BORA BORA, FRENCH POLYNESIA (2025) | 10 BEST Things To Do On Bora Bora (+ Travel Tips)

What's up guys? We're here in Bora Bora and in this video we're going to show you the best things to do here and give some essential travel tips. Let's hope you enjoy it. Bora Bora is a small island located in the South Pacific Ocean. It forms part of French Polynesia's Society Islands and sits roughly 160 miles or 260 kilometers northwest of Tahiti. This is surrounded by a turquoise lagoon as well as a stunning barrier reef and small sandy islets called motus, many of which are home to luxurious resorts. Bora Bora itself has a small mountainous main island which is the remnant of an extinct volcano. Despite its modest size of only about 12 square miles or 31 square kilometers, this place offers a wide variety of activities. In this video we'll show you our top 10 things to do in Bora Bora. At the end we'll also share some advice about accommodations when it comes to balancing budget versus luxury options. Now let's dive in. We are Zach and Ina. We make helpful videos about destinations around the world so you can easily plan your own adventures. Vaitape is Bora Bora's largest town and is located on the western side of the main island. It's the arrival spot for the majority of visitors who stay on this island, with the free shuttle ferry from the airport docking at the pier. This bustling little town offers a genuine local experience away from the exclusive resorts on the motus. Many residents live and shop here, providing the chance to explore a collection of cozy restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores. You'll also find many souvenir shops featuring Tahitian pearls and handicrafts. We were lucky to experience the local culture at its most vibrant, catching a free public performance for the annual Hava festival during our visit. It was a fascinating display of traditional dance and music. Matira Beach is located at the southern tip of Bora Bora's main island. It's the island's largest and only public beach, with a mile-long stretch of powdery white sand and shallow turquoise waters that are perfect for swimming and relaxing. Because of its stunning beauty, the Matira area is also home to a concentration of restaurants and accommodations, from affordable rentals to luxury options. Just around the point, on the eastern side, several resorts feature overwater bungalows right on the edge of the lagoon. You can find some spectacular sunsets in Bora Bora, especially from the main island's western facing side. The best vantage point is from the famous Matira Beach that we previously mentioned. Vaitepe Harbour is another nice free option if you're staying in that area, and St. James Restaurant is a perfect place to enjoy the last moments of the day with a glass of wine and waterfront view. It's also possible to book a sunset cruise that departs from Vaitepe if you want to watch the spectacle from the water. And if you're looking for a more private sunset experience, then you can also consider staying at an overwater bungalow on one of the resorts on Omotu. We'll talk more about these bungalows a little later in this video. Bora Bora's dramatic volcanic past has sculpted it into a prime destination for hiking. The easiest trek we did was to the TV Towers, which is an out-and-back trail that starts from Tsunami Refuge No. 17. This short 15-minute ascent up a wide cement path yields incredible panoramic views of the lagoon's turquoise waters. For a more challenging adventure, the trail to the peak of Mt. Matapupu begins near Tsunami Refuge No. 16. This 2.6 kilometer or 1.6 mile out-and-back hike has about 150 meters or 490 feet of elevation gain. The trail navigates a mix of loose rocks, dirt, and mud. There's also a steep rope section as you make your way towards the summit. Made it to the top here. The last section to get up was super steep and really slippery, so I would not recommend doing that if it's rained recently. But yeah, the views up here are definitely spectacular. There's one single road that circles Bora Bora's entire main island. It's approximately 32 kilometers or 20 miles long and is mostly flat. Given its small size, the most enjoyable way to explore it is by motorbike or e-bike. We rented a motorbike from the Avis at the harbor of Vaitapay and booking ahead on their website is recommended. The full drive takes about one to one and a half hours without stops. Once you leave the bustling Matira and Vaitapay areas, the road becomes very quiet. The island's unique shape provides surprising views around every turn, from different perspectives of Mount Otamanu to picturesque bay views. But our favorite part was soaking in the local life and scenery away from the resort areas. For a historical excursion, seek out the remaining World War II cannons, left behind when the U.S. military departed. The most accessible site is located in Anau, on the eastern side of the main island. The easiest access is via the main circle island road. As you near the entrance, you'll find a small ticket booth at the top of a hill near the sharp A small fee of 500 Polynesian francs, or about five U.S. dollars per person, is requested by the path's owners and maintainers. From the entrance, it's a short five-minute walk until