Bora Bora is hands down the most romantic and beautiful destination in the world! It has rightfully earned the title of paradise and ultimate honeymoon destination. My husband and I spent 9 days exploring French Polynesia and Bora Bora was the best part of the trip. In this blog post we are sharing all of the details on how to get there, when to visit, where to stay, the best activities, and more!

French Polynesia and Bora Bora in general is the perfect place to vacation, honeymoon, explore with family, basically any situation. Just imagine being on a remote island in an overwater bungalow with those you love, free to jump into the ocean at your leisure. Bora Bora is the crown jewel of the French Polynesia. From the lush green mountains, to white sand beaches, to the crystal clear Pacific Ocean water, Bora Bora is an absolute Dream Vacation.

Getting to Bora Bora is still relatively easy, we found that there are more and more affordable flights than ever before. Wherever it is you are coming from you will need to fly into Fa’a’ā International Airport on the island of Tahiti. From there you can take a short flight to Bora Bora, which usually takes about 50 minutes. Air France, United airlines, and Air Tahiti. Flights from Asia, Australia, and Japan are expected to resume normal schedules.

My husband and I opted to fly direct from San Francisco to Fa’a’ā International Airport with United Airlines, and it was a great flight on a Boeing Dreamliner. We love these planes as they definitely help to reduce jet leg. If you want to see our flight experience check out this YouTube video. There are also a few other carriers such as Air Tahiti Nui and French Bee, a low-cost French airline that flies between Paris and Tahiti 2-3 times each week (with a stopover in San Francisco). We stayed in Tahiti one night at the Intercontinental before taking a flight from Tahiti to Bora Bora with Air Tahiti. Check out our YouTube video if you would like to see what the small flight from Tahiti to Bora Bora is like.

When to Visit 

Bora Bora is ideal any time of the year, but June through October are generally considered high season for visiting tourists. During this time you will generally experience the dry season, which usually means lower rainfall, humidity, and slightly cooler temperatures. Another peak season is the winter holidays when it’s summer in French Polynesia.

We always recommend visiting popular tourist destination during the shoulder months when the weather is still beautiful but the resorts are a bit less crowded. My husband and I visited in mid-February and found the weather to be absolutely amazing.

Where to Stay

Bora Bora has so many options for accommodation, it’s almost overwhelming at first glance. First you need to decide on your budget and if you want to stay at a resort or AirBnB. Generally when you think of Bora Bora you will most likely imagine gorgeous overwater bungalows. A bucket list item for most and completely worth it.

We chose to split our time on Bora Bora between the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora for 4 nights and the Conrad Bora Bora Nui another 4. We enjoyed both resorts, but certainly had a favorite.

FOUR SEASONS RESORT BORA BORA

We stayed 4 epic nights at the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora and it was a dream come true. We have seen so many photos of this resort, and to then experience it in real life was just the best feeling. When you arrive, it really is as beautiful as all of the images you have seen. We stayed for 4 nights and it was the perfect amount of time. Of course we could have stayed longer, but anything less than that would have been too short.

The resort has multiple villa options which include overwater bungalows with and without pools, and gorgeous beachfront villas with private beaches. We had a One-Bedroom Mountain View Overwater Bungalow Suite with a plunge pool (Room 301) Check out the room review below. It really was something special to wake up to a Mountain View and really to see the amazing Mount Otemanu from every corner of the resort!

We highly recommend this side of the island, for one reason the water is shallow and appears more turquoise. Where our overwater bungalow was the water was completely still and so easy to swim in. The resort had some beautiful protected areas that you could swim also, including protected beaches, gorgeous lagoons full of fish, and an infinity pool with perfect little cabanas when you need a break from the sun. We also liked this side of the island because there was less wind and you always had a view of the Mountain.

We loved so many things about the Four Seasons Bora Bora, one thing we really appreciated was all the gorgeous walking paths situated around the resort’s protected lagoon. It felt like you had stepped into the jungle and we really enjoyed walking around and watching fish swim below us in the lagoon. The lagoon was full of gorgeous corals and colorful fish, with free snorkel equipment provided for all guests. You can also buy special fish food from the concierge. Make sure to swim all the way into the lagoons end and find the “Hidden Spot.” There will be hardly anyone snorkeling here except you and all the fish. Check out this YouTube video to catch all the amazing fish

Every meal we ate at the Four Seasons was absolutely delicious. We liked how there were a range of dining options from very casual feet in the sand spots, sushi bars and fine dining French restaurants. The sunset bar was great as well, but what we really loved was room service. On the patio you have the most breathtaking views so why not enjoy it. Ordering room service at the Four Seasons is basically having the whole restaurant come to you. They put down a table cloth and make sure you have everything you need before they present the food to you. Another thing we highly recommend is breakfast delivered by canoe. We reserved this for Valentine’s Day and it definitely started our day out right. There is also a great buffet breakfast, it was included in our stay when we booked through Grand Luxury Hotels. We also got one night free and a $100 spa credit for booking through Grand Luxury.

We noticed and appreciated that the resort was making a serious effort to reduce single use and plastic items. We really noticed that everyone at the resort took pride in the area and did what they could to keep it pristine. We can’t say enough good things about the staff here, they are really the ones that made our trip. Everyone was so nice and friendly and even after only 4 days we felt like we were getting to know the people there.

One day as we were walking around the grounds we stopped at the beautiful chapel on site. Now that is a place we would love to have a ceremony, it was absolutely gorgeous. We also made sure to stop by the spa, there were beautiful pools, treatment rooms, and breathtaking spots to do yoga. Of course there were gorgeous views of the island as well. We made sure to get up for every sunset and every sunrise and it was completely worth it. One of our favorite places to catch the sunset was from the balcony in our room.

