Bora Bora; French Polynesia
07/18/2004 - 08/04/2004
Several gorgeous low sand motus such as this one are sprinkled on the edges of the lagoon.
Idyllic Anchorages
Lonely Planet sums it up with the statement "If there's a postcard-perfect island anywhere in the Pacific it's Bora Bora; the soaring volcanic peaks, the lush green colours, the shimmering lagoon, the encircling chain of motus, it's all here" Even though Bora Bora offers beautiful, protected anchorages, many people criticize the island for being too touristy. We love Bora Bora for what it is. After exploring the volcanic islands of the Marquesas and the atolls of the Tuamotus, the landscape of Bora Bora epitomizes both aspects of the other island chains.
Arriving in Bora Bora on our own boat is a major milestone for us. Back in 1998, we sat at anchor on a Moorings charter boat dreaming of cruising to the South Pacific. We said "Wouldn't it be cool to come back here some day on our own boat". Holy cow - dreams do come true!
Whisper sits at anchor in front of Bora Bora's unmistakable volcanic peak. Three peaks frame the crater rim. The tallest peak is the 727 meter (2400 foot) Mt. Otemanu.
Here is the view of the crater rim from a gorgeous anchorage in the southeast corner of the lagoon. The volcano came into existence three to four million years ago.
Does water get much prettier than this? We anchored in 11 feet of this beautiful water.
The foreground is the land and water of Bora Bora. In the distance, 20 miles away, is the island of Raiatea.
Whisper's en route to yet another beautiful anchorage inside the lagoon. Can you imagine what Captain Cook thought when he spotted Bora Bora in 1769?
From this distance, the effects of World War II are not visible. The war never reached Bora Bora; however, after Pearl Harbor, a US supply base was set up on the island. Eight seven-inch cannons were installed for coastal defenses. Rumor has it that the cannons would not be able to shoot beyond the perimeter of the lagoon.
We did manage to explore a few good snorkeling spots like the one we visited with friends from Ascension, Billabong and Island Sonata
With all the beautiful water, we spent lots of time looking for great snorkeling spots. Unfortunately, many of the great spots we visited back in 1998 were no where near as beautiful in 2004. According to the literature around town, coral bleaching and the El Nino event caused major damage to the corals inside the lagoon.
Bloody Mary's is one of the better restaurants on the island. Lots of seafood fills the menu. The restaurant caters to tourists and cruisers alike. The owners, former cruisers, started Bloody Mary's as a bar and yacht club back in the 70s. They offer water, ice and trash service to cruising boats.
Birthdays in Bora Bora
Susan, Duncan's sister, joined us in Huahine and travelled with us to Bora Bora. While in Bora Bora, Susan celebrated adding another year on to her age. A birthday dinner at the Hotel Bora Bora and a cocktail party on Billabong helped celebrate her birthday. The waiter at Bloody Mary's arranged for a cute birthday cake and Robin made a cheesecake.
July also marks the month of Robin's birthday. MJ and John on Island Sonata and Chris and KT on Billabong organized quite the birthday celebration for Robin's b-day. The evening started out with a scrumptious fondue dinner on Billabong.
Bloody Mary's restaurant seemed like a perfect place to take Susan for her birthday.
Here we are at the bar in Bloody Mary's drinking fruity slushy rum drinks in honor of Susan's birthday.
Presentation of crowns and palm frond fans accessorized the birthday girl in a true Polynesian fashion. MJ and KT made this delicious birthday cake.
After dinner, we moved over to Island Sonata for a great night of music and fun. MJ, Sujata and Gord are all talented musicians making the night one we will always remember.
Roger, Nancy and Shari helped celebrate Robin's birthday on Island Sonata.
Duncan treated Robin to a spa package at the luxurious Bora Bora Nui spa for an amazing birthday treat. The foot scrub, body scrub, jacuzzi and massage all occurred in an amazing bungalow overlooking the lagoon and ocean. What an experience!
Cruise ships love to visit Bora Bora. From the huge Princess cruise lines to Windjammer cruises to smaller luxury cruise lines, the harbor usually contains at least one cruise ship. On this day, three cruise ships filled the anchorage near town.
Bountiful Bora Bora
Anything and everything seems available in Bora Bora. Of course, this is all relative. If you are looking for a Costco or a shopping mall, you will not find it here. But you will find a large selection of food, activities, and resorts. For all of this bounty, there is a price to be paid. Bora Bora's popularity allows the prices of restaurants and resorts to skyrocket.
The jet ski brigade parades through the waters on a daily basis. Many types of powered water toys keep guests at the resorts amused.
Our favorite resort is the new Bora Bora Nui resort. The architecture of the bungalows on this beautiful property smack of high quality and high prices. Yes, the cheapest room at the resort is $750 US a night.
Eating out is one of the treats we thoroughly enjoy. We made 5 trips to the Bloody Mary restaurant. This table of food is how the menu is presented. The floors are sand allowing you to dine barefoot. The chairs look like tree stumps. The waiters wear pareos. The atmosphere is fun and the food is quite tasty.
Our group of friends inspects the menu with focus. seafood is the specialty of the house. Swordfish and tuna were our favorite items on the menu.
KT and Chris (Billabong), Harvey and Ann (Callabasa) and Shari and Denis (Bobulona) are our dining partners for this visit to Bloody Mary's.
Several shops offer local specialties such as black pearls, wood carvings and colorful pareos.
Bora Bora proved to be a bountiful place for Chris and KT with the arrival of their new dinghy. Back in the Marquesas, their dinghy decided to abandon ship. Here is the new dinghy, christened Boomerang, fresh in from New Zealand. Do they look happy or what?
Chris takes Boomerang for its first spin. It is hoped that the new name will always bring Boomerang back. Thanks to friends Chris and Chris (formerly of Spirit Wind) for naming Billabong's new dinghy!
Like the rest of French Polynesia, the London Missionary Society had major influence on early religion in Bora Bora. Bora Bora remains mostly Protestant. Here is one of the beautiful churches on the island.
Bora Bora by Land
Water, water is everywhere, yet Bora Bora is a fun place to explore by land. Hiking, biking, sightseeing and shopping are just a few of the land activities available.
Eating out at restaurants was another fun land "activity" we pursued on the island. Breakfast at Hotel Bora Bora, lunches at Bora Bora Burger, and several dinners at Bloody Mary's satiated our desires for restaurant food.
After fully enjoying Bora Bora on land and sea, our next port of call beckoned - off to Maupiti.
With a group of 8, we cycled around the entire island, 32 kilometers, on bicycle. Lots of beautiful vistas allowed us to see Bora Bora and the lagoon from many different angles.
After the ride around the island, everyone's rear ends were sore. No wonder Duncan is standing!
One of the stops on the bike ride was at the Musee de la Marine. The tiny museum housed a collection of ship models from various ship eras.
Testosterone abounds. Chris and John pick up a tiny rental car....because they can.
A little roadside shop makes the pareos right at the shop.
One of the best parts of the tropics are the beautiful flowers. This one is very unique.
Wow...a rare picture of us together.
Even the rain showers are beautiful in Bora Bora. Off in the distance lies our next port of call, Maupiti.