Design the Bora Bora Vacation of a lifetime!

If you are wanting to make the most of your Bora Bora vacation travel, and experience the best of Bora Bora Island, the following tips and tricks will help you create the most memorable vacation for your money.

1.Get the best deal on your Bora Bora Resort

If money is the biggest consideration, then base your Bora Bora resort decision on where you can get the best deal. Look on sites such as Expedia, for current offers on resort stays.

Deals commonly offered are stay 4 nights pay 3, stay 3 nights pay 2, the 5th night free or 20% off deals. It's worth checking on a few different websites. Sometimes one site will be offering a better deal. There are many Bora Bora resorts to choose from, and their nightly rate varies greatly! As a general guide, the lowest category rooms available at the Bora Bora resorts vary from $200 - $1200. A cheaper option for an affordable Tahiti vacation is a pension (local lodging style), or even couch surfing!

By taking Bora Bora tours, you can get around to the best places on the island from any of the Bora Bora resorts. So if you are scraping your pockets have a Bora Bora vacation (your long awaited dream before you die) you can find affordable pensions. But it is also true that a great deal of your time will be spent enjoying your resort, so choose the best Bora Bora resort that you can!

2.Choose a luxurious Bora Bora Resort

The best Bora Bora resorts are in the most beautiful locations around Bora Bora and its motus. Their locations are all so mesmerizing that you will find it hard to drag yourself away to see and do other things! The best Bora Bora resorts are as luxurious as they come, so to really enjoy being on this majestic island, treat yourself to some Bora Bora vacation luxury. Here are our favorite luxurious Bora Bora resorts.

3.Have the best over water bungalow

Everyone who has experienced the blessing of staying in an over water bungalow raves about the experience. Many say that an over water bungalow it is an essential part of the Bora Bora experience (and a Tahiti romantic vacation). So even if you can't afford to stay in an over water bungalow for all of your Bora Bora vacation, stay for a night or two. Jumping off your deck into the crystal clear water below is so much fun!

The best Bora Bora resort for you?

How you choose from all the amazing Bora Bora resorts, depends on what is most important to you for a thrilling Bora Bora vacation. Do you want the best Bora Bora resort for your buck? Is the best view in Bora Bora essential? Or are you looking for the best snorkeling in Bora Bora? The following tips will help you find the best Bora Bora resort for you!

4.Choose a resort in the Best location

If you are wanting the Bora Bora resort with the best location on the island (the good news is) you have a few to choose from! All of them will give you an exotic Tahiti vacation. What you value most, will make it easier to choose the best Bora Bora resort for you. I have compiled a short list of the most outstanding advantages of each of the resorts.

For the best Bora Bora Sunsets

Hilton Nui Bora Bora Resort — choose a sunset-facing bungalow — with a view to the eastern horizon — enjoy spectacular sunsets from the Iriati bar and the formal restaurant.

For Bora Bora Snorkeling from your resort

Hilton Nui Bora Bora Resort — find out which over water bungalows are best for snorkeling

Sofitel Motu — great coral gardens next to the resorts island

Four Seasons Bora Bora — west side end of over water bungalow area

For the Best View of Mt Otemanu

Four Seasons Bora Bora

Intercontinental Thalasso Bora Bora

Bora Bora Le Meridien

St Regis Bora Bora

Pearl Beach Resort Bora Bora

Note: You can see Mt Otemanu from the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort, from the hill top, the spa and a few over water bungalows. For more Nui information click here.

For the best Bora Bora Spa Indulgence

Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa — unique deep ocean water mineral spa treatments

Pearl Beach Resot Bora Bora — the treatment rooms are set on stilts over the lake surrounded by tropical gardens

Four Seasons Bora Bora — the most dreamy luxurious spa setting

Hilton Nui — awesome hill top spa with panoramic pampering

St Regis Resort Bora Bora — spa on private motu with Mt Otemanu views

If relaxation is part of your Bora Bora vacation plan, you may want to choose your resort for your spa. Here's more about these amazing Bora Bora Spas.

5.Choose your resort for it's Bora Bora Beaches

Bora Bora Beaches are some of the most beautiful in the world. Many of the Bora Bora beaches are located on the motus around the stunning Bora Bora lagoon. The resorts have located themselves on some of the best beaches on the island. You may want to choose your resort for its beach, as a lot of your Bora Bora vacation time will be enjoyed admiring it's white sand and calm blue water! To find out about the best Bora Bora beaches click here.

If you're on a budget:

6.Choose the best Bora Bora Resorts combination

If you have a week for your Bora Bora vacation and are on a budget, consider staying between two different styles of Tahiti villas. You can have a couple of nights in an over water bungalow. A great Bora Bora package can be found with the Intercontinental Le Moana and the Intercontinental Thassalo.

The Le Moana is on the main island close to restaurants and shops, so it's a great base to explore the town and the island. Le Moana also has beautiful snorkeling from its over water bungalows and Matira beach nearby. Its rates are much less than the Intercontinental Thassalo, where all the accommodation is over water bungalows. You also have access to the facilities at both resorts. A shuttle travels between the two resorts so you can easily trip between them.

The Intercontinental Thassalo has an incredible view over to Mt Otemanu and is surrounded by the turquoise Bora Bora lagoon. So you could complete your Bora Bora holiday with a couple of fantastic nights at the Thassalo in an over water bungalow!

