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Voykit pocket guide · French Polynesia
Bora Bora
Pora Pora
Go for 3–5 nights if the overwater bungalow is the point of the trip; otherwise 3 nights on the main island and day-trip the lagoon.
Bora Bora is one lagoon, one extinct volcano and a ring of motu islets, 50 minutes by air from Tahiti. The island is small — 31 km of road around the main island — and very expensive. What you pay for is the lagoon and the view of Mount Otemanu; everything else is logistics. Three nights covers the lagoon tour, Matira Beach and one slow day. Five nights lets you add diving or a second motu.
- Country
- French Polynesia
- Local name
- Pora Pora
- Best months
- May–Oct (dry season)
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (wet season, storms; Dec–Jan busiest and priciest)
- Stay
- 3–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- XPF
- Money
- Currency is the CFP franc (XPF), also used in New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna, pegged to the euro (€1 = 119.33 XPF); euros are sometimes taken at poor rates.
- Daily spend
- Budget (guesthouse, self-catering) 12,000–20,000 XPF excl. bed · Mid (hotel or pension, some tours) 20,000–35,000 XPF excl. bed · High (resort dining and daily tours) 35,000–60,000 XPF excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vini (OPT) is the main network, with Vodafone (Onati) as the other; tourist SIMs at Faa'a airport and Vini shops need a passport.
- Emergency
- Police 17 · Medical (SAMU) 15 · Fire 18 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 220 V · 60 Hz · French two-pin sockets; some resorts also have 110 V US sockets. Bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: Not expected; service is included.; Tours and dives: Optional; XPF 1,000–2,000 for a great guide.; Taxis: Not expected.; Resort staff: Optional; some resorts have a shared staff fund.
- Water
- Tap water in Papeete and many Tahiti and Moorea communes is treated; on atolls it is rainwater. Ask, or drink bottled.
- Toilets
- Western toilets; few public ones — use cafés, malls and the ferry terminal.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Roulotte meal (burger or grilled fish with fries) | 700–1,400 XPF |
| Pizza at a Matira shack | 1,300–1,900 XPF |
| Restaurant dinner, main course | 3,000–6,000 XPF |
| Beer at a snack / resort bar | 600–1,500 XPF |
| Scooter rental, 4 h / 24 h | 5,500 / 6,800 XPF (check) |
| Electric two-seater, 4 h | 8,000 XPF (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | 2,500–4,500 XPF |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BOB · Bora Bora Airport (Motu Mute)
- On a motu north of the main island; Air Tahiti from Papeete about 50 min, several flights a day. Free shuttle boat to Vaitape; resorts meet their own guests at the airport.
Typical fares
- Airport shuttle boat to Vaitape
- free with Bora Bora Navette (check)
- Air Tahiti Papeete → Bora Bora
- about 50 min, several flights a day (check)
- Taxi Vaitape → Matira
- about 3,000–4,000 XPF (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
One sealed road circles the main island (31 km (19 mi), about 1 h to drive without stops). A single bus runs roughly hourly on part of the loop; taxis exist but are few. Rent a car, scooter or e-bike in Vaitape for a day. Motu resorts move you by boat on their own timetable — ask before booking activities elsewhere.One sealed road circles the main island (19 mi (31 km), about 1 h to drive without stops). A single bus runs roughly hourly on part of the loop; taxis exist but are few. Rent a car, scooter or e-bike in Vaitape for a day. Motu resorts move you by boat on their own timetable — ask before booking activities elsewhere.
See and do
Known for
- The lagoon and its motu islets
- Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia
- Overwater bungalows
- Matira Beach
- Tahitian black pearls
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lagoon tour (shark and ray snorkel) | Boat from Vaitape or your resort quay; most operators run a half or full day | Half day to full day |
| Matira Beach | Bus or rental car to the south tip of the main island | 20–30 min from Vaitape |
| Mount Pahia hike | Trailhead above Vaitape; guide strongly advised | Half day |
| Maupiti | Air Tahiti, about 15 min, limited days | Half day plus |
Sleep
- Matira (south tip of main island)
- The main public beach, snacks and a handful of guesthouses; the cheapest way to be on the water.
- Vaitape (west coast)
- The only town: ferry quay, groceries, roulottes and the airport shuttle. Practical, not scenic.
- Motu resorts (off the main island)
- Overwater and beach bungalows on islets; boat transfer is included but you are tied to the resort's schedule and prices.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Ia ora nayo-rah-nah |
| Thank you | Mauruurumah-roo-roo |
| Goodbye | Nananah-nah |
| Yes / No | E / Aitaay / eye-tah |
| How much is it? | E hia te moni?ay hee-ah teh moh-nee |
| Where is the toilet? | Te fare iroto i hea?teh fah-reh ee-roh-toh ee heh-ah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Bonjour or ia ora na; a kiss on the cheek among acquaintances; avoid: Starting a request without a greeting
- Flowers: Accept the flower garland (hei) on arrival; flower behind the right ear means single, left means taken; avoid: Throwing a hei away in front of the giver
- Homes: Shoes off at the door; avoid: Entering yards without asking
- Church: Neat clothes, quiet photos only when allowed; avoid: Beachwear
- Pace: Patience; 'aita pe'ape'a' (no worries); avoid: Pushing for speed
Scams and watch-outs
- Everything is expensive: food, transfers and activities all sit at the top of the range.
- Motu resorts are not walkable to town; a missed boat transfer can cost you a tour.
- Wet season (Nov–Apr) brings heavy rain and unpredictable storms.
- Mount Pahia trail crosses private land and has lost hikers; go with a guide.
- Book Air Tahiti seats early — flights from Papeete fill up.
Bora Bora is a low-crime island; the real risks are sunburn, coral cuts, strong lagoon currents and the cost of a missed boat transfer. Use reef-safe sunscreen and never touch the coral.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bora Bora yet. Suggested stay: 3–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- The lagoon and its motu islets
- Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia
- Overwater bungalows
- Matira Beach
- Tahitian black pearls
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tahiti Tourisme — Bora Bora: www.tahititourisme.com/islands/bora-bora/
- Air Tahiti: www.airtahiti.com/
- Wikivoyage: Bora Bora, revision 5241968 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241968
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bora BoraPora Pora
I teie vahi, na reira
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Bora Bora; the US, UK, Australian and other consulates are in Papeete, Tahiti (check addresses).
Tipping is not expected; a thank-you to a guide is welcome.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bora-bora). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.