Bora Bora: Top Tips, Media Profiles, etc.??!!

[TLCOhio]

Have recently booked a Feb. 17, 18-day Oceania cruise from Auckland to Tahiti.  This will be our first-time trip for exploring in early 2020 various South Pacific islands, including Fiji, Samoa, Bora Bora, etc. This Pacific Islands thread seems to have many great posts and details to consider for this region.  Will follow up with more questions.  Also, am looking at recent media profiles on this region and noticed this one below that might be of interest to share.  

 

From the Telegraph newspaper in Australia a week ago,, they had this headline: “Inside guide to Bora Bora: 3 top stays you need to know about”  with these highlights: “Bora Bora in the French Polynesian South Pacific is one of those rare places not even social media can enhance.   'The feedback is that the photos people see online versus reality does show Bora Bora is — in fact — paradise,' says Rob Thompson, regional director of Tahiti Tourisme. 'It’s one of the only places with a large lagoon, with so many shades of blue.'   According to Rob, while you should definitely take a 'sharks and rays excursion', visit Kaina Hut and Bora Bora Yacht Club for food and cocktails and hike the Valley of Kings, one of the best experiences happens before you even exit the plane.”

 

Nice tips and ideas for Bora!!  Looking forward to visiting there for two days while visiting this region of the South Pacific.  Below are a couple of nice visuals from this newspaper profile.  Please share here any and all ideas, tips, suggestions and insights for Bora Bora and nearby.  We will also have a one-day stop at Raiatea, before disembarking from the ship on March 5 at Papeete.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/world/new-zealand-pacific/inside-guide-to-bora-bora-3-top-stays-you-need-to-know-about/news-story/f79b861d6ec902beb9a140f87d31b4db

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 235,191 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

From this Aussie newspaper profile, below is first an overview visual from Bora Bora.  Look nice?  Second is a resort sample from the Conrad Bora Bora Nui.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

20 trips to French Polynesia and/or the Cook Islands. Bora Bora IMO is the most spectacular lagoon and backdrop in the world. One must circumnavigate the lagoon to really enjoy the ever changing colors and the ever changing look of Mt Otemanu.

 

 

 

[Petoonya]

Kahuna is right. Bora Bora has no equal- it's not hype at all. Just drop dead water and scenery. I'm a snorkeler and former diver so it's all about snorkeling for me. And if so, for the serious snorkeler I'd recommend Tahora Bora Bora, Pure Snorkeling or Lagoon Service. Tohora Bora Bora has no "cultural" show or luncheon like the others  but deep water manta rays and eagle rays, coral gardens, reef sharks, lemon sharks, sting rays. It's our favorite after many trips to BB. Pure Snorkeling and Lagoon Service offer much of the rest but also lunch if that's what you're into. All three among the top rated in BB on Tripadvisor.

I'm a little baffled TLC Ohio as you posted a similar thread with many of the same questions. Were you looking for something specifically or did I miss something?

Gorgeous photos Kahuna!!

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

Thanks Petoonya  ….

[TLCOhio]

On 5/23/2019 at 9:21 PM, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

20 trips to French Polynesia and/or the Cook Islands. Bora Bora IMO is the most spectacular lagoon and backdrop in the world. One must circumnavigate the lagoon to really enjoy the ever changing colors and the ever changing look of Mt Otemanu.

 

Super appreciate this excellent posting by Tahitianbigkahuna with the great comments, exciting pictures, etc.  You're a real expert with wonderful sharing skills!!  Might have more questions in the future as the research and planning continue and progress. Much to discover and learn about this region of the world.   Shared your pictures and comments on the roll call for our cruise to benefit others. 

 

For Petoonya, YES, as to your question of "Were you looking for something specifically or did I miss something?"  Did the "double-post" as I thought this searching might reach a different group of people than just those who follow on the Oceania CC Board.  And, it yielded success with the reply and pictures from Tahitianbigkahuna.  Hope to learn more and gained added helpful info.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 46,703 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

1 hour ago, TLCOhio said:

Thanks for the kind words ….

 

Super appreciate this excellent posting by Tahitianbigkahuna with the great comments, exciting pictures, etc.  You're a real expert with wonderful sharing skills!!  Might have more questions in the future as the research and planning continue and progress. Much to discover and learn about this region of the world.   Shared your pictures and comments on the roll call for our cruise to benefit others. 

