BORA BORA RECAP

We celebrated our 25th Anniversary in January and Rob shocked me with a surprise party including all of our friends and family. So it really was not on my radar that he had also planned a surprise trip to Bora Bora!  I was floored…. and SO excited. All I could think about was sleeping over blue water in a bungalow, and let me tell you this trip did not disappoint. 

We just got back on Monday morning, and it was everything I dreamed of.  The people. The food.  The bungalows.  The mountain.  And that warm, vivid blue water.  I cannot find the words to describe just how perfect this place is!  This is a recap for those who were asking!

TIMING

Rob knew that the “low season” is November through April which means prices are lower and it’s less busy, but the weather is unpredictable. He didn’t want to take any chances for a milestone celebration.  So he booked our trip for mid May, the beginning of the busy season.  

TRAVELING THERE

We live in Ohio so this was a long trip.  We left CVG on Delta at 6 am and arrived in Atlanta for a 1.5 hour layover, then took off for L.A.  We got there around 10 am but our flight wasn’t until almost midnight. That’s a 14 hour layover.  So what did we do?  We rented a car and explored the area, of course! 

L.A.

We drove straight to Erewhon to meet up with my manager Denise and her husband, Scott. We tried the famous Hailey Bieber Smoothie (which was actually really good but not sure it’s worth $20!)  Then we went to tour Denise and Scott’s first house.  After visiting for a bit, we went shopping since one of the outfits I ordered didn’t make it in time.  I went to Farm Rio and got this dress and top. They were perfect!   

Next, we went to Venice Beach had an early dinner at Dudley Market, took a bike tour and people watched, and then we headed back to the airport.  I loved this little excursion rather than staying in the airport for 14 hours, since we had a long trip ahead. We got back to the airport at around 7 pm, and our flight left at midnight.  We had late, light dinner in the airport (some tacos) Right before our flight left, after being awake for 22 hours, we mustered the energy to film a transition for our reel even though we were absolutely exhausted and delirious. I am so glad we did!

FLIGHT TO TAHITI

Our flight from LA to Tahiti on Air Tahiti Nui was 8 hours, so my compression socks and wrap came in handy.  We were able to use my points to upgrade to business class which was so incredible (highly recommend saving your points for something like this!) I took my MagnesiOM, and it worked to keep me asleep until the last hour, during which I put on my CosRx mask. 

TIP: Try to drink 8 oz of water for every hour you fly.  So this flight would require a 64 oz (two large bottles) of water.  I used my LMN electrolytes and guzzled a quarter of it before the flight, a quarter when I used the bathroom, and the last half during the last hour of the flight

ARRIVAL IN TAHITI

When we arrived in Tahiti in the morning, I knew I had made the right choice of clothing because it was HOT and humid, even inside the airport, which had no AC.  I wore a lightweight sleeveless set from amazon, my Varley open knit zip sweater and my OluKai’s – perfect for the temp changes and staying comfy from Cincinnati to LA to Tahiti to Bora Bora.  (All of my outfits and what I could link are saved in this ltk collection here!) 

There was a live band who played the native music while we stood in customs for about an hour, which was a sweet welcome. The final flight was a 40 minute jaunt to Bora Bora! 

INSIDER TIP: this flight was first come first serve, so sit on the left hand side of the plane so you can have the best views of the island as you fly in. Also, if you drink alcohol, you may want to pick up wine from duty free in Tahiti so you can save money since it’s much more expensive in Bora Bora.

ARRIVAL IN BORA BORA 

When we arrived in Bora Bora, we were greeted by The Four Seasons (Whatever hotel you choose usually greets you because you have to travel to the hotel by boat) and we hopped on the boat for a short trip to the hotel.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at The Four Seasons and it was a treat!

My friend Kristine and her husband who were celebrating their one year anniversary at the same time, stayed at the Conrad and they said it was incredible.  They really did their research and said that the Four Seasons is more quiet and maybe for a more subdued (read: older) crowd, while the Conrad is a bit more bustling with a modern feel and youthful clientele.  She also looked at the St. Regis, which she described as having more of an “old money” vibe.  We saw that the Westin just bought out a resort, which should be open soon after renovations are complete. The rooms looked enormous.

ARRIVAL AT THE FOUR SEASONS

When our boat docked, the staff greeted us with a song, a lei, and fresh coconut water as we stepped off of the boat and into the lobby.  The customer service was off the charts!

