I had the opportunity to travel to French Polynesia this year, a place I’ve wanted to travel to for so long. Bora Bora had been on my bucket list forever, so when I got invited to work with the Four Seasons in Bora Bora I had to make it happen.
Since I was going to Bora Bora, I decided to add Moorea and Tahiti to the itinerary as well. This blog post will have info on all 3 islands: Bora Bora, Moorea & Tahiti.
*IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, TO SEE THE FULL EXPERIENCE YOU CAN WATCH MY FRENCH POLYNESIA VIDEO HERE
TAHITI
If you are flying in from an international flight, you have to fly into Tahiti to get to Bora Bora or Moorea. It’s crazy to think that Tahiti is just an 8-hour flight from LA! I didn’t realize it was so close, and actually EASIER to get to than most islands in the Caribbean from Los Angeles. (LA to Caribbean most likely has a layover in between, making travel duration easily 8-10 hours). We took an overnight flight so we woke up and landed in Tahiti early AM! (It’s only a 2-hour time difference between Tahiti and the West Coast!)
I decided to spend 2 nights in Tahiti, the first night we got there and the last night before flying back to LA from Tahiti. We had one full day to explore the island on the day we arrived.
We rented a car for the day at the airport when we arrived to have the freedom to drive around the island and do what we wanted. I’ve mentioned before in previous blog posts that I love renting a car in most places I go to. Usually it’s not too expensive and you get to be on your own itinerary!
Papeete Market- One of my favorite things to do when I travel is visit a local outdoor markets. I think it is one of the best ways to get a sense of the culture of a place and to try foods that the local eat. We decided to explore the Municipal Market (Papeete) as the first thing to do. We walked through the market looking at all the local vendors and trying some local treats! I also bought a freshly made flower crown to take with me to the beach!
Taharuu Beach- Tahiti is known for beautiful black sand beaches. I visited Taharuu Beach for sunset. I had the beach all to myself!
BORA BORA
After spending a full day in Tahiti, our next stop was Bora Bora. It was a 45 min flight and we landed at the most beautiful airport I’ve ever been to. We hopped off the plane and was surrounded by turquoise water. We walked a few steps and got right on the Four Seasons boat docked at the airport to take us to the hotel.
We spent 4 nights total in Bora Bora- all at the Four Seasons. This resort was an absolute dream, and definitely became my top 5 favorite places I’ve ever stayed!
I stayed in an overwater bungalow with a stunning view of the signature Bora Bora mountain. It had a big, beautiful outdoor deck with an Infiniti plunge pool over the water, a living room area, a spacious bathroom and a bedroom looking out on one of the most epic views I had ever seen. I was in absolute paradise.
Honestly the resort grounds were so breathtaking- literally everywhere you looked was picture worthy it was kind of overwhelming for someone like me (who feels the need to capture and document everything lol). I really felt like I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming- that’s how beautiful this place was. The water in Bora Bora is so amazing and the Four Seasons is surrounded by turquoise water and beautiful crystal clear lagoons all throughout the property. I feel like words don’t do this place justice, it’s better to see by pictures and video. 4 nights went by so fast I kept wishing I just had a little more time there. Especially because almost 2 full days were spent off property doing activities- time flew and I was not ready to leave.
Private Helicopter Tour- I always like doing some sort of activity when I’m on a trip. I’m not the kind of person that likes to stay at my resort the whole time (although I could have EASILY at this place). I thought it would be cool to see Bora Bora from above on a private helicopter ride. This was an amazing experience and all documented in my Bora Bora video. It was such an incredible and unique opportunity- the views and different colors of the water from above were insane! I did the tour with Tahiti Nui Helicopters.
Lagoon Tour- I knew I wanted to do at least one activity in Bora Bora on a boat and out on the water. I chose a Lagoon Tour with Bora Bora Romantic Tours hosted by the Tahiti Tourism Board. This tour included swimming with sting rays and sharks, as well as snorkeling and a lunch on a private island. It was a great day out on a boat and a good way to cruise around the beautiful waters of Bora Bora. I highly recommend getting out on a boat!
MOOREA
After Bora Bora, we visited Moorea for 3 nights. 3 nights in my opinion wasn’t enough time, so next time I go I will definitely be going for 4-6 nights…I LOVED Moorea! We flew to Moorea from Bora Bora on a 45 minute flight. We didn’t have enough time to rent a car on the island, so that is definitely something I’ll do next time I go back. Moorea is extremely lush with mountains. The green mountains along the turquoise blue water is such a beautiful sight. We stayed 2 nights at the Hilton Moorea, and 1 night in an Air B n’ B on the beach. It’s crazy to think Bora Bora is just 45 minutes away and the landscape felt so different. What I loved about Moorea is that it felt more like a local island. I could feel the culture there more in comparison to Bora Bora where it’s pretty much only resorts on the water. Moorea you can stop on the side of the road and buy some delicious fresh sashimi for cheap for a reasonable price. I love to have both options- if you want to stay at a luxury 5-star resort you can still hop in the car and drive to a local market and eat a great meal for less than $15. In Bora Bora, you have to take a boat to venture out anywhere outside your resort, and it could cost a pretty penny. Besides leaving for our excursions we didn’t leave our hotel once on our own in Bora Bora.
Like most resorts in French Polynesia, The Hilton Moorea also has beautiful overwater bungalows. I stayed in a spacious overwater bungalow for 2 nights there and I loved it. All bungalows are over crystal clear water with stunning views of the lush green landscape. I spent my time at the resort swimming in the water and relaxing on the beach. One of my favorite things about this resort (besides the stunning landscape and overwater bungalows), was that they had an overwater/open-air creperie that served delicious savory and sweet crepes for dinner! We dined there twice and there were sting rays and sharks swimming below us as we were eating our dinner which was really unique. We also ventured out for a half day excursion on a boat which picked us up right on the Hilton dock in the morning and brought us back by noon. This was a definite highlight during our time in Moorea!
Half day Lagoon Tour in Moorea- We loved the lagoon tour in Bora Bora so much we decided to do one in Moorea as well! This was also hosted by the Tahiti Tourism Board and we had an amazing half day on the water snorkeling, and swimming with stingrays and sharks in lagoons around Moorea with the company Voila Moorea. I highly recommend Voila Moorea for a boat day. It felt very private and the owner went out of his way to make sure everyone was getting the best experience possible.
That sums up my French Polynesia experience, and if you haven’t already I highly recommend watching the full video to get an even better idea of how special it is there. Also, make sure to subscribe to my youtube channel to always be up to date with my newest travel videos!
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