7.Find a great Bora Bora 'all inclusive'

Bora Bora all inclusive Vacation Packages

You can get great all inclusive Bora Bora vacation packages that include your Bora Bora resorts, airfares and transfers. If you can find one that includes the resort of your choice, it can be a good way to go. Compare the package price to the accommodation and airfare costs to check if its a worthwhile deal.

Air Tahiti Packages

Air Tahiti air passes are a great way to add incredible value to your Bora Bora travel. Compare their cost to that of just purchasing Bora Bora flights. Have a look at Air Tahiti's pass Bleu before booking your flights to Bora Bora. You will find that for a little more money you can visit 3 or 4 islands during your Bora Bora vacation. Each island has a different flavor, so even though Bora Bora is the 'jewel', you will enjoy visiting the others. I particularly love Moorea, Huahine, Rangiroa and Raiatea. Air Tahiti also has packages that include flights, transfers, hotels, some breakfasts and excursions.

Tahiti vacation cruises all inclusive

There is another fantastic ‘all inclusive vacation in Tahiti’ idea, worth considering. Tahiti luxury cruises! Tahiti cruise ships are an elegant way to visit a few islands, and their itineraries always include Bora Bora travel. Now you can even cruise Hawaii to Tahiti and visit famous Bora Bora Island. If you're looking for last minute Tahiti vacations, check availability on cruises, as prices can be reduced close to departure, if not sold out.

Tahiti Cruises are especially good value in French Polynesia because of the cost of resorts and food. If you want to experience a stay in a Bora Bora resort you can visit pre or post cruise. When booking a Bora Bora cruise vacation, passengers are eligible for great deals with participating resorts. Some cruise lines, including Paul Gauguin Cruises, also include Tahiti flights.

Find the best eating in Bora Bora!

I want you to eat the best Bora Bora food and get the best value from your dollaron your Bora Bora vacation. Bora Bora's food is known to be expensive, and yes, the imported foods are much pricier than back in your own country. Make the most of the fresh local Polynesian food and visit a local grocery store. Combine that with a dining plan at your Bora Bora resort, and you will save money, as well as have the best eating.

8.Buy the meal plan at your Bora Bora resort

Here's an example. For $150/person on top of the room rate, we could have breakfast included for the week. The breakfast buffet alone was $70/day/person. At the very least, get a deal including breakfast. You will spend most of your Bora Bora vacation at your resort and will eat there often. Resorts within walking distance to Bora Bora restaurants and cafes are the Intercontinental Le Moana, and the Maitai.

At the other resorts, I highly recommend getting breakfast and diner included when booking your Bora Bora vacation. And if you want to eat out a couple of nights, at restaurants of your choice, you can and still be ahead. If you don't buy the meal plan, be prepared to spend $300/day on food at your resort. Pre-purchasing the meal plan can cost $300/week instead! So check out your options. Make sure you select the room rate that includes meals!

9.Eat at the best of Bora Bora Restaurants

The restaurants are located on the main island of Bora Bora. Some have an island ambiance that's fun to experience and if you're staying at a motu resort you have a moonlight boat ride back. The most popular of Bora Bora restaurants only has 7 tables, so if you want to eat there you may need to book ahead.

10.Buy some snacks at a local grocery store

To find one in French Polynesia, look for the sign, 'Magasin'. You can purchase grocery items for eating during the day and save on meal expenses. Fresh, crunchy baguettes are popular island fare and can be bought for about 60 cents. Then you can buy salami, colds meats, French cheeses (my favorite is the garlic Boursin) and fresh fruit, and have a tasty feast for a good price. This is a convenient lunch when you are exploring the main island, but it is also useful to buy these items to take back to your fridge for snacks. See our Bora Bora map for the locations of the mini marts on Bora Bora.

11.Eat at a roulette

You're on an exotic Bora Bora vacation, so eat as the locals do. For an authentic Tahitian dining experience eat at the small roadside 'snacks' and roulettes on the side of the road. They offer tasty, inexpensive meals.

12.Choose the local Bora Bora specialities

When dining at your Bora Bora resort, or a restaurant, choose the most 'local' ingredients to have the freshest, tastiest meals. The fish in French Polynesia is so good. Go for ocean fish, rather than lagoon fish. Poisson Cru is a favorite Polynesian dish of tuna marinated in lime and coconut. It is delicious and healthy. The 'fish of the gods' is up there with the best fish I have ever eaten. Its name in French is Saumon des diex, and its taste and texture is like a combination of tuna and salmon.

If you want meat, the lamb is usually good. It will have come from the closest meat producing country, New Zealand. Even though I'm Australian, I have to say that New Zealand lamb is better! Tahiti imports much of its food as they don't have sufficient flat land for producing vegetables and meat. And while this can be a good thing (amazing French delicacies!), choosing the local Polynesian ingredients will usually give you a higher quality meal.

13.Choose the best Bora Bora Excursions

One morning, on my second Bora Bora vacation, we spent 2 hours (yes, the sun was shining on a blue lagoon) re-finding and organizing a boat hire that I had actually used the previous holiday. We wanted to snorkel around the lagoon at our own pace. Your Bora Bora vacation time is limited and precious. So do some homework on what Bora Bora activities are available. I advise you to find out ahead of time which Bora Bora excursions will give you the most enjoyment. Some special ones that are in high demand need to be booked before you leave for your Bora Bora vacation.

Find out what to take to Bora Bora for your tropical island vacation.

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