La Orana! That was the greeting we received every morning, afternoon, and evening from everyone starting from the moment we landed in Papeete to all the days we spent off the coast of Bora Bora.
I want to take a moment to rewind and introduce ourselves. I’m Camila, the founder of the travel company Escapadez. I’ve been working in the travel industry since 2017 and have been lucky enough to have started traveling since I was a few weeks old. My husband, Juan David, ofter referred to as Juanda, has been in the travel industry a year or two longer than me. He went from being the top producer and big agency in South Florida, to now being a Managing Partner here it at Escapadez! We met at a Rosewood lunch before pandemic, started dating a year later, and got married in October 2023. Our end of year travels didn’t allow us to take a honeymoon until March 2024, that’s where this story begins. We are skipping past the first half of our trip where we stopped in Los Angeles for a couple of nights, then went on to Tokyo - we will cover that in a later post!
Being in the wonderful industry of luxury travel we have been privileged with seeing the world, staying in the most spectacular places and hotels. When our honeymoon left us torn with what to do for the second half of the trip we knew our hearts were set on visiting the beautiful French Polynesian island of Bora Bora. We had just been made aware that there was a direct flight from Tokyo on Air Tahiti Nui every five days or so, it lined up perfectly with our starting point in the Japanese capital and our decision was made.
Departing Tokyo’s Nairta Airport had its pros and cons. As many things in Tokyo the efficiency was great! Everything from customs, security, all of it was wonderful. A couple of negative points to mention is the distance of Narita is about an hour to an hour and a half outside of the city centre. In addition to that, we were disappointed to realize that once you pass security at the airport there is a Japan Airlines Lounge (JAL) and that’s about it. If you are expecting an airport bar, restaurant, small shop to buy some snacks for the plane, think again, with the exception of some vending machines with different types of Japanese sodas and water there is absolutely nothing. There are a few dining options before passing security, so if you arrive a bit peckish, that’s your best option.
Once boarding time came, we were greeted with a fresh flower as we boarded and entered the most colorful airplane cabin I have ever seen! Filled with bright pink, yellow, orange and green pillows and blankets. We sat in the premium economy cabin on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, my favorite plane at the moment. The movie selection, food, and overall cabin crew was good, there was a snack bar in the galleys that anyone could help themselves to throughout the flight.
Arrival at Papeete can best be described by two words, hot and humid. We live in Miami and are no strangers to heat and humidity, but this hit different. The airport has no air conditioning, which in all fairness isn’t unusual for an island airport. We had a little over three hours before our flight to Bora Bora. We ended up at the L’Aviation restaurant, where I have to say I had one of the best Croque Monsieurs I’ve ever had, Croque du Commandant Picard on their menu. Both of us had to open our suitcases and change into summer clothes because of the heat. After a few delicious piña coladas we made our way over to board our Air Moana flight to Bora Bora. It was a short 50 minute flight over, we were met by the Four Seasons representative as soon as we entered the building. They collected our bags for us and met us at the boat that would take us on our stunning 15-minute transfer to our island home for the next five nights.
We arrived at the hotel at sunset, and our first impression of it was right before dark, we were already in love, little did we know the full extent of this island’s beauty until the following morning. As always, our Four Seasons check-in was seamless and before we knew it we were being driven in our golf cart to our over the water bungalow. As we entered there was an amazing spread from our Four Seasons family, and some of our actual family and friends too, that consisted of a bottle of bubbly, our favorite white wine, fresh fruit, chocolate covered strawberries, and a beautiful picture of the day we tied the knot only a few short months prior.
Normally, I spend the first half an hour at a hotel scrubbing off the long day of travel off in a nice hot shower, the routine was changed a bit when we had the Pacific Ocean just a few steps away. We jumped in and enjoyed our first island swim before actually showering and getting ready for our first dinner at the on-site Asian restaurant Vaimiti. All of the food here was extraordinary, we enjoyed everything from samosas to dumplings, and chicken to delicious stir-fry. There was a DJ playing some nice easy tunes, not a party but the fun type of lively you want at a restaurant. Things do close early, the kitchen closes at 9:30 PM, while you of course have the option of 24-hour in-room dining.
