A honeymoon of a lifetime! French Polynesia is a paradise on Earth. We contemplated many different honeymoon options but once we learned about Moorea and Bora Bora, it was a no brainer. This was our first big trip. At this time, neither Heerali or I had much experience for booking international travel and understand all the minor logistics. So we book our honeymoon through a travel agency, Tahiti Legends. They made the process simple and convenient. We did not have to worry about connections or transportations.
DAY 0:
Our first day primarily consisted of travel. We took off from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia to LAX in Los Angeles, California. From there, we had our connecting flight to paradise! Flights are typically late at night to compensate for the time difference when you land. We arrived at LAX around 4pm. We had many hours to kill but we wanted to get there early just incase there was a delay or setback. Plus we had to transition from domestic travel to international. Our flight from LAX departed around 1AM the following morning to the big island of Tahiti in French Polynesia.
DAY 1:
We arrived in Tahiti early in the morning. After clearing entrance and customs, we were taken to the port for our boat ride to Moorea. A quick one hour boat ride will get you from Tahiti to Moorea. Once we arrived in Moorea, we welcomed with flower garlands from the Hilton Moorea Resort. This hotel was amazing with great amenities and views. We opted for a garden bungalow with our own private pool and spacious patio. We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the pool and then got ready for an evening of a traditional Polynesian dance show and dinner. The dance show was very vibrant and a chance to learn about the culture of French Polynesia. The best part of the show was the fire dancers on the beach. This was a great first day to end at French Polynesia!
DAY 2:
We woke up bright and early with the sun out so early and the wild chickens. We had a hearty breakfast with a great view of the ocean and mountains in the background. Water activities in Moorea is a must, so we decided to kayak and it was so serene and beautiful. Later on, we had dinner reservations on the main island at a restaurant called Moorea beach café. Being able to see the local people and seeing how simple things in life make them happy made us realize how lucky we are to have the things we have. The café was on the beach with great seafood and drinks. We would say this was one of the best restaurants we had in Moorea and would recommend you all to try it out.
DAY 3:
Today was a thrilling day because we had an ATV tour scheduled to take us around the island. Pacific island are praised for their beautiful waters and coastal regions but there is so much beauty hidden within. We drove through pineapple fields, crossed rivers, and drove to the Belvedere point, which is a beautiful lookout in the center of the island. From here you have beautiful view of Mount Roto Nui. Along the way we drank some fresh coconuts and tasted different homemade jams. After the half day tour with our guide we headed back to the hotel and relaxed out at the pool while sipping on pina coladas. We would definitely recommend this ATV tour! In the evening we had dinner reservations at Holy Steak House on the main island. The restaurant was very cozy and a great romantic ambiance. Sadly this was our last night in Moorea, but we were ready for our next adventure In Bora Bora!
Day 4:
Woke up early and started packing up for our next adventure to Bora Bora. We enjoyed the resort for the last few hours before heading to the airport. The airport in Moorea is very chill and they are not strict about baggage. We arrived in Bora Bora in a short 45 minute flight. We were welcomed by the Intercontinental staff, and taken to our resort. Seeing how this was a once in a lifetime trip, we splurged for the over-water-bungalow! Every morning, we woke to a beautiful ocean sunrise. Not only was the room excellent, the pool was great with a perfect view of the volcanic mountains. Staying on a private moto was definitely a great experience and provided the icon views of Bora Bora. Later that night, had dinner at the resort called, Reef. After dinner we made our way back to the bungalow to sit on our balcony and just look up and see millions of stars, it was truly magical. We hope to go back one day and do this all over again!
Day 5:
We woke up to a beautiful view of the lagoon from our over water bungalow. We had a jeep safari tour this morning. We were picked up from our hotel and were taken around the island of Bora Bora.
We were taken around the island and shown many of the local areas, markets and hidden spots. The best part was when we drove past a church. We heard kids laughing and singing with such happiness and joy, it was absolutely contagious. We made an impromptu stop. We were invited inside where we got to play and sign along with the kids. Despite being in paradise, this was an amazing and eye opening experience because it truly connected us with the locals who call Bora Bora home.
The hotel had cool little activities throughout the day. We learned how to make fresh authentic ceviche and hats out of palm tree fauns. We also learned traditional Polynesian dancing and tattoo art.
Day 6:
We woke up bright and early for our next thrill activity. The activity we had planned out was parasailing. We did parasail at 300m high together for the first time and it was amazing viewing Bora Bora from the top. After the adventure we headed back and decided to kayak and paddle board in the lagoon. There is something about that warm clear water of Bora Bora, never seen anything that beautiful. Later on, in the evening we had a Polynesian dance show and it was similar to the one in Moorea!
Day 7:
Today we made the most of our last full day in Bora Bora, can’t believe it went by so fast. We had one last adventure planned which was jet skiing. Our tour guide was great and took us on a private island tour and we made a stop at one of his private islands. He gave us bananas and coconuts to snack on. The way he explained the island history and great respect he gave us by showing us his island and feeding us was truly fortunate to have such a great guide. After the tour we headed to the pool and got ready for our last dinner at the Sands. In the evening we sat out on our balcony and laid down and just stared around the beauty we were surrounded by and knowing that this would be the last night we would see in French Polynesia until we come back in the future.
Day 8:
Our last sunrise in Bora Bora and we made it a priority to wake up to see it for the last time. Another thing we were going to miss was the delicious breakfast with a view. We decided to take it easy today by hanging out by the pool side. We were able to engage in with a straw hat making out of palm trees (definitely a good survivor point). The best part was able to get close to the sting rays during their feeding time, it was a dream to be surrounded by nature around. We have never seen so many sting rays together at one time. No wonder why people say Bora Bora is a dream! So nice they name it twice.
We packed our bags and made our way to the airport. It was a long flight back home but we left with smiles, great memories, and a piece of our hearts on those islands.
