Last year in Bora Bora, I gave up everything I thought about luxury travel and had one of the best experiences of my life. Do I like luxury hotels? Of course–who doesn’t? But I don’t typically enjoy them for an entire trip, as they’re prohibitively expensive and often feel isolating. I much prefer an Airbnb, ideally with a host who gives good recommendations.
In Bora Bora, luxury hotels are kind of the thing to do. Flying in, overwater bungalows dot the water thanks to the Four Seasons, Sofitel, St. Regis, and the Conrad, among others. They’re all incredible, but I wondered if they could deliver a local Bora Bora experience.
I found myself cruising along a speedboat in the South Pacific toward the Conrad Bora Bora Nui almost on a whim. I had been invited on the trip at the last minute and almost said no. I had way too much work to do, I was returning from another trip the evening before, and while Bora Bora looked insanely beautiful, was it even that interesting? My boyfriend talked some sense into me. “You have to go,” he said, then I think almost teared up when he couldn’t come with.
There’s a direct overnight flight on Air Tahiti from Los Angeles to Tahiti, meaning I woke bleary eyed to one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever, and probably will ever, set foot. You can stay in Tahiti or take a short flight to Bora Bora, which is what you should do because somehow Bora Bora is even prettier. I have never seen water so blue or sand so sparkling white. And then there are the lush mountains, vibrant flowers, and oh-so-Instagrammable thatched roof bungalows. The island was originally called “pora pora mai te pora,” which means “created by the gods” in Tahitian dialect. I’m not religious, but..yeah, that makes sense.
Bora Bora’s economy is almost solely driven by tourism. The first luxury hotel opened in 1961 and since then it’s been a top honeymoon destination. I wasn’t on my honeymoon, or even with my significant other, and it was still the most romantic place I’ve ever been. The whole place smells like flowers, to start, and the bungalows are all decked out in touches that make you feel like you’re alone in the middle of the ocean even when your neighbor is technically a few yards away. My bungalow, for example, had a private infinity pool with views for miles, but hidden on the sides from anyone peeking out their window. It also had a giant soaking tub, a very comfortable bed with views out floor-to-ceiling windows, and the most comfortable hotel robe, plus champagne on arrival. The spa perched in the hills where you can get a traditional Tahitian massage–a practice that’s meant to be spiritual and concentrates on energy lines in the body–was an added bonus. (Go just for the Tahitian vanilla body oil, which you’ll want to bathe in daily).
I succumbed more quickly than I’m proud of to this life of beauty, ease, and luxury. Breakfast arrived on my patio every morning–heaping plates of tropical fruit and baked goods accompanied by fresh juice and French press coffee. Once, it even arrived via canoe. I spent hours lounging in my infinity pool or on the beach, sipping coconut water and wearing a flower crown. If the phrase “living my best life” ever applied, I hit my peak in Bora Bora.
Luckily, once I recovered from jet lag and after a particularly long soak in my bath, curiosity got the better of me. What is there to actually do on Bora Bora? Does everyone who lives here work in resorts? Is it possible to not have a luxury experience on this island?
Most activities tourists partake in when visiting Bora Bora are organized by their hotels. This makes sense, as each hotel is a boat ride away from anything else. With the exception of those on Vaitape, they are mostly on their own mini islands, and getting out of the resort requires water transportation. This stops a lot of people from exploring outside of their own resort, and maybe because of this most hotels have a lot to offer.
I snorkeled with sharks (!!!), swam with manta rays, made my very own flower crown thanks to a very patient teacher, tried few Tahitian dance moves (way harder than it looks), learned a lot about pearl farming, and had lunch on a private island. It was all wonderful.
A real highlight though, was a tour with two very hilarious guides via Vavau 4×4 Adventures. We careened up and down dirt roads to find sweeping views of the water and drank local beer in the back of a truck.
They showed me the town where most people live, pointed out a few seafood spots on the water, let me shop at a local market, and took me to see some World War II cannons. The United States used Bora Bora as a military supply base, airstrip, and oil depot during World War II. It was called “Operation Bobcat” and was home to nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment, and about 7,000 soldiers. The island never saw any fighting and the base was closed in 1946. All I could think was “can you imagine being based in Bora Bora during a war?” It seemed so odd, while also reminding me just how much of the world the war encompassed. (I know, I know, it’s called a world war for a reason). World War II was deadly and destructive for so much of the world, yet here soldiers were in an idyllic location and probably bored out of their minds.
This is what struck me the most about Bora Bora. It feels like you’re at the edge of the world, so far away from politics, or war, or pretty much anything. It would be easy to slip into a routine where dates don’t matter and world affairs never cross your mind. That’s a little scary to me, but for only a week it was reviving. It’s in Bora Bora that I came up with a sketch of what would become Curiosity Magazine, where I wrote my favorite essay I’ve ever published, where I had the mental space to think through goals, and where I read three whole novels (personal heaven). With nothing but water for miles, stress ceased to exist. With nothing much to do, I stopped feeling like I should try. It struck me that after years of traveling both for work and for fun, I finally took a vacation.
And that’s my point I guess. Bora Bora is far away and expensive to reach. The luxury resorts are remote and pricey. It’s hard to find what many travelers will think of as local experiences. It’s also truly beautiful and worth every penny, and one of the few places I’ve found myself not feeling guilty for giving into luxury, spending days doing nothing, and recharging, which is something every traveler needs to do once in awhile.