you reach Heroes Rock, where you can find some of the best views of Mount Otamanu. Another 10 minutes on the trail will bring you to two massive cannons with spectacular lagoon views. One of the ultimate Bora Bora experiences is staying in an overwater bungalow, most of which are located on the secluded motus surrounding the main island. For many travelers, including us, this iconic accommodation is a major bucket list item, and the reason we decided to spend our final two days at the Westin Bora Bora Resort and Spa. This resort is the epitome of luxury, featuring fancy dining, some of the most beautiful beaches, perfect views of Mount Otamanu, and a wonderfully secluded atmosphere. The experience is all about relaxation, offering a private deck with direct lagoon access and a romantic setting for pampering yourself in paradise. We'll now show you what our overwater bungalow looks like. So this is basically the room, and there's a really big comfy bed, a welcome gift, a little coffee station, and a nice TV, a little walk-in closet. A really cool feature is this bathtub with an amazing view. Then there's these two sinks, the shower, and the toilet here. And then, of course, the best part of the overwater bungalow is the view itself, which is really nice, and also the outer patio. As you walk, you can see here the water below us. So we got these chairs, really comfortable, and a nice infinity pool, and then the view. And if you want to book this place yourself, we'll leave a link in the description below the video, as well as the QR code on the screen. A boat tour around the lagoon is undeniably the best way to experience the true beauty of Bora Bora's waters. We opted for a full day excursion, including different stops for snorkeling and a Polynesian picnic on a tranquil motu. Not long after we boarded the boat, our guide spotted a large pod of dolphins, who were jumping and splashing under the morning sun. After that, the boat took us to different marine sanctuaries around the lagoon. We spotted eagle rays, stingrays, black-tipped reef sharks, and manta rays. We also snorkeled in a vibrant coral garden that was teeming with colorful fish. We capped off the tour on a tranquil motu, where we walked to the sandy shores directly from the The delicious Polynesian picnic and cultural demonstrations were the perfect ending to our day in paradise. Swimming with manta rays is one of Bora Bora's top activities, as the island is home to multiple manta ray cleaning stations. These stations are basically shallow areas of the reef, where small fish naturally remove parasites and dead skin from the rays' bodies. One of the best-known spots is right off the main island shore at Takutaku Point. To experience this, you simply swim for a few minutes towards the buoys that are situated off the coast. If you're lucky, the manta rays will be gliding along the edges where the reef drops down towards the deeper water. Given the strong current, we highly recommend wearing flippers. For an easier exit, let the current take you around the point and then walk back on the road. Our favorite activity in Bora Bora was a jet ski tour on the lagoon. After a quick safety briefing, we zoomed across the shallow waters in a small group, completing a circle around the entire island. Cruising past the postcard-perfect water bungalows and the majestic Mount Otemanu provided some of the most spectacular views on our whole trip in French Polynesia. Our guide made a few quick picture stops on the lagoon, before arriving at a motu for a coconut husking demonstration. Here, we were able to taste the fresh coconut juice for ourselves. The whole experience was about two hours long and was definitely something we'll never forget. Now, we'll go over a few travel and budget tips. To maximize your experience without breaking the bank, we recommend spending three to five days on the main island as your home base for activities. Most excursions and tours depart from the main island anyway, and you'll find a wide variety of budget-friendly accommodations there. We saved significantly by staying in a vacation rental in Vaitepe for our first week, which also offered easy access to the grocery store. For the ultimate relaxing time, dedicate your final two to three days to a luxurious overwater bungalow resort on a motu. Use those days to fully enjoy the facilities. You can find QR codes to the places we stayed, as well as a list of activities on the screen here. It's also worth noting that Bora Bora has one of the world's most beautiful airports. It's located on another small motu fringed with palm trees and sandy beaches. Wherever you stay during your visit, you'll have to take a ferry from the airport to your destination. The ferry ticket is included in the price of the flight if you transfer to Vaitepe on Bora Bora's main island. If you plan on staying directly at a resort on a motu, just make sure you arrange that transfer directly with them prior to your arrival. Thanks for watching, and we hope you enjoyed it. You can find many more tips for exploring the islands in our full travel guide video all about French Polynesia. We also included the important links you'll need for your own trip in the description below this video. We'll catch you on the next adventure.