Storytime: Thea & Casey’s luxury honeymoon in Four Seasons Bora Bora

Ia Oranaaa Bora Bora lovers! Today, I’m super happy to be sharing the first article of a series called “Storytime“. In this serie, I will feature fellow travelers’ trips and real-life stories of people who have been to Bora Bora. All types of travelers (couple, solo, family, groups…) and budgets will be featured, so if you feel like sharing your story don’t hesitate to shoot me an email @ offtoborabora@gmail.com.

And for the first article, I’m thrilled to welcome 2 valuable members of the group: Thea & Casey who will share about their luxury honeymoon in Four Seasons Bora Bora. We will cover everything from planning a honeymoon to Bora Bora, accommodation, food, activities & budget.

I hope you enjoy it, and get some inspiration out of it!

Planning & itinerary

First thing first: Let’s talk about planning! What made you want to discover French Polynesia & Bora Bora? Did you travel to celebrate a special occasion (honeymoon, anniversary, birthday… ?)

Bora Bora has always been on the top of my bucket list of places to see in this world. These past few years of life in this difficult pandemic have truly affected us in many ways. From mentally, physically, our friends, our family, and so much more…This pandemic has made me reflect on the fact that life is short; so travel now to experience the places of your dreams! Bora Bora was one of my YOLO (you only live once) trips that I will cherish for a lifetime.

Was this your first time visiting French Polynesia? If not, how many times had you been there previously?

March 2022 was our first time on the beautiful island of Bora Bora.

What was your itinerary in French Polynesia? Did you visit several islands? If so, how long did you stay in each of them?

We stayed a total of 6 nights and 7 days in Bora Bora at the Four Seasons.

Would do anything differently if that was possible?

Stay longer if possible and tour other resorts. We wanted to see and compare St Regis to Four Seasons.

Accommodation & Food in Bora Bora

Where did you stay on each island?

We stayed at the Four Seasons Bora Bora on a beautiful overwater bungalow with a gorgeous view of the lagoon. We loved The Four Seasons Bora Bora for so many reasons!

Upon our arrival at the Bora Bora Airport, the Four Seasons kiosk stood out! The flower lei greeting and the Four Seasons boat that picked us up were special. The boat had gorgeous wood finishings and a lux interior. The boat was also not as large as the resort boats…the smaller size made the experience feel more personalized. We were offered a cold towel and beverage, and then we were quickly off to the resort. We were treated like VIPs the moment we got there.

Although our room was not ready yet; they escorted us to the breakfast buffet area to eat brunch. Our room was ready with a beautiful array of desserts and champagne in about an hour. We were toured around the facility in a club cart before heading to the room. Everything was so splendid with the check-in experience. They reserved our dinner for that night and even secured us a reservation for Ora Night which was the Polynesian-themed dinner for the following night.

All of the staff at the Four Seasons went above and beyond expectations. They even had this amazing app where you can chat with guest services 24/7 for anything you need. We were able to use the app whenever we needed a club cart ride or when we had special requests like flower crowns.

The overwater bungalow room was amazing! It was always cleaned thoroughly each day/night. The rooms are extremely spacious and the finishings were amazing. No complaints from us other than the heavy refillable shampoos and conditioner. I wish they just had sleek dispensers.

The food was definitely 5-star across the board! Since we stayed for over 6 nights, I had only wished there would be more variety on the 5th night. Everything we ate was absolutely delicious!

I would have to say the views at Four Seasons are breathtaking! Nothing like the inner lagoon of Four Seasons! It’s so unique and I would even argue…nothing like it in this world!

What was your room # and what did your room look like?

Our room was #414. The king bed was so comfortable and plush. The room had a large balcony with a dining table and two chairs. We had ordered room service several times and had them set up the table out on the deck.

There were also lounge chairs and a shower at the lower level of the balcony. The garden tub had a window that you can open to see the amazing lagoon view. The bedroom and living room had sliding doors to let the light in and open to view the outdoors and to marvel at the gorgeous lagoon view. We definitely loved it!

Where did you eat during your stay? Any special restaurant that you would recommend?

We ate at the Four Seasons restaurants: Arii Moana (Mediterranean), Vaimiti (Asian), Fare HOA Beach Bar and Grill, Tere Nui Breakfast Buffett, and in-room dining.

We also ate at Bloody Marys and St James on the main island for lunch during an excursion and the other time was during one of our private boat charter excursions.

My favorite restaurant at the Four Seasons was Arii Moana. St James is another restaurant I highly recommend!

Favorite food memory: What was the top meal / top specialty that you tried during your stay?

We highly recommend Arii Moana at the Four Seasons. They had this amazing tomahawk steak with roasted garlic. The best steak I have ever had in my life! So good we had it three times during our 6-night stay!

Activities & tours in Bora Bora

What activities did you do in Bora Bora?

In Bora Bora we did :

• Jet Ski tour around the island
• Lunch at Bloody Mary’s
• 4×4 Jeep Safari
• Photo Session with Bora Bora Photo Studio
• Private Boat Charter 1/2 Day Fishing
• Lunch at St.James
• Swam with Black Tip Reef Sharks, and snorkeled at the Coral Gardens
• Snorkeled at the inner lagoon at Four Seasons
• Had a couple’s massage at The Four Seasons Resort Spa in the special Fare Miti Spa Suite (private overwater treatment room with private lagoon views, outdoor tub, glass panels beneath massage beds to watch fish at the inner lagoon).

