Bora Bora is probably one of the most fabled places of the South Seas, playground of the 'Rich and Famous,' praised for extraordinary surroundings. The lagoon is beautiful indeed. With the Motu's as a backdrop, the turquoise waters and safe swimming are a joy to experience.

Other than that, the reality is a bit different. Even the "over the water bungalows" look very mundane from up close. Unless you are enclosed in one of the obscenely expensive resorts, some of which do not even let visitors in, you might be confronted with filth, run down places, construction ruins, loose packs of dogs running after you, and even offensive smells on one side of the island.

Think of it as "paradise is a state of mind, rather than a place." This saying is sure valid for Bora Bora! Would we return to Bora Bora? Probably yes, there are things which we have not found or have not done on the island. We would, however, strictly advise you to avoid places charging you $300-$600 per night. In our opinion, it is definitely not worth it! We recommend that you stay at a pensione instead and spend your money on other things.

Our preferred corner of the island is the Matira Peninsula. Our preferred restaurant: ...well, ahem, take a baguette rather than spending $40-$50 for a miserable meal, and we got our share of sub standard food. A very pleasant place for breakfast was Moi Here, Matira Beach, run by a nice Tahitian family and frequented by locals and tourists alike.