Tahiti – April 2022
Hotels: Intercontinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort (Bora Bora) | Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea Beach Resort (Moorea)
A trip I’ve always dreamed of and have been saying I’ll be going on my whole life just because my parents went for my mom’s 30th birthday, and that’s the only excuse I needed to make sure I did the same.
Come on. Look how cute they are!
So after waiting 30 years, what’s waiting another 4 months when COVID hit the Davis household only 7 days before take-off. I’ll admit, I was a brat. Joe kept warning me thunderstorms were on the forecast for our original dates, and we should reschedule, but with a birthday so close to Christmas, I was celebrating during my birthday month, no matter how unfortunate the circumstances were going to be. The words, “If we go in April, I don’t even want to go then,” came out of my mouth. Jokes. On. Me. Right?
After the long wait, the time finally came and with much better weather — because it did, in fact, thunderstorm every day we were supposed to originally be gone.
I hadn’t even been in Bora Bora for a day, and I had gotten so many questions about the logistics of a trip like this, so I’ll quickly explain how we got there.
Direct flights from LAX can take you straight to Tahiti — which is also the main island of, you guessed it, Tahiti. From there, you’ll be able to take flights to the other islands! We got on an immediate connection to Bora Bora, and once we landed, our hotel had a boat shuttle waiting, as did most other big resorts. From Bora Bora, you’ll be able to catch a direct flight to Moorea, another island of Tahiti, and from there either a shuttle or taxi can take you to your hotel. Moorea and Tahiti are fairly close, so a boat is the best way to get back for a flight to return home. You’ll want to catch the Aremiti 6 ferry to Tahiti. You’ll be able to purchase your tickets day-of, just arrive about 20 minutes early to do so. Once back on Tahiti, it’s just a short taxi back to the airport, but leave enough time to wait because taxis aren’t readily available — they show up every 10 minutes or so.
Day 1: Arrival
We arrived to Bora Bora before 8 a.m., so we would have the whole day ready to explore! Luckily, all those Holiday Inns I made Joe stay at during our National Park adventures paid off because we had gained status with IHG and were very fortunate that one of our perks was early check-in — a whole 5 hours before everyone else on our shuttle boat was able to. Pick a property and stick with it. The perks will pay off in the long run more than the extra money you save just booking the cheapest room somewhere. Like I said, I’m part of IHG’s program.
After we were able to shower and change, we headed straight for the water. We had also upgraded to be the last bungalow on the pontoon, so despite the — what felt like — 5-mile trek to our room, the views were way worth it. We soaked in the sun for a while before heading into town for lunch and a quick visit at Matira Beach, and after dinner, got to bed early since we had been up almost 48 hours by the end of our first day.
Day 2: Bike Rides and Polynesian Dinner
Since our hotel was located on the bottom tip of the island, it sometimes can experience a lot of wind since there is nothing to block it from coming in compared to some other hotel locations. We decided that meant it would be a good day to explore the island a little. We began walking towards town, but quickly changed our minds and headed back to the hotel to rent bikes. We were able to bike our way to Bloody Mary’s for lunch, which we had heard was a must. No one mentioned the large amount of roosters wandering around jumping on your tables for French fries, though. Frightening. The drinks were great, and the food was amazing. For dinners, they have a huge seafood display out too.
Afterwards, we continued on our bikes towards town. I can only very loosely use that term, since we didn’t see much around once we got there. We were able to enjoy some gelato before we made the trek returning to the hotel.
That night for dinner, the hotel had a BBQ buffet with a Polynesian dance show. We had to make reservations beforehand, and, luckily, we were sat right upfront!
Day 3: Island Drive
We woke up to lots of rain during our third day, — which meant we’d be coming home drenched each time we made the trek to the end of the dock — but we tried to make the best of it anyway! We set out in our little rental for the day, a two seater electric car, and we were able to drive the whole perimeter of the island in about an hour. Because of the rain, we didn’t make many stops along the way, but the views of the water and mountain were gorgeous the whole drive. (Tip: Once you pass “town,” there isn’t much more on the drive besides one or two turnouts that are marked on the map provided by the rental company.)
Once we returned to the resort, the rain had cleared up for a bit, so we laid out and soaked up the sun when we could, enjoying our coconuts we had picked up during our drive.
For dinner, we had to head back to Blood Mary’s to see what their world famous seafood dinner is all about. Tons of fresh fish as soon as you walk in, and a waiter will explain all of them before you order and have it grilled fresh. We tried two different kinds and both were very delicious.
Day 4: Spa Day
The next day we had booked spa treatments at our hotel’s sister resort, Intercontinental Bora Bora & Thalasso Resort. If you have a treatment booked, the boat shuttle over will be free, but guests can always pay to take the shuttle over to enjoy the resort without a reservation too.
