Bora Bora - Culture

Bora Bora - Unquestionably the most mythical of the Pacific islands remains the island of all dreams.
So much has been written about Bora Bora, and yet it is hard to find the right words to describe the magic that emanates from this island.

Seen from the air, the view has been compared to that of "a tiny emerald in a setting of turquoise, encircled by a sheltering necklace of sparkling pearls".

The airport, built by the US forces in 1942, is located on a palm fringed motu about 20 minutes by boat from the main village of Vaitape.

Some other remnant of the US presence are 2 large cannons hidden in the lush hills overlooking the lagoon.

The view of the main island from the airport is truly breathtaking, and as you travel across the spectacular lagoon you will soon understand why it is the main area of attraction for most visitors.

The island itself is rather small, and can be circled by car in about an hour.

The lagoon is 3 times the size of the land mass and offers History an amazing range of hues of blue and turquoise as you navigate its crystal waters.

To the southeast of the island is the Coral Garden, a natural underwater park where all types of fish and corals are found.
Off the Point Matira there is an area where the huge and graceful manta rays congregate for your viewing pleasure. There are other types of ray such as the beautiful spotted ray and the friendly grey ray which love to be petted during the "ray feeding" excursions.
At the entrance of the pass, the "White valley" teems with grey sharks and barracudas in a never ending ballet. Most of the temples (Marae) having been destroyed during the last century by the English missionaries, and unfortunately there is little archaeological remnants left.

The lagoon offers a multitude of activities and excursions, one of the most popular being the Shark feeding , where from chest-deep water you watch local divers feed 4' to 5' reef sharks by hand. It's a lot of fun and totally safe. The same routine is done with a large group of friendly grey rays.

You can also take a circle-the-lagoon excursion with motu picnic, visit the Lagoonarium near Le Meridien Hotel and take a 4x4 excursion to the panoramic view points and the US cannons.