La Orana! Honestly leave off the “La”, the locals just say Orana (roll the r).

We walked off the tarmac and into a building with two lines. Air Tahiti is used by many to get to New Zealand. It became apparent that most people on the plane were not at their final stop. The Auckland line was out the door. There wasn’t clear signage to denote what the other line was for, so we asked and got to the correct area.

Going through customs was relatively quick, and we got our first stamps on our passports! We had to grab and hand transfer our luggage for our inter-island flight. Alex briefly misplaced his passport, and I thought I would have to leave him behind momentarily. Once we passed off our bags, we were adorned with flower necklaces and guided to the check-in desk for our final flight, a service provided by Costco travel. There are several small shops in the airport. There was a coffee and juice bar. I got the Sunboost and the Tropical Dream smoothies. Alex and I tried both of them. I settled on the Sunboost because the ginger was so so good. The coffee bar also had an incredible display of crusty baguette sandwiches. French cuisine is king here.

I will give you a small price lesson; these smoothies were 740 XPF each. The way I convert things in my mind is to move a decimal in front of the tens place (7.40), and that’s pretty close to what it will be. Honestly, it’s less than that in US dollars, but this way, I think I am spending less money than I actually am. When I see my credit card statement next month, I should be pleased that I spent less than I thought! Most places do accept credit cards. We did bring some cash for the few instances that we needed currency. Most places accept US dollars but will give your change back in XPF. So when I’ve broken larger bills and receive XPF back, I think it’s excellent for tipping! Tipping is a foreign concept here, but as someone who has worked in hospitality, I think it’s important to thank the people who come into our lives briefly and give us the ability to recharge our souls and provide the hospitality of a lifetime.

After a slight wait in the airport’s wet sauna (that’s right, it’s not air-conditioned), we boarded our small plane to get to Bora Bora. We climbed the stairs and came into the airplane at its backend. Several Bora Bora Facebook Group members advised us to sit on the plane’s left side. If I could add to the advice, I would suggest getting to the front of the aircraft so the propellers aren’t blocking the fantastic view (I have done a lot of cropping). The flight attendants served fresh pineapple juice or hot coffee/tea. Enough of the details; enjoy the following photos.

We landed on the tarmac in Bora Bora 50 minutes later. I had yet another reminder that although my outfit was comfy, it was the wrong choice for this travel! We walked a short distance to the airport and passed this guy. He may not have been alive.

When we got inside the airport, each resort had a stand where they greeted their guests. I was too busy to figure out what those staying at an Airbnb would do so I apologize that I can offer no advice if you consider not booking with a resort. I got another flower necklace and Alex a crown. As the airport staff unloaded our luggage from the plane, the resort staff then attached beautiful, souvenir bamboo tags. A greeter escorted us to our water transportation to the motu. Our resort, Le Bora Bora by Pearl, is only accessible by boat. Sounds great, but I will get more into my thoughts on that later. Le Bora Bora uses a solar-powered catamaran. The water is very shallow in many parts. Because of the solar power, this ride takes about 15 minutes. Using this method makes the trip twice as long as it should be. The guide introduced herself and the captains. We were all handed an ice-cold water bottle, and then the captain broadcasted lovely music. We were just left to take in the views.

We reached the dock, where more staff waited to greet us. Then we were escorted to a lounge with a handful of other couples. Meanwhile, our luggage was carefully unloaded from the catamaran and brought to the front desk area. We were each given a rolled towel. Typically such a towel is steamy, but true to the Tahitian humidity; this towel was just the slightest bit damp and still slightly frozen. It was nice to wipe down the sweat from our brows. We sipped on the most fantastic glass of lemonade. Each couple was given a large wooden book with paperwork to complete. We temporarily gave them our passports so they could make copies, and they also asked for a credit card to keep on file. All expenses incurred while you are there are charged to your room. There shouldn’t be too much that gets charged to my credit card because we made plans for lunches. Breakfast is part of the initial package, but we also added the dinner plan to our booking.

After we had refreshments and completed paperwork (we got to keep the nice pen!), each couple was escorted to their luggage or allowed to partake in the breakfast buffet at 50% off since it wasn’t technically part of our included meals. Since our flight had arrived early in the day and breakfast ended at 10 am, we passed up the opportunity. We had just eaten on the plane and grabbed the smoothie at the airport. We wanted to get the vacation started! The guide advised us that we could leave our backpacks with them and showed us the “front desk” area. From there, the guide brought us to the concierge office. Here we could make our dinner reservations (or not) for each evening. There are two restaurant options included in the dinner package. That evening the Miki Miki had a fire show, so we opted to take in that experience. When one of the restaurants has a performance, a buffet meal is served in place of traditional offerings that evening. I should note that there are precisely ZERO resorts in Bora Bora that have beverage packages, so if that’s your thing, revisit yesterday’s post regarding the Duty-Free shop. Each person can carry two bottles; I don’t know if this is an enforced rule or just word of mouth we got from the FB group. I was standing with Alex when he bought the four bottles, so maybe they realized there were two of us together. Four liquor bottles became a problem in the coming days because we don’t drink that much. Most of the liquor purchased is hard to find locally, so we took the opportunity while we had it! I will want to bring back some rhum (more of that another day), and we might need to take out at least one bottle to accommodate that need! The concierge also helps line up your transportation (this is a buzz kill for spontaneity, FYI).

