Four Seasons Bora Bora Trip Report

Our 10 year old began seeing the Sandals commercials on television and asked to stay there. We finally pinned him down on what he really wanted (because we weren’t going to take him to a Sandals resort). He wanted crystal clear water and an overwater bungalow. Enter the Four Seasons Bora Bora.

This was our second time to Bora Bora, having honeymooned at the Hotel Bora Bora some 23 years ago. What a different experience the Four Seasons was… glamorous and oh so photogenic. Nothing like the rustic days of old Tahiti.

Boat Transfer from the Airport

White Spotted Puffer

The iconic Mount Otemanu view was very important to us, but most of those rooms were located further out on the jetties and could experience a strong current which was not ideal for children. We contacted the new Rooms Manager, Edouard Michaux in advance of our stay. We had hoped to secure one of the Mountain View Overwater Bungalows closer to shore and he graciously offered to keep an eye on our reservation. Edouard reached out the week before our arrival and actually offered to upgrade us to a Premier Two Bedroom Beachfront Villa. It was an offer we couldn’t refuse. He personally selected the best view for us and made sure he was there to greet us upon arrival and departure. (Don’t worry. Our son still got his overwater bungalow at the Hilton Moorea)!

The villa was spectacular. It had two bedrooms and three bathrooms, but it was the outdoor spaces that made it special. There was at least one acre of lawn, sand and wooden decking with a large infinity pool, multiple outdoor dining venues, two outdoor showers, and an open air master tub… all overlooking the most amazing view of the Bora Bora lagoon and Mount Otemanu. During the waking hours, we opened the sliding doors that lined the back of the villa and spent as much time outside as possible enjoying our private beach, kayak and paddleboard.

We’ve included pictures of some of the outdoor spaces. The Four Seasons website has nice pictures of the inside.

Villa 505 Seen from the Lagoon

View from the Pool of Villa 505

Villa 505 at Night

Villa 505 Private Beach and Dining Bungalow

Villa 505 Outdoor Lounge

French Polynesia is one of… if not the… best place in the world to snorkel. We started in the Four Season’s own snorkeling lagoon with the resident marine biologist. She gave us a brief presentation of what we were about to see and then took us out for a snorkel. We were pleasantly surprised to see many species of fish and she introduced us to the resident octopus as well. 

Later, we joined one of the local guides on a fancy outrigger canoe and he customized our Bora Bora snorkeling excursion to include manta rays, black tip reef sharks, sting rays, and a beautiful coral garden. We’ve been snorkeling and diving all over the world and still managed to see many fish species we hadn’t seen before. Our guide serenaded us with his ukelele during down time and also shared some local gossip. 

Our other big adventure was a jet ski full-circle tour of the island where we were able to see what remains of Hotel Bora Bora. Sadly it was virtually unrecognizable. I happened to meet the woman who purchased a few of the bungalows and recovered some of the original HBB furnishings. She will be opening the bungalows in a new location come September. 

http://www.coquicoqui.com/borabora

As for the spa, the treatments were good (Polynesian massage) but we found the hard product to be pretty average. Our treatment room really could have been anywhere. The two Four Seasons Maldives spas do a much better job of bringing the outside “in” with open air and overwater treatment rooms.

We didn’t eat at many of the restaurants this trip as we enjoyed mostly room service. But the food items that shined for us were the fresh fish (poisson cru especially) and the pastries including croissants, etc. The Polynesian dinner and fire show was also a fun diversion that had a prix fixe fish menu.

Fire Show

Outrigger for Snorkeling Excursion

Black Tip Reef Sharks

Coconuts at Breakfast

Four Seasons Snorkeling Lagoon

We of course received excellent care and follow-up from Edouard. Service in general was also very good during our stay, especially with housekeeping and anything that involved a guide. There was a genuine friendliness amongst all the staff. We were met with pleasant “la ora na” greetings wherever we went. The problems seemed to be in the restaurants where english was not as widely spoken, but any issues were quickly rectified, so we really can’t complain. The bill was spot on as well, which isn’t always the case when travel partner amenities are involved. 

Local Guide for Snorkeling Excursion

Gift for Children

This is one of those places where we would consider going back. It’s just that beautiful! 

The newer hotels (Four Seasons included) have been built on the motus and while it is somewhat controversial, it’s really hard to imagine returning to the Hotel Bora Bora property if Aman were to decide to rebuild. By comparison, the water on the main island is not as shallow or blue, and you just can’t get the same Mount Otemanu views when you’re on the main island. 

Special thanks to DavidO for arranging this trip and for hooking us up with his travel partner, Tahiti Legends. They managed our VIP arrival (customs) and took care of our air and ground transportation from one island to the next. Their service made everything quite easy.

Joy