Bora Bora, French Polynesia
The most celebrated motu in the South Pacific.
Arguably the most beautiful island in the world.
On millions of people’s bucket list.
Because it is PARADISE!
Quick backstory – I vividly remember perusing the internet about 10 years ago trying to organize my bucket list when I came across a picture of the most crystal clear water I had ever seen in my life! “OMG! OMG! Where the hell is this place”, I wondered??! I clicked on the picture and it turned out to be an island somewhere in a place called French Polynesia.
I quickly became obsessed and after extensive research, Bora Bora was now a new love of mine and #1 on my bucket list of places to visit before I…….kick the bucket.
But (because there’s ALWAYS a but), I soon came to realize that this trip came with an INSANE price tag! Getting to French Polynesia was expensive, island hopping once I got there seemed expensive, and then of course - the OVERWATER BUNGALOW (I mean, who wouldn’t want to stay in one of those floating villas)??! *sigh*
It was expensive too! Unfortunately during that time in my life, I honestly couldn’t even afford to look at Bora Bora on the internet, so I left the trip on my bucket list and moved on to some place else.
Fortunately over the years, things changed. And for the better!
I was able to check Bora Bora & Mo’orea off my bucket list for my 35th Birthday! (Yaaaaaaasss)! This dream trip was FINALLY happening! I had thoroughly planned. I had saved. And now it was finally time to go! No more hoping, wishing, and looking at this elusive island online! I was getting ready to experience it for myself! But how much does a dream trip like this cost???
I’ve received this question quite a few times which is what inspired this blog! Let’s get into the cost of French Polynesia & much more!
Before we dive into all the great things that make up Bora Bora, let’s first check out a couple of tips for French Polynesia!
☀️ Passport/VISA info – If you are a citizen of Canada, EU, USA, you do not need a visa to enter Bora Bora or any of the French Polynesia islands. More info on passport/visa requirements – here!
☀️ Bora Bora’s Weather – The weather in the South Pacific is usually around 80 °F / 27 °C year round! The wet season generally runs from November-April. While the dry season is from May to October. Tropical weather can be extremely unpredictable with rain here & there throughout the day. Humidity will be high. Pack LOTS of sunscreen!
☀️ More useful info – Languages spoken in the French Polynesia: French, Tahitian & English. | All power sockets in French Polynesia provide a standard voltage of 110V & 220V with a standard frequency of 50Hz (don't forget your converters)! | The currency of the French Polynesia is the CFP franc.
Getting to Bora Bora
Getting to Tahiti & her islands from the U.S.A is fairly simple. On my 1st trip to the French Polynesia, I flew into Tahiti (Pape’ete – the capital), visited Mo’orea first and then made my way over to Bora Bora.
The least expensive way to reach Bora Bora will be to fly into Tahiti, French Polynesia. The main airport is Fa’a’ā International Airport (airport code: PPT). Flying directly to Bora Bora will cost you a few more hundred dollars.
Travel Tip: Take as much time as you possibly can to research flights. I use ‘Google Flights’ to track the cost. I tracked my flight to Tahiti for about 3 months before I decided to purchase my flight. Also, be sure to check out these websites – The Flight Deal’ & Secret Flying for great flight deals. For example, I came across a deal from San Francisco to PPT for $575!! Unfortunately, not for the dates that I needed – but that’s still a crazy good deal!
In addition to the international flight you’ll need to get to Tahiti, you’ll have to purchase the inter-island flights from Air Tahiti to island hop around French Polynesia. I purchased two 1-way flights on Air Tahiti:
– From Mo’orea (airport code: MOZ) —-> to Bora Bora (airport code: BOB) = cost 26,239 XFP ($258.25 USD)
– From Bora Bora (airport code: BOB) —-> to Pape’ete, Tahiti (airport code: PPT) = cost 23,976 XFP ($235.97 USD)
If you have a pretty open schedule on your vacation to French Polynesia, then take a look at Air Tahiti’s “island hopping pass“. This can save you money AND you’ll have the chance to visit more islands! Unfortunately, I was short on time, but I’ll definitely take advantage of this on my next visit!
Where to stay in Bora Bora
Overwater bungalows? ✓ Beach front villas? ✓ Budget-friendly accommodations (somewhat)!
