“The first experience can never be repeated. That first love, the first sunrise, the first South Sea island, are memories apart and touched a virginity of sense.”
~Robert Louis Stevenson
This was Stevenson’s impression upon first alighting in the South Pacific in June of 1888. A lot has changed…or maybe not. Bora Bora is now famous as a romantic destination with luxury resorts where over-the-water bungalows on stilts, now a standard feature of the island, were first built over the lagoon, and the main attractions are aqua-centric with white sand beaches, world class snorkeling, scuba diving, jet boats, and parasailing.
We followed the Wind Spirit again as we anchored in Bora Bora Lagoon, off the wharf of Vaitape, the island’s largest city with a population of about 5,000. This laid-back one-street town has a few restaurants and galleries, with a nice array of hand-dyed traditional sarongs, local art, and black pearl jewelry.
One of the most spectacular natural wonders on earth, the massive Bora Bora Lagoon is ringed by coral reefs that protect the rugged peaks in the center of the island. We visited the clear waters to view the electric-hued tropical fish from a glass-bottomed boat and to swim and snorkel with the sting rays, accustomed to human interaction, gently tickling with their velvety soft skin and fluttering wings as they brushed alongside us, enhancing the sense of seduction and allure that exerted the same attractive power on Robert Louis Stevenson.
Gorgeous pictures!!! No wonder it is a popular destination
The water is an unbelievable color! What a beautiful place.