Bora Bora

Bora Bora

The overwater bungalow was invented in French Polynesia. The first ones were built on Moorea in the late 1960s by a small hotel that was running out of land on which to build. The concept spread to Bora Bora, which had the lagoon for it: a sheltered turquoise expanse protected by a coral barrier reef, with a volcanic peak in the centre of the motus (islets) that ring the lagoon’s edge. Mount Otemanu, at 727 metres, drops sharply to the water and frames the view from every overwater bungalow facing west. The mountain is not climbable to the summit; the vegetation and the angle make it technically too difficult for most visitors. But it is visible from almost everywhere on the island, and at sunset from a bungalow deck with a glass of French wine in the air, it looks as designed as anything in a hotel.

Bora Bora is about 260 kilometres northwest of Tahiti in French Polynesia (an overseas collectivity of France), reached by a 50-minute Air Tahiti flight from Papeete. The island proper is small; the lagoon around it is large. Most visitors stay on the outer motus rather than the main island itself.

The Lagoon

The lagoon is the reason to be here. The water is shallow (10 to 15 metres in most snorkelling areas), transparent, and warm year-round. Blacktip reef sharks cruise the sandy bottom in numbers large enough to seem like a normal part of the scenery after a day or two. Sting rays gather near the sand beds where guides supplement their feeding during snorkelling tours. Green and hawksbill sea turtles are present in the coral formations.

Snorkelling directly from an overwater bungalow deck typically produces these encounters without any tour. The organised lagoon tours have the advantage of covering more ground and reaching the outer reef wall where visibility opens up.

Matira Beach

The only proper public beach on the main island, Matira extends for about a kilometre along Bora Bora’s southern tip. It is one of the more beautiful beaches in French Polynesia – white sand, calm lagoon water, the Otemanu profile visible to the north. Most visitors reach it by boat from their motu accommodation. It is accessible by road from the main island and is free.

Getting There

All visitors fly via Papeete (Tahiti), the only international gateway to French Polynesia. Air Tahiti connects Papeete to Bora Bora multiple times daily. Most resorts transfer guests from the airport by speedboat to the outer motu. There is no bridge to the main resort areas; the lagoon transfer is part of the arrival experience.

Where to Stay

Bora Bora’s accommodation is dominated by the large international luxury brands (Four Seasons, Conrad, St Regis, InterContinental) with overwater bungalow complexes on the outer motus. Prices start at around USD 800 per night and go considerably higher. There is essentially no budget accommodation; the island’s infrastructure is entirely built around high-end tourism. If the price is prohibitive, Moorea (45 minutes from Tahiti by boat) has similar lagoon water, similar overwater options, and significantly lower prices.

Bloody Mary’s

Bloody Mary’s on the main island has a blackboard listing the famous guests who have eaten there: Neil Armstrong, Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp. The restaurant itself is thatched, sand-floored, and serves grilled fish and lobster from a display counter. It is exactly the kind of tropical institution that manages to be genuinely good while also catering to wealthy tourists, and it does not charge airport prices for what it serves.