Bora Bora: Honeymoon in French Polynesia (part 2)

Bora Bora: Honeymoon in French Polynesia

On December 1, 2017, my dream came true. I landed in Bora Bora, and that for me was the ultimate dream vacation. There wasn’t any other place in the world I wanted to honeymoon in more than Bora Bora. As soon as we landed, I couldn’t stop oohing and aahing over the water color, I mean, even the lagoon at the airport looked stunning. Once I arrived at our resort, Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, I was blown away by the gorgeous turquoise waters.

Cost

As my husband and I started to settle in, we were in for quite a few surprises regarding cost. For one, should you decide to stay at a resort that is away from the main town, and over a motu (small island), you will not be able to leave the resort without paying for a water taxi. Generally speaking, the water taxi at our resort was free before 2 pm, but after 2 pm the cost is $25 per person. We came to the main town of Vaitape two out of five days – once to dine at the world famous Bloody Mary’s, and another time to visit the main town. The remainder time was spent at the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa.

Food

In terms of food, everything at our resort was expensive, and probably most other resorts in Bora Bora! Expect to spend roughly $9 on coconut water, $11 on fries, $20 on pina colada, fish entrees will run you anywhere from $35-$50, desserts about $15, and coffee about $6. Although we were on our honeymoon and splurged, I would still think twice before ordering something because the prices were a little shocking. On the other hand, I kept telling myself, “girl, you ain’t ever coming back here, so stop feeling guilty and eat up.” LOL! And I did just that!

Having said that, the food in Bora Bora was good, but given the cost and the fact that I am spoiled by the food scene in New York City, I was expecting more. Luckily, I managed to get reservations at the number one restaurant in Bora Bora – Lagoon Restaurant by Jean Georges located at The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort. Did it live up to all the hype? Find out below. Hope you enjoy this post on Bora Bora through my eyes.

Where to stay?

Ahhhh… I finally arrived at the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa and what a welcome!

Room 222 Private Villa Overwater Bungalow… I’ll never forget!

And what a view!

How cool is this… see through coffee table?

Insane view from every room… Living Room, Bedroom, Bathroom. I love the turquoise blue accents throughout the room.

Enjoyed some memorable sunsets.

Hotel: Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa

Star: *****
Style: Ultra Luxury
Pros: Beautiful Resort Grounds | Insane Lagoon View | Lagoon View from Bedroom | Lagoon View from Bathroom | Private Villa  & Balcony | Excellent Location | Complimentary WiFi | Comfortable Beds | Outstanding Customer Service | Housekeeping Twice Daily | Complimentary Gift of the Day | Complimentary Waters Daily | Complimentary Tea/Coffee | Restaurants at Hotel | Infinity Pools | Beach Access | Resort | Theme Nights, including Polynesian Night | Free Kayaks, Paddleboards, Snorkeling | Free Water Taxi to Intercontinental Moana Resort before 2 pm | Day Spa (after checking out you can hang out here, shower before heading to the airport)
CONS: Can’t leave the resort in the evening without a boat fee – scam | Very Expensive Restaurants | Overall Expensive

Overall: 5 / 5
Our stay at the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa was nothing short of spectacular. This was easily the BEST resort I ever stayed at, and it probably will be the best resort I will ever stay at. I have no complaints, the room was spotless, housekeeping was provided daily twice a day, we received complimentary gifts daily… chocolates, macaroons, the resort grounds were beautiful, and everywhere I turned, the view was magnificent. The staff was extremely courteous and friendly, I can’t tell you how many times I was greeted with Ia Orana and a smile everywhere I went. Very Highly Recommended. If I could give the Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso a 10 out of 5 stars, I would. 
LOCATION: Motu Piti Aau, Bora Bora 98730, French Polynesia

What to do?

After 4 nights in Moorea, we headed to Bora Bora for 5 nights. Flying over Bora Bora, if you look closely you can see the overwater bungalows.

Landed in Bora Bora via Air Tahiti – I booked my inter-island air connections directly on their site (Moorea – Bora Bora).

Our hotel representative greeted us with a fragrant lei, and yes, this is Bora Bora airport. I was in awe.

Headed to our hotel via a shuttle service provided by our hotel.

Arrived at the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa and we were welcomed with Tahitian Vanilla Iced Tea… so delicious

On our way to Room 222.

Loved to just veg out on our balcony. Everything in my life felt so remote at this point, I was so stress free. 🙂

Seriously, breathtaking. The entire lagoon was only 4 feet deep, sometimes more, sometimes less. I went in pretty far and I can’t even swim.

