Bora Bora

Ia ora na!

Greetings from Bora Bora -- that tiny piece of heaven in the South Pacific.

The water is impossibly blue, except for those improbable shades of green, and everywhere you turn, it is -- snap, snap, snap -- picture postcard perfect. James Michener, author of "Tales of the South Pacific," thought Bora Bora was the most beautiful island of all. No wonder.

Bora Bora, which lies about 150 miles northwest of Tahiti (www.tahiti-tourisme.com), is about five miles long and a couple of miles wide and surrounded by a barrier reef and a lagoon. Palm-covered motus, or tiny islands, form a necklace around the main island, while native hibiscus flowers spread their lush scent on the hillsides. Some visitors come to sail and swim, snorkel and dive these amazingly clear. While others come to sink in the perfect sand, experience the tropical beauty and channel their inner Paul Gauguin.

Here are a few reasons why this romantic island is so magical.

TI'A MOANA

Ships that sail the South Pacific stop here. Boats that travel within the borders of French Polynesia, an area bigger than Europe, stop here. And then there's the yacht the Ti'a Moana (www.boraboracruises.com) that lives here and sails weekly itineraries in and around Bora Bora and its Society Island neighbors -- Taha'a, Raiatea and Huahine.

The Ti'a Moana is a honeymooner's dream. In fact, most of the 38 passengers on our trip were newlyweds from France and Spain. The ship offers all outside cabins, large windows and exquisite furnishing and passengers are pampered by a well traveled and trained international staff who seemed to read our minds and catered to our every want and need, providing privacy, though there were others onboard. The food on this stylish, Tahitian-owned yacht was the best French food we'd had in years. And because the yacht is so small, it was able to maneuver into many a remote beach.

OVERWATER BUNGALOWS

The first luxury resort bungalow on stilts over the Bora Bora Lagoon appeared at least 30 years ago and now there are about a dozen upmarket resorts here with this feature. The newest addition, opening fall 2008, is the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora (www.fourseasons.com/borabora)

These overwater bungalows can be found in other parts of the South Pacific, but if you've seen photos of these unusual places, chances are they were taken in Bora Bora. Although couples show up at these resorts, they all offer special family packages as well.

We stayed in our own overwater bungalow at the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa located on Motu Toopua (www.boraboralagoon.com). It's 10 minutes from the Bora Bora airport by skiff and a few minutes across the water from Vaitape, Bora Bora's main town. This is one of the Orient Express worldwide properties, which means it has an ideal location.

Although there were people around at the reception desk and in the restaurant, once you're in your bungalow, it's only you and the tropics. We had our own private steps into the warm water of the lagoon and when daylight faded, we could see into the water through our Tahitian television, that is, our glass-top coffee table that provided illuminated views of the fish. This resort is a place where you can enjoy views of Bora Bora's classic mountain peak, Otemanu, and treetop massages, along with a full range of spa and aquatic offerings.

HAWAIKI NUI VA'A

For centuries, Polynesian warriors have raced across the open waters of the South Pacific in their outriggers. In today's version of the race, six-person teams compete over three days in October in the Hawaiki Nui Va'a, the Super Bowl of outrigger canoe races, http://www.hawaikinuivaa.pf/.

Contestants wear matching T-shirts and baseball hats and their outriggers are covered with advertising like Indy 500 cars. Despite the presence of sailing ships and powered support boats throttling in the open waters just a few feet away, the racers still move their oars in perfect harmony at about one stroke per second and switch sides simultaneously in practiced choreography. We watched the finish of one of the 72-mile races on the deck of the Ti'a Moana while it was moored in the harbor on the island of Raiatea.

HOW TO GET THERE:

Travelers come mostly by air, but also by sea. Bora Bora's busy Motu Mute Airport -- about 45 minutes by air from Tahiti -- was built in 1942 by the United States during World War II and was French Polynesia's first international airport. Tahiti is five hours by air from Easter Island and eight hours from Los Angeles.

Air Tahiti Nui (www.airtahitinui-usa.com) is the leading carrier to French Polynesia and has a half-dozen daily inter-island flights to Bora Bora from Faa'a International Airport on the island of Tahiti. Check the Website for special travel packages, including family rates, from the United States and other parts of the world.

LAN Airlines (www.lan.com) is the dominant airline in South America. It's also the only airline, and has been since 1968, that flies from Easter Island to Tahiti with two round-trip flights per week. Fly this way and you'll be stopping at two of the world's most sought-after destinations. LAN's South American Airpass allows stopovers to more than 50 destinations.

Silversea Cruises (www.Silversea.com) often labeled the best cruise line in the world, is a newcomer to French Polynesia and Bora Bora. It will sail to this part of the world on its 2009 Grand Pacific Voyage. Silversea has a fleet of five ships and sails to all seven continents.

LESS EXPENSIVE HOTEL OPTIONS:

Luxury yachts and resorts in Bora Bora are pricey, but French Polynesia has more than 100 islands. If you're looking to travel here more economically, there are about 250 pensions or family hotels throughout the five island groups in Tahiti (http://www.tahititourism.com/discover/tahitihotelsresorts.asp).

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE: In Bora Bora it's 82 to 85 degrees year-round with water temperature in the low 80s.

 

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(c) 2010 Diana Korte, Vacation Travel Muse