 

For Petoonya, YES, as to your question of "Were you looking for something specifically or did I miss something?"  Did the "double-post" as I thought this searching might reach a different group of people than just those who follow on the Oceania CC Board.  And, it yielded success with the reply and pictures from Tahitianbigkahuna.  Hope to learn more and gained added helpful info.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 46,703 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

 

[TLCOhio]

From the CNN cable news network yesterday, they had this headline: “19 best places to travel for the summer of 2019”  with these highlights focused on French Polynesia: “Weather-wise, Tahiti may not seem like an obvious choice for summer travel, but as it's located in the Southern Hemisphere, winter there means comfortable temperatures averaging around 80 degrees Fahrenheit and less humidity. A newer airline competitor also means it's now more affordable than ever to visit this bucket-list spot.  In May 2018, budget airline French bee quietly launched a new route from San Francisco to Papeete, Tahiti, starting at just $660 round trip, opening up French Polynesia to more than honeymooners.  There's also more to French Polynesia than the popular islands of Tahiti and Bora Bora (the latter known for its dreamy overwater bungalows).
Among the 118 islands are ones like Rangiroa, a haven for divers and snorkelers who come for its famed Blue Lagoon, pearl farm and the only coral winery in the world.  Moorea is another neighboring island that offers everything from trendy restaurants to shopping, without feeling overdeveloped.”

 

YES, this picture and these details seem wonderful.  Cannot wait to explore for the first time there in early 2020.   

 

Full story with these many, different travel ideas/options at:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/summer-travel-places-2019/index.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 220,459 views. 

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

 

Here is one visual featured by this CNN profile to highlight French Polynesia.  They summarize that it may be difficult to get to this area, but its scenery is an easy sell.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

French Bee …… after you get nickeled and dimed to death their price isn't much better than several other carriers. The major issue to me is the limited schedule for French Bee  ….. why is that? Oh yes, they only have a plane for this long haul. So aske yourself, do I want to take an airline with limited resources or an airline with backup that is readily available. I've been stranded at LAX because of an airline delay because of equipment issues. That was back in the Corsair Days when they flew to Tahiti. It was our honeymoon, we got to stay a day at the Holiday Inn at LAX instead of an OWB at the Moorea Sofitel. The problem can be worst  …. do you think a cruise ship is going to wait another day or two in Tahiti  …. nope. 

[Fletcher]

Hello Terry - I'm surprised you are doing an Oceania cruise and not on your usual Silversea vessels. In my view, that Oceania ship is certainly OK for a long distance thrash but probably far too big for tiny Pacific islands like Bora Bora.  I've seen Bora Bora when a big ship arrives - there are very few places where passengers can go as all the resorts and their beaches are essentially gated communities.  Passengers therefore tend to descend on Matira Beach which can possibly cope with 200 people but no more.  The snorkelling trips are also a bit of a frenzy.  The best thing will be the sail-in and the sail-out.  

 

If you really want to see French Polynesia I'd recommend a Paul Gauguin or a Sea Cloud trip around the islands.  Your cruise also goes to Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa - and a big ship like that will simply drop you in a city.  A rental  car in Samoa is an excellent thing to do.  And in American Samoa, once you have gawped at the Moorea-rivalling scenery of the harbour and experienced the scent of the enormous tuna canning plant, try and get to Leone - a nice drive and two great churches.

 

At the end of the cruise in Papeete, don't ignore Tahiti itself - it has a fascinating history, Papeete has a lovely raffish vibe, and the island itself has spectacular scenery.  You might also think of adding on a few days in Moorea.

 

Be prepared for rain in February.  Let us know if you have any other questions. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2019 by Fletcher

[TLCOhio]

18 hours ago, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

French Bee …… after you get nickeled and dimed to death their price isn't much better than several other carriers. The major issue to me is the limited schedule for French Bee  ….. why is that? Oh yes, they only have a plane for this long haul. So aske yourself, do I want to take an airline with limited resources or an airline with backup that is readily available. I've been stranded at LAX because of an airline delay because of equipment issues. That was back in the Corsair Days when they flew to Tahiti. It was our honeymoon, we got to stay a day at the Holiday Inn at LAX instead of an OWB at the Moorea Sofitel. The problem can be worst  …. do you think a cruise ship is going to wait another day or two in Tahiti  …. nope. 

 

Appreciate these above great comments and follow-up from the very experienced Tahitianbigkahuna.  Price vs. quality??  Yes, there are always trade-offs and other serious questions to consider.  I was not saying that French Bee would be my first choice airline.  BUT, maybe that "competition" will help improve pricing and service options??  Be interested to see how that airline operates and how long they continue in the marketplace.   