I looked forward to my American coffee with dairy creamer (yaaaaaaaaaaas) each morning. Yup, after the wedding, hello dairy! 🙂

Each day we received little gifts… my favorite were these oyster chocolates, how cute are they? 🙂

Pure bliss.

Waking up to this view each morning… priceless.

Coconut water for me. Pina Colada for him. 

I really loved that fresh coconut water, and ate some of that coconut meat too.

We spent a day at the spa.

Relaxing with some vanilla tea as we waited for our couples massage. My husband overdid it with those vanilla teas… I need to get him some Tahitian Vanilla Tea now.

Ready for our couples massage… it was such an amazing experience. I highly recommend doing this if you choose to visit Bora Bora.

That pool, and that view tho. Make sure you take advantage of the Happy Hour menu where items are half off. Somehow this option didn’t work for us due to our dinner timings. 

The perfect view of Mount Otemanu from the Intercontinental Thalasso which I believe has the best view out of all the other resorts.

On our way to the main city of Vaitape. 

Walking around Vaitape. We enjoyed brunch here at Aloe Cafe mentioned below.

Back at our resort, I think I died and went to Bora Bora. 

Truly heaven on earth!

Spent a couple hours kayaking. It’s tiring.

Our bungalow which is bigger than my current apartment. C-R-A-Z-Y!

My husband found a trail which led us to the back of the resort, and this was a total surprise. The water was pretty rough.

My heart! 

On our last night…

… we saw the most beautiful sunset. 

I was sad leaving, but after 5 nights in Bora Bora, it was time to go home. 

I hope to be back someday, but Bora Bora is one of those “once in a lifetime” type places. We all say we’ll go back one day and then we don’t.

But never say never! 🙂   Inter-Island flight connection from Bora Bora to Papeete booked via Air Tahiti.

Where to eat?

1. Bloody Mary’s
World famous restaurant in Bora Bora, celeb spotting, fun vibe. Choose from a daily selection of fresh fish displayed on ice. A must-do!

Appetizers
Complimentary Bread: yummy.
Salad: comes with every entree, incredible ranch dressing. A favorite.
Cocktails: Pina Colada was delicious, the Blue Curacao drink was okay.
Jumbo Fried Coconut Shrimp: Incredible dish. So flavorful. Delicious dipping sauce. A favorite.

Entrees – served with white rice, vanilla sauce.
Mahi Mahi: Well made. Very flaky.
Parrot Fish: Flaky, delicious, could have used more flavor though.

Restaurant Review: Bloody Mary’s

Cost: $$-$$$
Cuisine: Seafood, American.
Favorites: Salad | Jumbo Fried Coconut Shrimp
Overall: 4.25 / 5
A must-do in Bora Bora. Fun vibe, feel the sand between your toes kinda place. Great food, fresh fish, excellent service. I hear Bloody Mary’s is owned by an American – it is closed for the month of December, we were extremely lucky since we visited just one day before closing.
Food: Very Good | Drinks: Very Good  Decor: Casual/Fun | Service: Friendly | Value: Very Good for Tahiti
Location: Povai Bay, Bora Bora 98730, French Polynesia

2. Reef Restaurant
Casual/Dressy restaurant serving French cuisine. Great food.

Complimentary Bread: served with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. Nice touch.
Complimentary Apertif: Leek warm soup, so buttery and garlic-y. Absolutely delicious and creamy. A favorite.
Wahoo Fish: Perfectly cooked on top with sauteed tomatoes and onions. The creamy mashed potatoes on top were phenomenal. I prefer a more flaky fish, but if you prefer a little more firm fish, this is excellent.
Parrot Fish: Steamed fish with roasted carrots and beets. The fish came with a side of a citrus-y vanilla sauce. Good.

Coffee: Excellent coffee! A favorite.
Molten Lava Cake: Outrageously delicious. So gooey on the inside. A favorite.

