A Guide to Bora Bora

If you’re considering booking a cruise to sun-soaked destinations, it’s well worth looking out for itineraries that include Bora Bora. This gorgeous island is famous for its stunning scenery, luxury and balmy climes, and you can find out all about it with my quick guide.

The island – an overview

Let’s start by taking a broad look at the island, shall we? Bora Bora is part of French Polynesia, and is one of those picture-perfect destinations that looks too good to be true. Fortunately for us holidaymakers, though, it is true, and it’s got a great variety of things to offer.

Beginning with the most obvious, it has a stunning coastline, which is rendered all the more striking by the calm lagoon that encircles the island. This lagoon is also astonishingly clear, which helps to make this place absolutely brilliant for snorkelling and scuba diving.

The climate here is tropical, so yes, you can expect high temperatures – usually between mid-20 degrees C and mid-30s, even in winter. The summer months fall between November and March – but this isn’t necessarily the best time to travel, since this time of year sees the bulk of the rainfall and storms (though the temperature remains high). Generally speaking, winter (April to October) is the optimum time to make your trip, since it’s drier and less humid.

What to do

Now, let’s take a quick look at the types of thing you can do while you’re there. I’m not going to talk about beaches, because you’re pretty much guaranteed to come across these – that’s not to say you shouldn’t set aside a few hours to enjoy them, though!

Personally, I think one of the best things you can do in Bora Bora is go hiking – especially if walking is one of your current hobbies. There are some really challenging routes to follow, like the trail from Vaitape up to the summit of Mount Pahia. Now, the path isn’t actually marked out, so you’ll need to arrange a guide to show you the way – it’s best to chat to your cruise operator about this either en route or once you arrive on the island.

This round trip will take around five to six hours to complete, and the views from the top make it well worth the effort. Just as a quick warning, this trail has some treacherous sections and a fair bit of steep scrambling is required, which means it’s only suitable for experienced hikers.

If you want to take a dip in those crystal-clear waters, meanwhile, I recommend doing a spot of snorkelling or scuba diving. The lagoon here is wonderfully clear and the reefs are shallow, which makes this a great place to see some incredible marine life with little effort – though there are some more challenging dive sites outside the lagoon if you already have plenty of experience.

Alternatively, head to the Turtle Center at Le Meridien Bora Bora (one of the local hotels) to see these beautiful creatures up close. You can get into a touch pool to have an animal encounter, or watch conservationists caring for cute baby turtles.

Photo credits: 1, 2