Bora Bora 2014

Jun 10

Bora Bora:

We arrived yesterday after what felt like a long long trip. But after meeting a couple from Scotland we realized we had nothing to complain about. :)

TIP: If you plan to have cocktails buy alcohol at the duty free shop when you fly out. Alcohol, mixed drinks, wine etc is very very expensive.

It's easy to get here from LA. We took a red eye and landed in Tahiti at about 4 am. Then caught a 7am flight to Bora Bora. To get to Bora Bora we landed on a Motu which is basically one of the small islands formed from the reef surrounding the inner island. Then a small boat taxi from our hotel (Sofitel) will picked us up. (There is also a boat going into the main village Viatape).

TIP: when flying into Bora Bora sit on the left for the best views.

When we were booking the Sofitel hotel I was a little disappointed with the reviews and the location on the main island. But this has turned out to be fantastic. 1st we didn't splurge on the over water-bungalow instead we took the "lagoon view". It's great. We were mostly over water, only our entry was on land. And we have one that's on the far end of the hotel so our view is pretty spectacular. Room 66. Also, being on the main island, we are really close to activities. We are able to walk to some local restaurants and other hotels and a grocery. Bora Bora is incredibly expensive. The price of dinner and drinks etc is the main topic of conversation between tourists in bars and restaurants. So we were thrilled to be able to walk. Also, we had breakfast included.

Sofitel Marara Bora Bora: We loved this little 55 room hotel. The Breakfast buffet was pretty typical of most hotels we see when we travel. But the service was fantastic. We were only there 3 nights but since the service is so personal we were able to know the names of the ladies in the restaurant, bar and customer service. Its like staying with a family. Big smiles and happy welcomes. Our room was very clean and even though we were near the road that circles the island it was quiet. Well except for the roosters but they are everywhere. Our only complain would be the water pressure. We had plenty of warm water, just terrible pressure. But free wi-fi!

Benefits of staying on the main island:

Bora Bora is was incredibly expensive. We had heard that but couldn’t full comprehend it until we lived with it. But being on the main island helped considerably. We had breakfast at the hotel included, this seemed to be a common perk when booking through a travel agent, costco etc… Try to get it, it will save you a fortune. If not I think it's 35-50$ a person a day.. ugh. On the main island, we walked to the grocery for freshly made sandwiches for lunch 4$ and they were delicious. There is also chocolate croissants, and baguettes straight from the bakery. (They sell out fast). MMMM.. It is cheaper to book excursions yourself and pay cash. If you stay on one of the motus you have to take a shuttle boat to leave your hotel.

Things to do:

Wander: we got up at sunrise- it's 3 hours earlier here. We wandered around so Stephane could take pictures enjoyed a leisurely breakfast

Take the hotels Kayak: Most of the resorts and hotels have kayaks and snorkel gear to use for free. We borrowed the hotels kayak and snorkel stuff. and paddled to the Sofitel private island Motu. There is a great coral garden there with the best snorkeling on the island (not as good as Moorea). It was a long paddle and very windy but fun. On the way back we stopped at a locals private island and he and his wife opened a coconut for us so we could have some coconut water. Free of charge. They were so nice, and it doesn't hurt that Stephane speaks French :). Then we paddled back. Dried off and went on our jet ski tour.

Jet Ski Tour: The tour was really fun. We were the only ones on the trip, so we got to go really fast. :) We stopped at the island where they filmed couples retreat and another private island where our guide cut up fresh coconut, and pineapple for a small snack. before heading off again. The owners were very nice. They preferred to be paid cash, and give you a better rate if you do, but we didn't have enough so they said tomorrow when we are out on the scooter we could go to the bank and stop by their house with money. No one would trust us like that in la... No one.

Rent a scooter: we paid about 70$ for a scooter for the day. It was fun to see the island. We stopped at bloody mary’s famous bar, shopped at pearl shops (didn’t buy anything) and checked out menus from restaurants I had heard about for that evenings dinner. We also wandered around Viatape and were able to go the the ATM for cash.

Food: We ate every breakfast in the hotel since it was included. For lunch we had sandwiches from the grocery. With the exception of the day we had the scooter,then we ate at a road side stand and had the best shaved ice. For dinner, our 1st night I was pretty tired so we ate small bites from the grocery in ur room. The second night we walked to a small pizza joint that was recommended by a bunch of locals. It was very good. The dough was fresh and crispy and the prices fantastic. For the 3rd night we went out to a nice dinner. St James. It was highly recommended. And they pick you up. The food was delicious. But while we were there the power went out on the whole island. So we would up eating to the glow of our flashlight ap on the iPhone. Since we had 2 iPhones. we were able o share with another table. :) When making your reservation, request a table by the railing. The water it lit up and lots of fish circle beneath. Stephane had the Mahi Mahi with vanilla. and I had the chef’s tuna appetizer plate. Basically it is a sample of the 4 fresh tuna appetizers on the menu: red tuna carpaccio, red tuna tartar, seared tuna and Polynesian Tuna (ceviche). We didn’t have desert because of the power outages.

Jet ski: 23000 (260.00)

Dinner: 9000 (102.00)

Scooter: 6000 (68)

Drinks: 3300 (38.00)

Misc groceries: 5000 (57.00)

Pizza: 1500 (17.00)

Moorea

Boat:250$

Truck: 9000

K: 8000

Water: 750

Misc. water. 900