movies, transfer to the main island and village, mini golf. I liked this resort and would recommend it.

Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa ~ Another boat ride and we arrived at the Hilton Bora Bora Nui. We spent one night at this resort which is very large and in need of some refurbishment. Our overwater bungalow was large. The shower was nice - you had the choice of rainfall or an adjustable showerhead. The shower door and door to the toilet are separate, but the toilet handle was broken. This was the largest bathroom we had with two sinks, all amenities, marble floor. The bedroom is separate from the living area. There is a sofabed and plasma tv in the living area as well as a tv in the bedroom. Cedar closets were a nice touch.

The deck from the bungalow where we were led down to deeper water than we had at any of the other resorts. There was quite a current which made it a bit harder to swim back, but we just went in closer to shore and walked most of the way back to our bungalow. The pool is nice and large. Breakfast and lunch are served at the beach restaurant while dinner was served upstairs. The food was good and the service was excellent.

This resort is a bit large for me. Depending on where you are located the walk to the beach, etc can be quite long. You are given a beach towel card and it must be returned upon check out or you will be charged for the towel. Same for a snorkel card. I can understand the card for snorkel equipment, but I think the card for towels is tacky. Along the bridge to the bungalows some of the boards were missing and some tiles were missing from the walkways. You can call for a ride to your bungalow if you wish. If you stay here, you would want to be in the rooms with the 200 numbers; these are closest to reception, the pool, restaurants, etc. We were in #307 which was a long walk for us. The Presidential and Royal bungalows were very nice and larger than my house!

On our way to our next resort, we made a visit to Bloody Mary's which is a restaurant and bar and pretty much the hot spot on Bora Bora.  The bar opens around 9:30 AM,

lunch is from 11.00AM- 3PM, and dinner is from 6:30PM- 9PM.  They also have great merchandise for sale to bring home as souvenirs. 

 

The next day we were on a boat to Vaitape, then transferred by bus to the Sofitel Bora Bora Marara Beach Resort.  There are 64 thatched-roof bungalows scattered in the tropical gardens, on the white sand beach and over the lagoon, each with air-conditioning, terrace, ceiling fan, direct-dial phone and mini-bar.  We had a short inspection of this resort then traveled across the water (by boat, of course!) to the  Sofitel Motu Bora Bora, which is on its own private motu, or islet.  The complimentary boat runs all day (10 am - 11 pm) between the resorts and guests can use the amenities at both properties.  This is an intimate property with only 20 overwater bungalows and 10 deluxe hillside bungalows.  The thatched-roof bungalows have air-conditioning, satellite television, video and mini-bar. A hilltop restaurant and lounge offers panoramic views of Bora Bora and its incredible lagoon.  I liked both resorts but if I had my choice, I would stay at the Motu Bora Bora over the Marara. 

 

Our next resort we visited was the Intercontinental Bora Bora Le Moana and we had a lovely lunch while there.  We ate in the outdoor restaurant on a sand floor.  Beware - those who have the type of skin which attracts bugs, you might want to use some bug spray first.  And ask for a citronella candle if available.  I was fortunate and the bugs did not bite me, but it was a problem for some. 

 

Forty-eight over water bungalows have glass topped coffee tables in room (for lagoon viewing!), and 12 air-conditioned beach bungalows are nestled on the most beautiful beach in Tahiti. Activities include shark/ray feeding excursions, motu (islet) picnics, outrigger canoeing, snorkeling, windsurfing, engine-powered Hobie cat, jet skiing, 4x4 safariing, horseback riding, and deep-sea fishing.  On Tuesday evenings, the resort has a barbecue on the beach for guests' enjoyment.

 

This is a lovely, intimate resort with beautiful accommodations and I very highly recommend it.