The next day we spent enjoying the amenities all around the hotel. First starting off with breakfast, a beautiful buffet with variety of sections: French and island pastries, fruit bar, charcuterie stand, savory hot breakfast (including scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, chicken and pork sausages, hash browns, bacon, and veggies), sweet hot breakfast (including crepes, French toast, and pancakes). They offer an a la carte option for different eggs and any other preferences. After breakfast we swam in the lagoons around the hotel, you don’t need to go too far to see incredible coral and an amazing variety of fish. We played ping pong, while other guests played tennis and pickle ball on the courts next to us. Soon it was time to head over to the beach bar for lunch, this is the only restaurant open for lunch, the other option is ordering in-room dining and enjoying it privately in your over-the-water bungalow, not a bad option by any means. After lunch we headed back to relax on our deck. I want to make an important note here, I am not a tanner usually, I like to be quite busy, but we wanted some down time, I decided to lay out for 20 minutes to finish my book. I didn’t apply sunblock to the backs of my legs, and I paid for it big time for the next few days. I was only made aware later on that Bora Bora experiences 10/10 on the UV scale, you need to be careful with the sun and make sure you bring enough sunscreen as well as clothes that allow you to enjoy time in the water and outside. The spa kindly sent over an amazing remedy of aloe that saved me!
While enjoying our second day of breakfast, don’t skip the French toast or the hash browns, we decided that we wanted to have at least one activity or excursion a day booked. That day we rented jet skis and took off around the island. This activity can be offered privately or in a small group, our group was a total of four jet skis plus the instructor. They took us around the entire island of Bora Bora, we had a water stop where we got to eat some fresh coconut and coconut cake, delicious. Getting to see the different shades of water around the island was out of this world, the shades of turquoise to clear to dark blue, you could see the eagle rays underneath, it was great to get a 360 view of the island and pass the other hotels options like the St. Regis, Westin, and Conrad.
Unlike some other tropical destinations, the sun in Bora Bora is so strong that you need to take quite a few “sun breaks” to avoid burning or feeling that sun hangover. We spent the rest of the afternoon having lunch in our bungalow with views over Mount Otemanu. That night the stars finally came out, it was magical seeing all of the constellations and shooting stars in the middle of the Pacific.
Finally the day I had been waiting for all trip had arrive. Our third day was my excursion pick, I had been dreaming of swimming with the sharks and rays since I saw the first person surrounded in a photo on social media. That morning was an earlier start, we boarded our boat with the friendliest guide and captain that explained the rules, the stops, and of course sang Tahitian songs and played the ukelele while we cruised over the stunning Pacific waters. The first stop was an amazing coral reef famous for the “I Love Bora Bora” sign made up of coral on the sea floor. I couldn’t believe the variety of fish species I was seeing. This snorkel was shallow and perfect for beginners, I am not a beginner snorkeler and I found it really nice to be able to dive a bit and see everything. The next stop were the sharks! We crossed the bay once again over every shade of blue you can imagine, to finally arrive in crystal clear water about 4 feet deep. As we approached the spot where would ultimately anchor, we spotted the sharks speeding up under the boat crossing from side to side letting us know they were there. When we anchored I didn’t realize how quickly the sharks would surround the boat. As we made our way into the water, there is naturally that moment of, why am I doing this again? That quickly goes away once you put your mask on and see these stunning creatures around you. The black tip sharks are one of the most spectacular animals you can see, not only for their beauty but also their mystic. It only takes a short couple of minutes to start feeling comfortable and really start enjoying the wonderful experience taking place. We spent about 20-30 minutes with them before heading over to the third and final spot on our excursion, the sting rays.
