BORA BORA, French Polynesia — Somehow I convinced my husband that the fifth wedding anniversary is the Tahitian anniversary. The traditional gift, actually, is wood.
For years, I had dreamed of going to Bora Bora in French Polynesia. The lagoon’s glimmering turquoise, jade and cobalt blue waters, the overwater bungalows, the seclusion — for me, it was the ultimate bucket-list destination.
Our trip for a week, including flights and our hotel stay (with breakfast), cost just under $10,000.
My husband and I spent a week lounging on the deck of our bungalow at Le Meridien Bora Bora. We woke early to catch brilliant orange and pink sunrises. We got up close and personal with sea creatures, from moray eels and trumpetfish to sea turtles, sharks and stingrays. We discovered that the saying heard in pearl shops, “You don’t choose the pearl, the pearl chooses you,” is surprisingly true. Most of all, we tried to relax and take it all in.
Bora Bora, located about 160 miles northwest of Tahiti, was formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Mount Otemanu, a remnant of the volcano, rises nearly 2,400 feet on the island and serves as the backdrop of many photos.
About 9,000 people live in Bora Bora. The temperature is a relatively consistent 80 degrees.
The island is set in a lagoon and surrounded by a string of motus, or small islets, where luxury resorts are located. The colors are stunning. A friend said my photo looked like a watercolor painting.
We flew to Los Angeles, where many U.S. flights to Tahiti converge. From Los Angeles, it’s about an eight-hour overnight flight to Papeete, Tahiti. It’s less than an hour by plane from there to Bora Bora. Then it’s a short boat ride to the main city, Vaitape, or to one of the luxury resorts. We didn’t need vaccinations or a visa.
Our overwater bungalow faced outward to the lagoon, which we requested when booking. Others are turned in, toward the resort. It featured a glass floor for fish watching and a spiral staircase for climbing into the lagoon.
We fed baby sea turtles at the Turtle Center established at Le Meridien. We took the hotel’s boat to The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort to dine at the exclusive Lagoon restaurant by acclaimed French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
We tried paddle boarding. Then we tried snorkeling to find the sunglasses we lost while paddle boarding.
We signed up for a snorkeling trip to swim with stingrays and sharks.
We also spent a day in Vaitape. There’s a center where locals sell their crafts, a small marketplace to stock up on sunscreen, juice and inexpensive French wine, and a cafe. The mountainside is home to cannons left behind by U.S. forces during World War II.
The main thing we did though, was shop for Tahitian pearls. We were leaving one of the stores when I caught a glimpse of a pair of green pearl earrings. I walked away but no other pearl could compare, so we returned at the end of the day to buy the pearl that chose me.
