2014.3.15We are supposed to leave Moorea at 11:45am to Bora Bora. In the morning, we were worried if we could leave the island on that day, especially after seeing this during breakfast.
Rain stopped after the breakfast. We were told the flight had not been cancelled. At 9:30, a shuttle bus sent us to the airport. Moorea’s airport is small. There were about 30 to 40 passengers on the flight. All of us waited at the airport hall.
The rain was still on and off but not heavy. At 11am, we were told the flight would be delayed for an hour. Everyone got a coupon for a free drink.
At 12pm, the plane finally arrived. It’s flight from Tahiti. We watched the passenger getting off the plane and walking through the gate. They all looked fine. After all, it’s a only 10-minute flight from Tahiti to Moorea. It would take 45 minutes to get to Bora Bora. We all preyed that the weather wouldn’t become worse in the next hour.
The flight was smooth, only a little bumpy at the end. You should try to take the seat at the left side to be able to overlook the view of iconic overwater bungalows stretching into the turquoise lagoon like tentacles as the plane descending to the Bora Bora Airport.
Bora Bora Airport is built on a Motu. It seemed even smaller than Moorea’s airport. We were the last ones got off the plane. We let our hotel, Le Meridien, know our arriving date and flight in advance. As we walked out of the gate, the staff from the hotel were waiting for us. They put flower leis on both of us and led us to the boat. There maybe only a few planes leave and land here everyday, but people work very efficiently. We identified our bags and got on the boat. In less than 20 minutes, boats from different hotels all took their guests and gone. (There are free boats to take guests to the town on the island as well.)
This is it, Bora Bora, the ultimate fantasy and wonderland. As Polynesian music played on the boat and weather was at its best in a few days, we even saw some sunsine, everyone’s spirit got lit up.
It took about half an hour boat ride to get to the hotel. We got our room after checking in. It’s over water but not far from the beach. Look out from our deck, what a view! Bora Bora definitely lives up to the reputation. It would be perfect if only the sky was not that cloudy.
After settled in the room, we returned to the lobby to look for something to eat. As we were walking around the central area, the storm hit again. Miki Miki Bar and Restaurant Le Te Ava both face the lagoon and Mount Otemanu by the beach. They were literally damped by the rain and wind. We were really lucky to have this two-hour window of relatively good weather to get here.
The storm lasted about 20 minutes. The rain lightened but never really stopped. The staff had to put everything messed up by the storm together. We had a simple lunch at the bar. After that, we caught up with our emails and played a couple of sets of pool games. Hotels on Bora Bora’s Motu are not connected by road. Not many places you could go in this weather.
We had our dinner at Le Meridien’s Le Tipanie restaurant. Le Te Ava, normally open for dinner, was closed due to the weather. The food is delicious, looked elegant and expensive, $100 per person is normal.
The storm got severer at night. The overwater bungalows are supported by 4 poles. Every time a big wave hit them, I felt the room was shaking. I really worried that the bungalow could be toppled by the wave. It later turned out my worry was not baseless. Some bungalows in another area of Bora Bora were indeed damaged by the storm at that night.