Bora Bora will have whatever you need when it comes to finding an amazing place to relax & unwind! All you have to do is choose what motu (island) you’d like to stay on along with the price range that fits your budget.
Here's something to keep in mind – depending on which motu you choose to stay, a water taxi will be needed if you want to travel from your island to the main island. Resorts charge around $22-$55 round-trip/per day from the resort to the main island. *Prices are subject to change*
Let’s start with what resort is on what motu:
As you can see…..Bora Bora is definitely made up of eye wateringly expensive world class accommodations!
But for many people, this is a once in a lifetime destination! So why not go all out?! Right?!
I spent months researching Bora Bora and it’s accommodations before I decided on which resort would get my coins. First I started with my budget. I wanted my 35th Birthday to be what dreams are made of, but I also had to keep everything aligned with what was available on my credit card to spend. I knew for sure I had to stay in an overwater bungalow (I couldn’t just come to Bora Bora and not stay in one)! I searched the internet for the overwater bungalows and their prices and was stunned. “Daaaaaamn”, I thought! They came with a stiff price. I was most def coming out the pockets!
I did side-by-side pictures of the overwater bungalows to compare to each other, their prices and their location. I read SEVERAL reviews on ‘TripAdvisor’ as well. When I came to the end of my search, I had found the overwater bungalow for me located at:
Conrad Bora Bora Nui
The reason why I chose the Conrad Bora Bora Nui resort was because of their stunning, newly renovated rooms (I read that some of the other resort’s bungalows were outdated) plus, I fell in love with the hammocks/catamaran nets on the deck of their villas!
I booked my overwater bungalow through the ‘Hilton Honors’ app. Let me add that I’m not really a points person when it comes to traveling (I usually just try to go with whatever company is offering the best deals), but signing up with the Hilton Honors app did save me a little bit of $$$ on the bungalow (and enough points to book a 2 night stay in Hawaii). I may be a points person now!
The Conrad Bora Bora Nui (formally the Hilton) underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2016 and came back ready to take our breath (and money) away with their dashing new rooms!
With 114 rooms + villas on the property, choosing your piece of paradise may be a little difficult, but in a good way!
When I arrived at the airport in Bora Bora, I probably had the look of a 5 year old on Christmas Day plastered across my face! Why? Because I was lucky enough to snag a window seat on Air Tahiti which allowed me to see Bora Bora in all of it’s glory from thousands of feet above!
If I’m being completely honest I am STILL in shock! Being able to see Bora Bora from the plane was so beautiful! The different hues of blue, the mountains - just STUH-NING! But the amazement didn’t stop there! Once you land at the airport, the turquoise water & the view of Mont Otemanu hits you so hard that you quickly come to the realization that you’re in paradise and destroying your passport so that you can stay forever is now on the agenda!
Bora Bora airport!
Since Bora Bora is an island, the airport will most certainly be in the middle of the ocean. And all of the resorts/travel companies will be awaiting your arrival inside near the water taxis ready to whisk you off to your destination. NOTE: You will absolutely have to schedule transportation from the airport to & from your resort/hotel. I arranged to use my resort’s taxi service to reduce any issues. It was most definitely pricey (which I will discuss at the end of this blog), but worth it!
Conrad's airport stand at Bora Bora's airport!
The staff members of the Conrad Bora Bora Nui greeted me with a beautiful lei, collected my luggage, and escorted me to the water taxi to head over to the resort. The ride from the airport to Conrad is about 20 minutes. In route, you’ll get a view of the other islands, Mont Otemanu and the Presidential Villa along with the other stunning overwater bungalows as you arrive! WOW! And when you arrive - you know FOR SURE that you’re in P A R A D I S E !
The entrance of the Conrad from 1st sight will let you know that they are a step above the rest! I was greeted by Natalie (who was extremely pleasant & engaging) with a refreshing welcome drink & chilled towel. After the check-in process, Natalie ushered me to a golf cart where she explained the resort to me in detail while driving me to my overwater bungalow!
The excitement that I was feeling during this process is unexplainable. It was finally getting ready to happen. I’m actually getting ready to check into an overwater bungalow! This has been on my bucket list for YEARS! And now…..it’s HAPPENING! OMG!!!! KENYA! IT’S HAPPENING!
