Bora Bora and the St. Regis Resort

photo by Google Maps

Where is Bora Bora?

Bora Bora (part of French Polynesia) is located in the South Pacific, about 3500 miles west of South America, 3000 miles east of Australia, and 4000 miles south of California. This geological oddity is truly one of the most amazing places on our planet. Believe it or not, it only takes about 8-1/2 hours to get there from Los Angeles and is only 2-3 hours behind the Pacific Time Zone (depending on the time of year). Both Air France and Air Tahiti Nui offer direct flights to Papeete, Tahiti from LAX. A smaller (Air Tahiti) propeller plane can take you to Bora Bora in about 30 minutes. The best travel time is roughly April to October in order to avoid really hot weather and lots of rain. During this time the temperature ranges from 70-90 degrees F and it is almost always breezy.

Part of the outlying reef

High Islands to Atolls

Bora Bora was formed roughly 7 million years ago by volcanic eruption forming Mt Otemanu, the once active volcano and main feature on the island. As time passed, the volcano became extinct and collapsed on itself. Year after year, the island began to sink (due to subsidence) and coral reefs began to grow around the perimeter and form a reef. As the island continued to sink, the reefs continued to grow, expand, and erode. The eroding coral became brilliant white sand with the same consistency as finely milled flour and filled the lagoon between the island and reef. At certain points, the while sand piled up on top of old reef sections to form a low island, or motu. Bora Bora has 20 (or so) motus where most of the hi-end resorts have built their decadent retreats. My wife and I were lucky enough to spend our honeymoon at the St. Regis Resort, on motu Ome, this past September.

Arriving at the St. Regis

When we arrived on the island, we were quickly whisked away by a small speedboat to the St. Regis Resort. The multi-cultural staff was young and extremely eager to please. After a quick check-in, we were taken to our bungalow by golf cart.

Overwater bungalows

The main reason we chose to stay at the St. Regis was for their deluxe overwater bungalows. The design is clean and modern yet still holds a distinct Tahitian flavor. The controlled use of color was very well balanced with the bright blue of the surrounding water. Nearly everywhere you look, you are presented with near CoolAid Blue water color, sand, greenery, and warm richness of natural Teak wood. It is simply gorgeous.

Inside the bungalow

The interior of our bungalow was equally as stunning. The canopy bed was large and pointed straight out towards the sliding glass doors, deck, and water. The bathroom was nearly as large as the bedroom and had a lovely Toto bathtub, open-air standing shower, private toilet, and dual sinks. An adjoining living room had another set of sliding glass doors, plenty of windows and even glass panels on the floor for revealing the blue water. The outside deck was designed in a way that you could barely see your next door neighbors, offering great privacy and instant access to the water.

What to eat

Suprisingly, the food at the St. Regis is extremely good, but a little over-priced. I would say that the meals are French with a Tahitian twist. Local fruits and seafood are nicely integrated into a well balanced menu. The morning baked goods, fresh fruit, and smoothies were so good and I will probably think about them for the rest of my life. Room service was excellent and offered the opportunity to eat outdoors on the deck, looking out into the lagoon. There are two restaurants at the resort (one casual, one fancy) that have great food and drinks.

What to do - Sailing

There are quite a few outdoor activities to partake in at the St. Regis. By far, the best times we had were on Stefan's sailboat. Stefan works for St. Regis and offers quick or day long excursions on his bright orange sailboat. On two separate occasions, we had the St. Regis kitchen prepare a delicious picnic basket (full of sandwiches, fresh fruit, and homemade potato chips) which we took on Stefan's boat for a 4-6 hour sailing trip. We covered most of the southern and eastern sides of Bora Bora, zig-zagging between the island and nearby motus driven by nothing but the strong breeze and fresh clean air. Being surrounded by nothing but the flapping sounds of the canvas sail, waves breaking against the hull of the boat, and the exquisite nature of the island is more than words or pictures can describe. It is near perfect serenity and offers complete solace and detachment from normal life.

What to do - Tourist stuff

The staff at St. Regis was very anxious to plan any sort of tourist excursion for us. Since this was a packaged honeymoon deal, we had a few trips included with our stay. We first went on an island 4x4 jeep safari which takes you on a several hour ride around and through the island. Once you travel a hundred feet above sea level, the views of the island and surrounding motus are breathtaking. Our driver and guide gave us a good history lesson on the island and Tahitian people.

We also took part in a stingray and shark feeding and short snorkeling trip to the ocean side of the reef. I must admit that the stingray and shark feeding was extremely cheesy and a bit unethical. After so many years of conducting these feeding excursions, the local stingray and sharks (most lemon sharks about 5' long) have grown accustomed to getting fed by humans instead of hunting for themselves. If these trips had not already been included in our package, I would definitely not have paid for them.

The Night Life

Surprisingly, there was not too much to do after sunset in Bora Bora. In fact, this was the biggest complaint of the mostly young, French, and wanting to dance staff at the St. Regis. Most things shut down by 9-10pm on the island (including water taxi shuttles to and from the island) but room and butler services are available at anytime. There are two great restaurants and poolside bar at the resort, offering fantastic food and quite a few delicious drinks. The local Tahitian beer is rather tasty as well. We made use of the free DVD rentals and the wide-screen Sony TV in our bedroom nearly every night. For us, it was quite pleasant to fall asleep early and wake up to watch the sunrise.

Conclusions

There is just too much to describe about Bora Bora and our stay at the St. Regis for this hubpage. It was definitely the trip of a lifetime. We will have the images, smells, and sounds burned into our memory forever. There is really no place like it on earth.

If you are considering a trip to Bora Bora, you can use a travel agent (much easier but more expensive) or plan the trip yourself (harder but cheaper). We were not able to find any books or travel guides specifically about Bora Bora. The travel books and guides were either about Tahiti and/or all of French Polynesia, with no more than 10 pages devoted to Bora Bora. There are a bunch of tourism related links online regarding Bora Bora and French Polynesia. If you have any specific questions, feel free to leave a comment or attempt to email me. I'll do my best to respond. Thanks for looking.

Here are a few helpful links...

	VERY RARE TAHITIAN BLACK PEARL & SHELL CHOKER BORA BORA TAHITI FRENCH POLYNESIA Current Bid: $34.99
	French Polynesia 180, Used, 1955 Girl of Bora Bora Current Bid: $4.49
	French Polynesia Sc 180 MNH Girl of Bora Bora - 1955 Current Bid: $8.66
	Bora Bora Island ART POSTER French Polynesia Tropical Current Bid: $5.99

	Moon Tahiti Amazon Price: $10.25 List Price: $19.95
	Frommer's Tahiti and French Polynesia (Frommer's Complete Guides) Amazon Price: $10.34 List Price: $19.99
	Tahiti & French Polynesia Guide Amazon Price: $11.32 List Price: $19.95
	Lonely Planet Tahiti and French Polynesia (Country Travel Guide) Amazon Price: $14.09 List Price: $22.99

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vic 5 years ago

This place is heavenly.... Now, all I have to do is to save some money and get over my flying phobia and I'll be set to do it!

livelonger Level 6 Commenter 5 years ago

If it weren't for your pictures, I wouldn't believe that a place like this could exist.

Ketz Patel 5 years ago

Wow, this place looks gorgeous. One thing, the images on the website are far glossier then your real-time photos. One question, my fiance and i are both vegetarians, do they offer a good selection of vegetarian food? Did you visit any other resorts in the area and think, if only we stayed here instead? all your help is much appreciated as i want to provide the best honeymoon ever.

cityplus Hub Author 5 years ago

Ketzel, thanks for your comment. Hubpages provides this service for free. I think that they compress the images so that the resolution and file size is smaller. I can email you more pictures (glossier and higher resolution) if you want. Honestly, the water and surroundings look better than any photo you will find. As far as vegetarian options.... Each restaurant had at least 1 veggie option. The St. Regis was hi-scale enough that if you ask the chef or room service to prepare a vegetarian meal, they will do it, and it will be good. You can always email them and find out. I had emailed them before our visit and they wrote back quickly.Last, there were no other places that looked nicer (in our opinion) than the St. Regis. You are welcome at nearly all the resorts to eat meals and hang out, although we didn't. Let me know if you have any other ?'s and congratulations on the upcoming wedding/honeymoon!

hannahb 5 years ago

thanks for all the great feedback. i've been trying to choose a place in Bora Bora and your review really helps. i do have a question though...i keep reading about the construction for the new Four Seasons going on near the St. Regis. Was this something that you noticed? Was it noisy? or did the construction seem "ugly" in your otherwise perfect location? I have construction going on near where i live, and the thought of that while on vacation, ugh! Also, what about the privacy? i read that there are other resorts nearby and that some people didn't feel much privacy because of that...what is your feeling on that?

Thanks so much for any feedback.

cityplus Hub Author 5 years ago

First, I want to apologize to Ketz (I spelled your name wrong and can't seem to edit it). hannahb, We did see the new 4 seasons being built. Luckily our bungalow did not face out towards the construction. We noticed it on the sailboat as we drifted by. The sound of the wind and breeze kills almost any type of sound further than 50 feet away. It would have been nice not to see the construction as you approach the St. Regis, but once we got into our room, it was the last thing on our minds. There are other parts of the main island that look much more industrial than the 4 seasons. The privacy at St. Regis is very good. We hardly saw any other guests during our visit (mainly at meals in the restuarant or pool). I think St. Regis has done an excellent job in controlling the number of visitors and even in the design and layout of the resort. It is very secluded and you have many opportunities to be alone. It also has a different feel (compared to the other resorts) that felt much less touristy. We went on a few excursions where we picked up other people from other resorts, and all the others felt more like epcot center. Email me if you have any other questions. Thanks!

Olivia 5 years ago

So Bora-Bora was created by volcanic eruptions 7 million years ago. That makes it 7 million years old right? or younger? and what about the time periods or eras? wheres that? So if it was 7 million years ago there shouldn't be any time period or era. Does anyone know where i can find any information? thanks!

cityplus Hub Author 5 years ago

Olivia, 7 million years old was a rough estimate provided by the Lonely Planet travel guide. I am not a geologist, so I don't have specific data. If 7 millions years is correct, this would fall in the Miocene Epoch. You can find out more information on geological eras here: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.html

S and J 5 years ago

Hi. my fiance' and i are planning a trip to the st. regis resort for our honeymoon in july 08. I was wondering, did u use a travel agent, or book yourself? and which do you recommend?

cityplus Hub Author 5 years ago

S&J, congratulations! As I wrote above, you can do either. Travel agent is easier and more expensive. Booking yourself is cheaper, harder, but you will get more for your money. We used Tahiti Legends,Â http://www.tahitilegends.com. However, from their website, it looks like they don't even book trips to St. Regis anymore. If we were going again, we would definitely take the time to book the trip ourselves. Email me if you have any other questions.

Jo 5 years ago

Hi,

we are going to Bora Bora - staying at ST regis mid septemeber 07. What will teh weather be like?

Also we are staying at the beach villa. Are these all the same? Are there any with better views?

cityplus Hub Author 5 years ago

Hi Jo. We were in Bora Bora around the same time as you were. Temperature ranged from around 65 degrees at night to 90 degrees in the sun with no wind. With the wind, the temperature seems to always be around 75-80 degrees. The beach villas we saw faced out towards the ocean and looked onto trees and seemed more secluded than the overwater bungalows. Some had small pools on the backside. You should email the St. Regis for more details about your reserved room.

da 5 years ago

thanks for this wonderful, informative, and candid write up. when you find something like this after hours of cheesy info from the hotels/agents, it's like discovering a gem in a mine. thanks again.

jeff 5 years ago

We were in Bora Bora March 2005 and will never forget this magical place. The St. Regis wasn't there yet and we stayed at the BB Lagoon Resort. I 've read countless reviews of Bora Bora Hotels and the people who complain the most about this place just didn't do the research or get an expert accounting of what to expect. Yes everything is very expensive, that should be your first clue. Since you're going to spend a ton of money anyway, why not stay at the best place and knowing the St. Regis brand we can't wait to go back. Don't expect too much, just relish in the fact that this place may be the closest that some people may ever get to heaven. Pictures will never paint an accurate picture and you will see ranges of the color blue found only in dreams. This place is definitely for lovers, albeit it honeymoon, anniversary or just to get away with the one you love, do go to bed early and do watch the glorious sunrise every morning.

Tim K 5 years ago

Going to BB in Sep 2007, but can't decide on West side or East side of the main island. Does anyone havea preference, or do you not think it matters.

JR 5 years ago

Going Bora bora - St regis sept 07, cant decide between over water bungalow or beach villas? Has anyone stayed at both to compare the two? which interior is better? Which is more private?

Angela Harris 5 years ago

I guess I have a new place to add to my list of 'future vacations'. Thanks for the useful information.

Aphroditei 5 years ago

Hi Cityplus! Just wanted to say Thank you for your hub. I was in born in Tahiti, spend most of my 14 years there, before my dad choose to come back to his country, Philippines. But nevertheless, I miss French Polynesia so much. And I'm glad you like Bora Bora too. It makes me so happy. Have you tried to visit Moorea? They have great resorts too there. And Tahiti is so beautiful too. Thank you a lot Cityplus! (^^,)

asapilot 4 years ago

Great shots of the bungalows! My dream vacation is to be there for a week, get up every morning, eat breakfast, and roll off the edge into the water where'd I'd snorkel all day. Ahh,someday...

http://www.travelpassport.info

Misha 4 years ago

Wow! One more place to see before I die. I'm putting it on the list :)

Sunshine Chen 4 years ago

So fantastic ! It is my first time to see such beautiful pics. Thank you for share.Maybe later I should put some Chinese pics in my hubpages for share...

SweetiePie Level 6 Commenter 4 years ago

Thank you for giving us some good information about this topic. I will be reading this hub more than once.

Pudstudmj 4 years ago

Guys, thanks for taking the time to post all this info. My girlfiend and I have booked travel to the resort for a week in June, and I'm trying to do my homework on what to expect, what to plan, and what to bring. You're kind energy has added to our preparation and anticipation. Thank you!!!

Akira 4 years ago

Nice! Reminds me that I planned on going last year for a reward to myself for certain accomplishments. Things don't always turn out as planned...but 2008 may be the year of Bora Bora for yours truly! Thanks for the reminder to take pleasure now :)

solarshingles 4 years ago

Wonderful place, wonderful photos, wonderful relaxing holidays. And the very name of Bora-Bora sounds so very cool and wild

TessieSetiabudi 4 years ago

Wow! This is a great hub! Looking at those beautiful pictures inspired me to work hard and go there for relaxation soon. Thank you.

efeglo 3 years ago

This place is very beautiful i must confess, wish i could visit a place like this in my liftime, at least to see the wonderful work of God. Thanks for your great work about Bora-Bora.

kay54 3 years ago

This place really makes me want to go there! The pictures are simply beautiful and clear! Thanks for sharing!

nawaz 3 years ago

This is very beautiful place in the world according to me . I like this place very much .I wish I could visit this place atleast once in my life time.

Alex 3 years ago

Your images are amazing pn this hub> Are they all original images?

adsensesecrets 2 years ago

This is great! I am planning a honeymoon here and LOVE your photos!

gurgel1 2 years ago

Wow.

SmartSugars 2 years ago

I just want to be there NOW!

Mofizur R. 2 years ago

Great information, I learned alot from it. Now I don't feel so discouraged since I am very new here. Big thanks.

David Harvey 2 years ago

Looks great! Now how do I get there?

Best Adult Diaper 2 years ago

Don't forget your diapers when you go.

electricsky 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your photos of South Pacific.

It looks like the Virgin Islands, only less populated.

joe 2 years ago

How much would you say a food budget for one person for a week at St. Regis would be?

Gabrielle 2 years ago

Are there any horses on the island? What would a daily allowance for meals for two people? Is there a market where you can purchase fresh fruits and veggies? Are you planning on going back? Do you have another adventure in mind? How about tipping? Should we convert our money or is the American dollar used there???

pisbala 2 years ago

it is really looking good . i think i have to spend some days in this island . please send details about that island.

para kazanmak 24 months ago

Thanks for share. Really great a island! I ll try to go there.

Bora Bora 23 months ago

Nice site...great job!!!

Bora Bora one of the most beautiful place on earth.

Con and Ritzy 23 months ago

We are planning a trip to Bora Bora, St Regis in Jul10 and have received further validation re our choice via your perspective.

Ideally we'd love to know more about some of the incidentals and costs such as watertaxis, average meal prices, tours, recommended restaurants etc..as it is difficult ascertaining this info

Any info you provide is certainly appreciated - We

can't wait!

pinaki99 23 months ago

Wow!This is just fantastic, I'd definitely like to visit this place. Thanks for giving a look for beauty of the nature :)

Banner Buzz 23 months ago

Great, Your hub gives all the information about St. Regis Resort and i like it very much and decided to go their and enjoy holidays with my family.

BanjDog 21 months ago

Bora Bora is a totally awesome place to go on vacation. If I could I would definitely consider retiring there on a permanent basis.

MsFran 21 months ago

Some of the best diving spots can be found here if you are willing to go off the beaten path a bit.

Just be prepared for a bit of an adventure, the 4X4 in the photos above is not just for show-you need it.

imagetl 20 months ago

nice topic, it very natural-able, keep it up. thanks

K M Phelps 20 months ago

This sounds very interesting! You wrote an excellent article!!

msms 20 months ago

Plenty of photos and lots of information., good hub

World-Traveler 20 months ago

Excellent! I scuba dived in Moorea for two weeks. As beautiful as Moorea was, I wished had included Bora Bora on my itinerary. Very thorough report on beautiful Bora Bora. Thanks!

jagrisjr 19 months ago

A very beautiful place, have you ever been to Boracay? It located in the Philippines. Visit and you'll see a similar, more developed placed.

Alphabet Rioa 19 months ago

The hub is excellent upon grading however the tab question irks consistently.

A page or a series of pages?

Parallel computing. Alphabet

ltreese 18 months ago

Excellent Hub!

Inspired me to become more creative with my adds

cutesnow 18 months ago

Wow!!!so beautiful,I also want to go there to have a holiday.I will tell my husband.

Goa Beach 17 months ago

nice information.........

afzalprodsafb 16 months ago

great information.write on same kind of hubs for several other beutiful places.

cceerpp 16 months ago

Interesting hub

Skin CAre 16 months ago

Awesome write ups,the pics are so vivid. Thanks

Ask_DJ_Lyons Level 3 Commenter 15 months ago

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing!

MsCookM 15 months ago

Great hub, brings back some great memories. Went to Bora Bora for honeymoon and was one of the best holidays of my life(honeymoon apart). Definitely one of those places everyone has to try go to once in their life.

Bora Bora Pictures 14 months ago

Nice site with beautiful pictures...Good work!!!

Top 10 Ranking 14 months ago

Really Really awesome hub post dear

thanks for the nice information.

shopbapemall 14 months ago

very nice place. so beautiful.

m76gmm 14 months ago

WOW

What a great place to go to.

Definitely I will plane a holiday to their.

Thanks a lot

amine 14 months ago

merci boucoup

Nod32 username & password Provider 14 months ago

Nice hub dear friend... you might mine...

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ememstephen 14 months ago

superlative and inviting place. thanks for the awareness

Christians 13 months ago

Wow..! amazing post! good information... i love that you combined pictures as well.. keep it up!

Handbags 13 months ago

how much for it. so good.

sleeppers 13 months ago

wow !

i want to go it

very nice place for me

Agen Bola 13 months ago

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michalk 13 months ago

Beautiful article. Beautiful pictures - makes me feel like i'm there

masmasika Level 4 Commenter 13 months ago

Amazing hub with pictures that captures the heart.

milicaa 13 months ago

Really beautiful. HEAVEN!! Great post...

enlight your soul 12 months ago

beautiful hub.

Velour Handbags 12 months ago

So beautyful place. I want to travel this summer.

roshall Level 1 Commenter 12 months ago

This was truly a lovely vacation and a terrific hub.Everything seemed so real as if I could reach out and touch it.Thanks for the experience.

Eddie Joe 12 months ago

Awsome Place...!!!

H P Roychoudhury 12 months ago

Fantastic- beautiful pictures describe what a beautiful nature may be

sajttim 11 months ago

Fantastic place...

jocuri 11 months ago

Just wanted to say that it's a well written article, high-quality. Definetly worth the time spent for this one.

Eastern Rainbow 11 months ago

very nice place. so beautiful.

jcjohnson 11 months ago

Been There it was Heaven on earth

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Cassandra Lai 11 months ago

Thanks for the wonderful information about this islands, it is truly beautiful.

Les 11 months ago

What an amazing place. I want to be out in that sail boat with the red sails...bliss. I think I start saving for a trip there today!

Grab 11 months ago

In the second section "High Islands to Atolls" third sentence from the end "the while sand" should be "white" I believe. I wanted to keep reading but I'm short on time good job thus far though. :)

Linda Goffigan 11 months ago

Was this a honeymoon or a vacation? Such a scenic pictorial view of Bora Bora and little mention about the honeymoon suite. The read was like from an encyclopedia but if I was the bride, I would be a little dissapointed. To have a bridegroom speak eternity about Bora Bora instead of a marriage union leaves much disdain on a marriage relationship. The paper gets an A.

tilinaoita 11 months ago

I really have to remember to include this destination on my list of travel someday....

deepu3 11 months ago

truly wonderful.

motherbridedress 9 months ago

beautiful Island!

mib56789 9 months ago

This HUB was recommended as an example of a high-quality HUB. I totally agree. Very impressive and Evergreen. I placed a link to this HUB at my HUB in order to redirect traffic here and I'm also going to share with others on Facebook and in my other social and professional networks. When I was in my teens I ate at a new Polynesian restaurant in Miami, Florida. My first and only experience with the "taste" of Polynesia. Definitely made me want to go there.

http://mib56789.hubpages.com/hub/MY-TOP-6-VACATION