Bora Bora

InterContinental Tahiti

In Meenu's words, 2024Ia Orana, welcome to Tahiti.

We flew United from San Francisco on 1 February and landed in Papeete that evening. Musicians were playing as we arrived, and we were greeted with garlands of flowers. The package's transfer took us to the InterContinental Tahiti for the night.

Daylight showed us the view. A turquoise pool ran down towards the ocean, with Moorea on the horizon. We had breakfast by the water, found a waterfall pouring through a rock arch beside the pool, and walked along the hotel's lagoon, where the palms were reflected in still water.

Late that morning a shared transfer took us back to the airport for our Air Tahiti flight.

Air Tahiti to Bora Bora

Our flight to Bora Bora was a propeller plane, and it stopped at Raiatea on the way. From the window we watched reefs and lagoons pass below. Then Bora Bora appeared, with Otemanu rising behind a long, sandy reef island.

Bora Bora's airport sits on a motu, a small island on the reef, so the last stretch was by boat. We crossed the lagoon in fresh flower garlands, with Otemanu across the water.

Four Seasons Bora Bora

In Meenu's words, 2024Overwater bungalow with majestic Otemanu view.

Our villa stood over the lagoon off Motu Tehotu and faced Otemanu across the water. A bottle was on ice when we walked in, with two glasses, red hibiscus flowers and a painted card of the island. Lunch came to the deck that first afternoon, and Praddy came out for it in his bathrobe.

That evening a seabird landed on our railing and the sky behind Otemanu turned orange. After sunset the lagoon went still enough to hold the peak's reflection. The next afternoon we stood under a thatched roof with the light behind the mountain for the photo above. Inside, the bath faced a window onto the lagoon.

We were there for Praddy's birthday. We celebrated with a chocolate cake and a Happy Birthday banner, with Otemanu behind us. On our last day there was a handwritten note and a chocolate dessert on the villa table.

On the lagoon

In Meenu's words, 2024Relaxing away with turquoise lagoon and sand beneath the feet, under coconut huts.

On our first full day we went out on a boat. The wind blew our hair everywhere, we drank Rotui mango juice from Tahiti, and we snorkelled over the coral. Then we stretched out on the bow with Otemanu behind us. We sent our drone up that day too, for the view at the top of this page.

After that the clouds came in, and one morning it rained at breakfast. By the water we found a sign about the worm sea cucumber, one of the creatures living in the lagoon. Later we settled under a thatched hut on the beach with fresh coconuts, and Meenu waded into the shallows with hers.

On our last night, dinner ended with a Bon Voyage plate, and dancers in feathered headdresses posed for photos with us. On the last morning Meenu found the swing between the palms, with the overwater villas and a cloud-capped Otemanu beyond. In the afternoon the boat and Air Tahiti took us back to Papeete for the flight home.