BORA BORA Bora Borabora 156 © Lonelyplanetpublications (Guesthouses), Often Situated Onsomeofthebestreal Estate, Inwhichtorest Yourhead

BORA BORA Bora BoraBora 156 © LonelyPlanetPublications (guesthouses), often situated onsomeofthebestreal estate, inwhichtorest yourhead. an outriggercanoe. Borahasplentyofquaintfamily Ifmoney’sanyobject, over affairandbreakfast from isserved turquoiseseas,dinnerisamulticoursecandle-lit ofplaceswhereto pamperyourevery theglass-floored whim –thekinds bungalowshover entrance fee. resorts toseriouslyindulge,Borahasplentyoffive-star Ifyou’re looking island JamesCookbaptisedasthe‘pearlofPacific’ every pennyofthe isworth purchasing,thatit’soverpriced,worth overdeveloped andoverhyped. argue thatthe Others more here thananywhere elseinFrench Polynesia,andsomesaythisisoneparadisenot pleasures: butyou’llhave theheftypriceattached. todecideifthey’re worth naughty exotica by theplaneloadwithapotent potionofostentatiously slightly hip,oh-so-romantic, most famousdream destinations,Boralures honeymooners,heiresses andmovie stars againstcrystal-clearaqualagoons.of jaggedvolcanicpeaksjuxtaposed Oneoftheworld’s only foritslushbeautybutalsohedonisticdecadence,thisislandisafairy-talecreation the luxurytrappingsyouknowdon’tneedbutjustcan’tlive without.Legendary not Bora willseduceyouintobuyingtheCadillac ofparadises,theoneloadedwithall

HIGHLIGHTS There’s nodoubtBoraisoverpriced andbasicaccommodationcost –bothtop-end

POPULATION: 5757 on asecluded,sandy aboatandspendingdaystrandedHiring Bora attheswish dance performance heavenly cocktailsduringatraditional by feasting ontraditionalfoodthensipping and visuallystimulatingevening adventure onaromantic,gastronomic Embarking the tripacross orjet-skiing on asnorkelling Ogling thefish,coralandtranslucentwater idyllic Admiring thelushscenery,lagoonand luxury resorts andmostdreamythe world’sswankiest Moana BeachBora royaltyatthe Living like lagoon motu ( p165) (p161) (islet)ona . Awickedseductress, thisislandtempts withaPandora’s box ofguilty

motu boat tour Intercontinental 15) oe of one ( p165), (p170) Hotel ( p162)

AREA:47 SQ KM Bora Hotel Bora Moana Beach Intercontinental Lagoon Bora pensions très cher

is dependent ontourism butisatriskof island. It’s afragilesituation: theisland larly intheremote northernparts of the more rubbishthanyou’dhope to,particu- andsmell Butyou’llstillsee mon sight. children are oncleaningbees afairlycom- up Borainrecent years, and local is irreversible. aqua onceagain,butthedamage tothe coral pass intoitslagoon.Thewater isaspark ling particularly vulnerable asithasonlyone entire Pacific wasaffected, Borawas like whispers the Chinese in2001.Although bleached coral(theresult of ElNiño)spread in place. island duringthewar;allbutoneare still naval cannonswere aroundthe installed massive national airport.Eight seven-inch in 1961,thiswasFrench Polynesia’sinter- days. UntilFaa’a airportonTahiti opened remindermost useful) of frenetic those runway onMotuMute istheclearest (and were onBoraBora. stationed Todaythe the islandand,atitspeak,upto6000men to mid-1946OperationBobcattransformed of Pearl Harbor in1941.Fromearly1942 here,tablished prompted bythebombing in 1888. hiti in1842)untiltheislandwasannexed a French protectorate over (established Ta- for supreme powerover Tahiti, butresisted Bora supported Pomare inhispush ontheislandin1820. wasestablished base and aLondonMissionary Society(LMS) on hisfirst voyage toFrench Polynesia, ors of Boraattheirmostexpansive. managedOnly Huahine toresist thewarri- ally defensive populationof fiercewarriors. Bora Bora,landpressures created an unusu- Bora. toruleBora hissonOhatatama sent Ra’iatea, myth, thelegendary Hiro,thefirst kingof islandafter Accordingtolocal tant Ra’iatea. that thismayhave themostimpor- been translatesroughly as‘first-born’, indicating gan islandof name. thesame ‘BoraBora’ fromtheTon- byinhabitants was colonised Vava’u, perhapssupportingthetheorythatit In ancienttimes,theislandwasknownas HISTORY www.lonelyplanet.com There toclean ageneral hasbeen effort Reports of adiscoloured lagoon and During wases- WWII aUSsupplybase James Borain1769 Cooksighted Due totheshortage of groundon level Bora visitor information centre number of shops,hotels andsupermarkets. ata the island;phonecardscanbebought can contact can contact Vaitape andhasloadsofpamphlets andotherinfo. h sanaly &DrBoutry Post office Pharmacy L’Appetisserie medical centre idea toinquire first atyourhotel. There’s a can exchange theATM. moneyoruse Socredoand Banque inVaitape, where you There are branches of dePolynésie Banque INFORMATION ern extremity of theouter reef edge. The airportisonMotuMute atthenorth- is atFarepiti, Vaitape between and Faanui. for tourists.Thequayinter-island ships main town,butMatira Pointistheanchor is theonlypassintolagoon. Teavanui Pass onBoraBora’swestern side lets) edgingmostof theouter reef. The encircles theisland,withsandy runs aroundthecoast. width atthewidestpoint.A32kmroad from northtosouthandisabout4kmin Mt Otemanu (727m). to MtHue(619m),Pahia (661m)and rising mountainous, Bora isspectacularly Iti are fragmentsof theoldcrater rim.Bora land, andMotuToopua form Povai atthesoutherntipof Bay theis- hasbroken intothecratertraced; thesea to rim of theancientvolcanocanbeeasily around three orfourmillionyears ago. The Bora wascreated byvolcanicactivity ORIENTATION part of theworld. managed, thisisatrulybeautiful because actcanbe hopethejuggling threat. Let’s drawcard –marinelife under –isseriously timeitsmajorment, whileatthesame deterring visitors of because overdevelop- 2500 CFP)Internetaccess inVaitape. Vaitape, justnearLe Cocotierrestaurant. 8am-noon&5-6pm Sat,9-9.30amSun)In Mon-Fri, There are publictelephones allaround If you need medical assistance, it’sagood medicalassistance, If youneed Dusty Vaitape, southof thepass,is A wide,sheltered andnavigable lagoon The mainislandstretches for about9km 7.30am-4pm Mon-Fri) Theofficeis on thequayat 7.30am-4pm Mon-Fri) ( ( % % ( 67 7030; Dr Juen

