Questions on Bora Bora

[S&B]

If you do not take the sunset cruise in Bora Bora is there anything to do in the evening? OTher than going to Bloody Mary's? I cannot think of just staying on the ship when we are in port.

 

We are currently booked with the 4X4 the afternoon we get there (1 p.m.) and then the next morning we are going on the snorkel safari and ray ballet. I did hear one bad review about the ray ballet. Has anyone else taken that? Are there better places to snorkel? Pick up a snorkel trip on the dock?

 

This might be a question that noone can answer but James Michener calls the island the Most Beautiful Place on Earth. Someone once said he was referring to one of the lagoons which has now become a hotel spot. For all of your history buffs out there do know what he was referring to or was it the whole island. I tried reading his book but did not get it finished. Our son has all of his books (in hard bound which you cannot get anymore).

 

Thanks alot. :)

[tahitisweetie]

we used moana tours for a shark/ray feeding coral gardens snorkel and they were wonderful!!! the ray feeding was the best; we swam with them in a most beautiful part of the lagoon for close to 30 minutes! i loved the shark feeding, too, but I almost didnt get out of the boat; but then i did (for 5 minutes--but, hey, i did actually get in the water with them; this tour company does a wonderful job;

in the evening, we went to bloddy mary's--it was a lot of fun; they pick you up at the dock at 6 pm; we had drinks until 8 pm; came back and ate on board; could have eaten at bloody mary's, as there was an 11 o'clock tender, too; otherwise 8 pm was second to last tender; so you are somewhat limited in what you can do that evening; i didn't feel like waiting until 11 to be tendered back, so we had our drinks,and returend and it was a lot of fun; the restaurant retruns you to the dock free of charge, too; others stayed on and ate and loved it; another option is to wait until 8 pm to go (tender in around 7:30) as they pick you up at 8 also, and then return you in time for the 11 tender; otherwise, there is actually a cute little town right there that you could visit for drinks and dinner; we spent 3 hours during the day enjoying it; you could also take a cab to hotel bora bora and have dinner--your 4X4 sounds great--i wish we had done that, but by the end of the cruise, we were glad just to walk around and relax on foot-

tahitisweetie

[fishman620]

S&B....not long to go before we see you on the cruise!! We are doing Teiva Tours shark/ray feeding excursion. It came highly recommended to us. their email address is teivatours@mail.pf

They also have a website. Here is the information they emailed to us.

"Hello

Thank you for your interested about our tour. We do the half day trip which is shark and ray feeding, snorkeling at the coral garden and tour around the island in a good ambiance. back at noon.

The cost is 60 US$ each.

Thank you to let me know if you want to book.

Regards

TEIVA"

[JRoeT]

otherwise, there is actually a cute little town right there that you could visit for drinks and dinner; we spent 3 hours during the day enjoying it;

 

Is this little town right near the ship tender area? If you have a moment and could describe what is there, that would be great! Thanks.

[S&B]

Hi Fishman,

I emailed Teiva Tours and they responded right away. It seems there is so much to do in these ports and so little time to do it. I know why people want to keep returning. I told DH we would not be able to do two excursions in one day because we could not get tendered back to the ship and then get back in town in time for the next excursion. His response was: Oh, we can just stay in town and skip lunch. :( Pick up the next tour from the dock.

 

Cheers! :)

 

(Many years ago we took our two sons and my mother to Europe. She was a widow at the age of 60. I was tired and wanted to take a nap and she informed me that I could take a nap at home. We didn't come to Europe to take naps!!) My mother is gone now but I still remember the comment.

[Aussie Gal]

S&B,

 

What a wonderful Mother you must have had. I agree with her sentiments entirely. Life is for living and we don't have that long, so enjoy every minute as we are dead a long time.

 

Jennie

[fishman620]

S&B,

Glad you could join us on the Teiva Tour, Trobrah, will be with us too. We're leaving on this Saturday for our pre-cruise in Moorea...I can't even sleep anymore, I'm so excited!

Fishman's wife

[fishman620]

oh oh S&B, I just read your Original post again and I think you won't be on the same teiva tours as us...Ours is in the morning of 8/23, is yours in the afternoon?

[lalawgirl]

I took the Princess Ray Balley and Snorkel in April. It was alright, nothing very special. The highlight for me was the snorkel, which takes you out quite far -- a few of us actually swam to the break, which was a really neat thing.