Alex arranged the transport for his scuba dive excursion and tattoo appointment. Conveniently, the leading concierge is the wife of the tattoo artist Alex will see on the main island of Bora Bora at Matira Beach. We have a few other plans to make, but you can do it the day before a planned activity. For random trips, you can get taxied to the mainland for free during the day (see the chart), and they bring you to a base where you can take a bus (think cargo van) to Viatape. We didn’t realize the area you get dropped off by boat doesn’t have much around it and would be a significant walk before you could get to shops and general touristy things. So although you can be taken to the mainland any time of the day, getting to Viatape has to be planned and on a timeline. This whole thing has me slightly bothered. Bora Bora is more than just a resort. I want to explore this beauty, not just see how the jazz hands distract me.

After we had booked a few things, our tour guide showed us the grounds. We discovered the bars and beaches, the pool and the tennis courts. We returned to the general reception area, and although check-in was 3 pm, our bungalow was ready at only 10:15 am. Our guide brought us to OWB #306. Our over-water bungalow has an iconic view of Mt. Otemanu. Guys, we get to wake up to this each morning!

Luggage had already been delivered to our room while we were touring the resort. I was so hasty to get in more appropriate clothes that I only took a few photos of our room in its original state! I will upload them in the coming days

Alex stayed back and settled us in. Unpacking our luggage was something we agreed on ahead of time. So often when I travel, I live out of my suitcase. This time I wanted to settle in with intention. There was a pareo wrapping demonstration at 11 am that I wanted to attend. I didn’t take photos of how to do the wrappings because I was wrapping myself. I found a good pareo wrapping YouTube video I’ve linked if you’d like to take a look; I know I need to reference them because I will mess them up!

I returned to the room, and Alex was ready to get in the water. Our bungalow has a lovely patio and net for sunbathing. A set of stairs off the patio goes down to another landing with an outdoor hand shower and steps that allow you to get into the water. At 5’9”, the water comes to Alex’s waist. It’s so clear and beautiful. We agreed that he would go in for a bit and he captured these beauties!

Alex came up for air around 1:15 pm. We wandered to the concierge, where they arranged for boat and bus connection starting at 2 pm. In case you missed it, here is that schedule again.

The concierge informs us that Viatape is small and two hours is enough time. We discover that if you are my kind of traveler, this in not the case. We proceeded to walk out to the dock. There was a boat at the dock just over from us. We sat for a few minutes when an employee approached us and asked if we would be taking the 2 o’clock boat. We said yes. He noted that the boat was at the other dock. I jumped right up, thinking I had misunderstood something. The employee quickly said, “No, madame, the boat will come here.” He signaled to the boat captain, but no words were exchanged. A few minutes later, the boat left its dock with a handful of people, all of whom looked to be locals, and came over to our dock. A hand was outstretched, and we boarded. All the riders on the boat slid to one side to make room for us. I now realized that the other dock was for the employee and separated by water from the guests. Eww!

This boat ride was much quicker than the catamaran. When we arrived at the main base, several employees jumped up to tie the boat to the dock. Even though their work day was over, the expectation was that they helped get the boat docked. The staff gestured for us to get off the boat first. The dock was relatively long. Once on land, you could see that the base had a nicely groomed lawn. Once on the street, the employees got in their cars, and we saw the awaiting bus. It was just us; no other guests were with us in either direction. Chris was our driver; he was 18-20 years old. He shared with us that there are about 12,000 inhabitants on the mainland. The bus gig is a family business. I asked him if he worked independently of the resort or was affiliated. Due to slight language barrier I am still not 100% sure. He has two younger siblings. This week is a holiday in Bora Bora, so his parents are gone, leaving his two younger siblings in his care. I assume they have a similar school year, but the younger siblings are not with him. He tells us Bora Bora has several elementary and middle schools, a few high schools, and even a college on the island. We asked if Chris was from Bora Bora, and he said he was born in Tahiti. There is no hospital in Bora Bora. Of course, I jump to my burning questions about what women do about delivering babies. Before Chris can answer, I ask if most women have their babies at home. He laughs and says no, most women go to Tahiti or Raiatea a month before they are due. Worst case, they would use a helicopter when things go unplanned.

Chris drops us off near Chin Lee Market. Everything is within walking distance now. We should have done Chin Lee last instead of carrying our refrigerated items for two hours. I wanted to get snacks for our room to supplement some of our meals, and I needed access to extra protein. Some days, we will still go out for lunch, but snacks are essential! The store was wonderful to explore. My favorite purchase was a French baguette that you grab and stuff in your tote with no paper around it, and it’s probably been touched by a dozen people and slid across the cash register. We also got cured meats, cheese, a Bosch pear, shortbread cookies, and palmiers.

