Neverneverland part IV – Bora
Bora and the Bungalows
Bora Bora, everyone said, is
horrible; too built up, too touristic, not worth going to. What? Who are these
people? Bora Bora is amazing! So, yes, along with the fantastic reef and marvellous
motu and stunning lagoon and lush forested interior it also has excellent hotels
and a range of restaurants and a few fantastic boutiques, but, I, personally,
don’t necessarily see this as a downfall. You don’t, after all, have to stay in
the hotels if you don’t want to.
I, for example, didn’t.
Though would have liked to. The island’s hotels’ iconic over-the-water
bungalows are enchanting. I’d booked into the only hostel, of course, which was
a bit rustic and ‘campy’, and, I’m a wee bit embarrassed to admit, I was the
only one in my 19-bed dorm, so I didn’t even have any company, which to me is a
large part of the appeal of a hostel, and, also, despite having a lovely dock,
4 boats, and 6 showers all to myself, I felt sort of like, no exactly like, the
cheapest person on the whole island. I even looked into moving to somewhere
over-the-water for my last couple of nights but my waterfront hostel cost
$20/night (breakfast included) and the cheapest available over-the-water place
- and I am absolutely awesome at finding last minute deals - was $600/night (no
meals) and the difference just seemed too huge to contemplate. There is a
mid-range option with many B&B’s at about $100 - $200 per night but many of
these are tucked away in odd locations and so in the end I just stayed in the
hostel despite the fact that it is the first place I have slept that does not
make the come-back-to-right-here list.
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| My very basic, somewhat campy, lonely, 19 bed bunkhouse. |
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| I went to take a pic of the cheapest available over the water bungalows - note lovely colours of lagoon and sky - and was totally spooked because a ray (blown splotch in foreground) came to check out what I was doing! |
Besides, the whole island was
there to explore and who stays indoors in Bora Bora? I swam in the lagoon,
walked the beaches, hiked the (easy) paths through the hills, went out one
traditional dance show in a big hotel and another in the town square, meandered
through the pearl market, poked my head into the boutiques, snacked at road-side
stalls and beach-front bars, and, basically, loved it.
Yes, Bora Bora is a bit more
built up than some of the other islands, but man, it’s awesome!