We were then on our way (by private boat that goes between the two Intercontinental resorts) to the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa where we spent the night.  We had the afternoon to ourselves before meeting as a group for dinner.  The spa (absolutely wonderful!) had a two-for-one special so of course we took advantage of that.  If you have a spa treatment, you also have privileges to partake of the rest that the spa has to offer.  The spa has a Relaxing Pearl Rain Massage, Deep Sea Hydromassage Bath, Deep Chiller Walk, Jacuzzi, Steam Room, Arctic Plunge, and more.  The greatest thing about the massage --- while you are lying face down with your head in the opening of the table, there is a glass floor where you can watch the fish swim by!  How relaxing is that?  I actually started to fall asleep and tried my hardest to stay awake so I could savor the experience.  After my massage, the therapist suggested going in to the Steam Room for no more than 15 minutes and follow this with a dip in the Arctic Plunge (ice water!!!).  Well, we did just that and when you jump into the Arctic Plunge you actually lose your breath!  But it feels so good afterward.  We then used the Deep Sea Hydromassage and turned on all the forceful showers and jets.  What fun!!  Following this we took a walk in the Deep Chiller Walk where the jets hit your leg muscles.  This helps get the circulation going in your legs and helps tone the leg muscles.  Lastly we spent time in the Jacuzzi until the spa closed.  We were there for 3-1/2 hours!

There is a beautiful little wedding chapel here with a great view of the mountain (pictured above)

The lounge area in the resort has more of a modern Asian decor. 

We had a large overwater bungalow which included a large living room with sliding doors to the deck.  There is also a door from the bedroom that opened on to the deck.  The bathroom was very large as well. 

Dinner was, once again, wonderful.  The only odd thing about the restaurant is that the chairs are very heavy.  They pulled out te chairs for us to sit, but forget trying to get up out of your chair.  They must weigh a couple hundred pounds each!  There was a small band that played from 5 pm until around 8 pm. 

Breakfast the next day was inside at the same restaurant and then we were on our way to the next resort.

This resort had the best spa by far!

We transferred by boat to the Le Meridien Bora Bora and arrived with plenty of time to view the turtle feeding at 10:15 am. 

Built on the southern point of "Motu Piti Aau", a 6-mile long islet on the coral reef, the hotel offers an unsurpassed view of the world renowned Mount Otemanu (have you seen the opening credits of "Couples Retreat"?). The hotel is 20 minutes by private launch from the airport and 5 minutes by boat from the main island of Bora Bora.

There are 17 air-conditioned, beachfront and 81 overwater bungalows (with glass lagoon-viewing floor area). A restaurant designed like a Tahitian village, beachside pool, spa, and a host of island activities, including the Turtle Care Sanctuary, make for a true Polynesian paradise.

When we went to our room, we were pleasantly surprised to see a bottle of champagne chilling on the table, along with snacks.  We brought the champagne to the beach that afternoon.  The beach was beautiful and the turtles were swimming with us in the water. 

We were in the very last premium overwater bungalow which had a large glass floor over which the room attendant placed a rug at night time.  This room had the best view of the fish below.  When you first turn on the tv in your room there is a message from the front desk welcoming you by name (although ours said "Welcome Mrs Jan and Mrs Mary Mauer Grath - but it gave us a laugh!).

The suites have a bedroom, living room large deck and graduated plunge pool.  Villas have 2 or more bedrooms.  For these, two beach bungalows were joined by a common living area.  The beachfront rooms were also very nice.  Also available are rooms for those who are physically handicapped.

Le Miki Miki bar is shaped like the prow of a ship pointing toward Mount Otemanu.


Free activities include snorkeling (masks, snorkels and fins), kayaks and Polynesian canoes. windsurfing, pedal boats, swim with the turtles in the interior lagoon and discover the turtle's sanctuary.  For a fee you can enjoy shark and ray feeding, scuba dive, Tupuna Mountain Safari by 4WD, Taxi Boat, Jet Ski,  Circle Island Tour, Boat Rentas,
Horseback riding, Deep Sea Fishing, Parasailing above the lagoon, Picnic, Lagoonarium: swim in the midst of turtles, sharks and tropical fish, Water-skiing (all levels), helicopter, Aquascope (glass bottom boat), Spa with massages and body treatments (for relaxation), Taxi (to/from Vaitape), Hobie cat 14' and 16'


Denis, the manager, was very nice and had a great sense of humor.  He really made us feel at home.  We had a wonderful dinner here and were treated to a Polynesian show afterward.


