Bora Bora… Just the name conjures up dreams and fantasies of
white beaches, lush surroundings, a turquoise lagoon and tropical paradise. It
is called “The pearl of the South Seas” and “One of the prettiest islands in
the world”, and has turned into many couple’s honeymoon destination, or at
least an “I wish I could go to dream vacation”. Why then is Bora Bora one of
the least favorite islands of cruisers (just like Tahiti – another island
internationally rumored to be paradise, while it does not have much to offer
the tourist)? Are the luxury travel magazines exaggerating? Is the tourism
board of French Polynesia really doing such an awesome job of successfully promoting
this Leeward island in the Society group? Or, are the boaters generally
avoiding this place, because it is known to be touristy? And, are they
therefore not devoting enough time to this island on their way west?
Since Mark and I have decided to spend cyclone season (or until we
sell the boat) in the
Society Archipelago of French Polynesia, we have some time to explore its islands,
combining the necessary (work, daily chores, boat projects) with the enjoyable
(sightseeing, snorkeling, relaxing). Initially hoping to join the 80
+
va’a (outrigger canoes) to Bora Bora during the annual
Hawaiki Nui canoe race
earlier in November, we gave up on that plan when the final day of the race
brought yet more rain. By afternoon, it had cleared up beautifully and
surprisingly, but by then, we wouldn’t have been able to make it before dark. We
sailed Irie to our destination the following day, under blue skies and with
winds ranging from over 20 knots when we left to about 5 knots by the time we
arrived! Sail changes were required and the spinnaker took center stage.
During a big chunk of our first week in Bora Bora, Mark and
I paid for a mooring ball (5000 francs, or $55, per week) at the
Mai Kai restaurant and marina on the west side of the island. In return, we received “free”
internet (which didn’t work as well as expected), easy shore access, use of
their pool, and a reliable mooring in 99 feet of water. Our first impressions
of Bora Bora? An average view, traffic noise, lots of wake – the boat didn’t
stop moving the whole time we were there - from local fishing boats, tour
boats, heavy dive boats and airport ferries, and the penetrating smell of burnt
garbage and compost first thing in the morning and last breath at night. We
even found ashes inside the boat once. But, we were here for the internet and
to work, so we tried to ignore these annoyances, now that our internet
frustration from other anchorages was temporarily diminished.
Twice, we took the dinghy ashore to do some sightseeing.
Keeping our expenses to a minimum, we opted to explore the island by foot,
instead of renting bikes (the best way to see and circumnavigate the island),
and hitching rides along the less interesting parts. We had a pleasant walk to
Faanui Bay, from where we turned inland at the church and climbed the pass for
a nice view over the motus, the many high end resorts, Taha’a and Raiatea. Down
we went on the other side, where we reached Fitiiu Point, and with some
difficulty, two of the handful of canons the Americans left behind after WWII.
At this pretty spot, we had a snack and cooled off a bit in the shade. It was
extremely hot, but the weather was perfect for reaching viewpoints and taking
pictures!
Back down, we walked a bit further to find a little grocery
store with sandwiches – these “casse croutes” are the only affordable food in
French Polynesia - and then the long wait for a ride back around the north side
of the island started. On Bora Bora, hitching rides takes much longer than on
any of the other FP islands and we have to agree that the people appear to be
less friendly here as well. Another drawback of tourism, we feel. But, we made
it to the other side, hiked up another steep hill to a third rusty canon,
walked along the busy road to a small and unimpressive marae, made our own pareo (sarong) with tie dye (batik) at a roadside store, and hitched a last
ride back to return to the Mai Kai.
On day two, we started with a walk again, this time towards
the south and through the capital of Vaitape. In steady traffic, we needed to
wait a half an hour or so before someone picked us up and dropped us at Matira
Beach, which was more impressive than we thought. The sand is white and the
lagoon shallow and lukewarm, with only a handful of tourists wading out waist
deep to cool off. The area was relatively quiet and people enjoyed themselves
on the beach and the water. At this end of the island, a lot of resorts are
located and a vacation atmosphere is present. Mark and I pressed on, in search
of the Belvedere (viewpoint) and a sandwich, which we found in the lesser
healthy version of meat and French fries – yes, all inside the baguette! The
Belvedere eluded us, but instead, we managed to climb over the island again via
a steep dirt road, and once on the other side, the ride back to Vaitape was a
short one.
