Where we stayed: Le Méridien, Bora Bora
Bora Bora is quite a mystical place. A cluster of tiny islands, floating in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by coral reefs and gentle waves. The water is so crystal clear you can see straight through to the lagoon's bottom, waving hello to Bora Bora's sting rays, parrot fish, and docile reef sharks swimming below.
The journey to Bora Bora was long but well worth the three airports and red eye flights. Stunned by the views from our tiny Tahitian airplane, we couldn't wait to explore the island and celebrate our first few days as newlyweds with our tropical honeymoon. On our own private boat, we left the island's airport and jetted off to our hotel, Le Méridien. On the way, we passed by scattered strings of bungalows, all perfectly aligned, floating high above the water. Each resort's cluster of bungalows were unique, but all had the post-card-perfect look with straw roofs and island charm. Greeted at the hotel boat dock with ultra fragrant wedding leis and a local Polynesian band, Mark and I both looked at each other and decided we were never leaving!
After checking into the hotel, we were whisked away on golf carts to our floating overwater bungalow. We decided to spend half of our honeymoon in an overwater bungalow and the other half in a private beach villa.
Our overwater bungalow was absolutely stunning with gorgeous views of the lagoon looking out to the main island of Bora Bora. Our bungalow had a direct staircase to the water below, a bathtub with a lookout over the lagoon (my favorite part!), and captivating glass bottom floor.
The water around the island changes color quickly depending on the depth below. The dark gorgeous blue water is very deep while the lighter, crystal like water is very shallow. While passing over the water by boat, the colors looked like blue tie-dye, changing minute by minute as the captain navigated away from the shallow sand banks.
From the shore, our views of the bungalows looked like we were holding up a post card. From almost anywhere on the resort, you could look out and see the iconic water bungalows dotting the horizon. We loved going to the beach and wading in the hip deep water, with the occasional sting ray swimming past.
We made a habit of going into town every night for dinner. The evening boat rides were always spectacular, taking us around Bora Bora at sunset. We got to watch the sun go down behind the mountain - pink, purple, and deep blue colors would light up the sky.
While in town for dinner, the hotel staff transformed our floating bungalow into a cozy, intimate space. The glass bottom floor was covered with woven island rugs, the blinds were drawn, and only the sound of gentle waves and occasional sway from the waters below would remind us that you are floating over the lagoon. Sleeping in the bungalow took some getting used to. After a few nights the rocking of the bungalow, whistling of the wind through the window's wood slats, and the splashing of the water below put a spell on me and coaxted me to sleep.
We absolutely loved our overwater bungalow! It was such a dream to stay in such an iconic room high above crystal clear water. About half way through our honeymoon, we swapped out our bungalow for a private beach villa, with a pool and tons of room to stretch out.
I can't wait to share the second half of our honeymoon and explore Bora Bora by land with you!
Comment below