Of course, we had many Steve Erwin questions on the boat, but all apprehension was put to rest when the guides told us that they clip their barbs. A sting rays barbs are like our fingernails, and grow back every few months. Their tails are still very much there, and have a rough texture that when they catch your ankle still make you jump. These rays are so friendly, if you choose they can swim up and give you a hug, they are so accustomed to the locals doing that, but that is up to you, many people chose not to do that. Seeing the rays was beautiful because they were alongside many black tips as well, after the shark experience it was crazy how comfortable we all felt with these animals in a matter of an hour. I could not recommend this experience more, if you have the chance to do it, make sure you do! We decided to do the excursion that didn’t include lunch, we were quite happy to make it back to the hotel beach bar for a nice cocktail after all the thrills. That being said, the area where they dropped the guests who opted-in for lunch time on a small island with a table in the middle of the sandbank, it was very special.
That evening we got a bit more dressed up and headed to the Mediterranean restaurant, Arii Moana. This option is very good for any vegan and vegetarians, there are a few delicious meat dishes, although there are less than in the other restaurants. The nightly specials are amazing, and usually have good meat options for 1 person, for example the rack of lamb is normally for two, the special often offers it for one. The only complaint I have is that I wish it would be open for lunch! It would be great to have some fresh Mediterranean food during the day.
On our last full day we wanted to explore the main island of Bora Bora, keeping in mind that the Four Seasons is located just in front on an island called Motu Piti A’au. The hotel organizes a boat transfer that leaves the hotel at 9:30 AM and returns at 3:30 PM. It was a perfect amount of time on the island. Once you get off the boat you will see an Avis car rental office there, if you want to see the island by scooter we recommend you book ahead as they didn’t have any available when we were there. We rented a little car, which ended up being perfect because we needed some air conditioning and shade on that hot day. The only sour taste of our trip was with Avis, the representative was quite miserable to say the least, the best thing would be having all of that set up with hotel to just get the keys and go. Our journey started on-route to the iconic “Bora Bora Beach Club”, the food is that typically found at any beach club, the menu mainly consisted of sandwiches and burgers, while overlooking the island’s only public beach Matira Beach. We then proceeded to drive around the whole island, it doesn’t take more than an hour to an hour and a half to circle the whole island. One of our regrets was not having the chance to do the ATVs on the island, I think that experience would have been a nicer way of seeing the island. There are also hikes available, to get to the top of the mountain you will need to show that you are an expert hiker, there are easier trails for beginners just keep in mind you will not be hiking all the way to the summit. While we thought about doing this, the heat was too much for hiking that day. At the Bora Bora port there are some souvenir shops, as well as a few options to buy Tahitian Pearls. The options are limited, you don’t need more than half an hour to explore all of the stores along the road.
Each day the Four Seasons has an activity board of what is on in the resort, it could be anything from talks with the local Marine Biologist, shell necklace workshops, Tahitian drum lessons, yoga, and much more. That night there was a clear sky, we headed to the end of the pier for Stargazing & Storytelling. A local storyteller explained to us the journey his ancestors did to find islands like Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand. He explained the techniques they used to use by following the stars and swells, it was incredible to hear the courage of these people at the mercy of the ocean and elements.
Our final day had arrived, we packed up our things and said good-bye to our beautiful bungalow, promising to return soon. It was the most hassle-free check out, we simply left our bags in the room and they were taken to reception for us so we could continue to enjoy the resort until our evening boat arrived. Due to availability they weren’t able to give us late check-out, but the spa offers showers and the concierge has a resting room, you can even go in there and take a nap and relax before departing if you don’t want to be out in the sun anymore. We swam in the hotel lagoons, had our last lunch and cocktails at the beach bar, and finally met our boat on the same dock we arrived on. Following the boat ride with a similar sunset that welcomed us, we headed back to Tahiti to soon catch our Air France flight back to Los Angeles, another easy and great flight!
Overall, we left with happy hearts. This beautiful island in the middle of the Pacific gives you everything you need to rest and recharge, disconnect, or be as busy as you want. The hotel does a great job of setting up land activities for all ages, there are many amazing wellness options including an incredible spa, lots of water excursions from peaceful swims, thrilling animals, to extreme water sports like wakeboarding and kiteboarding. There are many couples and families around if you feel like being social, as well as the option to keep it private. I cannot wait to go back with my husband, parents, group of friends, or with children at some point down the line. Mauruuru roa!
