Cruising the South Pacific with Mr and Mrs "C": Vaitape, Bora Bora, (French Polynesia)

March 29, 2010

Upon leaving Raiatea, we cruised over to Bora Bora and anchored off Vaitape, where we stayed for two nights.

Bora Bora is regarded as the most beautiful island in the Pacific. With its lush green volcanic peaks, beautiful lagoons and coral under sea gardens, it is the most picture-perfect tropical island. There is no major shopping or business centers on Bora Bora. Most visitors stay in over water bungalows at all-inclusive resorts scattered around the island. Bora Bora’s Lagoon is three times as large as the land portion of the island and has over 7oo species of tropical fish that call it home.

Our morning began with a ride in a brightly decorated, outrigger canoe. There were 36 people in our Cruise Critic group (3 canoes); ours was under the command of Patrick from Maohi Nui Tours. We circled the island, stopping to swim and snorkel along the way. The shallow coral gardens provided us with awesome fish and reef life, including sting rays, black tip and lemon sharks and large colorful clams. Before returning to the ship, we were taken to a beautiful motu for a beach barbeque where Patrick and his staff prepared a traditional Tamara’a (Tahitian-style feast. On the grill, they cooked lobster, chicken and fresh fish and in an Emu (a fire pit), they baked a suckling pig with taro and vanilla root and breadfruit, all wrapped in banana leaves. We also had marinated raw tuna, mixed with cucumber, tomato, green pepper, onion, lime juice and allow to marinade, then covered with coconut milk. The meal was served traditional Tahitian style, on hand woven palm leaf plates and eaten with your fingers. The tables were set out in the lagoon where the water was about a foot deep. It was an amazing experience.

Our learned lesson of the day, the difference between an island and a motu in the South Pacific is; a motu is formed by dead coral, an island by lava.

Tomorrow Papeete, Tahiti.