Thank you very much Vai. You were probably busy enjoying FP while I was busy writing about it ;)

Island Boy,

FANTASTIC photo show -- this is the first time I saw it, though it looks like you posted it awhile ago.

I also love the music -- some of my favorites! (Do we have a mutual friend named Derek, by any chance?)

Thanks Barbi. We do indeed have a very generous mutual friend :)

it looks like we to many of the same places.... great pictures!

Thanks Schaff. Similar trip - yours by water, mine on land. I plan on visiting a couple different places on my next trip.

Which do you prefer- BB or Moorea? Why did your parents not like BB that much?

My opinion on Bora Bora....I am among those who prefer Moorea (or some other island) to Bora Bora. I do not regret for one moment going to Bora Bora. It was truly one of the most beautiful places I have even seen. The colors of the lagoon are simply amazing. But....

The way I like to describe Bora Bora is it's like a beauty queen or super model or something. Absolutely beautiful on the outside, but not much of a personality or soul on the inside. I didn't find the people there to be particularly friendly. They weren't the same warm smiling people I've encountered on Moorea. Everything on Bora Bora is outrageously expensive. There are far too many hotels for that size of island. The hotels (especially the new ones)are ridiculously expensive and seem intent on isolating the tourists from the main island. To me it seems like staying at one is a pristine sanitized Disneyland type experience. Now, I will say, that is the exact kind of experience many people (especially honeymooners) are looking for. But it's not for me. I want and need to experience the personality and soul of an island to make my trip enjoyable.

You can take my opinion with a grain of salt. From the sheer numbers of tourists heading to Bora Bora over the other islands, there is obvioulsy a diference of opinion on this. Opinions are like noses, everyone has one.

That's not the metaphor I would have used Patti, but I agree with you 100%. If it was me, I'd do Rangi or Manihi rather than BB.

So what metaphor would you use Joe? LOL!

Coolata,

It's not that my parents didn't like Bora Bora but I think they were not as impressed with it or as overwhelmed by it the way they probably had anticipated. I think the lagoon is very nice on Bora Bora and if you stay in a motu resort you get to experience the complete beauty of the lagoon. However, there is less to do on the island itself, fewer places to eat, fewer sights to see and less overall beauty in my opinion compared to islands like Moorea and Huahine. When we arrived on Moorea, my parents were much more impressed with Moorea's scenery. In addition, there was more opportunity to explore, more places to eat and I feel that better snorkeling is more easily accessible on Moorea. My parents also enjoyed Huahine very much - beautiful and tranquil.