Yes! I went to Bora Bora!
And it was absolutely amazing!!!
So why did I go since I'm obviously not married and neither have the budget to stay in an over water Bungalow?
I took the opportunity to visit a very good friend of mine while he worked at the Four Seasons Resort for two years. I would always recommend to travel to places where you know someone. So convenient! I also got the experience of living within the locals pretty much. Very interesting. I got to stay at my friends apartment, which is on the main island.
A little background info about Bora Bora. The main island is surrounded by a beautiful Lagoon and barrier reefs. This is where the 5 Star resorts are located. So to get to those luxury resorts you need a boat. If you book one of those luxury resorts for a honeymoon, the hotel representatives will await you at the tiny Airport arrival and then you will be transported with the Hotel boat to the resort. This is where you will see the first breathtaking views of Bora Bora. The picturesque view with Mountain Otemanu in the Background. You can see this Mountain from every spot of the Island. The island has one extinct Volcano rising into two Peaks. One is Mountain Pahia and the other one is Mountain Otemanu which is the highest. That's why when you google Bora Bora that is the Mountain you usually see.
The local language is French but with their own dialect pretty much. There are two "big" Supermarkets, one Club, two Bars, one Gym and couple of Souvenir shops. Few cafes for the tourist and the things people need like Banks, Barber shops etc. But seriously only a couple. There is one street that goes around the whole Island. It is very common to Hitchhike to get one from side to the other (this is how I managed to catch my boat back to Tahiti!). If you don't have a car, scooter or bicycle then walking would be your last option. At least at night it is not really safe. No taxis, but there are people who claim to be Bora Bora Taxi and you can call them or arrange a pick up. Works sometimes but mine failed unfortunately so I managed to hitchhike to the main Harbor to catch my boat to the airport. Thank you so much stranger!
Unfortunately there has been some robbing within the locals and locals to expat happening, this is why lots of households have dogs. But they don't raise the dogs to be like a pet, they are more aggressive and supposed to protect the house. My friend even told me they would bite you if you walk on the street at night. While in staff houses of resorts on the main island, there will be guards near the parking lots. There aren't much lighting facilities on the street and some parts of the road are very bumpy too. So, be careful at night while driving a scooter and don't go for a walk, if you are staying on the main island. Other then that, I felt super safe.
There is one public beach, Matira Beach which is super serene and beautiful to chill out. Unless there is a cruise ship stopping, then the beach is full of people. The 'city centre' is called Vaitape. That is the main hub. There you find the essentials you need and the main Harbor. Along the roads around the island you will find small tiny shops that sell water or snacks. The few more restaurants you will find along the road on the way to Matira Beach. You can check out on my food blog section to see what and where I ate in Bora Bora or Click here!
Main activities are anything involving water pretty much. You can also go for hikes on the smaller mountain parts. I absolutely enjoyed my day on a Jet ski! That was so much fun! The scenery, how clear the ocean is and how fast you can go without caring. Absolutely recommend you guys to go Jet skiing. Most of the activities were organized by my friend so unfortunately I don't have the informations about the places we went. Bora Bora is so small I just recommend you to do your own research and find what prices are the most attractive to you.
How to get to Bora Bora? Well since I'm based in Singapore I took 4 different planes and it took me 2 days to get there, due to time change also. Yeap. All flights almost cost me up to 3K Singapore $$. Geez! But if I would have booked a ticket two ways online that would have cost me 13K!!! So I decided to split the flights and have some overnight stays in Auckland (on the way to Bora Bora) and in Sydney (when I traveled back to Singapore). My itinerary was Singapore - Sydney - Auckland - Tahiti - Bora Bora. Both ways you have to stay over night in Tahiti because of the flight times of Tahiti to Bora Bora. Honestly, I was way too tired in both Cities and in Tahiti to go around and be exploring. All I wanted was a shower, food and a bed. Only on my way back I managed to have some Nightlife fun in Tahiti City which was so much fun and I almost missed my flight back to Auckland. Thanks to Mr. AB for the experience! Unfortunately I do not remember where I was so no blog post for that night :)
Following places I stayed in my layovers and would absolutely recommend them!
Sydney: I stayed at the YHA (Youth Hostel Association) super close to the central station. I chose it because it was very convenient for one night, close to the station meaning faster transport back to the airport. Super friendly staff, spacious common areas, a bit wonky wifi though but it is better in your dorm. Comfortable dorms and shared bathrooms clean, friendly fellow travelers around. Food and kitchen available.
Auckland: At Verandahs Backpacking Lodge. Honestly, I do not remember why I chose this place but I believe because it is close to where I a arrived with the shuttle bus from the airport plus it isn't far from the city centre. Apparently nightlife is close too. Again, I didn't explore at all. Way too tired. But the place is lovely! It looks like a big House from the outside and has cozy big dorms. Bathroom was clean and acceptable for a couple of nights. There were even a couple of people drinking and hanging out at the verandas. If you still have a bit of time before you fly out, you can leave your luggage in a small room at the check in area and go on explore.
Tahiti: This was the most homie experience ever but unfortunately I only saw the place by night since I arrived late night and left very early in the morning. It was Pension Te Miti which is a family run pension. Best service that they offer is a 24/7 airport pick up which is arranged by the Husband. Usually if several guests are arriving around the same time you would wait with him and then you drive all together to the pension. Good sized dorms, clean bathrooms and cute terrace where they offer breakfast in the morning. This was the only budget I had that time for my overnight stay. I paid in the morning when I left and had a little chat with the Wife and the Husband drove me back to the airport again. Super friendly service and great for a short stay! Merci!
I booked all my stays via Booking.com
I would say the
best moments of my trip were the arrival flash I had when I saw for the first time the famous view from above and from the arrival area at the airport. The stars at night (INCREDIBLE!) this view
got me every night and it is just so, so beautiful. The view from a small hill when I did a mini Hike with friends. My daily sunsets view and the time I spent with new friends. Overall opinion,
if you can go to Bora Bora one day, let it be on a budget like me or on a luxury trip, GO. It is amazing and I was very lucky to have someone there who could guide me around. Merci to my host and
friend DB! Special thanks also to TK, DG and HC and many more friends of DB.
K
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