Bora Bora
Volcanic Island Ringed By One Of The World'S Most Famous Lagoons And Motu Islets, Under The Peak Of Mount Otemanu, About 50 Minutes' Flight From Tahiti · Vaitape, French Polynesia
Bora Bora is a small, old volcanic island in the Leeward group of French Polynesia, about 50 minutes by plane north-west of Tahiti. What people come for is the lagoon: a wide ring of shallow water in every shade of turquoise, enclosed by a barrier reef and a chain of low sandy islets called motu, with the dark basalt peak of Mount Otemanu rising in the middle. Most of the famous overwater bungalows stand on the motu, and they are very expensive; the main island has cheaper family guesthouses (pensions), small hotels and the public beach at Matira Point, one of the few good free beaches. The airport sits on a motu, so every arrival starts with a boat. Vaitape, the main village, has the quay, shops and a few restaurants, and a single coastal road loops the island in about 32 km. Lagoon tours by boat, outrigger or jet ski stop to snorkel with rays and blacktip reef sharks, and there are Second World War gun sites from the American base of 1942. It is beautiful and quiet, but costly, and much of the shoreline is private resort land.
Bora Bora, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia, Vaitape, French Polynesia, France
Bora Bora is an island, not a site, so there are no gates or opening hours for the lagoon, the coast road or Matira beach, and the public beach is free to use in daylight. What does keep hours is everything you need to get around. Air Tahiti flights to and from Tahiti and the other islands run to a daily schedule that changes by season, and the free airport shuttle boat to Vaitape and the resort boats are timed to meet them, so confirm your transfer when you book. Lagoon tours, snorkel trips, jet ski outings and dive boats usually leave in the morning and early afternoon and do not run in bad weather or strong wind. Shops, the market stalls and the small supermarkets in Vaitape open through the working day with a long break at lunch on some days, close early on Saturday and are mostly shut on Sunday, when churches are full and the island is very quiet. Restaurants on the main island often close one or two days a week and some shut for part of the year; many take bookings with free pick-up, so call ahead. Resort restaurants and spas keep their own hours and may be open only to guests or by reservation. The small cultural and wartime sites are open land, reached on foot or with a 4x4 tour, and are best seen in daylight.