Bora Bora Thread

Sooo... I figured since there wasn't one... we should start a Bora Bora, French Polynesian Island, Tahitian Island Thread! Now we can share planning tips, ideas, information... and ask questions! Here's some pics for you guys too!

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this is a GREAT idea!! i wanna go here for my HM

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this looks like a really nice place

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Oh it is!
Everyone should go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I fell in love with pictures of the location.... and have been dreaming of going there for my honeymoon ever since. I did a lot of research because it's super expensive... and with the wedding being so expensive in itself we weren't sure if it was possible. But I did my research and found some great deals and a great travel agent.
Its right inbetween Fiji Islands and Hawaii. It's a little more secluded than Hawaii and supposed to be more romantic. There's not McDonalds or anything like that there. I think they also have black sand beaches and all that too.

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This is great! Do share some ideas with me please. We booked our airfare already but we have not booked any hotels. I have spent most of today researching. Were are you staying?? Are you going to another island first (besides Tahiti)? We are booking this on our own, not through an agent so any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you

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Posted by dmb922

This is great! Do share some ideas with me please. We booked our airfare already but we have not booked any hotels. I have spent most of today researching. Were are you staying?? Are you going to another island first (besides Tahiti)? We are booking this on our own, not through an agent so any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you

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Arg! I just wrote this really long detailed response.. and then I sent it and lost my internet connection! GGrrrrr!!!! Computers!

Anyway... When I first started researching I just looked into hotels without airfare and you got better hotel deals that way... but then airfare was a killer. the best airfare prices I found were 3000 for both of us.. plus taxes etc. So ultimately we booked with a travel agent. But since you guys have the airfare already... that's awesome. I searched online like crazy for the best prices and deals. There were a TON of 5 star resorts that were insanely expensive. We ended up booking the Maitai or sometimes it's called Le Maitai in bora bora.. and Moorea Pearl Beach resort and spa. We are doing both those islands because they are the most populated. You can't go down there and not stay in Bora Bora for a least a few nights! It's supposed to be the most beautiful place ever!!! Origianlly we were doing Bora Bora then Moorea but my travel agent gave me lots of advice and so we switched the order. So now we are going to Moorea first then bora Bora... I guess it's a save the best for last type of thing .. ha ha ha! Bora Bora is supposed to be super romantic and absolutely stunning... but from what I hear there's less to do there than on Moorea... so moorea is for fun! I'm sure both are breathtaking though. We aren't staying in Tahiti.

Some advice from my Travel Agent...
bring water shoes.... there is coral in some areas and you don't want to get hurt from it. there are eels and sharks and barracutas etc... but they are all used to people and shouldn't hurt you. She said they were nothing to be afraid of (we shall see about that). I think it depends on where you plan to do your swimming. I think almost all the hotels have snorkeling and kayak and canoe equipment for free. The islands have all the excursions you would expect to see anywhere's else... but these are more remote islands.. so there's no McDonalds or anything on the islands....which I guess is the beauty of it.
She also said the restaurants in the hotels can be a little more pricey than the 'mom and pop' ones. Also.. stop at a grocery store to get supplies, water, food, etc... bc supposidly it's expensive in the hotels. there are tons and tons and tons of 5 star resorts. We ended up booking Hotel Maitai or Le Maitai as it's sometimes referred for Bora Bora overwater bungalow. And we booked Moorea Pearl Beach Resort and Spa for a garden bungalow with a private pool. Pics of those exact hotels are in my album. They are not 5 star super expensive hotels... but they are beautiful hotels none the less. We were willing to not stay at a 5 star elite type of hotel to save some money just so we could go there. The hotels you book can be the difference between spending 5 to 8 thousand and upwards of 20 thousand! We did 12 days and I think we are adding 2 more nights on. The hotels we picked really are nice... even without being 5 star they have really good reviews on all the sites. I was a little research freak for like a year! Ha ha ha! seriously though... i really was. I even called one travel agent last January 08 and she was like uhh... it's wayyy to early for me to get much information for Nov 09! Ha ha ha!
Oh.. one more peice of good info.. there aren't many all inclusive places to book... but you can buy a bunch of alcohol duty free and just keep them in the room. That's our plan. The travel agent actually recommended it. I call her for the dumbest questions... but I love her because she always knows the answers right away and never makes me feel like they are dumb q's. Some one told me there were poisonous snakes in the water... so i called her to ask about them... she said absolutely not true! Ha ha.
Good luck Booking! Let me know if you need anymore info. HTH.

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Posted by dmb922

This is great! Do share some ideas with me please. We booked our airfare already but we have not booked any hotels. I have spent most of today researching. Were are you staying?? Are you going to another island first (besides Tahiti)? We are booking this on our own, not through an agent so any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you

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Ooo.. i forgot! you can email the hotels and they actually sometimes give you better prices that way. That's how I was doing it. They responded usually withing a day.

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Hi again - I just wrote you on another thread! We're thinking of maybe 8-10 nights at a less expensive place, then really splurging at a luxurious place, maybe the Thalasso, for 2-4 nights. Do you have any thoughts on that? Thanks!!!

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it looks so pretty, I have always wanted to go there...

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Posted by glenbrow

Hi again - I just wrote you on another thread! We're thinking of maybe 8-10 nights at a less expensive place, then really splurging at a luxurious place, maybe the Thalasso, for 2-4 nights. Do you have any thoughts on that? Thanks!!!

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Great Idea! That's similiar to what we are doing. bora Bora tends to be more expensive to stay there so we are staying for like 5 nights there then the rest of the time is on Moorea... simply to cut costs. Most of the time for us is on Moorea. I added 2 nights to the deal I got... and I added those nights to Moorea.. and now I think I am going to add 2 more to Moorea.
I looked up your hotel. Thalasso.. I saw it a lot when I was researching hotels. It looks soooo beautiful! You can't go wrong staying there.