Restaurant Review: Reef Restaurant

Cost: $$$$
Cuisine: French
Favorites: Apertif Leek Soup | Mashed Potatoes | Coffee | Molten Lava Cake
Overall: 4.25 / 5
If you’re staying at the Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort, you must dine at the Reef Restaurant. Very good food and service.
Food: Excellent | Drinks: n/a  Decor: Casual/Elegant | Service: Excellent | Value: Okay for Tahiti
Location: Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort, Motu Piti Aau, Bora Bora 98730, French Polynesia

3. Aloe Cafe
Casual breakfast/lunch spot in Vaitape. Famous for their croissants. Reasonable prices. Free wifi.

Complimentary Bread: Good.
Coffee: tasted old, I was really looking forward to my coffee.
Pina Colada: delicious, perfectly sweetened. A favorite.
Veggie Panini + Fries: flavored with tomato, cucumbers, carrots, and basil. the fries were perfectly crispy, I loved them. Sandwich good, fries amazing!
Grilled Mahi Mahi Sandwich + Fries: I preferred the mahi mahi sandwich to the veggie panini. Very filling and delicious sauce. Overall, pretty good.

Restaurant Review: Aloe Cafe

Cost: $$
Cuisine: Cafe/Polynesian
Favorites: Pina Colada | French Fries
Overall: 4 / 5
Casual spot with reasonable prices in Vaitape. Definitely get the pina colada. I wish they didn’t run out of croissants and the coffee was better here. Bummer. Overall, good meal.
Food: Very Good | Drinks: Good  Decor: Casual | Service: Good | Value: Reasonable
Location: Centre commercial le pahia, Vaitāpē 98730, French Polynesia

4. Breakfast at Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort
Opted for an a la carte breakfast instead of a buffet breakfast. Entrees anywhere from $8 – $15.

I tried everything here… my favorites were coffee, hash browns potatoes, baked beans, egg white omelette with veggies & cheese.

Restaurant Review: Breakfast at Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort

Cost: $$
Cuisine: American/Breakfast
Favorites: Coffee | Egg White Omelette with Cheese | Hash Browns Potatoes
Overall: 4 / 5
The breakfast was good, but it got boring on Day 3. The a la carte menu was quite small, and the buffet was a bit redundant. Somedays I just wanted oatmeal or a slice of whole wheat toast and avocado – I guess that is too basic for the Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso.. LOL. Depending on how much food you need each morning, you can either opt for an a la carte or pay for the buffet breakfast once you arrive at a discounted rate. The a la carte prices were quite reasonable so I was happy.
Food: Good | Drinks: Good  Decor: Casual/Relaxed | Service: Good | Value: Good for Tahiti
Location: Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort, Motu Piti Aau, Bora Bora 98730, French Polynesia

5. Sands Restaurant
Casual restaurant with views of Mount Otemanu. Dined here for lunch and dinner. Pretty average.

Lunch
Complimentary Bread: good.
Wahoo Fish Burger + Fries: Good burger, but not as flaky as the mahi mahi, the wahoo is more meaty. Great fries tho.
Mahi Mahi with Lo-Mein: Good, but the noodles were painfully salty.

Dinner
Complimentary Bread: good.
Grilled Wahoo Fish: the wahoo was a bit tough, however we sent it back and were presented with a more flaky wahoo fish. Good meal.
Whole Lagoon Fish Fillet + 2 sides + sauce: Delicious, tender lagoon fish. I opted for vegetables wok sauteed with onions and herb mashed potatoes as my two sides and they were both perfection. This meal right here was my favorite dish in Bora Bora. A favorite. 
Panna Cotta: Not as light as I had hoped for. Disappointing.
English Tea: Good.

Restaurant Review: Sands Restaurant
Cost: $$$
Cuisine: American/Breakfast
Favorites: Coffee | Egg White Omelette with Cheese | Hash Browns Potatoes
Overall: 3 / 5
The dinner at Sands was better than lunch. Most of the items here were not that great, however the Whole Lagoon Fish Filet was exceptionally good and my favorite dish on the entire trip. Surprisingly, the rest of the items were average.
Food: Average-Good | Drinks: n/a | Decor: Casual/Relaxed | Service: Good | Value: Good for Tahiti
Location: Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort, Motu Piti Aau, Bora Bora 98730, French Polynesia

6. Le Corail Restaurant
Romantic fine dining restaurant. Enjoyed a 7-course meal with wine pairings. Dine here if you are open-minded about trying new things.

Starters
Bread with three types of Butter: chorizo butter, vanilla butter, and lemon butter… all three amazing. A favorite. 
Amuse Bouche: Goat cheese mousse with onion confit over endive with some nuts. Phenomenal. A favorite. 

