Bora Bora? Anyone?

[grr666]

Due to a delay in getting my operation date I am unable to have

the month of September off for holiday as I originally planned.  

In part due to me needing some recovery time and in part due to

me having bought a rental property which needs a little work before I

can let it. So two weeks of my wifes holiday from work will be spent

tarting up the other house with me doing some building work

leaving two to go away.

 

Our original plan was 3 weeks touring Australia in a big old winnebago

and then flying out from there to Japan to spend a week in Tokyo.

We'll do that next year instead, it's quite an active type of holiday being

constantly on the move and I think after the surgery I'll be having,

a restful holiday will be just the job.

 

We are down to a short shortlist of the Maldives (would be our 2nd time there)  or  

Bora Bora in French Polynesia.  We know the drill in the Maldives having been before 

but was wondering if there was anything special about Bora Bora to warrant the extra

10 hours on the plane each way. (Maldives is about 13 hours) Price wise they are about the

same for accomodation with direct access through the floor into the ocean (Mrs G loves swimming)

Although I won't be going in the drink my self, I may have a wade if there aren't too many 

fish as the salt water may do me some good. (Yes, I'm scared of little fishes, and never go in the sea) 

 

But, although I've always felt lifes a bit short to repeat yourself so I do fancy Bora Bora

but as a holiday there's not that much I can see that separates the two.

Tropical climate, hot and humid, secluded, ideally free of children

(I know that may grate with some parents out there but you pays your money

and takes your choice and I don't want to spend thousands on a holiday to

have it blighted by the children of other people so most likely will be adults

only resort assuming I can find one)

 

Anyway, if anyone out there has been,please post your experiences of the

place as it's hard to get an unbiased view from the brochures.

 

Thanks.    

[Macdemon]

Never been there myself Gary, but I wish you a speedy and hassle free recovery. :yes:

[TeflonTom]

When I saw this the I thought you'd mellowed out, caved in and bought a golf with a boot but alas it's not to be

I've never hear of bora bora myself, and I suspect most of the folk on here haven't even been to Bognor Regis let alone somewhere tres hot. Nevertheless I wish you well, it's too damned hot there for my liking, and I also share your distaste for the sea as well which is ironic for me living on an island and all, theres no little fishes in there but mainly shopping trolleys and unexploded ww2 artillery shells around these here shores..

life is too short indeed, so short in fact it doesnt warrant going anywhere north of Watford, don't even start me on that place, i got stung for £15 on my oyster card going there.

so wheresoever you go, enjoy yourself, and heed the following advice, when they ask you if you have anything to declare at the customs gate, don't do what I did and declare "yes, don't go to Germany" those lobotomised halfwits at gatwick have had their sense of humour surgically removed.

have a nice holiday, and take sunscreen

word out.

[grr666]

I've already had a VW Bora, it was a 2.0 SE on Spax coilovers.

Not very fast but you didn't have to slow down for much :P 

 

When did you get 'made up' then Tom? Moderator eh?  

You'll never have to pay a Freedom subscription again.

 

As you can see from my hi tech graphic display, Bora Bora is very very very small

and right in the middle of the pacific between Australia and South America.

[Beckz0308]

Not sure if you have seen the comedy film 'Couples Retreat' but that was based at The Four Seasons hotel in Bora Bora.

 

If you decide to go we would love to get some feedback - which hotel are you looking at?

Me and Mr Pasty are beginning to look at honeymoon destinations and its on my list to explore!

Hope you have an amazing time whereever you go!

 

Becky (Mrs PastyBoy)!

[David 8]

Why do I think of Tora bora ?

 

You know where Dickie Bin Laden was supposed to have hiding.

[PastyBoy]

Garry I'm sure any recommendations on your experience in the Maldives will also be greatly received

[kit]

Maldives are fab if you like doing not much and dont mind spending a lot of time in the water (which i do). Most islands only have one resort on them so you are limited to where you can eat and drink. We stayed on Villemendu (excuse spelling)!! it was really good, as said above not much to do aprt from lay on the beach or go into the watwer. We did a few day trips but there were not very exciting. If you like turquoise water and pure white sand with super green palm trees then off you go If you like swimming on reefs and let me tell you youve seen like it before then its the place to go. I would go back in a heart beat but new gitrlie would be bored!!! :(

 

kit

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I have no useful advice but a question. Do you fly via US or Aus to get there? How long does it take? 

[grr666]

As far as I know Matt it's about 23 hours compared to about

13 to get to Maldives.

 

To get to Bora Bora I think you go via Japan>Tahiti> Seaplane>Boat

 

 

We were in the Maldives for our 6th anniversary, which was 6 years ago now.  

