I've dreamed about Bora Bora for so long....
I pinched myself and I wasn’t dreaming! It was almost surreal being in Bora Bora. I have dreamt about it for so long, it was hard to believe that I was finally there. I kept telling myself to take it all in so I wouldn’t miss a thing!
Of course, the day did not go without a hiccup, but when you have such high expectations, I don’t think it ever does.
Approaching Bora Bora
I started the morning by jumping out of bed to see if the cruise ship had sailed into Bora Bora yet. I opened my curtains then went out on the deck. It was only 5 am and we weren’t there yet, but I could see it! I spent the next hour out on my deck watching the sunrise as we got closer and closer to the island. It was beautiful!
Once we were almost there, I got dressed and went upstairs to eat and see if I could get a better view of the island. It was right in front of the ship so a picture was very difficult to get outside as there was nowhere in the front of the ship that wasn’t obstructed to get a great view so I went inside to the lounge on the 12th floor and stared at the majestic volcano that was in front of me. Wow! The reflection of the glass did not make for a good picture but it sure was exciting looking at it knowing I would be disembarking shortly, something I had dreamed about for years and years.
Our First Excursion – Swimming with Stingrays and Black Tipped Sharks
We tendered by boat from the ship to the dock. We were welcomed by music from the locals and our tour company. We hopped on the tour boat and off we went to swim with Stingrays and black-tipped sharks in the clearest water I am sure there is on earth. We were given snorkeling equipment but really, we didn’t need any. You could see all the marine life as clear as day. It was incredible!
Swimming and Snacks on the Beach
Next part of the trip we went to a local beach on a motu to go swimming and have some snacks. The beach was beautiful but what the tour didn’t tell you was that everything is private property so we were only ‘allowed’ to swim and relax on the beach within about 100 meters (Between the red boat and the blue boat). The beautiful moto we were on could not be explored. Most beachfront property is private so unless you are on the mainland at Matira Beach, or staying in one of the fancy resorts, there really isn’t anywhere you can freely go. It turns out that the uncle of the tour company owned some land on the beach so they created an excursion that took you here; most excursions only went out to the lagoon. Now we know why. However, I really did enjoy my time here. I mostly swam in the water and enjoyed some snacks on the beach. The people running the tour were most entertaining and really made the tour memorable.
Tour Two – Seadoos!
Once the tour was done, we had a little bit of time to relax while we waiting for our ride to go seadooing in the lagoon and around the island. I think this tour was the highlight of the day! It was AMAZING to say the least. The water was smooth as glass so the ride wasn’t very bumpy at all, although I did have to look behind me a time or two to make sure my Dad was still hanging on! There were about 8 Seadoos altogether. We followed in a line as we zoomed around the lagoon and past hundreds of luxurious over water bungalows that I had dreamt many times of staying in. We stopped for a rest and some snacks in the lagoon near the St Regis Hotel and Four Seasons, the most expensive hotels in Bora Bora. Once again, I was in awe of my surroundings. It was so beautiful.
Tour Three – Tour of the Island
The final part of the day, was a tour around the island. To make a long story short, we missed our tour by seconds. I can’t tell you how devastated I was to know that I would not be able to see the island and we were leaving in only a few short hours. All the tour companies had ended their tours for the day and it didn’t seem like we were going to be able to see it. But of course, there is always a way! After I calmed down a bit, my dad and I started searching for a taxi. We found one that would give us a tour for $100 US. Great! But did we have $100 US on us? As we were searching our pockets, a couple came up and asked us if they could join us and it would then be $60.00 US instead of $100 US. YES, please join us! Great deal! So, we scrounged up our $60.00 US (Which we just had enough, thank goodness they wanted to join our tour) and away we went in our own private van. The driver was born on the island and had a lot of knowledge of the area and stories to tell. It took about 1 hour to go all the way around it.
There is only one road around the outskirts of the whole island. You can go inland but you need a 4×4 to climb the hills and apparently it is a very bumpy adventurous ride.
I learned a lot about the island and finished my day completely satisfied with my day in Bora Bora. Besides the hiccup of missing our tour, it turned out to be a pretty incredible day. Having my parents with me to share in this spectacular day meant so much to me and I will treasure the memories of this day for the rest of my life.
I had such an amazing day but was Bora Bora everything I thought it would be? Yes and NO
Would I go back? Depends
….Stay tuned for my next blog about my thoughts on the island of Bora Bora!
You may be surprised.
