Bora Bora

Our honest take

Bora Bora is the overwater bungalow fantasy made real, and it costs accordingly. If you're not spending $800-plus a night, you're staying off the main island and taking ferries. The lagoon is extraordinary. The food is mediocre for the price. Come for the water, not the dining.

Why go

• Swimming with blacktip reef sharks and stingrays in the lagoon shallows, which you do from a boat in waist-deep water with no gear required
• The view from an overwater bungalow deck at 6am before anyone else is awake, with Otemanu turning pink in the light
• The coral gardens on the eastern reef edge, where the drop-off is sharp enough to feel like flying

Skip if you can

• Overwater bungalows at cheaper resorts on Raiatea or Huahine marketed as 'near Bora Bora': the lagoon is the whole point, and those lagoons are not the same.
• Renting a car on the main island. The road is 32km of circle, takes 45 minutes, and most of it is unremarkable resort fences. One lap is enough.
• Resort restaurants for every meal. A 45-minute ferry to Vaitape village gets you local food at half the price.

Things to do

• Snorkelling with rays and sharks
• Lagoon boat tours
• Scuba diving
• Jet ski island circuit

Costs

Overwater bungalows: 90,000-200,000 XPF/night ($800-1800). Lagoon tour: 7,500-9,000 XPF ($65-80). Poisson cru at local snack: 1,500 XPF ($13). Beer at resort bar: 1,000-1,500 XPF ($9-13).

Good to know

• No dangerous wildlife on land or in the lagoon beyond the occasional moray eel. Sharks in the lagoon are reef sharks and are not aggressive.
• Sun exposure is severe this close to the equator. Full sun off white sand and reflective water burns in under 30 minutes.
• Cyclone season runs November to April. Travel insurance with cancellation cover is worth buying.
• The ferry between the airport motu and main island is included with resort bookings but independent travellers pay and schedules are infrequent.