% 67 7074)In themiddleofVaitape. ( % BORA BORA •• History BORA ••History

67 7888;Centre Le perhr Pahia; ( 67 7077) %

h ( 67 7795) % 8am-noon &3.30-6pm inVaitape, oryou 67 7062) . ( or % motu 67 7636; Dr Rous-

(is- 157 BORA BORA BORA BORA BORA Br Bora Bora 158 0 2 km 0 1 mile BORA BORA BORA

A B C Muri Muri D E F ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ( La Vallée Blanche) Vaitape INFORMATION SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES 59 Banque de Polynésie & Alain Gerbault Monument...10 A2 ATM...... 1 A2 Aqua Safari...... (see 48) 1 Motu 1 8 Pitoraverahi Banque de Tahiti & ATM...2 A2 Bora Bora Nui...... (see 33) Motu Airport Banque Socredo...... 3 A2 Bora Bora Parasail...... 11 B5 58 Mute Bora Bora Visitors Information Bora Diving Centre...... 12 D6 Vaitoto Pt Centre...... 4 A2 Diveasy...... 13 B6 6 Gendarmerie (Police Jessie L...... (see 41) Airport Motu Station)...... 5 A2 Lagoonarium...... 14 F4 ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄCentre Le 60 West Point Quay Motu Paahi Pahia Motu Tane Ome L’Appetisserie...... 6 A1 Marae Aehua-tai...... 15 E4 44 Medical Centre...... 7 A2 Marae Fare-Opu...... 16 C3 Vaitape Pharmacy...... 8 A1 Marae Marotetini...... 17 C4 Post Office...... 9 A3 Marae Taharuu...... 18 E4 7 Marae Taianapa...... 19 C4 Motu Moute 56 Matira Jet Tours...... 20 A6 2 4 2 3 Matira Tours Excursions.....(see 35) 10 5 Moana Adventure Tours..... 21 D6 73 Musée de la Marine...... 22 D3 Motu Ite 2 Nemo World...... (see 45) ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ74 23 Ocean Life Experience...... 23 A2 1 Taihi Pt Quay Otemanu Tours...... 24 C4 9 Ranch Reva Reva...... 25 F7 Papua Pt Submarine Dock...... 26 C3 Vairupe Bay Hitiaa 0 200m 72 Motu Tevairoa Bay Teremoana Tours...... (see 34) 0 0.1 miles 76 Tupuna Mountain Safari...... 27 D6 TV Tower...... 28 D6 Paoeo Pt Paorie G Bay Tereia Pt Outurau Pt ὄὄ3 ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ3 Motu Popotei 22 Taimoo Ridge Puhia Pt Tofari 33 26 16 Bay

