Bora Bora

If you’re looking for the ultimate island fantasy, you can’t do better than French Polynesia with sugary sands, empty beaches and water the perfect shade of aquamarine. It’s a 45 minute flight from Tahiti and Bora Bora is a majestic island with three giant volcanic peaks and offshore islets inside a protective necklace of coral.

Before You Go: Need-to-know info

Entry requirements: Passport, return ticket
Language: French, Tahitian, English
Currency: French Pacific Franc (CFP)
Flight time: Approximately 37 hours from Sydney (travel via Auckland NZ and Tahiti)
Getting around: Le Truck (the public bus service), taxis, rental cars, scooters, bikes, inter-island boats, catamarans or charter flights

When To Go: Bora Bora at its best

Best weather: The dry season runs from May to October, with evenings sometimes cool enough to necessitate a light sweater.
Best prices: Rates are mostly consistent year round, but slightly lower in wet season.

What To Do

Stay on the water (literally): Overwater bungalows are a honeymoon must if you travel to Bora Bora. Suspended on stilts over the water, these huts feature all the modern amenities you’d expect and often have Plexiglas floors or coffee tables through which you can watch fish swim beneath your feet.  Slide a door open to share a bit of croissant from your canoe delivered breakfast. Connected by wooden walkways, strings of bungalows stretch out into the gentle water. When you’re ready to swim, just dive out of your doorway.

Explore the lagoons: In a setting like this, you’ll be tempted to spend nearly all your time in the water and for good reason. The crystal clear water and exotic marine life make swimming and snorkelling an ideal way to spend your honeymoon. Rent a small catamaran or canoe and cruise around the tranquil lagoons to investigate the neighboring islands. For a more active afternoon beneath the surface, go on a stingray and shark feeding expedition through a company like Moana Adventure Tours. If you want to spend a day relaxing on the sand, check out the beautiful Matira Beach.

Eat the freshest fish: Don’t miss dinner at Bloody Mary’s, a celeb hangout and island mainstay, where the menu revolves around the catch of the day.

Indulge: A honeymoon in Bora Bora offers experiences unique to an island getaway, so take advantage of the surroundings. Arrange for a candlelit dinner on a nearby private island or kick back on your terrace and eat fresh sushi and sake delivered by your butler. This kind of sublime service doesn’t come cheap, but it’s not called a honeymoon of a lifetime for nothing.