In comes the ‘King Deluxe Overwater Villa’! Room 320!
I’ve arrived!
My luggage was already in my villa and placed neatly in the dressing room when I arrived which really made me appreciate the Conrad even more! Natalie started to explain how the electricity in the room works (must leave the key card inserted in it’s s slot), the sockets (standard voltage is 110/220 V – but can be switched to fit the needs of us North Americans), Bluetooth along with indoor & outdoor speakers! I’m still amazed that I even heard anything that see was saying because I was too busy being caught up in the view of the ocean just a few feet away from me!
Once Natalie was done with the presentation of the villa and had left – I screamed! I’m inside the bungalow! And I have this amazing place ALL to myself for the next couple of days! What do I do now?! Do I relax outside on the catamaran nets with a cocktail? Do I take a nap on this well made & decorated king size bed??? WHAT DO I DO??????!
I admired the view from the villa, pulled back the 2 huge retractable glass doors, took 1 look at the ocean and exhaled. This ish’ was paradise FOR REAL! I quickly changed into my swimsuit, took off running through the glass doors onto the terrace and off the bungalow I went into the lagoon below me!
After a few exhilarating jumps, I came back into the villa to fully admire it!
1,249 sq. ft/116 sq. m. of pure chic! Cozy sitting area with a sofa, HUGE bathroom with His & Her (or YOUR) sinks, rain shower, deep soaking bath tub, a dressing room & large terrace with 2 hammocks/catamaran nets to relax on and enjoy the sunrise/sunset!
My 1st night in the bungalow, I took the comforter from the bed along with a couple of pillows and set up right on the hammocks to watch the sunset. This was one of the most relaxing/peaceful experiences of my life!
The day after was my 35th Birthday, so I woke up at the crack of dawn to catch the sunrise. And all I had to do was slide the doors back and let nature do the rest!
If you’re celebrating a special occasion in Bora Bora, I would definitely recommend bringing decorations with you to commemorate your day! Give your bungalow just a little bit more life! I know I did!
Checking out of the over water bungalow was definitely a sad moment for me. I had really made a special connection with that room!
The staff members of the Conrad booked me an “in transit” room after my checkout from the villa. My flight didn’t leave Bora Bora until 8PM, so I had the room to store my luggage in, shower, take a nap, continue to explore the property, etc. It was no overwater bungalow experience of course, but I loved it nonetheless!
The resort sits on it’s own island and it’s pretty huge so getting around to explore could be a bit of a task for some. Not to worry though! The Conrad can have someone from their concierge team to pick you up from your room to take you around OR (I freakin’ LOVED this), you can bike around! YES! BICYCLE!
Each room comes with a bike/beach cruiser and they’ll also be plenty of bikes around the property to pick up after you dine or enjoy your time at the pool & beach!
Speaking of the pool! Ahhhh! What an AH-MAZING infinity pool it is – overlooking the beach & overwater bungalows! Relax, have a seat in one of the cabanas, lounge chairs or at the swim-up bar!
Ready for a bite to eat? Enjoy room service at your convenience or check out the restaurants, lounges & bars on site!
Iriatai French Restaurant | Banyan Chinese Restaurant | Tamure Beach Grill | Tarava Pool Bar | Upa Upa Lounge Bar | Iriatai Wine Bar
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try all of the restaurants & bars, but where I did spend A LOT of my money & time was at ‘Tamure Beach Grill’ & ‘Tarava Pool Bar’. Both are EXTREMELY expensive (meaning a burger+fries & 2 mojitos = $100 expensive), but the food, cocktails & customer service were INCREDIBLE!
Wanna’ let the wind blow through your hair for a little bit? Then grab your bike and ride around the island. I discovered the volcanic rocks of Motu To’opua while exploring the opposite side of the island from where my bungalow was. These rocks and the scenery alone look like something off of a tropical post card. I couldn’t believe it!
Once I came out of my trance from all the beauty, I parked my bike and walked up the hill to Hina Spa and to get a view of the resort from above & Mont Otemanu. W O W!