Faanui Bay Outuareho Pt

Airport Shuttle Ferry 75 G Coastal Defence Guns Farepiti Pt Faanui Haamaire www.lonelyplanet.com Bay Motu G ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄAhuna 17 Mtὄὄ18 Mataihua (314m) 15 Inter-Island Ships G Fitiiu Pt G Vairau Teavanui Pass Bay 4 Manta Reef 4 19 Tapu Pahua Pt 24 Mt Hue 43 (619m) 50 14 ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ 66 B o r a B o rὄὄ a Bora www.lonelyplanet.com ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄOutupiti Pt Mt Pahia Mt Mt Pahonu See Vaitape Vaitape (661m) Otemanu Anau (139m) 48 Motu Enlargement (727m) Tapu 30 65 Nunue 45 Moutara 54 78 11 5 67 63 5 61 Tiipoto Pererau Pt 62 G 42 29 ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ57 Motu ὄὄὄ Toopua Vaiotaha Pt 38 Mohio Pt 40 77 Taahana Bay Povai Bay 31 Mt Mauaohunoa 71 (148m) 69 Motu Eagle Channel 46 Piti Aau Rofau Aponapu 47 53 Belvédère Bay Tehou (Lookout) Bay 64 52 Bay 70 68 32 21 51 ὄὄὄ6 ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ41 Manta Pass ὄὄὄPaoaoa Pt 6 55 36 37 34 Motu Faaopore 0 200m Toopuaiti 27 Mt Pahonu Bay (139m) 0 0.1 miles 20 28 13 12 Matira Pt 35 Raititi Pt 39 Taahana Matira Point Bay Rofau Bay 49 ὅὅὅ Motu 25 ὄὄὄSLEEPINGὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄPension Maeva – Chez Restaurant Matira...... (see 40) ὄὄὄPiti Uu Uta Motu Blue Lagoon...... 29 D5 Rosine Masson...... 47 A6 Snack La Bounty...... 61 A5 Piti Uu Tai Fareone Pt ὅὅὅ Bora Bora Lagoon Resort..30 C5 Sofitel Marara...... 48 B5 Snack Matira...... 62 A5 Tupitipiti Pt Bora Bora Lagoonarium....31 E6 Sofitel Motu...... 49 D7 Snack Patoti...... 63 A5 7 See Matira Point 7 Bora Bora Nui Resort & Topdive Bora Bora...... 50 C4 Snack Restaurant Enlargement Aquarium Spa...... 32 C6 Village Pauline...... 51 D6 Moi Here...... 64 A6 Bora Bora Pearl Beach Village Temanuata...... 52 A6 Tiare Market...... 65 A5 Resort...... 33 B3 Tipanié...... (see 43) Coral Garden Chez Nono...... 34 A6 EATING Chez Robertὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ & Tina...... 35 B6 Bamboo House Restaurant..53 D6 DRINKING Chez Rosina...... 36 D6 Ben’s Place...... 54 A5 Le Recife Discotheque..... 66 C4 Club Med...... 37 D6 Bloody Mary’s...... 55 D6 Eden Beach...... 38 F5 Bora Kaina Hut...... (see 51) SHOPPING South Point Tupitipiti Hotel Bora Bora...... 39 D6 Chez Richard...... 56 A2 Atelier Despert...... 67 A5

Hotel Matira...... 40 A5 Fare Tama’a Maitai Boutique Gauguin...... 68 D6 TRANSPORT BORA Intercontinental Moana Restaurant...... 57 A5 Centre Artisanal de Air Tahiti...... 73 A2 Beach Bora Bora...... 41 A6 Le Cocotier...... 58 A1 Bora Bora...... (see 4) Europcar...... 74 A2 8 Le Maitai Polynesia...... 42 A5 Le Panda d’Or...... 59 A1 Galerie Alain et Linda...... 69 D6 Fare Piti Rent-a-Car...... (see 42) 8 Le Méridien Bora Bora...... 43 F4 Magasin Chin Lee...... 60 A2 Jardin Gauguin...... (see 68) Farepiti Quay...... 75 C4 S O U T H P A C I F I C Le Paradis...... ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ44 C2 Matira Terrace...... (see 39) Matira Pearls...... 70 A6 Fredo & Fils Rent-a-Car...76 A3 Novotel Bora Bora Hotel Noa Noa...... (see 41) OPEC...... (see 68) Heli-Inter Polynésie...... (see 73) O C E A N

& Beach Resort...... 45 B5 Otemanu...... (see 30) Salon de Tatouages...... 71 A6 Miki Miki Jet Ski...... 77 A5 159

Pension Anau...... 46 E6 Restaurant Fare Manuia...(see 52) Tamanu Galerie d’Art...... 72 A3 René & Maguy...... 78 A5 BORA BORA BORA