Doug Orens

Bora Bora is one of the few places in the world that sounds great on paper, looks beautiful in pictures, but is even better once you get there. The flight from Los Angeles is only about 3 hours longer than the flight to Hawaii, but I believe that realistic expectations are important. With that in mind, it is not really just 3 hours longer until you are settled at your hotel and on the beach. All international flights to Tahiti land in Papeete. At a minimum, you have to clear customs and change planes, then take the 50 minute flight to Bora Bora. Quite often, you will overnight in PPT and then fly out the next morning....but it is so worth it!!!

Is the extra travel time worth it? You bet it is. The water is as clear as the sky, they sky is a beautiful shade of blue, the mountains are striking with their steep cliffs and lush green foliage. Very few places are as beautiful as this. If you like the water, and even if you don’t, this is the place to be. When in Hawaii, my wife might put her toe in the water once or twice. In Bora Bora we were both in the water for hours each day….jumping off the deck of our over-water bungalow, snorkeling, paddle boarding, feeding the fish, or just floating around. The water temperature is perfect; none of the typical cringing or sucking in your stomach, when you go in, you just go.

Landing at the airport in Bora Bora is an experience unto itself. The runway is on a motu, a reef that surrounds the island, ocean on one side, and lagoon on the other. Walking into the airport you are greeted by a representative from your hotel, given a flower lei (shell leis are given when you leave) and walked out to the boat that will take you to the resort. The dock is right there, literally steps from the doors of the airport.

All three of the resorts that we went to are located in the same area of the motu, about a 20 minute boat ride from the airport. Our first stop was the St. Regis. Check-in requires minimal paperwork that is completed while on the yacht so when you get the resort, your butler takes you straight to your bungalow. Yes, I said your butler…every bungalow includes a butler who will basically do anything and everything you might want. Ours was Claudio! They will unpack for you, make dinner reservations, get your snorkeling gear, etc. They will pick you up and take you anywhere on the property.

We chose to walk or ride bikes everywhere. They have a bike rack full of bikes in the center of the property and you can just take a bike whenever you want and keep it for the day.

This is a large property, 44 acres, and very spread out, so if you don’t like walking, be sure to request a bungalow close to the beach. We were at the end of the pontoon, so we had total privacy, and amazing views of Mount Otemanu, but it was a 15 minute walk to the main beach and restaurants, and another 5 -10 minutes to the gym or the spa. This was not a problem for us, just something to keep in mind.

The St. Regis boat took us to the Four Seasons, about a 5 minute ride, including going very slowly when near the shore of each property. These two resorts are next to each other. In fact, our iPads tried to connect to the Four Seasons Wi-Fi from our bungalow at the Saint Regis a number of times. One of our favorite activities at the Four Seasons was snorkeling in the crystal-clear lagoon full of colorful fish where naturalists do coral grafting to provide a healthy underwater environment

Upon arriving at the Four Seasons, Irwin met us on the dock, greeted us with our flower leis, juice and cold towels, and walked us inside to check in. No standing in line at a desk, just sit on a couch in the beautiful lobby and sign a couple of things. A quick tour on the golf cart and we were in our beautiful bungalow, again, at the end of the pontoon, with a perfect view of Mount Otemanu. The bungalow here is about 1200 square feet. Slightly smaller than those at the St. Regis, but the bedroom, living room, and bathroom all have ocean views.

The Four Seasons is slightly less spread out, so this time the walk was only about 10-12 minutes to the main beach and restaurants.

Le Meridien sent a boat to pick us up at the Four Seasons. Same as before, the boat ride is a quick 5-7 minutes and we were greeted at the dock by Celine with our cool towels, fresh juice and flower leis. A quick stop at the front desk to check in and then we were off to our bungalow. The property here is smaller than the other two, and a little older. Le Meridien was the first resort built on this part of Bora Bora. While they do have a small gym, and a room for massages, there is not a full spa here. The Bungalow is very nice with the largest glass panel of the three properties we visited.

At about 550 square feet, it is the smallest, but 550 square feet is by no means a small room. One of the highlights of Le Meridien has got to be their Turtle Sanctuary where they rehabilitate injured turtles. They have tours where you learn all about the work they do there, as well as sea life in general with a hands-on experience in the touch pools including starfish, sea cucumbers, etc. You can also swim with the turtles (no touching allowed) for an additional charge. When we did our tour, most of the other participants had come from other hotels on Bora Bora to experience this unique program.

So many fun way to enjoy the water. There are fish everywhere. Carolyn is busy tearing up the bread that we fed to them everyday after breakfast.

Great to just grab a paddle board and take it out for a quick spin. This really was one of the most relaxing vacations we have ever been on, and paddling around in the pristine waters was a wonderful way to enjoy the beauty of Bora Bora

Bora Bora, October 2014