Can you let us know more about your experience(s)?

The jet ski tour was definitely not for beginners. It was a tour that took you all around the entire island of Bora Bora. It was absolutely beautiful to see all sides of the island on water.

It was an all-day type of adventure because it also involved lunch at Bloody Mary’s and then a lengthy but gorgeous 4×4 Safari tour of the island. Bring tons of bug spray during the 4×4 Safari as you will be going off-road. There are tons of bugs waiting for you!

I would highly recommend commemorating the memory of being on the island by doing a photography session with Bora Bora Photo Studio. We also booked Hair and Make-Up by Bora Bora Bridal Beauty. I highly recommend having your memories enhanced by getting such talented photographers to capture that exact moment. iPhone photos can only do so much…

Tricky question: If you had to pick only one activity, which one would it be and why?

For excursions, I would recommend the private boat charter. We went with Bora Bora Fishing Charters where we were able to have fishing in the morning, lunch at St.James, and then swimming with blacktip reef sharks then snorkeling at coral gardens. You call the shots on where you want to go and what you want to do. Instead of having an experience where you have set time frames, it maximizes more time on what YOU want to do. Instead of waiting for the rest of the tour to finish.

Shopping experience : Did you go shopping at all during your stay? If so, where did you go and what did you buy?

We shopped for several Tahitian Pearl Jewelries at Tahia Boutique at the Four Seasons Resort

Storytime!

Overall what was the highlight of your trip? Any particular activities or experiences that stand out in your mind as being particularly memorable or enjoyable?

Swimming and snorkeling at the Four Seasons Inner Lagoon. It was so tranquil and majestic.

Did anything memorable happen while you were there, like a special interaction with another person or animal?

Having our photography done by Bora Bora Photo Studio and Hair and Make-Up done by Bora Bora Bridal Beauty. Meeting our photographer was a joy!

He really made us feel comfortable and happy during our photo session. Aurelie was also a joy to speak to about her experiences on the island. They were two very wonderful people I am blessed to have met.

What was your least favorite part of the trip? (If anything comes to your mind).

Leaving the island! We actually had to request a late checkout and even extended our check out because we decided to take one last swim.

The weather in Bora Bora is a factor of stress for future travelers. What month did you visit? Did it rain while you were there, and if so, how often did it rain?

In March 2022 it rained twice and only at night. We had perfect weather days throughout our stay!

Budget

Let’s talk about numbers and break down costs.

What was the overall cost of your entire trip in Bora Bora?

Close to $30K with the cash tips given.

We were very blessed to have made some very good real estate investments this past year. Remember I said this was a YOLO trip?

• 6 Nights at Four Seasons Overwater Bungalow with a meal plan (Breakfast & Dinner for 2) + 2 prepaid excursions from the travel agency = $10,411.7
• Hair and Make-up – $350
• Photography – $585
• Additional Food/Drinks (Non-meal plan covered items) and Spa Expenses = $1652
• Private Fishing Charter = $1450
• Two Business-class airfare round trips $15,526.78, we flew with Air Tahiti Nui Nui from LAX (This includes airfare costs from our origin airport Austin – Alaska Airlines First Class).

I don’t remember how much we spent at St.James but it was below $200. And we had purchased some Tahitian Pearls for gifts and memorabilia.

Did you use points or member programs to save on accommodations and / or flights?

None

✈️ What was the overall cost for transportation ?What company(ies) did you use? Did you fly in premium or economy?

Accommodation. What was the overall cost for accommodation? Did you stay in a special room category (ie : Bungalow with pool, mountain view…).

6 Nights at Four Seasons Overwater Bungalow with lagoon view and a meal plan (Breakfast & Dinner for 2), 2 prepaid excursions from the travel agency = $10,411.78

Activities. What was the overall cost for activities? How many activities did you do?Private or shared?

The 2 excursions came with the room cost (see above).
Private Fishing Charter = $1450 + 5% VAT tax.
Hair and Make-up – $350
Photography – $585.

Food. What was the overall cost for food? Did you eat in a restaurant only? Was food included in your resort package? Did you buy some snacks or alcohol outside resorts?

We did buy food at St.James and it was below $200 with plenty of food and drinks (the food at Bloody Marys was included with one of our excursions). Most of our food expenses were included in our resort package.

Were there any hidden costs that came up throughout your stay?

None that I wasn’t aware of.

Last word & tips

Do you have tips / advice for other travelers visiting Bora Bora soon?

There will never be a perfect time to go. Just do it! Plan it! You don’t need to spend as much as we did for this vacation. You can use points, you can go to more affordable resorts, and you can even do day passes at Four Seasons or St. Regis if you really want to check out the resort.

Anything else / any experience you would like to talk about to finish?

Commemorate the experience of going to Bora Bora by hiring professional photographers such as Bora Bora Photo Studio. You will look back at your photos and appreciate the every single day.

So you’ve been to Bora Bora / French Polynesia recently and are willing to share your experience? I would be glad to have you on the blog! Shoot me an email via the form below! Looking forward to hearing from you! 🙂 And if you need help planning your stay in Bora Bora, get in touch :)

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