Charts A Course

Over the past decade, the internet and social media have touted Bora Bora as the most beautiful, paradise get away in the world.

• Is it really that beautiful or just online filters?
• Are the overwater villas really that amazing?
• Is it worth the cost and what would I do?

My wife and I, with our two year old, went to French Polynesia for 10 days and visited Bora Bora for four days and stayed in an overwater villa.

Is it that beautiful? Yes.

The water really is vibrant turquoise and most online pictures are real. The island is surrounded on one side by barrier islands creating a white, sandy lagoon. The shallower depth causes the sun to reflect off the white sand creating the beautiful water color.

Before going into the overwater villa, costs, and activities here’s an overview:

You arrive in Papeete, Tahiti, first, then take another 50-seater plane to Bora Bora. These airports are very small. After arriving at Bora Bora, you walk onto the tarmac, and into the airport building. You immediately can see the docks and beautiful water. This is where your already scheduled boat transportation will take you to one of the overwater villa resorts or island hotels.

Most international flights arrive late in the day to Papeete. We arrived around 10pm and stayed the night at Kon Tiki hotel, about 20 minutes from the airport. The room was very large, clean, with filtered water station and balcony overlooking the ferry building. The hotel has one of the best rooftop bars for sunsets and on the floor below it an elegant restaurant. We highly recommend the rooftop bar happy hour pizza and cocktails.

The flight to Bora Bora from Papeete is about 1 hour. When boarding from the rear, sit on the left side of the plane to see the amazing islands and aquamarine water. On our short Air Tahiti flight we went north, northwest over Moorea, Ra’iatea, and eventually the Bora Bora barrier island where all of the overwater villas reside.

On the east side of the lagoon, there are 4 well-known overwater villa resorts: Four Seasons, St. Regis, InterContinental, and The Westin. Room costs may vary between the brands but generally are at least $1,000 per night for an overwater bungalow with additional resort fees. All the properties are structurally similar with branches of walkways extending from the barrier island into the lagoon.

The Westin opened in late 2024 after years of renovations, and as a Marriot property, we used points to stay for 3 nights. (We used a Marriot Boundless credit card to accumulate points. In addition, we receive annual free nights for paying the annual card fee). Our total out of pocket cost was the $200 nightly resort fee and food and drink during our stay. The resort fee included: Transfer from the airport to the resort, daily cocktail or wine tasting, a bottle of champagne and snacks in the room, use of water sports equipment including snorkel gear, a beach tote bag, and reusable water bottles.

The resort boat picks you up at the airport and drops you off at the dock. It is a luxurious, “White Lotus”-esque experience. After checking in, you are escorted via golf cart to your overwater or on-land villa.

Are the overwater villas really that amazing? Yes, but structurally similar to any modern, new luxury king villa. The only difference is there is a see-through rectangle at the foot of the bed, you have access to the lagoon, and a sun deck for lounging. The room has vaulted ceilings, a walk-in closet, separate bathroom, walk in shower, large two-sink vanity, and in-room bathtub. The patio has a circular table, two lounge chairs, and outdoor shower to rinse off after swimming in the lagoon. We were far into the lagoon and only saw one fish the entire time eating barnacles on the pylons. It is possible with older resorts there are more coral reefs below the villas, increasing the chance of seeing fish in the room.

What would I do? This really depends on the type of experience. Each resort have pools, bicycles, kayaks, paddle boards, snorkeling gear, spas, and yoga sessions. In addition, there are charter experiences like snorkeling for rays and sharks. We also saw a Polynesian dinner show that traveled across the different resorts.

The Westin is unique because it has one of the only two sea turtle rescue center across the island chain, with the other in Tahiti. We were able to see turtles up close and learn about the ecosystem. The resort has a large, channel fed with fresh salt water for the turtles to rehabilitate. This is connected but separate from the larger pond and channels connecting to the lagoon. I snorkeled the waterways to see a variety of reef fish (Nemo!), sting rays, and a large moray eel living in a rock under the yoga studio.

Is it worth the cost? That depends on your budget. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world and has quality, luxury brands to satisfy all your needs. I am familiar with the other brands and believe they probably have better customer service and food quality compared to The Westin but at a higher price point. You are able to take a boat taxi between the resorts for a fee.

If Bora Bora is out of budget, there are alternatives in French Polynesia on the Island of Moorea, which is reachable by a 40-minute ferry from Tahiti (Papeete). We recommend the Hilton or the Sofitel on Moorea as a more affordable resort option with similar over water villas experience (if don’t mind passing up bragging rights that you visited Bora Bora).

Comment below if you want to know more about the Sofitel.

Safe Travels