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Posted by glenbrow

Hi again - I just wrote you on another thread! We're thinking of maybe 8-10 nights at a less expensive place, then really splurging at a luxurious place, maybe the Thalasso, for 2-4 nights. Do you have any thoughts on that? Thanks!!!

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ha ha - Did I respond to you on the other thread? I just tried to find it but I don't know where it is. There's so much on this site.. i lose track! Was it the same question?

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I saw a lot of places that had showers and stuff outside.... and I kinda liked that idea for some reason.. and then when it came time to book my hotels I couldn't find which ones had that anymore. Ha ha. I'm sure that would be cool to do a few times... especially when I'm feeling a little tipsy late at night!

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Sorry it took me a few days to respond. Thank you so much for all that information-- yu have no idea what a big help it was. I'll be working on the hotels this weekend and hopefully have something booked soon!! `I can't wait to go.

Thank you

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hi - does anyone know what the weather is like in jan-march in bora bora? has anyone been there during that time? TIA!

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The climate on the Island of Bora Bora and the rest of the Society Islands is considered tropical and can be divided into two basic seasons: the wet season and the dry season.

The wet season (Polynesian Summer), is between the months of November to April, receiving approximately 3/4ths of the annual rainfall of French Polynesia between these months. The humidity during this time can be quite heavy and muggy and cloud cover is common. Storms are frequent, brief, and unpredictable.(Average rainfall for Papeete is 1800mm). Temperatures will range from 27 - 30 degrees C, with the hottest months being February and March. Day to night temperature fluctuations are minimal. This 'wet season' is considered the 'off season' for tourism.

From a travelers standpoint, this 'off season' may not be the most favorable weatherwise, however the benefits may tip the scales to the travelers advantage in many other ways: There's less competition for lodging, activity and sightseeing schedules. With the additional advantage of lower average pricing for most products and services, it can be considered that this wet season is easier to travel, explore, and generally, get things done. There's always the trade-offs to consider...
For you sunworshippers out there, keep in mind that the sun is not on vacation, but merely less commonly seen than in the drier months. Being a French Polynesian Island, and tropical, even in the 'wet season' you'll definately get your fair share of sun on Tahiti Island. (There are between 2500- 2900 Sunshine hours per year.)

By contrast, the 'dry season' - May through October, is the 'on season' for tourism. This is the Polynesian winter. Temperatures generally range from between 24-28 degrees C, and rain is rare. Day to night temperature fluctuations are minimal.

As to be expected, these favorable weather conditions also bring out the tourists. July is most likely the favorite and most heavily traveled month for all the Tahitian Islands because of its many festivals and celebrations during the month long holiday that occurs at that time known as Tiurai. For those interested in Scubadiving in Tahiti and her surrounding islands, the dry season is favorable due to increased visibility.


Bora Bora weather reports tend to become a little monotonous after awhile. Sunny and warm with minimal temperature fluctuations between day and night and rain being rare is pretty much par for the course during the dry winter months of May through October.

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During the wet summer months between November and April the report won't change much except that it gets a little warmer and there is high humidity and frequent, brief rainstorms to contend with. There are between 2400- 2800 sunshine hours per year on this tropical island.

If you want to take advantage of lower prices for accommodation, travel and food then this 'off season' time during the wet months is ideal. During the high tourist season (May - October) prices will not be very favorable and there are many more people around so booking in advance is essential.

If you don't like wind then this island is the wrong place to be because you will find that most days will have some type of light wind which gets stronger towards evening but the Pacific breeze is always welcome to alleviate the worst of the heat and humidity.

There are two trade winds that affect Bora Bora weather. A southeasterly that normally blows during the dry winter months which can bring cooler temperatures and sudden downpours so be sure to pack a raincoat and a pullover. And a northeasterly during the wet season summer months but this wind is a lot less frequent.

French Polynesia, which includes Tahiti and Bora Bora, is prone to cyclones due to the interaction of the Pacific ocean with air currents in the area. They don't occur very frequently (the last one to cause damage in Tahiti was in 1982) but there is always the possibility of one disrupting your holiday so make sure to keep an eye on the Bora Bora weather reports before you go.

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MONTH HIGH LOW Rainy Days
Jan 86 71.6 19
Feb 85 75.2 13.5
Mar 88 75.2 9
April 88 75.2 16
May 80.6 71.6 5
June 78.8 69.8 6
July 77 68 9
August 75.2 66.2 4
Sept 75.2 66.2 9
oct 77 69 9
Nov 78.8 69.8 12
Dec 78.8 71.6 15

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I seperated that out like a chart... but ugh it didn't come out that way! GGrrr... but theres the month and average daily high and low temp along with the number of days with rainfall. Remember it's south of the equator so their seasons are opposite ours. ha ha... kinda strange to think of isn't it.
I hope you can understand the temps I wrote. If you can't FM me.

the post b4 this.. just so you know.. I cute and copied that from 2 different sites. I hope this info helps you guys!

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Posted by dmb922

Sorry it took me a few days to respond. Thank you so much for all that information-- yu have no idea what a big help it was. I'll be working on the hotels this weekend and hopefully have something booked soon!! `I can't wait to go.

Thank you

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Oh I am so glad the info was a big help!
you are welcome! Good Luck with EVERYTHING!

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Bora Bora was incredible!!!!!!!! I stayed at the pearl..so if anyone has any questions..i might have answers!

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Posted by Mrs. V 2008

Bora Bora was incredible!!!!!!!! I stayed at the pearl..so if anyone has any questions..i might have answers!

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You stayed at the Pearl beach resport? i am staying there in Moorea.