This resort, along with others like the Four Seasons and St. Regis, are much more secluded on their own island almost. If you’re looking to explore or eat outside the resort, you’ll need to take the boat over to the main island, so be sure to book reservations in advance.
The grounds were far prettier than our hotel and felt more like a resort, but both had very similar views from the bungalows. We spent the first part of the day in the water, kayaking, and walking around exploring. Before our massages, we were able to enjoy the secluded spa area with multiple spas and cold water plunge pools.
The massages were very relaxing, and we could see right into the ocean and watch the fish swimming around. The spa area also has showers and other amenities, so we were able to rinse off before catching the boat back.
On our way to the boat, we spotted a “Secret Love Garden” with love locks on the trees. Since we had done this in Paris, Joe insisted we did it here too. Locks are available for purchase in the store, but happened to be closed when we went, so the sweet receptionist called all over and had someone rush one to us at the front desk.
That night, we had a lovely dinner at Saint James. We had heard over and over that we needed to stop by here for dinner, and I could see why. With the views of the ocean and locally caught fish being served, it was a perfect romantic spot for our last night on Bora Bora.
Bora Bora Food Recommendations:
Bloody Mary’s – Restaurant with incredible fresh seafood buffet.
Saint James – Restaurant with incredible views and gourmet menu.
The Lucky House – Casual restaurant we stopped by for lunch just outside our resort. Has a large variety on the menu from pizzas to fish.
Day 5: Moorea
We made our trek over to Moorea midday, so it didn’t leave us much time to explore by the time we got settled in our room. What we had learned in Bora Bora was that we needed to book our tours and dinners as soon as possible, so that’s what we spent the day planning out and booking for the next full days.
For dinner, we were able to get in at Moorea Beach Cafe, a restaurant right on the water and perfect for sunsets. The food here was incredible, and maybe even the best we had all trip.
Day 6: Lagoon Tour
The next day we had an excursion booked that I had been looking forward to since we started planning — swimming with sharks and stingrays. The shuttle picked us up at our hotel, like most tours will on the island, and drove us towards the dock. We actually ended up seeing the full circle of the island by the time we got back, so that saved us from needing to get a car to explore on a different day.
Our tour also included seeing dolphins and sea turtles and a BBQ lunch on a small island. Unfortunately, the water wasn’t very calm for us, so although it allowed us to see some dolphins playing in the waves, the current was too strong and visibility low, that we had to get back in the boat and not able to see the turtles.
Next, we headed over to the sharks and stingrays. There were plenty of other boats here and many had food and were feeding them. The rays are actually manta rays, so they’re pretty harmless, as well as the black fin sharks. The sharks were uninterested in people, just swimming around, but the rays loved coming up and “kissing” you by rubbing against your back or legs.
Overall, the whole boat ride was pretty chaotic because of the wind conditions. We were being pulled away from the boat anytime we were in the water, and even viewing the sharks was difficult with the wind creating waves over our heads. The views of the bays and water were breathtaking, but I definitely would recommend planning this excursion for a calmer day.
We ended the tour with lunch, where our caption prepared fresh ceviche, BBQ mahi mahi, and delicious local fruits. We hung out here for a while enjoying the views and relaxing before returning to our hotel that afternoon.
There had only been 2 restaurants recommended on the island, so for dinner, we had reservations at the second option, Rudy’s. The food was amazing, and had tons of local fish options.
Day 7: ATV Tour
What ended up being our favorite activity the whole trip was an ATV tour around the island. We had so much fun exploring and going all the way up to both Belvedere Point and Magic Mountain. There were so many gorgeous views along the way, passing through rivers and pineapple fields.
Renting a car is also an option to see these points, but we’re so glad we opted for this tour instead. Definitely our best highlight.
Day 8: Traditional Tattoos
Joe had been dying to get a tattoo in Tahiti and was able to find a guy that even still practiced doing traditional tattoos with a shark tooth.
Do I recommend? No, the whole thing was far too unsanitary for me in this man’s house with no windows or doors, and there were just ducks, a horse, a dog, and cats running wherever they pleased, but for Joe, it was one of the coolest experiences in his life.
We did end up getting a car our last day to make the trek to the tattoo artist’s place, but aside from some beaches, we had already been able to see and explore the island during our tours.
Moorea Food Recommendations:
Moorea Beach Club – Our favorite restaurant this trip. Everything on the menu was so delicious, we came here twice for dinner.
Rudy’s – A bit of a fancier dinner option. The food was very good, but the whole dinner service felt too rushed for us.
Despite Joe not wanting to go, — the man hates planes, boats, water, sun…. — this trip ended up being one of best adventure we’ve been on yet!
Stay tuned because, although we tested negative for COVID, only time will tell if Joe got hepatitis from that sketchy tattoo. *fingers crossed it’s no.*
• Everyday Davis • 