Once we checked in we were able to use the changing room to switch into our bathing suits and cover up.  Then our host took us around the resort in a golf cart, where she showed us the restaurants, pool, lagoons, gift shop, spa, workout facilities, and overall lay of the land.  The grounds were absolutely breathtaking and meticulously kept- and they had snorkeling and kayaking available to use right there in the lagoons within the resort.  The fish within the lagoon were so colorful!

Once our tour was over, we went to grab a late breakfast, and then we hung out near the pool and bar area until our room was ready.

OUR ROOM

Rob picked the room and I was so happy with his choice, although after seeing all of the bungalows, there truly isn’t a single spot with a bad view because let’s face it: it’s Bora Bora.  The water and lush greenery is absolutely stunning, whether your bungalow is facing the beach, the ocean or the mountain.

Rob asked for a mountain view and a plunge pool, which I highly recommend! You can hang out in the bungalow all day if you want to, without having to leave to visit the pool.  The rooms were all so beautiful.  Warm woods, big windows, nice tub, beautiful bathroom, and comfortable bed. PERFECTION.  

ACTIVITIES

When we weren’t doing activities, we stayed at our bungalow which is just what I needed.  Relaxation.  We read, listened to music, soaked in the plunge pool and jumped into the ocean, laid on the deck, ate and just had a time!  Other than that, here were the activities we chose:

SNORKELING WITH SHARKS, LUNCH AND 4WD TOUR

This was SO much fun.  This is the company we went through, owned and operated by a local family. We took a boat to the main island and rode in a jeep to another boat where we went to three locations to snorkel and swim with sharks and see sting rays.  After that, we stopped on another island to eat lunch, and then you had the option to do a jeep tour.  Rob wasn’t feeling well, so we went back to the bungalow and just hung out for the rest of the day and evening. Later, we got dressed and ate at the Fare Hoa Beach Bar & Grill restaurant on the resort.

DEEP SEA FISHING

We used Bora Bora Fishing Charters. This was an experience because there were high winds the day we went, so the swells were crazy.  I just held on for the ride while we trolled for tuna and other fish.  It was so beautiful on the water -and so surreal. After a couple hours, we had a fish on! Rob took 45 minutes to reel in a big tuna and it was so much fun to watch! We turned up the music and had the best time.  We were supposed to go to another island to snorkel and fish some more but the winds foiled that.  So we trolled again as we boated back to our island, and on the way Rob got another fish- a Wahoo! I was starting to get sea sick so I stood up and blasted the music while I tried to dance it off (and drank a 7Up to help.) I think it actually worked lol.  Highly recommend this excursion!

MASSAGE AT THE SPA

We got the couples massage at the Four Seasons spa, and I have to say, while I loved the ambience and service, I just didn’t feel like the massage was worth the price.

SCOOTER RENTAL

One of the last days, we boated over to the main island and rented scooters.  Rob and I circled the island.  That took about an hour and we got the lay of the land, where all of the locals live.  There are also a couple of hotels on the island as well as other activities like hiking and ATV rides.  We actually had a hike scheduled but it was cancelled due to high winds and rain that day.  After our ride we stopped to grab souvenirs and then went to Saint James for some snacks and a coffee and pastry.

SAINT JAMES

One of the nights, we met our friends for dinner at Saint James, and had a great time.  The fish was delicious!

LA VILLA MAHANA

This came highly recommended for a special occasion meal and it didn’t disappoint!  They only seat for one dinner time so we felt happy that we were able to get in, as there are only a few tables available in this quaint upscale restaurant.  We had the “exotique” tasting menu, where almost everything is prepared sou vie.  We had the filet, and the lobster risotto which were delicious. The music is romantic and the vibe is cute with a courtyard lit up with string lights.  The downsides were: it is expensive ($200 per person) there is no ac, the bathrooms are a little hodge podge, and there are definitely geckos hanging out on the walls (to be expected on a tropical island restaurant with an indoor/outdoor feel).

OVERALL

Bora Bora is a dream and commitment- it can be a very long flight, and it isn’t necessarily a budget trip, although I have seen a post here on how to do it on a budget! 

This was the trip of a lifetime, and we truly were not ready to go home.  The people were so kind. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and that’s coming from a girl born and raised in the PNW, who’s been to stunning places like Hawaii, Santorini and New Zealand, and those are some hard places to beat.  I hope one day you’ll make plans to go!

YOU CAN FIND WHAT I WORE HERE!