Which Activities to Do

Bora Bora has everything, you can relax and enjoy the good life with your other half or you can fill your days with fun activities. We were there for Valentine’s Day and definitely took the opportunity to relax and enjoy what the resort had to offer. Our favorite activities were stand up paddle boarding and the swim with sharks and rays excursion. You can check out all of the activities offered with prices here.

Swimming With Sharks and Sting Rays

One of the best and most exciting part of our trip with Four Seasons was the day we swam with sharks and sting rays. At first we were both a little nervous until you were picked up in a great covered lagoon boat. The captain was a local to Bora Bora and serenaded us the entire ride. Not even kidding he had his ukulele and an awesome voice.

The excursion included everything we needed to enjoy some of the worlds best snorkeling. You start off by snorkeling with the rays which we must was amazing. However, the rays can be a bit aggressive or maybe just overly friendly and completely in a fun way. They love being fed and will swim right up to you, and on you. After swimming with the rays you get to enjoy some time at amazing reefs full of beautifully colored fish. The reefs were really fun due the fact there are signs giving you check points to follow along. It was a great experience and would be amazing for people with kids or anyone who enjoys a day in the water.

After swimming with the rays and in the coral reef, you are whisked away to another area full of sharks. This is when we both began to become really nervous, me mostly. Once in the water we realized the sharks really did not want to bother us and kept a safe distance. The sizes of the sharks ranged from 6 ft to about 12ft. The highlight to this excursion was the fresh food waiting at a private island for you. Thats right, a private island where you get to enjoy amazing food. I don’t know if we were just starved after all of the swimming but it was the most amazing lunch and the tables were in the water so you can sit there with your feet in the water while enjoying your food. The best part, this island is the home to hundreds of small baby sharks, and you get to feed them. It was one of the best experiences and we could not recommend it more while visiting Bora Bora. Check out our YouTube video for the experience!

CONRAD BORA BORA NUI

We absolutely loved our 4-night stay at theFour Seasons but it was time to head to the other side of the island. We decided to stay at the Conrad Bora Bora Nui for 4 nights. The resort is located on a private island around the backside of Bora Bora, so although you don’t get as many views of Otemanu you know Bora Bora’s iconic mountain, you do get an awesome experience. We were impressed with the unobstructed sunset views, it had more of a Maldives vibe.

The Conrad Bora Bora Nui was great and on the affordable side when we used a Hilton points and cash rate. We were there for 4 nights and we chose another overwater villa. We really wanted to be able to compare rooms between resorts and staying in an overwater villa is limited to few places in the world so we decided to go with it. The room was a bit worn, but it was huge! It was modern and had all of the luxuries you would expect in a luxurious resort. We absolutely loved the bluetooth speakers that were in the room and on the deck. We spent so much time opening up the sliding glass doors all the way, playing our music and hanging out on the deck.

The overwater bungalow had a huge open deck and although our room didn’t have a pool to hop in it had 2 net hammocks that we spent a lot of time lounging on. We were able to jump right off the deck into the clear water below. We had quite a few fish under our bungalow too it was so much fun to snorkel right under our room.

One thing that this resort had that the other didn’t was bikes. Who would have thought it would be such a highlight but its so easy to get around the resort on a bike and fun! One thing about the bikes though is there are not enough to keep up with demand. If you park it somewhere and go into a restaurant or shop expect that the bike won’t be there when you are done. Before we went I did read some reviews that spoke about the condition of the bikes, someone even fell due to a broken part on the bike. We are glad we had the heads up on that because the bikes aren’t in the best shape so just be careful.

The food at the Conrad was good, but after coming from the Four seasons I would honestly say it’s not on that level. The breakfast buffet was great room service breakfast was amazing. The Upa Upa lounge bar and sushi restaurant was amazing. There is a glass floor there and you can see so many fish swimming beneath you. The sushi and drinks there were solid as well. While we were there we made sure to go to the Polynesian performance night. A buffet dinner kicked off the night and that was truly delicious! There are private tables all around the sand floor restaurant and right in the middle there was the traditional performers and yes fire dancing was included! All of the other restaurants are actually closed the night of the performance so it’s really just that or room service and we recommend the show. Also there was one more restaurant that was undergoing renovation work so we didn’t get to experience it while we were there.

We spent much of our time relaxing here but there was plenty to do. They had a gym, spa, free non-motorized equipment and plenty of other activities for a fee. I did think that the cost to get to the airport was a bit steep here. It was more than the Four Seasons, but we thought the four Seasons boat was much better. Overall we had an amazing experience at the Conrad. After splitting our time between the Conrad and Four Seasons I would recommend the Four Seasons. We felt like in every category it was just a cut above the Conrad, but of course you will pay a premium. We know wherever you stay you will have a magical time we hope you have a great time exploring French Polynesia!

Helpful Phrases

Everyone spoke english during our trip but when we travel we do like to use some local phrases. Even if our pronunciation isn’t perfect it’s always appreciated by locals. I found these few phrases helpful and I hope you do to on your trip!

FAQ

How many days in Bora Bora is enough?

4 days would be enough to experience Bora Bora since the island is small. Ideally 5-7 days would be the optimal when you consider the travel time to get there. If you’re after a pampering luxury holiday of sipping cocktails on the deck of your overwater bungalow, you could probably spend a week or more there depending on your budget.

Can US citizens go to Bora Bora?

Americans do not require a visa to visit Bora Bora fit they are visiting for less than 90 days. Keep in mind that while a visa is not required, you must hold a passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of country exit and with one blank visa page.

How safe is Bora Bora for tourists?

Bora Bora is one of the safest travel destinations in the world. While crime rates are extremely low, there will always be crimes of opportunity. If a crime is committed in Bora Bora, it will likely just be a petty crime like pickpocketing or keeping something someone left on a beach.