Located in Papeete on the island of Tahiti, Faa’a International Airport is the only international airport to serve French Polynesia. Direct flights are available from Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Honolulu, Santiago, Tokyo, Osaka and Auckland. Airlines serving the airport include Air Tahiti Nui, Air France, Air New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines, Lan Chile and Air Caledonia. Air Tahiti offers domestic inter-island flights.

Marine Life

Of course, any time spent in Polynesia will reveal to the animal lover the true source of wildlife fascination here: the exquisite marine life.

There are nearly 500 species of fish within the Tahitian island waters, along with other amazing creatures such as sea turtles, dozens of sharks species, and the ever so popular dolphin (the “flipper” kind), porpoises, and the hugely popular humpback whale topping the list of marine mammals. Interestingly, there are NO pinepeds.

FOR MORE ABOUT BORA BORA – CLICK HERE!

Katie writes:  “Ali and the three remaining guys head to Tahiti for their overnight dates.”

Katie writes:  “The three travel to Bora Bora next where Ali will decide who she wants to be with. Who do you think she’ll choose?”

Click here for more info about Bora Bora from the Travel Channel

Today the island is mainly dependent on tourism. Over the last few years several resorts have been built on motu (small islands) surrounding the lagoon. Thirty years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over-the-water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon and today, over-water bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. The quality of those bungalows ranges from comparably cheap, basic accommodations to very luxurious – and expensive – places to stay. Most of the tourist destinations are aquacentric; however it is possible to visit attractions on land such as WWII cannons. Air Tahiti has five or six flights daily to the Bora Bora Airport on Moto Mute from Tahiti (as well as from other islands).

Although French and Tahitian are the main languages spoken by the inhabitants, people in contact with tourists generally have some command of English. Most visitors to Bora Bora are American, Japanese, or European. Public transport on the island is limited, consisting of a single bus that goes halfway around the island and back approximately every hour. Bicycles are the recommended method of transport. There are also small fun-cars for hire in Vaitape.

Bora Bora is predestined for snorkeling and scuba diving in and around its lagoon. Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water. There are a few dive operators on the island offering manta ray dives and also shark-feeding dives.

In addition to the existing islands of Bora Bora (called Motu in Taihitian), the new man-made motu of Motu Marfo has been added in the north-eastern corner of the lagoon on the property of the St. Regis Resort.

For more information, visit Tahiti’s Tourism Board – CLICK HERE

Bora Bora – Part 2

Bora Bora – Part 3

CLICK HERE: General Tips for French Polynesia

]]> http://www.boraborablog.com/2009/07/30/general-tips-for-bora-bora-and-french-polynesia/feed/ 0 http://www.boraborablog.com/2009/06/22/professor-beach-has-found-this-information-on-matira-beach-french-polynesia/ http://www.boraborablog.com/2009/06/22/professor-beach-has-found-this-information-on-matira-beach-french-polynesia/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:23:00 +0000 admin http://boraborablog.com/2009/06/06/professor-beach-has-found-this-information-on-matira-beach-french-polynesia/
Aerial view of Bora Bora

Matira Beach Map

Facts about Matira Beach:
Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft). The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning “First Born”; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th century accounts, is Bolabolla (or “Bollabolla”).

Today the island is mainly dependent on tourism. Over the last few years several resorts have been built on motu (small islands) surrounding the lagoon. 30 years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over-the-water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon and today, overwater bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. The quality of those bungalows ranges from comparably cheap, basic accommodations to very luxurious – and pricey – places to stay. Most of the tourist destinations are aquacentric; however it is possible to visit attractions on land such as WWII cannons. Air Tahiti has five or six flights daily to the Bora Bora Airport on Moto Mute from Tahiti (as well as from other islands).

Bora Bora Resort

Airport Information for Matira Beach:
Click here for more information on Bora Bora Airport
Airport Code: BOB

World Map showing location of Matira Beach:

Matira Beach Offical Website:
http://www.tahiti-tourisme.com/

Matira beach and lagoon looking west.

Click here for Wikipedia Facts about Matira Beach

Mount Otemanu

Watch video below to learn about Professor Beach’s secret travel tips:

Visit Professor Beach Blog:
http://www.ProfessorBeach.com/

Visit Professor Beach’s Worlds Best Beachtowns:
http://www.WorldsBestBeachTowns.com/