Entrees
Mango Cannelloni: this dish was sweet, savory and salty. Crab filling inside with mussels on the side. Very good. A favorite. 
Hibiscus Flower with Sea Urchin and Lobster: Delicious, creamy and tender sea urchin in a creamy sauce. Exceptional. A favorite. 
Pan-fried Scallops: curry flavored scallops were perfectly cooked and tender. Had a subtle curry mushroom flavor as well. Very good.
Roasted Black Angus Beef Filet: I’m not a fan of red meat, and steak isn’t my cup of tea, however this is a daring combo that may not be for everyone – pairing beef and octopus in one dish. The beef was perfectly cooked and flavored beautifully. 

Desserts

Confit Beetroot: the combination of beetroot and custard was really good with graham crackers. I wasn’t a fan of the grapefruit and vanilla sorbet though. Just okay.
Crunchy Cocoa and Salted Peanut Circle: creamy cocoa custard with Tonka bean ice-cream was good, but didn’t have that wow factor. Again, just okay.

Restaurant Review: Le Corail Restaurant

Cost: $$$$
Cuisine: Fine French
Favorites: Bread w/3 types of Butter | Amuse Bouche Goat Cheese Endive | Mango Cannelloni | Hibiscus Flower with Sea Urchin | New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Wairau Reserve 2016
Overall: 4.25 / 5
My husband and I enjoyed an excellent meal at Le Corail. I didn’t love every single dish, but half the items were very good and the other half were exceptionally good. The amuse bouche and hibiscus flower with sea urchin were standouts. These dishes were small portions, but they were done right as I didn’t feel bloated or too full afterwards.
Food: Excellent | Drinks: Excellent | Decor: Romantic/Classy | Service: Good, but server kept coming back constantly – very annoying | Value: Pricy
Location: Intercontinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort, Motu Piti Aau, Bora Bora 98730, French Polynesia

7. Lagoon Restaurant, A Jean Georges Restaurant
Rated as the #1 restaurant in Bora Bora, and so I had to try it. Watch sharks swim underneath sea through glass while you dine. Best to dine here right before sunset. Don’t leave here without indulging in the famous Chocolate Molten Cake and Truffled Mashed Potatoes. You need to book a private boat transfer to the St. Regis Bora Bora ~ $60 per person round trip.

Starters
Complimentary Bread: good
Amuse Bouche: Tuna with coconut and pineapple. Tuna melts in your mouth. Excellent. A favorite. 
Beetroot Salad: prepared with yogurt, chili, shallot, herbs and hazelnut. Who think so these concoctions? The mint with the yogurt and fried onions and hazelnut all came together seamlessly. Impeccable! A favorite.  

Entrees
Lagoon Fish: fish presented in a sauce of braised fennel, green olives, and lemon. A light fish that needed more flavor. It was average, there was no wow factor as the fish was sitting in a sad soup broth. Huge let down.
Mahi Mahi: grilled fish sat on a bed of peanut sauce and served with crunchy vegetables on top. The peanut sauce didn’t go too well with the mahi mahi. This was better than the Lagoon fish, but not good enough for the price.
Truffled Mashed Potatoes: buttery and creamy mashed potatoes that melt in your mouth, truffle flavor is prominent. Exceptional and the best mashed potatoes I’ve had to date. A favorite. 

Dessert

Warm Chocolate Cake: This is a Jean Georges signature dessert, don’t leave here without trying it. The cake is served with Tahitian vanilla ice-cream. Gooey, rich, excellent quality dark chocolate. Perfection! A favorite. 
Coffee: Phenomenal. Hot, robust in flavor. Best coffee on the trip! A favorite. 

Restaurant Review: Lagoon Restaurant @ The St. Regis Resort

Cost: $$$$
Cuisine: French-Asian/Seafood
Favorites: Amuse Bouche Tuna | Beetroot Salad | Truffled Mashed Potatoes | Warm Chocolate Cake | Coffee
Overall: 4 / 5
Although I listed five favorites, I was extremely disappointed the entrees did not live up to my expectations. The entrees at the Lagoon were roughly $50 each, so naturally my expectations were high. The appetizers, side and dessert made up for it, but it wasn’t enough. Contrary to the rave reviews, I didn’t leave Bora Bora thinking Lagoon by Jean Georges was the #1 restaurant I dined at.
Food: Very Good | Drinks: n/a | Decor: Fine Dining/Classy | Service: Excellent | Value: Pricy
Location: St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, Motu Ome’e BP 506, Bora Bora, 98730, French Polynesia

Have you been to Bora Bora? If so, where did you dine, what did you do, where did you stay?