BORA BORA, French Polynesia (8 Feb 2004) -- It was a night straight out of a romance novel. The moon was a silver disk against a black velvet sky; stars twinkled like tiny gemstones, and the soft strains of Polynesian music wafted across the lagoon, caressing with its sound just as the gentle tradewind caressed with its touch. I sat on the deck of my bungalow, taking it all in, and thinking that there surely couldn't be a lovelier or more romantic spot anywhere. James Michener agreed. The author of "Tales of the South Pacific" called Bora Bora "the most beautiful island in the world," and in an ocean full of beautiful islands, few would quibble with his assessment. For what Bora Bora lacks in size - only 18 miles in circumference - it more than makes up for in stunning scenery. Protected by a necklace of coral reef, which gives it its incomparable lagoon, and studded with lush mountains, Bora Bora is the jewel of French Polynesia. Not only the loveliest island, but, as legend has it, the oldest. Its ancient name, Pora Pora, believed to mean "first born," came from Polynesian lore describing it as the first island to rise when Taaroa, the supreme god, fished it out of the water. Pora Pora became Bora Bora when Captain Cook, upon landing here, mistook the soft ened sound of the Tahitian "P" for "B." Today's island visitors see much the same vista as Cook did in the 18th Century. Mount Otemanu, at 2,384 feet rises above a lush valley blossoming with hibiscus and orchids, and perfect white sand beaches give way to waters colored with an artist's palette of blues and greens. This was what I saw as I took the boat from the airport to the private motu, or small islet that is home to the exquisite Bora Bora Lagoon Resort. Stepping off the boat onto the wharf and looking around me, I couldn't help but think that to get any closer to paradise, I'd first have to depart this world. For now, the Bora Bora Lagoon Resort would do nicely. Located directly across the lagoon from the main island and the brooding hulk of Otemanu, the resort, a member of the Orient Express collection of hotels, is a group of thatched-roof bungalows (some nestled in an exquisite garden setting; others built directly over the water.) Mine was one of the over-water bungalows (making it convenient for early morning snorkeling right off my deck), but you don't even have to get wet to enjoy the colorful marine life. Each bungalow has a coffee table with a glass top that can be removed for better reef viewing. My bellman referred to it as "the all-Bora Bora channel, all the time," saying most people preferred watching fish to watching television. Who could blame them? With vistas such as this, televisions are almost redundant (although the resort has them in each room for CNN addicts.) | | Bora Bora Still, Bora Bora is all about Romance. Where to start? Well, how about having your morning breakfast of fresh fruit, croissants and French roast coffee delivered to your bungalow by a muscled Polynesian lad paddling an outrigger canoe? This unique breakfast service never fails to impress, particularly as he not only delivers the goods, he sets up the table on the sun-kissed deck where couples have been known to remain all morning, sipping that fragrant coffee and watching the sun cast sparkling jewels of light on the water. If you think breakfast is good, wait until you see lunch. The resort can arrange for couples to be transported by boat to a private motu where you will be greeted with a glass of French wine to be savored on the beach before a picnic under a palm tree. After a leisurely lunch, you can prop your beach chaises at the edge of the surf until it's time to be ferried back to the hotel. Bora Bora Lagoon Resort is such a feast for the senses that you might be tempted never to leave (especially after next March when the staff puts the finishing touches on the new treehouse spa - nestled high atop a banyan tree, and specializing, of course, in private couples' massages), but if you don't - leave that is - you'll miss some of the spectacular beauty and thrilling adventures that the island has to offer. One of the most popular activities is the 4x4 jeep tour of Bora Bora's interior. Lush and jungle-like, it is inaccessible in many places except by four-wheel drive. The steep mountain roads, cut by the U.S. Army during World War II, provide spectacular views across the lagoon as far as neighboring island Raiatea. More than 5,000 American GIs were stationed in Bora Bora during the war, leaving behind legacies, such as an airport. The jeep tours also offer a close inspection of Bora Bora's maraes, ancient Polynesian archeological sites. Still, it's the beautiful beaches and crystal clear water that remain the major draw, and there are myriad of opportunities for enjoying both. Parasailing, deep sea fishing and scuba diving are available through a number of outfitters, while the lagoon can be explored by catamaran, outrigger canoe, or, for the more adventurous, wave runner. SOURCE - Commercial Appeal |
