Bora-Bora
People always talk about Bora-Bora as if it is a painting, but I once saw a chicken chase a tourist down the dock and that sticks in my memory more than any photo. You land, you feel the air, and then you try to remember if you packed enough sunscreen or if it will be like the last trip where you turned into a lobster impersonator. The travel destination popular things to do here revolve around water—snorkeling, lagoon tours, and the odd attempt to master paddleboarding while waving at passing fish. If you are after the best hotel in Bora-Bora, prepare for choices where even the light switches seem to belong to another tax bracket. I once met a traveler who claimed the best thing to do is just sit and stare, which sounds lazy until you’ve tried it for four hours and forgot what day it was.
Local weather in French Polynesia
SPRING
warm & sunny
SUMMER
warm & sunny
AUTUMN
warm & sunny
WINTER
warm & sunny
Top destinations in French Polynesia
Tahaa
Bora-Bora
Papeete
Accommodations in Bora-Bora
Discover the best accommodations for Bora-Bora and start planning your holiday.
Long-term travel memories in Bora-Bora: best hotel in Bora-Bora and more
People come for a week, sometimes for a month, and discover that time moves like a lazy coconut here. Travel destination popular things to do or visit include climbing up Mount Otemanu, renting a rusty bicycle that squeaks in protest, or making friends with a dog that seems to have appointed itself unofficial mayor of the beach. I met a group who swore the best food was found at the market, but my sandwich was half bread, half sand. Someone always asks if the water is really that blue. Yes, but sometimes it's more green, or maybe it's your sunglasses lying to you again.
The best hotel in Bora-Bora might have bungalows on stilts, or maybe just an oddly polite lizard who guards your flip-flops at night. One evening I asked the concierge for a wake-up call, but the only thing that woke me up was a rooster doing its best impersonation of an alarm clock with a personal vendetta. If you want to visit Bora-Bora and not do the usual, try counting the stars—there are more than you would think, or maybe you’ll lose count and have to start again. Just don’t forget to charge your camera, unless you prefer to tell stories instead of showing pictures, which is sometimes more fun anyway.
Other cities around French Polynesia
These popular destinations have a lot to offer for you next holiday or city break.