A few days ago, we motored Irie to the east side of the
lagoon, where the scenery improved, and the colors of the lagoon beckoned. This
pretty area also attracted a lot of over-the-water-bungalow resorts, so the
traffic was still pretty much non-stop and the boat was seldom stable. The
smell of burnt trash from local houses was still part of our mornings and
evenings. Upon our dinghy explorations towards the motus, “tabu” signs screamed
at us to not set foot on the sandy beaches ashore. “Tabu” means “prohibited” or
the equivalent of “private”, even though - as far as our understanding goes -
beaches in French Polynesia are public. We were not going to risk it; some of
these places have hordes of vicious dogs to keep visitors out. Instead, we went
for a swim in the light blue shallows, where the water was pleasantly warm and
the perfect depth to sit down and enjoy the scenery, with our heads just above
the water surface.
We moved further to the southeast area of the lagoon; a
truly beautiful place. We haven’t dared to check out the palm fringed beaches
yet, but the resorts are located at a safe distance away, it is more peaceful
here and the colors of the majestic lagoon range from aquamarine to cobalt
blue. The weather has been gorgeous for a while, making us suspicious; we
haven’t had this incredible weather for so many days in a row, since the
Caribbean! Nevertheless, we’ll take it… We checked out the coral garden, which
was less impressive than the one in Taha’a and, of course, very touristy, but
it was a nice destination for a snorkel, and especially that day, the water was
crystal clear, the only time since we have been here. Usually, the visibility
in the lagoon water has been poor.
As a summary so far, I could see why people come here on
vacation, but you’d have to stay in one of the expensive resorts – on a motu if
you like privacy, exclusivity and romance - to make it your worthwhile and to
fully enjoy the scenery and water activities. As for a cruiser, the SE of Bora
Bora is definitely the place to be, but only catamarans seem to make it “all the
way” out here, and I am sure that it is possible to find a similar spot as the
one we have found right now in some of the other Societies. We might be
spoiled. A daytrip to explore the mainland is also worthwhile; as the following photos will prove. For me, the
dazzling colors of the surrounding lagoon on a sunny day and the majestic peaks
of Bora Bora’s mountain can keep me entertained and enthralled, as long as it
is peaceful around us and the smell of garbage burning is absent. Unfortunately, the internet in our most recently found Shangri-La is
insufficient and frustratingly intermittent, so we will soon have to move
again!
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| Approaching Bora Bora and its surrounding lagoon with Irie |
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| Va'a rower "taking" Irie's wake to help his progress in the lagoon |
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| Church of Vaitape with Bora's iconic mountain (Mt. Otemanu) behind |
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| Sunset on the west side of Bora Bora, with motu Tapu |
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| Va'a in the lagoon with motu Tapu in the background |
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| Most local boats on Bora have their own lift system |
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| Mt. Otemanu seen from a different angle, while hiking |
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| One of the American canons left behind after WWII; Taha'a and Raiatea are seen in the background |
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| One of the views the US soldiers had from their bunker on the hill |
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| Site of the canons on the peninsula, with a view over the lagoon and - since after WWII :-) - its fancy resorts, with Taha'a on the horizon |
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| Creating our own sarong with linoleum prints |
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| Va'a paddlers in the shallow lagoon at Matira Beach |
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| One of the many over-the-water-bungalow resorts - this one is the Intercontinental on the mainland |
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| Unhealthy lunch: French fries on French bread! Where are the veggies?? |
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| Making (lunch) friends on the beach |
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| The colors of Bora Bora lagoon, with Taha'a in the background |
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| Walking back across and over the hill with full bellies |
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| Tourist sailboat in front of the St. Regis resort, on the east side of the lagoon |
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| Forget about stepping foot on one of these motus... |
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| I don't think anyone will chase us off here on these pointy rocks! |
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| Don't worry, pups, we are leaving! |
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| Bora Bora in the early morning light (east side) |
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| Sunset from Irie in the southeast corner of the lagoon |
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| SE side of the lagoon by - very clear! - day |
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| Approaching the coral garden and its tourists - the water was unbelievably clear that day! |
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| This is what happens when fish are fed... they multiply! :-) |
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| Kind of trigger fish I cannot identify |
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| Sofitel motu with over-the-water bungalows |
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| Irie in the SE lagoon anchorage on a very pretty day - who would not want to buy her and spend some time here? :-) |
Mark and I have a wealth, not of money – unfortunately – but
of time and adventures, and until not too long ago, age and health. Most
visitors coming to Bora Bora have the kind of wealth that comes to mind first
when you talk about wealth: the money kind, the big bucks, the means to go on
fancy vacations. All those pretty over-the-water bungalows, or villas as they
call them here, look very attractive. Sure, you can see the neighboring huts,
or the ones from the next resort over, but some sort of privacy is offered, the
water underneath looks very appealing, the comfort level is very high end, and
the view of the lagoon and Bora Bora’s mountain is suburb. All the resorts on
the motus (outer islands) have upscale restaurants and “private” beaches, and
offer all the luxury one can imagine. No wonder this place is a prime honeymoon
destination.