 

Others on our boat picked up snorkelling tours at the dock whicht they seemed to enjoy more. There were quite a few tour companies at the dock in Bora Bora (more than any other island it seemed).

[S&B]

Hi Fishman,

We would be going in the morning with Teiva Tours. The next post after yours made a comment about the Ray Ballet with Princess. I had heard this from someone else. I can cancel that one with Princess. In the afternoon that we arrive we are going to take a 4x4 tour of Bora Bora. Then in the afternoon of the 23rd I want to shop. I don't know what I am shopping for but I want something from Bora Bora. It might only be a seashell. ;)

 

I really don't know what is on these islands to bring back home. I should start a thread about seashells. A friend of ours wants us to pick up some unusual seashell from FP. He has a huge collection.

 

Boy, do we need to have a "chat" before our two husbands meet. When my DH finds out that your DH goes to Alaska to fish in the summer I will never hear the end of it. We went on a cruise with NCL and he wanted to fish soooooo bad. He likes to go in the gulf when he can.

 

Better go. We are having another terrible storm today.

[lalawgirl]

I really don't know what is on these islands to bring back home. I should start a thread about seashells. A friend of ours wants us to pick up some unusual seashell from FP. He has a huge collection.

 

 

Why pearls, of course. You will also find a lot of handmade jewelry (much cheaper than pearls) for sale on every island, which incorporate seashells and mother of pearl.

[S&B]

Hi,

I want something I can put on my coffee table, etc. Is there anything like that? I know there are some carvings on some of the islands. Don't think I would want it on the coffee table but some place in the house. Something that I can say, that came from Bora Bora. :D

 

My friend says I won't find anything but don't count on that. I always manage to find something. I also will have to bring back a Christmas ornament because I have this special tree from places we have been. I might have to buy a piece of jewelry and make my own ornament.

[kakalina]

Hi S&B:

yes, there are many varied and lovely things you can purchase in Bora Bora. There were some lovely handmade items of drift wood and flowers that would make a beautiful coffee table display. When you get off the ship if you turn right on the "main " road you will find houses that are shops. The one I'm thinking of has some wonderful outdoor furniture of bamboo outside. They had some choice items.

If you are going to Papeete also, the Bon Marche there has everything you can imagine and many things you couldn't ( or wouldn't necessarily want too). They have many marvelous household items and such. Also the most lovely flower arrangements priced just right for taking on board for your room. Have a wonderful time.

[S&B]

Kakalina,

Thanks so much for your suggestions. Do you remember if they will take US$ or do they prefer FP currency? I don't want to draw too much FP currency out of the ATM and then have it left over. Are there other places in FP that you shopped?

 

I see that you have cruised on the Statendam. Have you gone to AUS/NZ yet? We would like to do that but there seems to be so many "sea days" involved.

 

Thanks again.

[kakalina]

The exchange rate when we were there in Jan/Feb was $1 for $1. We have rarely had to exchange currency anywhere we have traveled. Everyone seems quite happy to accept good old American dollars..

 

The Statendam is our favorite ship! She was our first. We haven't done that particular cruise as generally it requires flying and DH does not fly, ever. So until we take the full 64 day that is RT we probably won't get there in the forseeable future. It is a place I have particularly wanted to go to.

[Luvcrusin']

Is it possible to do both the Teiva Tour & the Taravana Sunset cruise? Is it a bit too much for one day? Which is more highly recommended??

[fishman620]

I'll be able to tell you at the end of August about Teiva and Taravana.

Our cruise on the 8/15 TP comes into BoraBora at around noon on 8/22 so we are just going into Bloody Mary's and have a drink with fellow CC'ers, then go on the Taravana cruise at 5 pm, the next morning on 8/23 is when we take the Teiva shark/ray feeding snorkel excursion.

[Taxi]

Hi,

 

Does anyone know how to contact Damien Dunund? He does tours on Bora Bora?

 

Thanks, Carol

[Wendy The Wanderer]

In answer to the original question, remember that sunset is about 6 p.m., so it's a before-dinner activity. I have heard that there is quite a bit of nightlife, but it's all down at the other end of the island, around Matira Beach, but I can't vouch for that--have a look at a good guidebook if you want to spend the evening out. I'm not a fan of Bloody Mary's, but lots of people like it.

 

As for jewellery, the mother of pearl jewellery is very nice, beautifully coloured, and cheap.