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Bora Bora

Bora Bora is is perhaps one of the most magical places on the earth. The
legends, mysteries, and romances associated with the name “Bora Bora” bring an
almost mystical presence to the island. It is an island in the Leeward group of
the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific
Ocean. The island, located about 230 km northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a
lagoon and a barrier reef. In the centre of the island are the remnants of an extinct
volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727
m.

Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its aqua-centric
luxury resorts. The major settlement, Vaitape, is on the western side of the main island,
opposite the main channel into the lagoon. Produce of the island is mostly limited to
what can be obtained from the sea and the plentiful coconut trees, which were
historically of economic importance for copra.

The island was first inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 4th century AD.
The first European sighting was made by Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. James
Cook sighted the island in 1770 and landed that same year. The London Missionary
Society arrived in 1820 and founded a Protestant church in 1890. Bora Bora was
an independent kingdom until 1888 when its last queen Teriimaevarua III was forced to
abdicate by the French who annexed the island as a colony.

Today the island's economy is driven almost solely by tourism. Over the last few
years several resorts have been built on motu (small islands, from Tahitian) surrounding
the lagoon. Thirty years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over-the-waterbungalows on
stilts over the lagoon and today, over-water bungalows are a standard feature of most
Bora Bora resorts. The quality of those bungalows ranges from comparably cheap,
basic accommodations to very luxurious and expensive places to stay.

Most of the tourist destinations are aqua-centric; however it is possible to visit

attractions on land such as WWII cannons. Air Tahiti has five or six flights daily to
the Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mute from Tahiti (as well as from other islands). The
island is served by Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mute in the north, with Air Tahiti providing
daily flights to and from Papeete on Tahiti.

Public transport on the island is nonexistent. Rental cars and bicycles are the
recommended methods of transport. There are also small fun-cars for hire in Vaitape. It
is possible to rent a motorboat to explore the lagoon.

Snorkeling and scuba diving in and around the lagoon of Bora Bora are popular
activities. Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water. There
are a few dive operators on the island offering manta ray dives and also shark-feeding
dives.

In addition to the existing islands of Bora Bora, the new man-made motu of Motu
Marfo has been added in the north-eastern corner of the lagoon on the property of the
St. Regis Resort.

Most rainfall occurs during the summer months (November to April) and is
accompanied by high humidity, although clear days are not unknown in the middle of
January.
Language

The main languages that are spoken by people in Bora Bora Island are French and
Tahitian although most inhabitants that inter-act with visitors have good comprehension
of the English language. Most tourists that visit the island are Americans, Japanese and
Europeans.

Some key words for in the local language in Bora Bora include:

● Hello - Ia Ora na (yo-rah-nah)

● Goodbye - Nana (nah-nah)
● Yes - E (ay)
● No - Aita (eye-tah)
● Man - Tane (tah-nay)
● Woman - Vahine (vah-he-nay)
● Child - Tamarii (tah-ma-ree-ee)
● Friend - Hoa (ho-ah)