As guests of the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, you’ll have access to the sauna & steam room! I admired the sheer beauty of the scenery before I entered the spa to book a massage. The atmosphere, the ambiance….simply fabulous! And so very relaxing! Without a doubt, the massage room had the best views from a spa that I had ever seen!
I booked the 50 minute Hiro’s Sport massage (deep tissue) – which probably wasn’t a good idea while on vacation, but it was much needed! My masseuse was excellent! He was very calming and was able to relieve so much tension from me (my shoulders/neck are still thanking him)!
With my 1st trip to Bora Bora, I honestly focused on relaxing and enjoying the experience of staying in an overwater bungalow, so I didn’t have a ton of activities planned. However, there was 1 thing that needed to be checked off my bucket list…..so I had to do it!
The Aquabike Adventure! — (Aquabike Bora Bora)
I was able to book this unique experience with a Conrad team member at the front desk. After that, I was picked up from the dock and in a 3 minute boat ride to the Aquabike platform, we were there!
The Aquabike is interesting because it is an experience totally different from typical scuba diving (which is another activity that I absolutely LOVE)! You’ll be seated in an open submersible scooter equipped for 2 people. After you’re briefed on safety and how to pilot your scooter, your guide will take you 12-15 feet down into the ocean for 30 minutes!
Truth moment: I was VERY nervous in the beginning when we were suiting up! My mind started to race with questions! "How will I breathe under here?!" But once we were down below, it was ALL good! And so absolutely AH-MAZING!
Our guide, Louie was just incredible! He had so much personality and literally no fear of the ocean AT ALL! He placed bread in the little pouches situated on our bikes and the fish swarmed in! LOL! It was hilarious! Louie was even able to give us bread to feed the fish with! CRAZY! One of those little suckers nipped my finger a little too hard though!
We navigated pass the beautiful corals through the reef enjoying the simple task of operating the aquabike! It was sooooo much FUN!
And we were showed various tropical sea creatures, what they did and where they lived! Louie even brought them over for us to touch (craaaaaazy)!
When the excursion was over, we were lifted back onto the platform where the guide went over all of the different sea creatures that we saw below. Fresh fruit & juice was also offered to us as well! This experience was CrAzY!
The cost! We have arrived here (I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing)! Let’s break down both islands, Moorea & Bora Bora!
Keep in mind that I was a solo traveler. The cost will be more expensive for 2 or more people. NOTE: Prices of flights/hotels/excursions etc. are subject to change!
Mo’orea Expenses in USD:
☀️ Round trip flight from Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Pape’ete, Tahiti (PPT) = $1,240.00
☀️ 1-way flight from Mo’orea (MOZ) to Bora Bora (BOB) = $259.00
☀️ 1-way flight from Bora Bora (BOB) to Pape’ete (PPT) = $236.00
☀️ Aremiti Ferry pass from Tahiti to Mo’orea = $15 | Taxi from PPT airport to Aremiti Ferry Port $21
☀️ 1 night stay in Mo’orea @ Sofitel Mo’orea = $555.00
☀️ Dining in Mo’orea = $50-$100
☀️ ATV & Jet skiing excursion = $340.00
Bora Bora Expenses in USD:
☀️ Round-trip water taxi fee for Conrad Bora Bora Nui = $135.00
☀️ King Deluxe Overwater Villa for 2 nights @ the Conrad Bora Bora Nui = $2,055.00
☀️ Food/cocktails @ the Conrad Bora Bora Nui for 2 days = $300.00
☀️ 50-minute Hiro’s Sport Massage = $175.00
☀️ Aquabike Bora Bora excursion = $330.00
Yep! My solo traveler trip to the French Polynesia cost about $5,700.00 USD | 603,487 XPF (give or take). Needless to say my credit card has died a painful death from this trip.
Would I do it again???
In a heartbeat! I had the time of my life (I’m getting emotional right now as I’m typing this). I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard, loved so hard or had as much fun as I did on this trip – in my life. I met some incredible people, learned a little French & Tahitian (la Orana ), soaked up the sun, relished in the most awe inspiring scenery and most of all enjoyed some much needed quality ME TIME!
To the staff @ the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, thank you for making my 35th trip around the sun unforgettable! I have no clue how I’m going to ever top this birthday!