But, what does all that cost? Mark and I were curious and
went online to have a look. The average over-the-water accommodation costs about
$1000 a night. That is without meals or even breakfast. Depending on the
location and the size of the villa you prefer, costs go up to about $10,000 for
one night. The resorts on the “mainland” of Bora Bora are generally cheaper –
some even half price; wow, only $500 a night! - than the ones on the motus. We briefly
played with the idea of going out for a meal or a drink in one of the places, since
we have so many past occasions we never celebrated. We even went ashore at the
St. Regis – one of the top resorts on Bora Bora – to get some information. The
hostess was eager to get our business – despite our raggedy outfit (we really
don’t fit in with the crowds here) – but didn’t have much useful information to
tell us. “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it!” 
Back online, the dinners ranged from about $40 to over $100
a piece, the sushi was outrageously priced. Bottles of wine started at $30, I
believe, but the bigger selection was more in the $70 price range for one
bottle. You could even buy a Cuban cigar for the same amount of money. The desserts
were priced like a dinner in the more down-to-earth places of the western world.
Fresh coconut water, straight out of the nut with a straw, went for $10, while
on the street in Fare, such an ice cold and tasty local refreshment costs $1.
And, that is probably about the going rate for everything at the resorts – ten
to one. A bit disgusted by all this (they even charge $30 a day for WiFi if you
stay there!), and not even feeling up for spending $8 a beer or $5 a soda, we
stayed on Irie, made ourselves a drink and enjoyed the same marvelous view for
free. I guess we are your typical kind of cruiser after all… :-)
One afternoon, while we stayed on a mooring ball off the Mai Kai marina and yacht club, I took advantage of their pretty infinity pool. It
had been many years, since I dipped my toes in some fresh water to cool off,
and the feeling of just sliding in and having all the tiredness and hotness
leave my weightless body was amazing. I met the (well-paid and hardworking) crew
of the mega yacht Noble House (on which we received a tour by the departing
captain later), which was docked at the marina. The friendly folks enriched me
with stories of how the “other side” lives and offered me a delicious glass of
white wine. In the evening, Mark and I joined them again for some social times
and drank the happy hour beers and wine. Spending a reduced price of $12 for
two glasses of fair tasting wine (beers are two for one during happy hour, wine
is half price for the second glass) made me crave one of the glasses the mega
yacht crew was drinking. While they drank, ate, and laughed the night away,
fitting in with their nice clothes and chic demeanor, Mark and I walked back to
our dinghy barefoot (the soles had come off my recently purchased flip flops)
and went home to drink water and eat leftovers.
Nevertheless, despite all the boat wake and trash burning, and
despite some tinges of jealousy of the happily spending and enjoying
vacationers, we are fortunate and glad to be able to be here, rich in our own ways,
and to combine our daily work schedule and boat chores with the beauty of these
Society Islands, savoring (almost) everything they have to offer. Improving the performance of
the wind meter: check. Cleaning Irie’s bottom and waterline: check. Sewing some
ripping seams on the bimini: check. Cleaning the BBQ: check (no more grilling
until we sell the boat!). Fixing the outboard engine: almost check! Writing
articles and finishing up the new Wirie products: getting there… Busy times on
Irie, as always. :-)
