Is there any other place on earth whose name symbolizes more majestic beauty and luxury? Many describe this island as magical and mesmerizing, the best vacation spot, and even as an aspirational destinations that cannot be easily compared to anything else in the world. People say that if you want to see a dream destination there is only one name, Bora Bora and it sounds enticing, soothing, and romantic. Is this really such a unique place with infinite beauty?
The best holiday resorts in French Polynesia located are on islets (called motus) that surround Bora. The turquoise lagoon with perfect diving and snorkeling divides them from the dormant volcano Mt. Otemanu that rises high from the center of Bora. Over-water bungalows at sunset, these are the images we all know, just a dream destination. Lets stop with this glorification. Luxury resorts help to experience unforgettable moments, but there are many fantastic hotels in many other places on our planet. Diving here is not any better than in other tropical locations. Only the view from the room window remains. It is unique for sure, simply because every view is unique. Is it more dramatic, or more magical? This is probably not the case, especially for those who have visited other islands in the world.
If you lean out from the Bora's resort and decide to take a short boat trip to Vaitape, the main town on the island you can see the “paradise” with your own eyes. Vaitape is a typical third-world village, dusty, boring, and sleepy at times when Paul Gauguin Cruise ship is not present in the harbor. Mass tourism gift shops, couple of bars, and few boutiques selling pearls. That is all, if not counting the gas station and the local church. We drove around the island in a rented car. I planned to spend a whole day here, but the local woman from the rental agency recommended 2-hour vehicle rental. “There is not much to see,” she said. On the way, we stopped at the public beach, Plage Matira filled with rubbish, no less than the rest of the island. Nearby sheds effectively erased hope for romantic feelings, we had still left. Knowing the high reputation of this island and a big number of wealthy tourists who arrive here, I expected Bora to be well prepared in attracting visitors with its beauty. I thought the island would be clean and tidy. What I found was the opposite. No pavements to walk, no charming restaurants, not even signs to direct visitors to very few local points of interests. Except nature, there is absolutely nothing that could refer to the “majestic beauty and magical feeling” from slogans about Bora Bora. The power and charm of the native Polynesian culture was replaced by dirt and concrete. Residents here live in simple and ugly little houses. Undoubtedly, they do not derive financial benefits from the rich tourism on the nearby motus. To me, everything I have heard about this island before coming here is far from reality. After my visit, I can say that I left Bora Bora full of disappointments.
Over time, I realized that my disappointment was based on inadequate and over-exaggerated expectations. I mistakenly thought that Bora Bora would be an exceptional and magical island in every dimension, the culmination of beauty, a vestibule to paradise. I became a victim of the commercial advertisings that glorify this place. Bora Bora's commercial success is big, but this place is simply another ordinary island in the South Pacific. Like other islands in this area, Bora Bora is friendly, calm, sleepy, poor, and beautiful.
