Four Seasons Bora Bora

Author: Jill Weinlein
Date of Trip: October 2014

We were invited to enjoy an afternoon tour of the Four Seasons Bora Bora and have dinner at their sunset bar and restaurant while vacationing on the Leeward side of the French Polynesia.

We took a cab to the town of Vaitape on the main island of Bora Bora. An elegant Four Seasons classic wood boat was waiting to whisk guests to the Four Seasons private Motu Tehotu. The smooth ride was about 35 minutes long.

Once we reached the destination, we noticed the Four Seasons Bora Bora has 100 overwater bungalows. Outside the reception area, Cindy Grigaut met us at the dock, placed floral leis over our heads, gave us a shot of fresh mango juice and a cool washcloth, before whisking us in a golf cart to see some of the accommodations.

We saw one luxurious bungalow after another with a beautiful wooden decks. I pointed to a bungalow with a plunge pool on the deck. “Our guests like the comfort of being in the water to relax and enjoy the views and sun without having to worry about the current,” said Grigaut. There are four bungalows with plunge pools and direct lagoon and mountain views.

All the rooms are identical, except for the views – Some have beach views, while others offer lagoon and mountain views. The bungalows will accommodate three adults or two adults and two children under 12. There is a king size bed and Queen size sofa bed. Every room has snorkel equipment and life preservers in a wooden storage unit on the deck.

They also offer family bungalows that have two bedrooms connected by a deck. They will child-proof the decks with plexiglass so a young child can’t fall into the lagoon.

The resort offers 6 private beach villas that are over 3,000 sq. ft. The Presidential Suite is 5,000 sq. ft. with three bedrooms and an infinite pool.

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The clientele for the Four Seasons Bora Bora are mostly Americans ranging in age from 35 to 50 years old. English and French is spoken here with a little Tahitian, such a La Orana – hello and Maruru roa – thank you.

Guests can take a complimentary boat to the main island of Bora Bora at 11:15 a.m. to enjoy lunch, shopping or a tour. The Four Seasons boat waits at 2:45 p.m. to take guests back to the private motu. For those who would like to go to Bloody Mary’s at night, a boat leaves the resort at 6:45 p.m. and delivers guests to Vaitape. A complimentary cab ride whisks guests to the restaurant and returns them to the dock at 9:45 p.m. for a boat ride back to the Four Seasons. In the evening the boat ride is $35 per person roundtrip.

The soul of the resort is inside the cathedral style spa at the Four Seasons. It’s made of teak wood and breathtakingly beautiful. There are 7 treatment rooms using French brand products. The separate ladies relaxation room is on the calm side of the motu, overlooking a lagoon, while the mens locker room and relaxation is on the Pacific Ocean side offering an infinite pool and Polynesian views.

Guests come to this resort for small weddings and to renew their vows. The majestic chapel overs the best views in the resort with lagoons, palm trees and Mount Tehotu.

After our tour, Cindy took us to the Sunset Restaurant and Bar for drinks and dinner. We sat on a comfortable couch and sipped a pineapple mojito and glass of Tattinger Brut Rose while eating a Thai beef with cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, red onion and mint salad and 12 pieces of sushi that included 2 Salmon, 2 Tuna, 2 Swordfish, 2 Eel, 2 Octopus Nigiri, and 2 California Rolls.

For dinner we enjoyed an Asian bento box with teriyaki salmon, sweet & sour pork, steamed Jasmine rice, and stir-fried vegetables. Before catching our 6:45 p.m. boat back to Vaitape, we shared a pineapple Tart Tatin with vanilla ice cream and rum chantilly cream.

Boating back we looked up into the sky and admired the stars and constellations in the black night sky. It was an extraordinary evening.