Journey to paradise: Bora Bora.

 

Bucket list worthy getaway.

Those that have been following our travel plans along on Instagram probably remember how long ago this picture-perfect getaway has been planned! We had everything A-Z planned for about a year and sadly months before we were supposed to take off pandemic happened and the entire world shut down, Tahiti & Bora Bora included. After that we tried to reschedule but restrictions were still in place and having to hop around from one island to another covid testing was not going to make it easy so we decided to wait until all restrictions were lifted which felt like forever but fast forward to 2022, everything was lifted and we finally made it happen! If Bora Bora/ Moorea/Tahiti islands are in your bucket list you can start planning your getaway because it's one less worry to think about now that entry restrictions have been lifted entirely.

L O W    S E A S O N:    BOOK   OR    SKIP ?

This being our first time going to the islands I started to worry as the time to leave was approaching because my friend went there 2 weeks before us and she only had one full day of sunshine out of 8 days there. She posted every day showing super strong winds, rain that that never went away which was pretty unusual for the islands. She has told me that it was not a tropical rain that came and went, what she experienced was a full on storm that lasted over a week. After hearing that I started researching "low season" and got lost in everyone's articles and experiences about rain. At this point it was too late to change anything about the trip as we were about to start packing. 

We spent a total of 8 nights/9 days between 3 different islands and it rained for a total of maybe 20 mins combined! I also spoke to the staff at each hotel asking about their experiences living on the islands to find out about the weather so that I could help my readers and they also confirmed that weather between October - May could have tropical rain and it will just come and go and my friend just happened to be there during the worst time EVER. They all confirmed that it has not happened in years and they've never really seen anything like it. 

If you're looking to book a trip to Bora Bora and save money I highly recommend going during the low season. You will get the same experience and save money. Hotels were just as busy as always, capacity being at 80%.

*Our trip took place at the end of November / beginning of December and as you can see in the images it was the most perfect weather ever every day while we were there! 

G E T T I N G    T H E R E:

In order to get to the hotel of your choice you will have to first go to the main island of Tahiti. After researching different flights the one that made most sense was to land in Tahiti in the evening, book the nearest hotel and leave on the earliest flight to Bora Bora island where we would be picked up to go on a short boat ride to Le Bora Bora (by Pearl Resorts). 

PPT - main airport in Tahiti

PPT- BOB 50 mins 

BOB-Le Bora Bora resort 25/30 min boat

Tip: When searching for main flights, use "google fights" you will be able to view all the months & days and see which days are the cheapest to go. Even though we booked with miles we changed our return flight last minute and paid $350 one way which is not bad at all for an International flight! I also checked the week of how much it would have been to purchase a last minute round trip flight and it would have been total of $650 which is almost better than using miles.

Local flights between islands can be purchased on the local airline websites. After you purchase all of your flights make sure to call the hotel ahead of time so that they can arrange the pick up from the airport and schedule a boat for you which is complimentary transport by the hotel.

S T A Y:

When traveling to a destination like Maldives or Bora Bora you want to make sure you maximize your time there and see as much as you can. Spending 3nights at a hotel like these is just a perfect amount to experience their restaurants, pool, activities and then hop over to the next island to see something new.  Each one of the islands and resorts is completely different, it offers different views, restaurants and the resorts are completely different look and experience wise. We decided to spend 2 nights in Tahiti (one when we landed and one night before taking off to go home), 3 nights at Le Bora Bora and 3 nights at Le Taha'a. Both resorts are owned by Pearls which makes it easy and more convenient to plan the getaway. While this blog post includes only Le Bora Bora resort I will do another one on Le Taha'a that will give you a better idea on how different both islands are! We met 3 different couples at Le Bora Bora and they were doing same thing as us, staying at both resorts Le Taha'a & Le Bora Bora so that's when we knew we also did the right thing. 

Le Bora Bora offers two styles of stays to pick from, some bungalows are placed overwater and some on the island itself. While I absolutely love the aesthetic of the ones on the island when you travel to places like Maldives and Bora Bora staying at an overwater bungalow is absolutely necessary! Even if you can just do it for one night and then stay on the island for the rest of the trip it is 1000% worth it. While some bungalows on the island offer a private pool/jacuzzi etc. nothing competes with being able to just walk out of your little house and get straight into the ocean. The sunset & sunrise views from overwater rooms are absolutely breathtaking as well! 

*If you are going to plan to stay at both resorts as well I highly suggest this route, that way you avoid going back and forth through the islands  & also save money:

Tahiti->Bora Bora -> Le Bora Bora resort -> Bora Bora -> Raiatea -> Le Taha'a resort-> Tahiti 

LE BORA BORA RESORT:

Some info on the hotel to give you a better idea on what it offers:

• Complimentary boat to the main island, from there you can take bus or taxi to go explore the main island of Bora Bora.
• Complimentary breakfast
• Restaurants offering live shows and a wine bar 
• Complimentary activities like paddle boarding, kayaking, tennis, gym, snorkeling etc.
• Complimentary coconut cutting & flower crown making classes! You do have to find out when they are taking place once you check into hotel. I did flower making class at Le Taha'a hotel & I absolutely loved it. It was a great way to not only learn how to make crown but also meet others that were staying at the same resort 
• Complimentary mini bar filled up daily! 

I know a lot of people are always interested in price points at places like these. To give you an idea lunch for two was always around $70-$100 including 2 drinks and 2 salads/sandwiches. Restaurant that was buffet style and had a live show is around $250 for two guests while regular dinner not buffet style is around $150 for two people. 

P A C K:

My rule is always travel light and only with carryon & duffle bag only - no matter where or for how long you go. The planes between islands are usually pretty small and you will have to check in almost all of your luggage, don't want to lose anything? pack light so it's always with you and not checked in. If you pack more than that you will also most likely end up overpacking and end up not wearing half of the items. All you need is a few cute dresses, a few pairs of flip flops, a few swimsuits, coverups and few pair of pants/maxi skirts paired up with light tops for daytime and dinners. The one thing we realized after traveling to so many destinations like these is nobody wears heels/wedges or dresses up. It's a very laid back environment and everyone just wants to relax and be comfortable. For men, linen shirts and a few pairs of shorts along with swimwear and flip flops is the best way to go! 

In collaboration with Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts.