Taha’a + Bora Bora

Happy New Year! I love this time of year – when I have a little bit of a break from the craziness. It allows me to do things like bake, organize all our closets + drawers, create personal albums from 2010, sell things on Craigslist (only to buy more things) and enjoy time with my hubby since he gets 10 days off for the Christmas holiday!

Today I have a guest blogger! Ryan (My hubby!) This guy loves adventure and our friends + family love to get travel tips from him, so I thought it would be so fun to hear about our recent anniversary trip to Bora Bora from him. I really miss waking up every morning to drink an espresso with my feet in the plunge pool or just looking out into the bay. I could have stayed in this magical place forever, just floating in a hammock under a tree where hibiscus flowers poured down like snow.

Turning it over to Ryan …

La Orana! (Polynesian hello!) So the genesis of this halfway-’round-the-world incredible excursion was a bit of good luck, amazing travel industry contacts and some good old fashioned resourcefulness. Our friend and stellar travel agent, Amy Zebala with SmartFlyer, connected us with a too-good-to-pass-up promo opportunity at Four Seasons Bora Bora – a truly to-die-for resort in French Polynesia. The perfect destination for all you honeymooners!

For as long as I can remember, Heather said her dream vacation was to “sleep in one of those huts over the water,” so I immediately began to research how in the heck we could get there – airline carriers, connections, layovers, prices, points, credit card bonuses, etc., all while trying to mind Heather’s fall wedding schedule! So after a few credit card applications and some serious ‘manufactured spending’ (yes it’s a technical term in the travel points blogger sphere – google it and you’ll enter a world that you never knew existed!), we had ourselves some plane tickets. STL to LAX, just enough time to catch Uber to Manhattan Beach for lunch, back to LAX, and then 9 long hours to Tahiti (PPT). I had run a marathon the week prior and Heather shot a wedding the night before the flight, so we were ready to relax!

After a quick night at Le Meridien Tahiti, we caught a short flight to the island of Taha’a for our 3 night stay at Le Taha’a Resort & Spa. Our original plans were to stop in Moorea on our way to Bora Bora, but we weren’t super jazzed about it so we couldn’t have been happier when Amy suggested a last minute change to the lesser-known island of Taha’a – I spent 5 minutes looking online at the resort photos and I said book it! It is the most beautiful, unspoiled and natural paradise I’ve ever experienced. The hotel itself sits on a small ‘motu’ which is actually a separate island from the actual island of Taha’a. Knowing that we’d be staying in an over-water bungalow on Bora Bora, we opted for a beach bungalow – the best of both worlds – and AMAZING. We had bungalow #49 on the far west end of the property which offered the ultimate seclusion and direct views of the majestic Mt. Otemanu on Bora Bora just 15 miles away. Teak loungers on the ocean-facing deck, the private plunge pool, the garden patio, or our personal hammock? This was the biggest decision each morning. Oh, and whether to use the indoor or outdoor shower! Recognizing how ridiculous that just sounded, I think I need to send a check to my favorite charity when I get done writing this.

Moving on … we joined an eccentric older couple from the UK for a fantastic island tour where we learned about the primary local exports – black pearls and vanilla – it’s the most heavenly pure vanilla you will ever taste in your life. Madagascar vanilla? Nope. The real deal is from Taha’a. That afternoon we decided to check out the ‘coral garden’ just down the beach from the hotel property. I’ve been diving in the Carribean, Hawaii, the Gulf of Thailand, and the Great Barrier Reef, and I have to say that this narrow and shallow inlet showcased some of the most incredible species of ocean-life I’ve ever seen. Heather needed to get her sea legs, so we drift-snorkeled together the first time through. Heather then headed for the pool and I went back solo hoping for some new creature sightings – glad I did – I spotted a few different rays and the most amazing octopus ever. We capped off the day with a delicious dinner and authentic Polynesian cultural show –  dancers and talented fire throwers – wow.

More eating, drinking and relaxing the next day – with late afternoon sunlight so beautiful that I knew Heather would want to do a photoshoot just before dark. Yep, we lugged the tripod and a remote shutter-release MacGyver clicker thing on this trip. At this point I’m really glad we had the bungalow at the far end of the property – not too many people around to give us strange looks as we’re doing our best in front of the camera (on a tripod) with no one behind it! Lots of images and hopefully a few winners. Not always my favorite thing to do, but I’m a good sport, right Heather?!

The next night on Taha’a was the 29th (our anniversary) so we ordered dinner to the room and enjoyed it on the deck under the stars. Stars so bright it would blow your mind. Such an amazing evening. We packed up our bags the next morning and loaded them on the boat for a scenic 30 minute jaunt over to the small airport on the adjacent island of Raiatea for our 15 minute flight to Bora Bora. A 7-minute $1,400 helicopter transfer to Bora Bora was also an option but who’s in a hurry? Not us. Plus the plane ticket on the puddle jumper was about 14 times cheaper. Ha.

First impressions are everything, and let me tell you that Four Seasons Bora Bora knocks it out of the park. The boat and crew that picked us up at the airport were beyond first class. I’m pretty sure that neither of us have been on a boat this nice. I was feelin’ a little bit like Thurston Howell III meets T-Pain. I’ll spare you the lyrics – gotta keep the blog G-rated. Our welcome host on arrival was really fantastic and provided a super thorough overview of the property – lots to explore and enjoy over the course of the next 4 days.

OK, I’ll try to wrap this up quickly – the mountain views, the sapphire ocean, the heavenly spa, the fresh coconut water, stand-up paddle boarding, ocean kayaking, and five star dining. Everything was perfect. For 4 unforgettable days. I’ll stop talking now – except for a few editorial comments with the photos … enjoy!

Unspoiled paradise at Le Taha’a resort …Beach bungalow … Our island tour guide spotted these cool ferns that offer a temporary tattoo!
Massaging the vanilla beans and extracting the black pearls …Coconut water doesn’t get any better than this …One of my favorite images from the entire trip …Our Four Seasons Bora Bora bungalow – and yep, that’s the MacGyver clicker in my right hand (in a waterproof case) as we leap from our deck …Silly and sultry …iPhone pic of our approach into Raiatea/Taha’a …
iPhone pic taken with the Watershot underwater iPhone housing …