Bora Bora in Words

Jan 19, 2025

Technical note: There has been a flurry of technical difficulties getting my posts up. Evidently my 5 year old computer is too old to deal with the Sky's wifi updates. DH to the rescue. He's set my blog up on HIS computer, but everything still moves with the alacrity of a sea cucumber. I promise to write my impressions and gather up the photos, but I can't promise my blog posts will be regular. (Insert sad face here)  

Hope you enjoyed the DH’s photos. Bora Bora is an enchanting place. 

As usual when we travel, I want to learn more about the lives of the people who call the place home. Our delightful captain for our lagoon cruise introduced himself as Mana, whose name means “power.” He was a mean ukulele player and a fount of information. 

He was candid about Bora Bora’s struggles due to decreasing tourism. The island is dotted with several failed resorts, some that have been closed since the economic downturn of 2008. Some kept a skeleton work force just to care for the property while others have allowed the island to reclaim the buildings with its lush vegetation. More than a few have been scavenged for building material.  Other hotels reopened only to be crushed when covid shut down the island to all visitors.  Now Bora Bora is adding to its available “over-the-water” bungalows because 80% of the island’s guests are on their honeymoon.

Raiatea is a one hour ferry ride away from Bora Bora

The island visible in the distance is Raiatea. It’s the second largest island in French Polynesia, after Tahiti. High school aged students on Bora Bora used to have to take the hour long ferry to this sister island for the higher grades. But they didn't take the ferry every day. The kids stayed on Raiatea for two months while class was in session, then they’d be home on Bora Bora for a month throughout the year. Mana was proud to point out that Bora Bora has its own high school now. To attend university, they’ll have to go to Tahiti.

One last fun fact about Mana’s name. It turns out the DH’s name means “Strong & Powerful.” Pretty close to Mana’s meaning. I wonder how many other male names around the world mean “power.”  

More soon…