Best view of the fish from an overwater bungalow.  Loved this resort - highly recommend it!


We have now arrived at our last day in paradise.  We transferred by boat to the Four Seasons Bora Bora.  Although we were not staying overnight, we were all given rooms to use for the day.  We first had a tour of the resort followed by breakfast.  We were free to enjoy the resort before we had to leave for the airport at 4:30 pm. 


Some of the nice touches this resort has are sachets on hangers in the closet, a laundry basket and tote bag in the closet.  The bed was very comfortable.  They offer a canoe breakfast where the couple gets a short ride on the canoe while the wait staff sets the table for breakfast at their bungalow.  There are two small glass areas to see the fish. 


There is a marine biologist on site, Oliver, who can arrange for tours on and off the island.  There is a coral nursery and 100 types of fish in this area.  In the family villa there is a master bedroom with a king bed, large tub and a bidet, two closets, a rain shower, access to private beach, a kids room with two queen beds, indoor and outdoor showers, dining room, large pool and separate jacuzzi.  There are also four lounge chairs, as well as a table with four chairs.  There is a separate room service kitchen as well. 

The chapel has a beautiful view of the mountain and lagoon.  There are two changing rooms there as well.  The spa has 9 treatment rooms with a vitality pool and a relaxation area by the changing room.  Even if you are not having a massage you can still use the spa facility.  The fitness center is open 24 hours per day and has a Technogym (like Cybex), cardio machines, and all have TV.  In the kids area, the bathrooms are id sized.  It is open 8 am to 5:30 pm, and babysitting is available after hours. 


The resort provides transportation (for a fee) to town and to the airport, but the transfers are like having a tour of the island.  This resort opened in September of 2008.

There are 100 spacious overwater villas and 7 beachfront villas with private pools  spread over 70 acres of white sand beaches and private lagoons. Set at the edge of the lagoon, the spa offers five spa pavilions, an overwater treatment cabana, three secluded couple’s pavilions and a full service fitness centre with an overwater sunrise yoga platform. To accommodate both families and couples, the resort features the Kids for All Seasons club with a kids pool, and a separate teens’ island with a Young Adult Centre and separate beach area. The resort also includes an events pavilion, wedding chapel, black pearl boutique, tennis courts and of course, the highly personalized Four Seasons service standards.


Activities include:  Fitness center, Outdoor pools, Scuba diving, Spa, Steam Room, Tennis. 


Children ages 4-12 have complimentary access to the Kids For All Seasons program. Run by trained staff, activities include: radio-controlled boat races, swimming, kite-surfing, snorkeling with a Marine biologist, and treasure hunts, plus many more.


Older children aged from 13-18 have complimentary access to the Young Adult Center and private beach. They can do everything from beach volleyball to windsurfing competitions. There is also a unique program of beach and lagoon activities inspired by ancestral Polynesian sports and cultural traditions.


This is the best resort for kids' activities
 
We left by boat for the airport in Bora Bora and then flew to Pape'ete, Tahiti, for our return flight on Air Tahiti Nui.  We waited 70 minutes for the customs agent to come and stamp our purchases at the airport.  Keep in mind the airports are not air conditioned, so wear appropriate clothing!  I wore my shorts, etc, and when I landed in LA, I changed to the clothes I wanted to wear home. 
 
This was the most amazing place to visit.  The people, scenery, and the resorts are all so authentic.  I would definitely recommend French Polynesia to anyone who is going on their honeymoon, to those who want a romantic vacation, and to those who want to do something different, especially if you enjoy water sports.