Holiday In Bora Bora

I’m still dreaming of Bora Bora. It’s a place that I never thought my feet would land on.  A place that offered my soul some much-needed “down time.” Of course, I was thrust right back into life when I came back home, as there was Christmas and then I got sick for two weeks. But, I digress.

Bora Bora.

I see so many people post pictures of Bora Bora, and say that it’s on their “bucket list.”

And now, I’m fortunate enough to say I’ve been there.

So, I thought I’d share with you a little bit about what I observed, and what tips I would recommend – if you should ever find yourself flying in that direction.

1.     It has the most stunning water I’ve ever seen. If you wonder when you look at pictures, if the water is really that clear, and that blue? Yes. Yes, it is.  It’s awesome. (Does saying, “awesome” date me?)  But, it WAS awesome.  You could see the coral, the stingrays, everything.  And if you are flying in, it is breathtaking to see the different shades of blue as it goes from the island, further out into the ocean.

GOR.GEOUS.

2.     Bora Bora island is small.  And I mean small.  It has one road that goes around the whole island. You can rent a car, or a scooter and drive around it a couple of times in one day.  There are only – maybe 2??? Smallish towns. Don’t expect to see a movie theater, a mall, or fast food restaurants. They don’t exist.

3.     We stayed at Le Moana Intercontinental. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Yes, we were in bungalow huts over the water. It was so peaceful, so quiet, and very tropical-feeling. You have a glass coffee table in your room and you can open it, (or not,) and look down at the tropical fish below, feeding on your coral. It was one of my favorite things to do. I saw new fish each day.  You also have a private deck. And just the room itself, was terrific. A huge bed, a tall, bamboo ceiling with an overhead fan, and a nice size bathroom.

4.     Bring a collapsible cooler. Our fridge didn’t seem to want to cool things down very much – and I’ve heard this said of others, as well. Get some ice from the ice machine, load in your cooler, and you can put your drinks in there, and put the cooler inside of your fridge. A great alternative.  We could walk to a little market from Le Moana, and buy some sodas there to put in our cooler. Also, Le Moana, gave us a new water bottle each day, which was wonderful.

5.     Food.  Food can be an issue if you are on a budget. Food can be extremely pricey. And we had a hard time finding food that was more affordable. There is a pizza place within walking distance from Le Moana. You can eat there, or get it “carry out” and eat back on your private deck. It’s big enough to share between two people.  There is also the option of ordering from the bar, if you want more casual food. You can also get this as “carry out.” It took us a few days to realize that most places didn’t open till after 6 for dinner, and that if you wanted a burger, fries, or sandwich, they called that type of restaurant a “snack” shack.  A few places seem to be restaurants or snack shacks opened up in people’s homes. But we could never figure out their hours of operation.

We also got the breakfast buffet in our plan, so we ate a big breakfast, snacked on munchies we brought with us and skipped lunch, and then ate dinner. This also saved us some $$.

6.     There is not a lot of tourist shopping. And I love to shop on vacation! Black pearls are HUGE here on Bora Bora. And I mean, HUGE. You will find a lot of these shops. But the pearls are EX-PEN-SIVE. If you want cheap pearls, (under $100), look for locals to sell some at their tables alongside of the road near the towns. But be prepared to find a rougher-looking pearl.  Other than that, you can find a few souvenir shops and that’s about it. Not much comparing of prices or merchandise.

7.     Le Moana offers free paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, and snorkeling. We brought our own snorkels and a couple of pool floats that we blew up once we got there.  Bring a book, or some magazines to read. You can even bring a dvd or two – as our TV only had a couple of channels and they weren’t in English. But honestly, we didn’t need to watch anyways.

8.     RELAX! Don’t go to Bora Bora if you don’t want to relax. This is a place to unwind. Slow down. Chill. And relax. It’s a place to recharge.

9.  Be prepared for long wait lines in America and in Tahiti. The airlines don’t seem to open too early before flight time, and they love to “herd” people once you arrive in Tahiti. Just be patient. Wear layers (as it’s very humid in the Tahiti arrival zone and you will get hot and sweaty quickly) and you’ll make it through!

We loved it. The staff were extremely friendly. The location was lush and breathtaking, and it was a gorgeous getaway. It’s like nowhere I’ve ever travelled before.  And I miss it.

Feel free to ask me any questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them. And if you’re going, soak in every second. It’s a joy and privilege to get to go.