Bora Bora - paradise islands in French Polynesia

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Guest writer: Hannah Lates

After relaxing island life on Moorea (see article here), the small local aircraft took off for magical Bora Bora. With a starry sky I had never seen before, the whole sky was glittering with stars, in the middle of a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean.

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Flight to Bora Bora

From the plane we could see how Bora Bora is surrounded by a large coral reef, or "motu" as the coral ring is called in French Polynesian.

Bora Bora has perhaps the most beautiful airport in the world! From the airport you take a boat to the main island.

All luxury hotels are located in Motu around the main island. All locals live on the main island of Bora Bora (where the mountain is located).

When we landed in Bora Bora we were picked up by our new friend Heimana. Heimana was our local friend who guided us around Bora Bora, and who we stayed with throughout our stay.

Heimana is a bartender at the Conrad Hotel. He took us to a hotel where we drank coconut water straight from the nut. During our stay, we borrowed Heimana's car and drove lots of laps around the island to explore the road.

Local Motu visit

One of the first days Heimana took us to the atoll, or Motuen by boat, to visit his local friends. Jørgen played football with the children and they taught us how to make coconut milk from coconut flakes.

From the deserted beach we waded in the sea to the water outside the Four Seasons Resort, a very private resort with guards who came whizzing by on jet skis and asked us to turn around, haha! In the picture you can see the famous mountain Bora Bora in the background.

A day at the Conrad Hotel Bora Bora

Conrad Bora Bora Nui's natural areas were amazing!

We had a full day at Conrad Bora Bora Nui where we rented bikes, borrowed stand up paddle boards, snorkelled with fishermen, had lunch and watched a local dance show with dinner.

Below is the local dish poisson cru, served in a coconut shell. I even got to do some Tahitian dancing - so much fun!

The pictures show the beautiful pool, spa and nature areas around the Conrad Hotel. It is not without reason that it has been named Bora Bora's best hotel several years in a row.

A day at the St.Regis hotel Bora Bora

Jørgen swam with the fish in the fine water at St Regis.

A day at Bora Bora Pearl Resort and Spa

We visited the beautiful Bora Bora Pearl Resort and Spa for a full day and had brunch and enjoyed a local wedding, visits to hot tubs overlooking the ocean and a magical rainbow opening up across the sky.

Snorkelling with sharks

I can recommend taking a day trip with diving and snorkelling for sharks and rays - an unforgettable experience! On the day trip of whale snorkelling and diving we were served local food, including vegetables, pork and poisson cru (or raw fish in coconut milk). It was great to snorkel down to the "I love the Bora Bora sign".

Car trips around the main island

The main island is where the "real" Bora Bora is with locals, street food and fruit stands along the way. We spent a lot of time driving around the island, stopping and swimming, going to church services and dance shows with the locals and eating street food like poisson cru from the local food trucks. This is where I fell in love with the real Bora Bora!

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Hannah Lates

Hannah runs the travel Instagram account @hannahlates. Hannah loves travelling to new, exotic countries and trying new foods in her spare time. So far, the 30-year-old has been to 60 countries. As well as working on her own travel Instagram, Hannah works in marketing, social brands and retail newsletters. Hannah enjoys getting in touch with new people and cultures, and is inspired by all the impressions she gets from travelling and experiencing new places.

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