Wading through the mud-soaked pineapple fields of Moorea our jeep tour guide asked how long we’d spent in Bora Bora. I answered, “six days.” He laughed heartily and said, “After 3 days Bora Bora becomes Bora-Boring.” We all had a little chuckle.

An Introduction

Pierre’s aging Toyota truck hugged the paved road that circumnavigates the mainland Bora Bora coastline as I vigilantly looked out the window. I finally yelled, “arrete!” In a cloud of dust, a round-face woman named Hiroko warmly greeted me at an obscure dock on the backside of the island. A 14 year veteran of the scuba scene on the island, she proceeded to expertly fit me with a wetsuit and BCD for our next few days of diving.

Almost an eight-year hiatus from scuba diving had me exuberant to plunge into the famed aquamarine lagoon encompassing Bora Bora. Since I was not staying at one of the swank five-star resorts with their pristine docks, Hiroko asked me how I planned to get back to the rendezvous point the following morning. I candidly assumed I could ride a bike. She briskly shook her head and suggested it was much safer to take a car.

Bewildered, I asked why that would be necessary? A brief and animated discussion ensued between Hiroko and Pierre, my local guide. Hiroko decisively concluded, “If you take the bikes just keep a few rocks in your hand to throw at the aggressive dogs that will chase you.” I determined the $50 a day to rent a car wasn’t so bad after all.

Geology and Repercussions

The islands of French Polynesia boast a unique scene that can only come from the time-worn procession of rain and shifting tectonic plates. As the ancient volcanic giants gradually pull away from their place of origin, time and gravity sink the verdant mountains leaving fringing reefs and atolls. In the French Pacific, these outlying fragments of land are referred to as motus.

Incased in the inner channels between the motu and mainland resides an abundance of marine biodiversity. Tides shifting in and out of the lagoons carve channels into the reefs and provide a gateway for megafauna like black-tip reef sharks, bottle-nosed dolphins, and giant manta rays seeking asylum at a shallow cleaning station.

A former dive-master myself, Hiroko deemed me worthy to explore one of the deep channels with its fierce currents. We deftly descended the mooring line and floated along the cut in the reef observing the nurse sharks and manta rays far beneath us. The mesmerizing cool scene underwater was in sharp contrast to the hot and sticky island above.

Two Sides to Every Story

The screen-saver image of Bora Bora’s renowned over the water bungalows illicit visions of romance and dream beach vacations. At a starting $1500/night price tag, it’s a promising idea. What the turquoise water and exotic magazine ads do not display, is the authentic side of the island. There are two sides to Bora Bora; the motu resort side and the main island.

The Island

The main island is by American standards rustic. Descendants of 3rd or 4th century AD. water-bound explorers, the Polynesians ruled these islands for over a thousand years before the first known western explorer discovered them. Ferdinand Magellan sited the Tuamato Atolls in 1521, but it wasn’t until the late 18th century that Cook would be the first recorded European to trade on the island of Bora Bora. In the years that ensued whalers and missionaries influenced the local culture until the French wrestled power from the local queen in the late 19th century.

Hiroko described for me the origin of the paved road and the island’s dilapidated infrastructure as we causally waited out a surface interval between dives. I was fascinated to realize that Bora Bora had no public services until the US military arrived proceeding the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In subsequent years they paved roads, created a landing strip, and constructed water sanitization stations. It seemed to me not much had changed since.

Later, I drove along the coastal WWII-era pavement as the humid breeze lulled my five-year-old son to sleep. A world away from the flawless facades of the motu resorts, roosters crowed in the mid-day heat, and smoke pillars of burning trash dissipated into the sky. Hiroko’s warnings resonated in my ear and I was glad to have my rental car as a saving grace from a few hostile dogs and the relentless heat.

We finally reached the slant wooden dock of our accommodation and I watched our host, Serge fill his boat with supplies to take to one of the motus. Our accommodations were modern for island life with a hot water shower, electricity, and window AC units in the bedrooms. Serge was shuttling food to his wife on a motu she had inherited from her grandfather. She preferred the quiet private motu to the hustle of the mainland and was in the process of constructing her own wooden hut so she could live there. Adjacent to her private natural motu over the lagoon lay in fierce contrast the details of the sparkling windows of a five-star resort.

The Resorts

Practically all the five-star resorts reside on motus a short boat ride away from the main island. They seemed like vacuums catered to the hotel tourist keeping guests and their deep pockets onsite. I ran into resort guests merely in passing, mostly out in the seductive cerulean lagoon that bridged the channel.

Hiroko touched her dive computer and motioned for us to ascend up the reef. We waited at 20 feet below the surface to decompress and watched butterflyfish ease up to us in search of food. At the next dive site, sharks circled us looking for the same thing. As a resort boat motored up to the mooring line it was a mass exodus of sharks hurrying to swarm the incoming divers.

We watched as the locals chummed the water with fish bait. I moved on down the reef to explore and let the sharks perform their parade. There are two sides to every story and I understood the resident people trying to create an exhilarating experience for their guests. Between the pageant-ready marine life, burning trash, and constant roosters I realized the magazine version of Bora Bora had really missed the mark. This was a much more complex and diverse island than an overwater bungalow’s view could see.

Confused at all I had witnessed, I wondered why there was a discrepancy the size of an underwater channel between the resorts and local everyday life. I thought of Serge’s wife making her new grass-thatched hut in the same way her ancestors had for centuries, alongside the tourist who sees the exquisite views and abundant marine life. When I looked at it through the lens of modern time it seemed like a complicated island.

I concluded to withdraw my microscopic interrogation of the island and regard it from the serene turquoise below. In Bora Bora the water rules. This minuscule island in the vast expanse of the deep blue Pacific was born from the ocean and will eventually return. For now, the intersection of marine fauna and humans bask in the oasis of life millions of years in the making, and it is like the postcards reflect; stunning.

Tips

For Families: We took our five-year-old son and spent most of our daily energy trying to keep him from overheating in the sun, from getting burned, trying to entertain him, and trying to find someplace to eat. He had a blast in between heat exhaustion meltdowns. We were frazzled. I would not recommend taking a family unless you’re staying at a resort with amenities. If you are an adventurous family and don’t mind a bit of stress then by all means go for a “cheaper” option.

If you do stay at a resort make sure to get out and explore beyond where you are staying. Spend your money exploring local restaurants, tours, and sites.

• DO get in the water! Snorkeling tours, fishing and scuba diving are well worth it. They are pricey, but if I had to do it again I would pay for at least one water activity everyday.
• I loved my dive-master at Hiro Dive Bora Bora. We got a private boat. She had all the equipment, was super knowledgeable about the dive sites and respectful of the marine life.
• Expect to pay about $40+ per plate plus drinks. Breakfasts were generally $30+ per plate. We prepared lunches from what was available at the grocery store which was marginal.  For great food on the island check out La Matira Beach Restaurant, Restaurant St. James and The Bakery right in front of Restaurant St James! 
• On the main island. You will need a rental car if you want to go all the way around. You could do it on a bike but it would be a long day in the heat/sun and possible torrential downpours!
• Pack light- as in swimsuits, cover-ups and pjs. Bring loads of sunscreen. Don’t forget your first aid kit and medications.

Happy Travels!