We went all inclusive to Hudhuranfushi which was very lovely and relaxing.

When we went we were treated like royalty, we had a villa boy, a dining room boy, 

and a bar boy who waited on us hand and foot. There weren't many opportunities to spend money

on the Island, we ended up giving $100 to each of our boys which at the time wasn't much to us  

but a huge deal to them. Otherwise we'd have spent next to nothing. We went from 22nd October

(Anniversary on 31st) to 4th November 2007 flying back in to Gatwick on Firework night which was

also pretty awesome, coming down in a plane when there were fireworks going off all around.  

 

 

They even did all of our washing for us so when we got home we unpacked clean

pressed clothes. Food was interesting, lots of types of fish, and oddly curry 

served at breakfast time. Mrs G free swum with black tip reef sharks just off the

coast, coconuts everywhere, often felt like we were the only people there despite it being

at capacity. The weather was typically tropical, the rain was tepid and heavy when it came

but 10 mins after a downpour the sun had dried it up and you'd not know it had rained.

Giant fruit bats were bloody huge great things, I was very surprised by the size.

The over the water accomodation on the website had just opened when we were there

and it had journalists staying there from all over who were reviewing it on a nice little jolly.

Thats the sort of place Mrs G wants this time with a hole in the floor so you can get straight

into the ocean, they cost extra but hey, you can't take it with you eh?

 

We went to the point and watched a pod of dolphins swim by at 5pm every day

on the dot which was nice, and went out on a boat trip to see them up close on our

anniversary, while we were out there there was a rainstorm and we were treated to a

double rainbow. The rain was so lovely and warm that it didn't matter at all and the look of  

happiness on my other halfs face is something I'll never forget.

 

Sadly all the photos I took were on film so I can't share them here except maybe a few

I took with my phone, it was proper bloody gorgeous. They didn't sell aps film there so when

I ran out I had to resort to the mobile for some low res shots. Our bar boy even rang us when

we had arrived home tomake sure we had got home okay.   

 

I prefer a more active holiday much like the one last year doing Route 66 and stuff for 3 weeks

and then on to Hawaii to chill for a week. But it's gong to be a busy month or two for me and  

I could be in some considerable discomfort after my op so will take a relaxing sun lounger break

instead. I'll continue my adventuring next year.

[Clunkclick]

Nah ! Well, not at least for the next 240,000 years:-

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/8872214/Mururoa-fallout-worse-than-first-thought

 

Nick

[Titanium_Man]

Ah you bugger Garry, Zee and me were looking at Bora Bora for a holiday a while ago, looks AMAZING but far to expensive for the likes of us :(

Apparently Bora Bora and the Maldives are the same in that they offer a very similar holiday experience, so I would use this as an opportunity to try somewhere difference. Unless you both really want to go back to the Maldives?!

[Clunkclick]

Perish the thought (Ha!) that nucleur fusion should interfere with marketing.

 

Apparently, the French were telling the New. Zealanders at the time the were conducting the early atmospheric tests that they were doing it all underground ! But every time a test was reported by the French as having taken place, the radiation levels in New Zealand, 4,000 kms away, would go up.

 

So the NZer's sent a couple of RNN frigates to observe:-

 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10899948

 

 

The then Prime Minister of New Zealand, told one of the sailors face to face,  words to the effect "Don't worry son, we'll look after you, whatever happens" .

 

Apparently, HMG were so  concerned about the tests that they deployed a couple of Victor V-bombers    to Lima, Peru, so that they couldt fly through the remains of the test cloud and collect samples for analysis by AWRE at Aldermarston. This was done four years in succession 1970-1974. The French atmospheric tests started in 1966 . . . . . 

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-Blue-Sometimes-Scary-Flying/dp/0957092806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376309242&sr=8-1&keywords=out+of+the+blue

 

Page 168.

 

 

Nick

[VWD]

Thought it was a post about two versins of a VW car .

[Soot1e]

It's a blinking long long way away Gary, I think 3 weeks would be a better idea. Have a looksie on Trip Advisor some unbiased opinions on destinations and the hotels there.

Ozzyland is a a great place to go especially the Barrier Reef, went 7 years ago and unfortunately dropped my Canon camera in the sea so no memorable photos .  Driving around there not a great idea, it takes days to get anywhere, you would waste too much time just driving unless you focus your trip on a small area, been warned about that by friends who have done a tour of Queensland.

How about the Seychelles, it's nice and green, went there last year.

 

ps.    Hope your op. goes well, not serious I hope.

Edited 14 August, 2013 by Soot1e