Its exotic name has always fascinated me. I had seen it on television, in travel magazines, and I fantasized about it being such a wonderful and different place from any other place I had seen. We arrived on a flight that took us from Huahine. Overlooking the window, I recognized its shape, the one I’ve always seen in pictures or movies: we were about to arrive to an true paradise.
There is no island in the world that overcomes this jewel of the Pacific for its color shades and the transparency of the water, for the romanticism of the landscape, for its sandy atolls that cross the entire barrier reef.
Bora Bora is not only sea. It also offers the possibility of trekking and driving on 4×4 off-road vehicles, with exceptional views over the atoll. Vaitape is the most interesting village, where you will have the chance to visit the jewelers that sell the famous black pearls of Tahiti.
But It is only when you are underwater, among rays, sharks, colorful fishes and barracudas, that you will fully understand the beauty of Bora Bora.
WHAT TO DO
If you have arrived up to this remote corner of the Earth, you should live it at its fullest by experiencing everything the island has to offer.
But if you want to take long walks on white-sand beaches… please change your destination. Bora Bora is not for you and now we’ll explain why. Although Bora Bora is an island and, as such, is completely surrounded by the sea, there is no access to the beach unless you are staying in a resort. If it weren’t for the short stretch of public beach, the rest of the coast is inaccessible due to the presence of private houses, shops, hotels and so on.
Here few activities we did and absolutely recommend.
First a tour of the underwater beauties of the lagoon is absolutely not to be missed. You will have the opportunity to dive into a natural aquarium and swim not only among different types of fish – from clown to Napoleon fishes – but also to see sharks and moray eels, pet stingrays and, if you are lucky enough, the manta rays. While you move from one point of the island to another, your guide will play the ukulele and it will be like living in a movie.
And that’s not all. Have you ever thought of eating lobster on the Bora Bora lagoon? Or, even better, immersed into the lagoon? You will literally sit in the water with a table set exclusively for you. All with bubbles of course, and a view over the island. Simply a dream.
Last but not least we also had a lot of fun with parasailing, which undoubtedly offers the best view over the bay, and hanging around the lagoon with our own (rented) boat.
