Four seasons bora bora3/12/2024 We learn that Bora Bora’s outer ring of reef and motu (small reef islets) makes its calm lagoon waters ideal for exploration by kayak or paddleboard, and private boat tours abound. “If you’re lucky, you may see a turtle or dolphins-but only if you’re lucky, my friends.” Island cruises and fresh seafood “We usually see reef sharks and blacktip reef sharks,” says our skipper, once we flop back on board the motorised outrigger. But these elusive phantasms of the deep are more than a match for my fins and glide serenely out of sight. I give chase, torpedo-like – my arms held flat against my sides, my legs kicking determinedly. Slipping into the water, our guide coaxes curious moray eels from their hiding places and points out the distinctive diamond shapes of manta and eagle rays gliding through the blue. Home to approximately 700 species of tropical fish, Coral Gardens is our first stop, followed by a few other choice locations known to the crew. My feet clad in rubbery boots, I walk in slow motion through craggy outcrops of coral and lengths of seaweed fluttering in the currents, feeling like a puppet as I carefully lift one foot and then the other, my hands buoyed and bobbing at waist level.Īfter the aqua safari, a more extensive – and more traditional – underwater tour to further our relationship with the area’s colourful marine locals feels like a must.īora Bora’s famed coral reef, which encircles the island and is accessible within 15 minutes by speedboat, has some of the best snorkelling in the world. This enterprise involves donning cuboid yellow-and-white helmets that keep our heads completely dry as we descend a ladder to the sandy ocean floor. I can feel them darting between us, tickling our bare legs and backs to snatch at the rapidly disappearing hunks.Īs soon as we’re back on dry land, Coco and I survey other opportunities for excitement, getting wind of another underwater adventure – aqua safari. Laurent and Francois, our other guide, point out a starfish 30 centimetres (1 foot) in diameter, a parrotfish hovering over an undulating welcome mat of hot-pink anemone, and what looks suspiciously like a shark shooting out from under a craggy outcrop and disappearing into the murk.Īt one point, Laurent ties a mesh bag of bread to the front of our clear Perspex hood, and instantly a cloud of black-and-white-striped damselfish, angelfish and parrotfish surrounds us. Once in the water, we spot the coral gardens looming ahead – tree-like elkhorn corals and cauliflower corals, dappled by shafts of sunlight piercing through the blue. Perched on a white seat, we descend slowly as the hydraulic platform of the pontoon boat we rode out to the spot lowers us into the waves – the warm, tropical waters gradually creeping up to our bikini tops. The snub-nosed, bubble-shaped submersible – acid-yellow in colour – looks like something from the Beatles movie Yellow Submarine. Upon first seeing the aquabike parked on the platform, I stifled a laugh. When I ventured deep into the South Pacific with my up-for-anything travel partner, Coco, I was pleasantly surprised to find Bora Bora’s islet-ringed lagoon brimming with adventures. I’m very glad I was wrong about Bora Bora. I knew this tropical Leeward isle, 225 kilometres (140 miles) northeast of Tahiti in French Polynesia, would be undeniably beautiful: crescents of sheltered private beach, lush jungles adjacent to islet-ringed turquoise waters, and a delicious sense of seclusion – all of which have long proved irresistible for honeymooners.īut I’m an unquenchable traveller and adventurer, and I want more than a downtempo beach escape. When I initially considered Bora Bora as a destination for my girlfriend getaway, I wasn’t convinced it was for me.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |