The Ultimate Bora Bora Honeymoon Guide [ 2024 ]

Bora Bora is an ideal honeymoon destination. With white sand, overwater bungalows, endless palm trees and infinite shades of blue sea, this stunning island is easily one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, and one of my personal favorites. Bora Bora is where dreamy islands meet mountain peaks. It’s an island of sun-kissed beach days and warm, cozy sunsets. It’s also an island where you can swim with sharks, dive with rays, or just relax in the spa. Did I mention staying in a swoon-worthy overwater bungalow with panoramic views? Talk about a honeymoon suite. 

I’m so excited to help you guys plan your honeymoon in Bora Bora! I just got back from my second trip to Bora Bora and I’ve put every single frequently asked question about traveling to Bora Bora in this blog post, but if I missed anything you are curious about, reach out to me on Instagram with your question and I’ll answer.

Here is your Ultimate Bora Bora Honeymoon Guide! 

Where to stay in Bora Bora for a honeymoon:

Four Seasons Bora Bora

The best of the best, if budget is no object

For a luxury honeymoon resort in Bora Bora, I’d pick the Four Seasons, hands down. Four Seasons Bora Bora is the ultimate in luxury, seclusion, and service. With sparkling azure blue water all around, breathtaking views of Mt. Otemanu, and one of the best beaches in the world right on property, the Four Seasons is easily one of the top hotels in the world, and I absolutely LOVED staying here. 

I especially like this resort for a honeymoon because it’s easy to be on your own vacation here – it really feels like it’s your own private island. We found the clientele at the Four Seasons Bora Bora to be a lot of young honeymooners our age, which we also loved. I’ve heard that the St. Regis, in comparison, is much older clientele. 

 

The Four Seasons service delivers the Bora Bora honeymoon dream you and your fiance have been waiting your whole life for. And it’s worth every penny. 

My highlights of the Four Seasons were their huge bungalows (the most square footage of any on this list), the mountain views (!!!!!!! so stunning), their private beach (absolutely dreamy, usually you can’t get me to leave the bungalow but I’d hang out on this beach sipping a frozen passionfruit margarita any day), their private island, the pool, spa, cocktails, and calm lagoon.  

Matching swimsuits from Kenny Flowers

How much does a one week honeymoon at the Four Seasons Bora Bora cost exactly, with food, drinks, travel, transportation, all factored in?

*This is based on pricing when I went, in USD, check this site here to check your specific dates

Let’s break down the overall cost of a honeymoon in Bora Bora a little bit, starting with the cost of a bungalow. At the Four Seasons, you have the choice of three different overwater bungalows:

1. The superior suite, 1 bedroom, beach view, overwater bungalow (~$1,500/night and up)

2. Premier suite, 1 bedroom, mountain view, overwater bungalow (~ $2,140/night and up)

3. Overwater bungalow, with pool (~ $3,130/night and up)

+ the beach villas, which are very spacious and are popular with families ( $5,000 per night and up).

Note that the mountain view rooms run more expensive than the beach and lagoon view rooms, which is common in Bora Bora, since the view of Bora Bora’s famed Mt. Otemanu is what many people come to Bora Bora for. We were lucky enough to have a mountain view room during our stay and it was BREATHTAKING – I can assure you it definitely DOES make a difference, and I would recommend it to everyone. That being said, if it’s not something you care too much about, the beach and lagoon view rooms are gorgeous, as well, and that’s an easy way to save some money on your trip to Bora Bora!

What are the Best Restaurants at the Four Seasons Bora Bora?

And how much does food and drink cost at the Four Seasons Bora Bora?

Food and drinks in Bora Bora at every hotel, and even in town, are definitely pricey. In fact, Bora Bora is the most expensive destination I think I’ve ever experienced in terms of food and drink prices (and yes, Bora Bora is more expensive than the Maldives).

It’s important to understand that going into your trip so that you don’t get shocked by it, especially on your honeymoon! If you’re eating out at the restaurants at the FS Bora Bora, dinner will run at least $100 per head without alcohol. Our favorites were the French restaurant and the beach seafood restaurant. But honestly, room service was the most amazing experience just eating in our robes in the bungalow outside watching the sun set! If you order room service for dinner, it is more like $75 a person without booze.

To give you an idea, a burger at room service is $40. Cocktails beachside or poolside are $25 each, but I can assure you that I’ve never loved a $25 cocktail more – the cocktails at the Four Seasons are SO good, made with top shelf alcohol, are strong, and will keep you ordering more and more.

As far as wine goes, a glass will easily set you back $16-$20, and I love the Iconoclast label chardonnay ($90 for a bottle) that is only available at Four Seasons properties (I first discovered it at the Four Seasons Maui – and was addicted!)

But the good news is you can also bring some of your own wine to Bora Bora! Check out my wine hack on my How to Save Money on Your Trip To Bora Bora article here.

What are the best activities to do at the FS Bora Bora and how much do activities cost at the Four Seasons Bora Bora?

You can do as little, or as much, as you feel like in terms of activities at the Four Seasons Bora Bora. My fiance and I found ourselves loving the beach, pool, spa and bungalow so much, but we occasionally paddle-boarded or canoed around to get active, as well.

All non-motorized water-sports (such as the Va’a – a traditional Polynesian canoe, paddle-boarding, kayaking, etc.) are all included in your room rate, which is awesome.

If you choose to do something like a shark and ray snorkeling excursion (which I highly recommend), you can expect to pay about $100+ per person. If you do something special like a canoe breakfast at your bungalow, it is $250 for 2 people (but beautiful, and so memorable, definitely do it!!!). And there are also options to do private romantic dinners in the sand on the beach. 

What does it cost for the boat transfer to the Four Seasons Bora Bora from the airport? 

The boat transfer from the airport to the Four Seasons is amazing, and I highly recommend it if you’re coming to the FS Bora Bora for your honeymoon. It costs about $300 round trip per person. You will be met at the airport by a Four Seasons representative with a beautiful lei, your bags will be taken care of, and you will be whisked away in style on their private yacht.

What does a week long vacation cost at the Four Seasons Bora Bora in total?

All in, a honeymoon at the Four Seasons Bora Bora for a week would cost around $12,000 at minimum without your flights, with that price obviously depending and fluctuating with how many activities you do, how much you drink and eat at the resort, etc.

How much do flights cost to Bora Bora?

From California, flights to Bora Bora are around $1200-$1500 round trip, and can be less if you’re flexible on when you fly, and we were able to use credit card points for these, which I definitely recommend (check out my list of favorite travel reward credit cards here, and start saving up points now!). For two people all-in, you’re looking at about $15,000 and up for a week-long honeymoon at this resort. 

My fiance Kenny wearing his Kenny Flowers ‘All-Inclusives’ swim trunks to match his coconut!

The Conrad Bora Bora Nui

Great dining, a fun, social atmosphere, and gorgeous overwater bungalows

The Conrad is another great option for a honeymoon in Bora Bora. The resort is located over a half-mile-long white-sand beach (the largest of any Bora Bora resort!) on the southwest end of Motu To’opua, a small private islet 15 minutes by boat from the main island of Bora Bora. You’ll arrive (usually from Papeete, Tahiti) at Bora Bora airport, where you’ll hop on board the resort’s motorboat to the hotel ($150 per person round trip). 

I loved the fun, energetic vibe of this hotel and the clientele. The highlight of our trip was the restaurants and dining here – the social sushi bar Upa Upa – which has glass bottom floors (where you can glimpse some sharks occasionally swimming by), is absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and so delicious.

We met multiple people at the resort who had eaten there many times during their stay (we went 3x and another time just for drinks!). I’m also still dreaming about their Banyan restaurant – a chic Chinese restaurant with the best steamed dumplings I’ve ever had.

The Conrad breakfast buffet is also A+, and we loved the views from breakfast! 

My only complaint about this hotel was even though the food was pretty great, the cocktails are severely subpar – the margaritas at the Conrad are made with Jose Cuervo… and cost $27.. WHYYY?? 

The beaches at Conrad Bora Bora were stunning, and surrounded by tropical palms, with crystal clear water.

Also the pool at the Conrad was one of the most beautiful resort pools ever! We loved the cabanas by the pool for hanging out all day in.

  

How much a one-week honeymoon at the Conrad costs exactly, with food, drinks, travel, transportation, all factored in:

*Based on September 2020 pricing, in USD, check this site here to check your specific dates

Let’s break it down by starting with the cost of the overwater bungalows at Conrad, where you have a few options:

1. Overwater villa ($1,200-1,315/night)

2. Deluxe overwater villa ($1,260-1,365/night)

3. Overwater pool villa ($1,990-2,100/night)

4. Other overwater pool villas ($2-3k/night)

5. Horizon pool villa ($1-1,115/night) – these are on land, but still beautiful!!

So let’s say you stay at the least expensive overwater villa for 6 nights, totaling to $7800 for accommodation, then you have to add food and drink, transportation, and activity costs. With 7 days of food and drinks for 2, a snorkeling excursion, and a day in town, you are likely looking at around $10,000 for a one week trip and up, without flights, with that price obviously changing depending on how many activities you do, how much you drink and eat at the resort, etc. With flights, you are looking at a cost of about $12,000 and up for 2 people for a one week honeymoon.

Flights can be less if you’re flexible on dates when you fly, and also if you are able to use credit card points for these, I definitely recommend doing so! (check out my list of favorite travel reward credit cards here, many with great sign up points bonuses if you go through this link!). 

How much does the food cost at the Conrad Bora Bora?

While the bungalows are about 2/3 the cost, food & drinks at Conrad Bora Bora are just as expensive as Four Seasons Bora Bora, so an average of about $100 per head for dinners without booze, or $75 per head for room service. You can save money here if you go into town to get some groceries (and alcohol), and I especially recommend doing this here since I don’t think the cocktails are that good.

Taking the shuttle into town from the Conrad Bora Bora to Bora Bora town

The shuttle costs $22 per person round trip and takes about 10 minutes to get into town. It’s best to go for the day because they actually charge you more to go at night (and the times are super inconvenient).

I definitely recommend going into town one of your days on your honeymoon, and going Tahitian pearl shopping (they’re only found here in French Polynesia, and are gorgeous – a perfect souvenir from your honeymoon to have forever!), as well as renting a motorbike or car for the day ($55 at Avis, you can organize through the hotel). On your motorbike, explore the island and stop at the world-famous Bloody Mary’s for lunch! It’s a super fun bar and restaurant that almost every celebrity has been to at one point or another. Think of this place as where Jimmy Buffet hangs out when he’s in Bora Bora – super fun.

Then stop at a grocery store on your way back to the ferry where you can stock up on some snacks, wine and booze at the local prices and bring them back to your room! The grocery store is a 5 min walk left if you are coming out of where the shuttle drops you off. There are a ton of good french wines available at the store, we ended up bringing back some Chilean Montes Alpha red (so good!), some French rose, and some French chardonnay (Louis Latour) to enjoy in our bungalow, and meats and cheeses!

Which bungalow is best for a honeymoon at the Conrad Bora Bora?

We stayed in the 200’s and loved our view of all ocean! We stayed in the Deluxe Overwater Villa category. The 200’s are also the most convenient wing, but they have bikes to get around, too which is awesome!

Here at the Conrad it was less important to us to have a mountain view, since it isn’t as prominent of the quintessential Bora Bora mountain view, but I have heard the mountain view rooms here are great, too, I just loved the endless blues of the 200 bungalows, it almost felt like you were waking up on a yacht every day. We were in bungalow 208 and this was our view!

  

Then in the 300’s, with panoramic ocean views, there are also the presidential villas (which is actually where Kim Kardashian stayed in Bora Bora in an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians). They are HUGE, and multi-story. These presidential villas are well known as being some of the most impressive and beautiful overwater bungalows in all of French Polynesia, and take your breath away. 

If budget is no object or you have a big group, these Presidential Overwater Villas are for you

 

What to do in Bora Bora on a Honeymoon:

The best part about a Bora Bora honeymoon is you can be as active, or as relaxed, as you and your new husband or wife want to be! Feel like not leaving your overwater bungalow and cuddling up with a great book all day in the sun? Do you. Text the concierge to get some pina coladas delivered and have the day of your life. (No seriously, there’s an app that lets you text the concierge for EVERYTHING and anything at the FS Bora Bora – it’s amazing). Feel like getting active and swimming with sharks, jetskiing, or motorbiking around the island? You can do all of that too! Here are some of my favorite tours and must-dos in Bora Bora:

Snorkeling with Sharks & Rays in Bora Bora

This is the tour company who we swam with sharks and rays with! The tour was AWESOME. They picked us up directly from our hotel, and we went first to a gorgeous, shallow sand bar to snorkel with a ton of rays, and then to a deep, gorgeous blue area where the black tip sharks hang out to swim with sharks!

It was amazing, and not scary at all! Just beautiful. After that, we headed to the Coral Gardens, which was some of the absolute best snorkeling I’ve ever done in my life. All in all, this tour was incredible, and so affordable, too! (Only ~$100 a person, cheap by Bora Bora standards!)

 

Rent a motorbike and explore Bora Bora island

This is a great way to see the island! We took the ferry in from the Conrad and spent the day motorbiking around Bora Bora and had the best time. We stopped at Bloody Mary’s – a super famous restaurant and bar on the island, as well as to Bora Bora yacht club for a drink. If you’re going to Bloody Mary’s, go before 230pm or after 5pm because they close between lunch and dinner.

Then we went to a grocery store right by where the Conrad shuttle drops you off and bought a TON of wine, cheese, and meats at cheap local prices to then have at our bungalow back at the Conrad. We also met another couple that was stocking up on tequila and a ton of snacks, too – this is the move, yall!! Anything you can do to save money while traveling to Bora Bora!

Go on your own ($55 through Avis at the port), or take a tour like this one:

 

How long should you stay in Bora Bora on a honeymoon?

Personally, I think a minimum of 6 nights in one resort in Bora Bora, with more depending on your budget and how much time you can get off. It’s enough to feel totally relaxed, while still having time to see and do a lot on your honeymoon.

What’s a more affordable alternative to Bora Bora in French Polynesia?

Moorea! If you’ve been to Hawaii, Bora Bora is more like Maui – resortey, pristine, perfect, and Moorea is more like Kauai – rugged, less refined, more lush, and majestically beautiful. 

Do you need to use a travel agent to book your Bora Bora honeymoon?

Definitely not! Book it yourself – you’ll find the best deals online (I always like Booking.com, Hotels.com, Skyscanner for flights, and Tripadvisor for tours)

If you do need help planning or want to bounce some ideas and questions off of an expert, I offer personalized honeymoon consultations and full custom itineraries to help with that! You can learn more about my custom honeymoon planning here.

Do you need a VISA to travel to French Polynesia from the USA?

U.S. citizens do not need a visa if entering on a regular tourist passport and staying no more than 90 days every six months. If the purpose of the trip is not tourism (work, scientific research, etc.), then you may be required to obtain a visa before arrival in French Polynesia.

Do you need any special vaccinations for French Polynesia? What are the recommended vaccines for Bora Bora?

There are no absolute requirements that will be checked at the airport, but the CDC and WHO recommend you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, and polio vaccine.

For some travelers to Bora Bora and French Polynesia, Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines are recommended. CDC recommends hep A because you can get hepatitis A through contaminated food or water in French Polynesia, regardless of where you are eating or staying. You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water in French Polynesia. CDC recommends the Typhoid vaccine for most travelers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.

Dengue Fever is also risk in many parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. There is no vaccine for this but travelers to Asia and the Pacific Islands can protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites. Pack your bug spray! This is what I use.

What to pack for a honeymoon to Bora Bora:

Cute swimwear and cover-ups, matching his-and-hers swimwear (of course), lots of sun hats, reef-safe sunscreen (FYI the Conrad has sunscreen provided, but it’s still good to have your own, too, the sun in Bora Bora is fierce!), 1 pair of sneakers for the resort gym or walking around the island (I swear by these shoes for travel, they’re sooo lightweight and comfy), sandals, for the ladies, you don’t really need heels but if you like to get dressed up, maybe one pair (I never wore mine I packed though). For the men, lots of chic resort beach button-downs like these. You can also check out my full Bora Bora packing list here.

You’ll also definitely need an underwater camera – all the details on what I use for my underwater photos is here (and those awesome half in/half out underwater photos you’ve seen on my Instagram

 Handwoven Straw Vintage Purse Bag Bohemian Large Straw Beach Bag Chic Casual Handbag Shoulder Bag Tote Rattan Vacation Bag

Waimari Enigma Mini Dress in White

Poupette St Barth Bice Mini Dress in Gauguin Pink

 

ROCOCO SAND Megan Flare Pants in Pink Floral

The Peyton Starfish Pouch Top-Handle Bag 0

 

ROCOCO SAND Maxi Dress in White

ROCOCO SAND Rio Pants in Multicolored Tropical

Marbella Studs the cutest earrings!

Hat Attack Whipstitch Roll Up Travel Visor in White  

 

 

Michael Stars Karnak Coverup in White  

 

White Rima Linen Two Piece

What I wore in Bora Bora!

My favorite tie dye bikini 🙂 

Some other chic Bora Bora swimsuits I love:

 

in our matching Kenny Flowers cabana sets

Check out these related posts:

How to travel to Bora Bora during the pandemic

The best travel reward credit cards

The top honeymoon destinations 

The best matching couple swimwear

The Ultimate Beach Vacation Packing Guide

The Best Overwater Bungalows in Bora Bora

 

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Christina is a leading luxury lifestyle and travel blogger with over 2 million readers. Follow her on instagram @jetsetchristina.

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