Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa

Before St. Regis Resort opened at Bora Bora in 2006, Bora Bora Nui (part of the prestigious Starwood collection) was the newest luxurious resort in French Polynesia. So that was the reason why I picked Bora Bora Nui as our hotel at Bora Bora. Unlike at Sheraton Lagoon Resort, Moorea, the room rates at Bora Bora Nui already include a full breakfast that features a diverse menu of international and local cuisines. Varieties of breads, fruit juice as well as fresh fruits were also served. In US, I can’t get enough of tropical fruits, so staying at Bora Bora where tropical fruits were abundantly available made me very happy. Of course, I did not miss a day without at least a glass of tropical fruit juices, and my most favorite one is mango juice. In addition to having the breakfast in one of the hotel’s restaurants, you can also optionally have the breakfast delivered to your over water bungalow via a small canoe by a hotel employee, creating a very unique room service. Where else in the world can you encounter such a romantic experience like this?

Bora Bora Nui is located on a private tiny Motu Tapu to create a total seclusion for the hotel’s guests. To go to the main island, the hotel provides a free transportation between Motu Tapu and Vaitape (the island’s main settlement) once in every 30 minutes. One day, we took this opportunity to explore the main island and to rent a small car for a half day at Vaitape. The main island is rather small. To circle the island’s 20-mile perimeter took us less than two hours including stops. We made a stop at Hotel Bora Bora, a luxurious hotel that belongs to Aman Resorts, located at Matira Point (the southern tip of the main island and the main center of tourism). Hotel Bora Bora was the first hotel in the world that introduced over water bungalows, a magical architectural concept that has conjured up the ultimate island hideaway ever since.

At Matira Point area, there is one of the island’s most popular restaurants, called Blood Mary’s. The setting is a tropical casual restaurant and footwear is optional. Some guests even choose to dig their feet in the sand. For lunch they offer burgers, fish and chips, and salads, whereas for dinner they have a daily catch of the local fishermen displayed on ice. The manager introduces fresh seafood available on your particular evening, and you can either choose from the vast selection or create your own particular combination by ordering directly to the chef.

While driving around the island, we often had beautiful views of motus across the lagoon, making Bora Bora very memorable to us. We stopped at various scenic spots to take pictures and to enjoy the scenery. This is one good example why I like most about having a solo tour, compared to joining a group tour. By renting a car, you can take your time as much as you want when you find a beautiful spot. You can take a walk, have a picnic, or just sit to enjoy the gorgeous blue color of the lagoon.

After returning the car and before going back to the hotel, we went to a local grocery around Vaitape Port. It was probably the biggest grocery shop around the island. We bought some fruit juices, bottles of water, and breads — I ended up using the breads for feeding some fish from our over water bungalow’s deck. There are also plenty of art and craft shops around Vaitape Port. You can find many pearl shops in Bora Bora, and also in other Tahitian islands. In French Polynesia, black pearls have always been identical of purity. Nowadays, the Tahiti Polynesian islands are the leading exporter of fine black pearl in the world. So if you want to buy pearls (especially black pearls) for your jewelry collections, Tahiti will be the right place for you. A shore excursion to a black pearl farm is also available for those interested in discovering the complete steps in pearl making.

A Polynesian show with traditional music is featured once a week at Bora Bora Nui, along with a Polynesian buffet and a traditional Tahitian ground oven barbeque – they called it Ma’a Tahiti. In the old days, Tahitians used to cook their food in a ground oven everyday. They dug up a big hole in the ground, in which they burned woods and poured some volcanic rocks over the wood. Then they placed the prepared food, wrapped in aluminum foil (used to be banana leaves), on the rocks and put a wooden cover on the top of the oven. The cooking time lasted for about three to four hours. The food that varied from fish, chicken, pork, beef, and vegetables (spinach, taro, and sweet potato) were all served together in a buffet style.

More than anywhere else in French Polynesia, Bora Bora is a splendid island to enjoy an over water bungalow with its truly spectacular lagoon. Once you sit on your deck and feed the fish, you may never leave your bungalow. Sounds impossible? You have to experience it yourself! We spent the rest of the time relaxing on our balcony or beach, snorkeling, kayaking, and doing some other water sport activities provided by Bora Bora Nui. We once tried kite surfing and went to the outer reef to see where big waves crashed onto the outer reef and swam into the calm water of the lagoon.

When it came to the last day of our stay, it was really hard to say good bye to Bora Bora. I have to admit that everything there is overpriced, but it’s worth every penny. We can’t find a better place to spend our honeymoon than French Polynesia. The over water bungalow is luxurious and romantic. The motus and the blue turquoise lagoon circling the main island are remarkable. I wish I could visit this beautiful place once a year… Ahh… it’s just a dream. But still, I keep on dreaming, who knows someday it becomes a reality. At last, as they say in Tahitian… Nana (goodbye)! Mauruuru (thank you)!

Comments

6 Comments so far

arman | 21 July 2008, 22:26
wuii gile bagus banget yaaa… lautnya bening banget…

Yun: iyahh man, so pretty yah…
l3l1 | 26 July 2008, 10:59
ohh ini waktu hanimun yun? gileee keren banget ya… pasti berkesan banget hanimunnya hahaha

Yun: yup yup, pas honeymoon lel
bora bora nui Trendy Here! | 31 July 2008, 06:01
[...] in French Polynesia. So that was the reason why I picked Bora Bora Nui as our hotel at Bora … credit : [...]

Thanks for linking
Bora-Bora » Favor a great and bars including a. | 31 July 2008, 12:10
[...] Bora Bora Nui Resort and SpaBefore St. Regis Resort opened at Bora Bora in 2006, Bora Bora Nui (part of the prestigious Starwood collection) was the newest luxurious resort in French Polynesia. So that was the reason why I picked Bora Bora Nui as our hotel at Bora … [...]

Thanks for linking!
devi | 02 August 2008, 06:03
alo, mo nanya2 donk tentang ke Bora2 ini… naek apa kesana ya?
and hotel ratenya berapa yang paleng murah disana?

bales di email yah.. thanks banget ya

dev
Dwiana | 07 August 2008, 11:28
aahhhh………….. view nya itu loh, beautiful!! make me dream that someday I can go there.
photo2 nya cantik2 Yun… I bet you and a hubby will produce more stunning picture soon.

Yun: Yes, you should visit this place at least once in your life, you will be amazed with the beauty of bora-bora.
I hope I can take a picture as good as you someday^^ *wink*