Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Why Is Bora Bora Worth Visiting?

Bora Bora pairs Mount Otemanu, a volcanic peak rising 727 metres above the water, with a calm, shallow lagoon inside a ring of coral islets, and it is small enough that one week covers the lagoon, the public beach and a slow island tour.

Mount Otemanu dominates every view from the water. Inside the reef the lagoon is calm and shallow, in shades of blue that change with the depth; outside it, the Pacific breaks on the reef. Most visitors come for a honeymoon, an anniversary or one long beach holiday, and the island is built around that rhythm: slow mornings, a lagoon tour, a sunset over the water. Navoy builds a day-by-day itinerary and books the stays and transfers in the same flow, which matters here because almost every leg involves a flight, a boat or both.

Where Should You Stay in Bora Bora?

Stay on the main island near Matira Point if you want walkable beach access and a wider range of prices; stay on a motu if you want lagoon views and seclusion, and accept that most outings start with a boat.

Vaitape

The main village on the main island, with everyday services and a base for many lagoon tours. Practical rather than pretty, but the only area with shops close at hand.

Matira Point

The southern tip of the main island, home to Matira Beach, which Tahiti Tourisme describes as the island's only public beach and its most popular. Guesthouses and a few restaurants sit within walking distance of the sand.

The motu

The coral islets on the outer reef, where the overwater bungalows are. The view of Mount Otemanu across the lagoon is the reason to be here; the trade-off is that a trip to the village or a tour pickup means a boat.

Tahiti and Moorea

Most trips pass through Tahiti, and many add Moorea, a crossing of about 30 to 45 minutes by ferry or fast boat from Papeete. A night on either side breaks up the long-haul journey.

What Are the Best Things to Do in Bora Bora?

Spend a full day on the lagoon by boat, snorkel the coral gardens, watch the sunset from Matira Beach, and take a 4x4 circuit of the island for the lagoon views from above.

• Lagoon tour by boat: The classic day out, circling inside the reef with stops to swim, usually with lunch on a motu.
• Coral gardens: Shallow snorkelling on the reef, where hard coral and reef fish sit close to the boat.
• Ray and shark stops: Many lagoon tours stop where stingrays and reef sharks gather in shallow water. Ask your operator what its route includes.
• Matira Beach: The island's only public beach, open every day and best in the late afternoon.
• 4x4 island tour: A circuit by road with lagoon viewpoints, booked through a local operator or your hotel.
• Mount Otemanu from the water: The peak is best photographed from the lagoon, with its neighbour Mount Pahia, at 661 metres, in the same view.
• Moorea on the way: A short ferry hop from Papeete for a day or a night.

What Should You Know Before Visiting Bora Bora?

Budget for high prices, book the inter-island flight at the same time as your long-haul ticket, and plan around boat transfers, because nothing on the motu is spontaneous.

Bora Bora is expensive, and no amount of planning changes that. Almost everything is flown or shipped in, so meals, bottled water and lagoon tours cost more than in most of Europe or North America. Guesthouses on the main island and self-catering with supplies bought on the island bring the daily figure down. Prices in this guide are in US dollars. The local currency is the CFP franc (XPF), pegged to the euro at 119.33 XPF per euro, so cards are the easiest way to pay.

Getting there is a two-step journey. International flights land in Tahiti; Bora Bora is a separate domestic flight of about 50 minutes. The airport sits on a motu, so the last leg is by boat. Allow a full day each way, and consider a night in Tahiti if your connection is tight. In the dry season, plan for sun that is strong all year round, and use reef-safe sunscreen to protect the coral you came to see. Planning a trip at navoy.io is free.