Additionally, I got cryovacced heavy cream for my coffee (I brought my monk fruit sweetener from home) and a hair clip. We grabbed some peanuts, potato chips, canned tonic water, cryovacced passion fruit juice, Orangina, three small citrons, and two protein shakes. Everything was under $90.

We left the market. We were given a cute tote at the resort that I knew I would fill from the market. I didn’t imagine having to buy another tote for our haul. We zig-zagged across the road, trying and succeeding never to get hit by a car. There were roadside fruit stands and a hotdog cart. Alex got the bacon hot dog and a can of Orginia. It was $9. They loaded the dog with ketchup, mustard, onion, and sweet relish. It was more of a sausage in texture. Any lobster made into a lobster roll would have been jealous of this bun. We sat on a small rock wall to crush that and took in some scenery.

Next, we saw a few shops across the way we wanted to check out. I got two pareos and Alex got a t-shirt. When I was paying, the shop owner told me where I should go to get the best quality pearls at 40% lower price than the shops. I hadn’t asked; he just offered the information. We went to the next shop over to see if they had a rash guard for Alex. I had bought three rash guards for myself ahead of time

No luck at that shop, but the shopkeeper mentioned another she thought had some last week, back by Chin Lee’s market. We moved on. I told Alex about the shopkeeper’s info about the pearls and said the guys said it was just down the alley from the police station with something blue to denote its direction. Alex looked up and said, “we’ll, that’s the police station.” So naturally, I went down that alley. The local’s private conversations in their backyard and the rooster made turning around a good idea, but I’m glad I didn’t listen to Alex’s inner voice. There was a tented sign ahead with a blue arrow. The vegetation is lush and beautiful. We walk up to a home with a back deck that is up against the slope of the mountainside. He showed us his goods. He speaks to us about grading and sizing. The pearls he sells are not from these waters; he states that these water are too warm for excellent luster on the pearls. I settle on a simple, perfectly imperfect, slightly pink-green pendant. It comes out to $60. There are by far more expensive pearls. I am in no way indicating that these are cheap in quality. The gentleman completed a bill of sale and a certificate of authenticity for me. I used the certificate to get you his website!

It was now 3:30 pm, and Chris would be back where he dropped us off at 4:15 pm. Since this was the last chance of the day to get back to our resort in a non-emergent means ($$$), we planned on making our way back at this point. We hadn’t made it to the end of our journey, and I couldn’t even see where the end of the shopping was, so we would have to make another trip back, maybe Saturday. We returned to the parking lot Chris had dropped us off at. We still had some time before Chris was due back, so I encouraged Alex to run to the shop on the other side of Chin Lee’s market to see if a rash guard was available. I figured I could delay Chris long enough for Alex to grab what he needed. Alex made it back with time to spare, so I returned to Chin Lee’s to grab a local popsicle and three flavors of Fanta. Chris and Alex were waiting when I got back. The traffic was crazy. People were getting off work, and the vast bins of baguettes had dwindled to maybe three loaves. This is when we found out about the holiday on the island. Think HyVee on the Friday of Labor Day weekend.

Chris gets us back to the Le Bora Bora base. There are two locals sitting on the benches with us. I decide they must be working the evening shift back at the resort. We wait a few minutes, but the boat arrives, and several occupants depart. The two employees again insist that we go first.

The trip is quick, and we get back to the motu and #306. I start working on the post of our travel day and drift off. Alex has got in the water once again.

Slightly before 7 pm, we get ready to head to the fire show and dinner. There is a slight confusion about where the show will be and where we can sit because our reservation is for 8 pm. The show didn’t actually start until about 7:45 pm. It was on the beach and not at the restaurant itself. I’m glad the soonest reservation wasn’t until after the show. We actually were lounging closer to the actual show than the restaurant would have afforded us. We each got a drink from the bar. This was the first time I had more than a sip of alcohol since I had bariatric surgery in December of 2022. I’m feeling the drink a 1/3 of the way down. The drinks were $49 and charged to our room. The show was great; I really liked that there was a younger person participating, showing interest in his culture.

When the show was over, we proceeded to the restaurant, and there were now only a handful of tables of guests still dining vs. earlier when there were probably 40 occupied tables. The buffet was a nice assortment of local and French flavors.

Of note, still water is $6 a bottle charged to your room. The resort did provide us with nice souvenir water bottles in our rooms, and there are ice and water bungalow huts available every so often on the spine of a dock. We are lucky to have one of these stations just behind us! Our room also has a complimentary mini-bar that is filled with Nespresso pods, local beer, soda, canned juices, and one chip and one candy bar daily. With our market purchases, that bad boy is filled to the brim!

We came back to our room and chillaxed. I contemplated taking a bath but decided I needed to go to bed. Today’s word of the day is Nana (nah-nah) which means bye/see you later!

🕯️