#70004 - 02/03/08 11:10 AM
First trip to Bora Bora, need advice - Help!
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KC Couple
Junior Member
Registered: 02/03/08
Posts: 1
Loc: Kansas City, MO
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Hello! My fiance and I are traveling to Bora Bora for our honeymoon and are so excited, but need some advice/insight. We are staying at the BB Lagoon Resort for 10 nights leaving 2/11/08. This trip is so expensive we want to go in with as much knowledge as possible, as this is literally a trip of a lifetime for us. Questions:
- We did not buy a meal plan at BBLR, any ideas on cheaper places to eat in Viatape? I know it is expensive everywhere in Bora Bora, but could use some recommendations here on decent food at decent prices.
- BBLR has a free shuttle to Viatape, but how far of a walk is it from the pier to the shops/markets/etc? I have heard of folks getting on a shuttle - what does that cost? We would prefer to walk.
- We are Scuba certified and will be diving for the first time, any recommendations on dive sites, diving companies, etc? Any information is appreciated!
- We would love to hear the "must-do" excursions that made your trip when visiting Bora Bora - please share!
- Is is possible to book excursions ourselves once we arrive to Bora Bora to save $$?
- Is it possible to visit the Le Meridian to see the turtles if you are not a guest there? How do you get there? Is it possible to swim with the turtles if you are not staying at the Meridian?
I know I have asked a ton of questions, but appreciate your patience and reply! I have been going through the posts for about two days and have come up with this list of questions. Any other advice/information regarding hotel, food, diving, snorkeling, etc in Bora Bora would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!
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#70011 - 02/03/08 03:35 PM
Re: First trip to Bora Bora, need advice - Help!
[Re: KC Couple]
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Justine2
Expert Advisor
Registered: 02/12/07
Posts: 1911
Loc: Minneapolis, MN
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The drop off is right in Vaitape, so the walking will be pretty easy and the nice restaurants will come and pick you up at the landing.
There won't be much of a cost savings between booking through the hotel vs. direct. Unfortunately you cannot visit the Le Meridien turtle lagoon unless you are a guest. The liability insurance won't cover incidents unless you're a paying guest.
Unless your planning on a very relaxed 10 days, have you considered a second island? This may be a noble assertion on my part, but only about 20% stay longer than 5 days or so. There really isn't that much to do and many folks like to get a taste of another island especially because the prices are lower everywhere else.
I mention this because both of you dive- it's a shame not to go out to the Tuamotu Archipelago. Bora gets so much traffic that there has been an impact on the sea life. The Tuamotu are much less traveled, so are much more pristine. The Tuamotu are all true atolls, vs. a high island like Bora. It's a shame to go that far and stop short of some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world. Bora is nice, but under the waves the difference is between girl next door pretty and super model. Look into Rangiora, Fakarava and Manihi. (Tikehau is more beachy, if that can honestly be said) They've all got nice resorts that are perfectly honeymoon acceptable and the fauna will knock your flippers off.
Edited by Justine2 (02/03/08 03:40 PM)
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#70012 - 02/03/08 04:07 PM
Re: First trip to Bora Bora, need advice - Help!
[Re: Justine2]
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Daydreamin
Member
Registered: 01/24/08
Posts: 98
Loc: california
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Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. This is a wonderful site with a wealth of information. There is a second website to explore for answers that you might be aware: www.tripadvisor.com
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#70085 - 02/05/08 07:53 PM
Re: First trip to Bora Bora, need advice - Help!
[Re: Daydreamin]
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YosemiteGirl2
Member
Registered: 09/17/07
Posts: 335
Loc: California
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I agree with Justine.
However, if you end up staying on Bora Bora the whole time, in addition to finding restaurants, you can also bring food and split lunches. My husband and I found that ordering a room service sandwich (or getting one at the bar) with or without fries was often plenty for us for lunch. We are just less hungry in the heat.
Also, the first time we went to BB, we brought a bunch of snacks (beef jerky, peanut-butter-filled pretzles, nuts, etc.) with us, and sometimes we'd snack on that instead of lunch (sometimes adding fruit or other stuff we got from the grocery store on BB).
I think this all worked so well because we always took the "cooked" breakfast option at breakfast (we'd each get an egg or omlette). We ate up then, while it was cool, and needed less later.
That really worked for us. An added advantage was that we got to spend more time just relaxing on our deck or snorkeling, instead of sitting endlessly in restaurants waiting to be served. The food in FP is so expensive, I feel weird about not finishing what is served to me, but then I eat too much!!
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