Bora Bora was the third stop of our vacation to Tahiti. To start at the beginning of the trip, click here.
Our travel from Moorea to Bora Bora was by plane and it would take roughly an hour to get between islands. From the airport in Bora Bora, we would travel by boat to our hotel. From the boat dock, the hotel Sofitel looked quite impressive. There was an oceanside restaurant and an infiniti type pool bordering the water. The staff was friendly enough, but we got a “standoffish” feel when we spoke to them, and they were pretty curt with their answers. The staff at all of the Intercontinental hotels that we stayed in on this trip seemed much friendlier. Nothing that would ruin the trip in any way, but definitely noticeable.
The beautiful view flying into Bora Bora
Infiniti pool at the Sofitel Bora Bora
One of the activities that we really wanted to do was to take a jet ski tour around Bora Bora. We found a tour that was based out of the Intercontinental Thalasso, but the tours were booked up during the days that we were staying there. They did have a free slot on the day when we were at the Sofitel so we called them to see if that would work. The staff at the Thalasso told us that that wouldn’t be a problem and that they would pick us up and take us to the Thalasso so we could do the tour. On the day of the tour, we waited at the boat dock as instructed. We expected a boat shuttle to pick us up to take us to the Thalasso, but we were surprised to see two jet skis pull up to the dock. The 20 minute ride to the Motu Piti Aau where the Thalasso was located was really fun. The ride was great, as the seasoned jet ski tour guides zipped along quickly through the waves, zig zagging at times for added effect. They definitely tried to entertain us a bit as we traveled back to the Thalasso. For us, this ride, and the one back to the Sofitel to drop us off after the tour was a great added bonus.
Amazing water color changes during the ride. Plus walking with the Rays.
Taking a break in shallow waters
There were a half dozen jet skis on our tour and we spaced ourselves about a hundred yards apart as we followed our instructor. The tour took us around the entire island with two stops. It was amazing to see the water change to different shades of blue as you circled the island. At one point we made a stop at least a half mile out from any land. The water was very shallow and was below your waste. We could see Sting Rays swimming along the sand below. It was just amazing that we could be so far from land and have the water be that shallow. Our only other stop on the tour was on a beach where the tour guide showed us how to properly break open a coconut. Ok, it was gimicky and touristy, but it was fun. The entire tour took about a half day and it was the most fun that we had on the trip!
Rest stop on their private island to break open coconuts.
On the day that we were to transfer to the Thalasso spa, we were picked up by land transport and driven to the Intercontinental sister hotel located at the Moana Resort. From there, we took a water shuttle to the Thalasso Spa. This was another occasion where we were happy that we had gone through Costco Travel and let them set up all of our various transfers that we needed.
The Intercontinental Thalasso Spa is not located on the main island of Bora Bora, but is located on the Motu Piti Aau which was about a 20 minute boat ride from our location on the main island. Our trip to Tahiti was centered around staying in over the water bungalows and now we were about to do it. We were giddy as our golf cart carried us on the over the water path to our unit. We were booked in their Sapphire Over water Junior Suite Villa but we weren’t sure what that would look like. We knew that having high expectations for something could lead to disappointment. As we opened the door to our bungalow, all of those fears were dashed and we were thrilled with what we were seeing. The unit was large, with a living area separate from the bedroom. The bedroom and adjoining bathroom had large windows allowing you to look out over the water. The living room had a glass top coffee table that looked down into the water. Our deck was large, and there were steps that went down to a lower platform just above the water. We used that a few nights to just lay there and look at the stars. There were views all around, and we had a great view of Mount Otemanu on Bora Bora. We couldn’t have been happier with our over the water lodging.
Magnificent views outside our bedroom window.
Coffee table looking down into the water
The Thalasso is a great resort. There are plenty of water activities. We snorkeled every day, and rented stand up boards and kayaks as well. We found a group of people all standing in the same area out in the water so we went to see what was happening. Apparently, the manta rays are fed at the same time each day, so they will all come in from the surrounding area expecting to be fed. It was quite an experience feeling the rays as they brush up to your feet.
Feeding time for the bat rays a few feet off the shore
The spa was a fantastic experience, and you had access to several “spa only” amenities before and after your treatment. The massage tables were set up so you could see down through their glass floor while you got your massage. We hiked a short trail that took us to the unprotected side of the Motu. We couldn’t believe what a difference there was from the sheltered, calm waters facing Bora Bora, to the unprotected side with large waves crashing against the shore.
Watch the fish while you get a massage!
Our package covered both breakfast and dinner each night while we were at the resort and the food was excellent.
The food at the Thalasso Spa was delicious
Right before leaving, we realized that we had a few more gifts to buy so we dropped into the black pearl shop located at the resort. We knew that stores inside resorts tended to be much more expensive, but we went in just to look. Again, the salesperson was very helpful, and we were able to use the information that we had been given at the shop in Moorea to determine that the salesperson was being straightforward, and we were being offered reasonable prices. We ended up finding our remaining gifts and we were set. On our final day, we had to check out at 11:00am but our flight back to Tahiti wasn’t until the evening. The hotel gave us the use of one of their smaller rooms to use for the day until we were ready to leave for the airport. They do this for all of their guests and we thought it was a nice gesture since it allows you to make use of your final day there to swim, snorkel or take part in other activities where you might need to change afterward. We arrived at the airport in Tahiti at around 6:30 and our flight didn’t leave until 11:00pm. It started to rain pretty hard, the hardest it had rained while we were on the islands. As we sat at the open air gate, we were thankful that the weather had held out while we were there.