 

 From the New York Times Travel Section this morning, they had this headline: “New York to Tahiti (or Laos or Nairobi) Without Spending a Fortune”  with these highlights: “Many mainstream sites don’t list low-cost carriers or link transoceanic flights to regionally based carriers that can provide less expensive options. For that, you need a bigger tool kit, including consolidators and alternatives for finding airlines that aren’t listed on Kayak and the like. (Hint: search by destination airport at FlightsFrom.com or on the open-source site OpenFlights.org.)  To find affordable airfares on tricky routes, I spent a week earlier this month digging into the following four trips.”    This article gives more background as to these new options to consider for future adventures.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/24/travel/new-york-to-tahiti-or-laos-or-nairobi-without-spending-a-fortune.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

For latest live/blog, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Connect at:

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Edited May 26, 2019 by TLCOhio

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

What is likely to happen is several carriers will go out of business or let the route go. Yes right now there is a fight going on but in the long haul it mat actually make prices higher as the field is weeded out. As a long term 'tourists' of French Polynesia is may make it more expensive for me in the long run. 

 

This will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. You have a heavily subsidized airline fighting with a big discounter and you have some airlines with real deep pockets. Plus you have two more carriers thinking about tossing their hat into the race. Will be interesting  ...

 

 

[TLCOhio]

1 hour ago, Fletcher said:

Hello Terry - I'm surprised you are doing an Oceania cruise and not on your usual Silversea vessels. In my view, that Oceania ship is certainly OK for a long distance thrash but probably far too big for tiny Pacific islands like Bora Bora.  I've seen Bora Bora when a big ship arrives - there are very few places where passengers can go as all the resorts and their beaches are essentially gated communities.  Passengers therefore tend to descend on Matira Beach which can possibly cope with 200 people but no more.  The snorkelling trips are also a bit of a frenzy.  The best thing will be the sail-in and the sail-out.  If you really want to see French Polynesia I'd recommend a Paul Gauguin or a Sea Cloud trip around the islands.  Your cruise also goes to Fiji, Vanuatu and Samoa - and a big ship like that will simply drop you in a city.  A rental  car in Samoa is an excellent thing to do.  And in American Samoa, once you have gawped at the Moorea-rivalling scenery of the harbour and experienced the scent of the enormous tuna canning plant, try and get to Leone - a nice drive and two great churches.  At the end of the cruise in Papeete, don't ignore Tahiti itself - it has a fascinating history, Papeete has a lovely raffish vibe, and the island itself has spectacular scenery.  You might also think of adding on a few days in Moorea.   Be prepared for rain in February.  Let us know if you have any other questions. 

 

Always great to read reactions and suggestions from the savvy Fletcher of the UK.  Will check more on the Paul Gauguin or Sea Cloud options.  For us, we are not "locked in" to just using and doing Silversea.  We have done five cruises with Silversea and have one coming up in just 60 days on their Silver Muse from Vancouver to to Alaska.  

 

BUT, late last fall, we tried Oceania for the first time on their Nautica ship in going from Athens to Dubai over 20 days.  Things worked well and their itinerary was great.  See more on the live/blog below.  With about 600+ passengers, these Oceania R-class ships "fit" our needs very well and had good, on-board food variety and options. Big enough, but not too, too large.  For us, our priority is where the ship takes us, not just "floating on a boat"!!  Also, part of the attraction for this probable, upcoming Oceania sailing is being able to do a week or so exploring around by car on New Zealand's North Island, then we do the boarding in Auckland on Feb. 17.  Plus, this cruise has a nice range of different stops and ports in sampling the South Pacific for the first time. Hope this background is of help and benefit.  Now, it is fun and stimulating to be doing the research and gaining great tips, insights and comments about these different locations with special sights and history.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

For latest live/blog, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

I would agree with Fletcher  …. If Oceania is using an R4 ship that is good news. Larger vessels IMO don't belong in French Polynesia, to large for the small infrastructure. Oceania also uses the Marina which frequents FP, over twice the size as an R4 ship. A nice thing about the PG is when there is a large ship in port the captain will often change the route to make sure the PG isn't in a port at the same time as a large ship, makes it much more enjoyable for those on-board the PG. And frankly no one does FP better than the PG  ...  

[TLCOhio]

On 5/26/2019 at 10:58 AM, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

I would agree with Fletcher  …. If Oceania is using an R4 ship that is good news. Larger vessels IMO don't belong in French Polynesia, to large for the small infrastructure. Oceania also uses the Marina which frequents FP, over twice the size as an R4 ship. A nice thing about the PG is when there is a large ship in port the captain will often change the route to make sure the PG isn't in a port at the same time as a large ship, makes it much more enjoyable for those on-board the PG. And frankly no one does FP better than the PG  ...  

 

Appreciate these additional background insights and the continued great follow-ups from our California friend. YES, our Oceania Regatta is a R-Class ship with up to 684 passengers and a crew of 400.  That is the same size as the Nautica that we used and liked late last fall for our Athens to Dubai, 20-day sailing.  The Mariana, by contrast, has 1250 guests and 800 staff members.  For this area, the Regatta, especially after it will have been re-styled on its interiors, will be much better "sized" for the South Pacific than a larger ship.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

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