Bora Bora Budget Travel Guide is created to introduce this beautiful island in French Polynesia to all who are keen to pay it a visit. Mind you, Bora Bora is hardly the budget destination. As almost every creature comfort has to be shipped or airfreighted in, you can expect to pay premium prices for everything. Having said that, I want to provide you with useful information to help you make a journey to possible within reach.
About Bora Bora
Bora Bora is one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is within the Society Islands group in the French Polynesia. It is located 230km northwest of Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.
The main island of Bora Bora is an extinct volcano consisting of two peaks named Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. A shallow lagoon surrounds the main island, and a barrier reef encircle it, providing protection against the open ocean. Islands that have emerged out of the barrier reef are called "motus", or "isles".The name comes from the Tahitian word "pora-pora", which means "first born".
Bora Bora is believed to have seen human habitation since the 4th century, when the people of Tonga arrived there. However, it was known to the West after James Cook arrived in 1777. It was used as a military supply base during the Second World War, even though it never saw any fighting. The airstrip at Bora Bora was the only international airport for French Polynesia, until the Faa'a International Airport at Papeete was opened in 1962.
As of August 2007, there are just about nine thousand people living in Bora Bora, mainly in Vaitape, on the west side of the main island. Bora Bora today is heavily dependent on tourism. It caters mainly to upmarket tourists and many 5-star resorts have been built here. The resorts are often built on the motu or on stilts over the crystal clear lagoons. The guest can enjoy a wide variety of sea-related activities including shark and ray feeding excursions. Snorkelling and scuba diving are two other popular activities.
Air Tahiti has 5-6 daily flights between Faa'a International Airport (PPT) and Bora Bora. Airlines flying to Faa'a International Airport include Aircalin (to Nouméa), Air France (to Los Angeles), Air New Zealand (to Auckland), Air Rarotonga (to Rarotonga), Air Tahiti (to Afaraeitu, Avarua, Fare, Rarotonga, Tiputa, Tuherahera, Uturoa, Vaitape),
Air Tahiti Nui (to Auckland, Los Angeles, New York-JFK, Osaka-Kansai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita),
Hawaiian Airlines (to Honolulu) and LAN Airlines (to Hanga Roa, Santiago de Chile).
Budget Travel within Bora Bora
If you are staying on an offshore atoll or island, your resort will have a boat transport at the disposal of guests to take you to Matira, the main island. On the main island itself, there is only one tarred road, so you can expect transportation to be limited. You will quickly find out about the bus that goes up and down the street half way round the island.
An option is to rent a bicycle or motorcycle to ride around on your own, allowing you the freedom to explore at your own pace. Take note that although Bora Bora is an "expensive destination", the roads are not always well maintained.
Maps of Bora Bora
Society Islands
The Society Islands is a group of islands in French Polynesia that has the most inhabited (and most popular) islands. The following are the islands and destinations within this group.
Bora Bora One of the most beautiful islands within the Society Islands group.
Moorea A beautiful island within the Society Islands archipelago.
Raiatea and Taha'a Twin islands in the South Pacific dotted with high-end resorts. Raiatea has an archaeological site considered the cradle of Polynesian civilization.
Tahiti The main island of the Society Islands group. The only one with a major town, Papeete, which serves as capital of French Polynesia.
Destinations in the French Polynesia
Here's a selection of places in French Polynesia that you may want to visit on your trip to Bora Bora. Getting from island to island is not something that can be done on a budget, but if you are prepared to pay for it, you are assured of a memorable experience.
Austral Islands A small archipelago on the southern part of French Polynesia, far off the beaten track.
Gambier Islands Island group that are the eroded remains of a gigantic crater, it comprises Mangareva and small islands on its fringes.
Marquesas Islands Northeastern archipelago in the French Polynesia. The most beautiful islands here are Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa.
Tuamotu Islands Vast archipelago in the center of French Polynesia, ringed with coral reefs and atolls. The most significant island here is Rangiroa.
Find lowest price for your Hotel Room
Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?
The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!
Our Flight Checker helps travelers compare flights and get the lowest fare for their trips. If you're flying somewhere, use our Flight Checker to compare the rates from different airlines. To use it, enter where you will be flying from, where you will be flying to, your departure date and return date. Select the number of passengers, and then click search.
Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.
