pcakes13 t1_j6l6879 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:35 AM

Reply to comment by IndignantDeleter in "BORA BORA"....The most beautiful Island in the World! by TamerDubai

Raiatea Lodge. Small, like 20 rooms total.

https://raiatea-lodge-hotel.com/en/home/

Super short version of why I'd pass on Bora Bora is that it's ALL resorts. Any piece of land on the atoll that can support a hotel, has a hotel, and they're SUPER swank. Four Seasons. The Intercontinental. You get the idea. There are a some on the main island, but that's not why you go there. You go there to stay at a super-swank $1200 per/night over-water bungalow. Now that's super crazy and awesome, and it is awesome, but for what it costs to spend 5 nights in Bora Bora you could spend 2 weeks in Raiatea AND take a cruise on a catamaran. Now I wouldn't necessarily stay for 2 weeks, but it's quiet, beautiful, and had better snorkeling than Bora Bora did. Bora Bora was a bucket list location for sure but I'm not sure I'd go back based on the cost alone.

BootyMcSqueak t1_j6l72tu wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:41 AM

Thank you so much for the suggestion!

Ginge00 t1_j6l9fef wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:59 AM

My wife and I spent 5 days at the intercontinental on Moorea, it was amazing, we did a jet ski tour around the little islands of the coast and it was fantastic. Highly recommend Moorea.

pcakes13 t1_j6lrj9v wrote on January 31, 2023 at 5:37 AM

We swam with rays and black tipped reef sharks in the shallows by that hotel. Moorea also has a super cool marine reserve on the other side of the island where you can chill in your own hammock between snorkeling.

Pbranson t1_j6mze5d wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:10 PM

I second Raiatea Lodge. Stayed there in March and it was great.