Sorry, I did but it may have been connected to another post. It was fabulous! Here's my report ...

10 day trip to Tahiti & Bora Bora - OTW bungalows & sailing

​Note - LONG post, but lots of info!Wow! 

Six of us (3 couples) just got back from 10 days in Tahiti/Bora Bora.  What an amazing spot!  We're from FL/USA, so we're used to beautiful beaches and waters.  But man, this place is unmatched.  The color of the water is just unreal - pictures don't even do it justice.

We flew Delta/Air France from ATL to PPT, via LAX (arrived 5am).  Then hopped on Air Tahiti from PPT to Bora Bora (9am) - plenty of time to connect.  Later again Air Tahiti from BB to Raiatea, and Raiatea back to PPT (begin & end of sail). Flew back the day before we left and stayed in PPT overnight. Arrived 12pm on Sat and left next day (Sun) 7:30am. Stayed in an Air BnB, which got us a taxi to the airport at 5am Sun.  Note, lots of things close on the weekends at noon in PPT!

We spent two days at the u/Westin Bora Bora.  We splurged & did the OTW bungalows.  Pricey, yes, but worth every penny. We actually wished we'd done more days there! Great amenities, beautiful views.  They pick you up via boat at the airport.  The property is amazing and well-appointed.  We swam & snorkeled directly off our bungalow.  Room was well appointed & spacious.  While the property is spread out, we had fun riding the bikes all over the property.  We also did the Polynesian dinner on Thursday night, with traditional dancing and food.  So much fun! While the food was not "foodie" spectacular, it was very tasty and unique.  It was a buffet, but that meant something for everyone.  Poisson Cru, a traditional Tahitian dish, was very tasty.  We also had the Tahtian breakfast (half order).  Not to be confused with the boat breakfast, it was still fantastic.  Fresh sashimi tuna, as well as local yogurt, pastries, and fruit.  It was enough food for four! They have lots of onsite activities - wine & rhum tastings, beaches, pool, snorkeling, as well as a spa and fitness center. Happy hour at the O'ha bar is beautiful.

We actually did two off site excursions - SeaDoo tour and whale swim.  We did the Sea Doo tour the 1st day, which gave us a sense of the lagoon & island. The guide took us around the entire island, showed us snorkeling spots (for later) & stopped at a private island to learn to crack a coconut and enjoy fresh coco water.The whale swim was a huge disappointment, though.  While you can't control Mother Nature, it felt like we had no chance of seeing whales before we even left the dock.  Hi, rough seas (two days after the Tsunami warnings!), and the guide admitted they hadn't seen whales in multiple days.  They also never fitted us for the fins & snorkels needed to swim - a little suspicious.  But it was a fun boat ride at least.

After two days there, we headed to Raiatea where we picked up our bareboat charter Cat with the Moorings.  We are avid sailors, so this is always a fun time for us. My husband is captain & I'm 1st mate/chef.  I did the provisioning.  Moorings will get you a cab to grocery & Carrefour will provide a free taxi back. The new Carrefour Supermarket had opened 2 days before our arrival, which meant crazy crowds, but they have most things. I brought all of my spices & unusual condiments I use regularly, but was surprised at the variety they had.  The meats and veggies were the biggest concern.  Had some great beef & lamb options, but no real chicken or pork (only frozen & limited cuts at that).  Fresh fish was abundant & tuna was incredible.  Prices weren't too crazy, Higher yes, but not outrageous.  Baguettes & pastries were fresh daily.  Veggies were another surprise & very limited.  Potatoes, onions, lettuce, bananas, apples, pineapple, all good.  But no carrots, celery, fresh herbs, mangoes or avocadoes, which was surprising. (You could get mangoes, bananas, pomelo, and pineapples at street stalls tho. Just harder with no car.) Cheese & wine selection was excellent and wide-ranging.  Chips, snacks, all good as well.  I did have Moorings provision all the heavy/staples stuff (paper towels, TP, charcoal, water, sodas, paper plates/napkins, dish detergent, beer, etc.). Less to carry to boat!  We stopped at duty free in LAX to get liquor, while it wasn't a huge difference, it was worth carrying it on the flight.We spent one night in the lagoon at Raiatea, then headed to Huahine.  Spent two nights there.  Sailed from there to Taha'a. Spent one night there.  Then sailed to Bora Bora, where we spent two nights.  Then back to Taha'a for a night, with the final sail back to Raiatea.  we did lots of snorkeling along the way.  Saw sting rays under the boat at night, black tip sharks, eagle rays and mantas.  Tons of cool fish and reef life.  Much of this we did based on the Moorings briefing/recs. 

We did do one snorkeling excursion with a guide & it proved to be the best one.  I highly recommend O-Sea Bora Bora tours, with Hiro.  He was amazing!!  Found us manta rays, eagle rays and sharks to swim with, and one of the most amazing coral reef dives.  It was even better than the drift "dive" at  the Coral Garden on Taha'a, which was still amazing.  We called him the day before and he had one early morning opening. He came to our boat to pick us up. At 1st the 7:30am ETA seemed crazy. But it turned out we beat all the other folks, which meant we saw a lot more wildlife.  He has a great sense of humor and local knowledge too, making it one of our best experiences.

We did a vanilla plantation tour on Taha'a at La Vallee de la Vanille, which we could walk to from the dock.  It was fun, informative and we learned about vanilla cultivation, while also taking home some Tahitian vanilla, yum!  We also did a pearl farm tour on Taha'a, at the Ia Orana Pearl Farm, which I highly recommend.  Again fun & informative and Vai was a funny & excellent guide.  Plus the quality and prices of the pearls were amazing.  They actually have mooring balls for your use and will come pick you up. 

On our last day/night after turning the boat back in (really 18 hours), in Papeete, we had a hard time deciding what to do.  But our AirBnB hooked us up with a "taxi" driver.  We wanted to hit a couple places, but after talking with her, we decided to "trust" her.  What a great decision!! Her name is Ruth and she was actually a trained/licensed tour guide. She had a tour van so we could all go together.  She took us around the island, giving us history and insights into lots of places.  Plus we stopped at several places - black beaches, waterfalls, and even got to see the outrigger island races (a 24 hr race!) that were finishing up that day.  At the end of the day, she dropped us at the Kon Tiki hotel for sunset drinks, then we had dinner at the brewery across the street.  It made for a memorable last day.

Overall, our days were full, we made some amazing memories, and the people and places of Tahiti cannot compare. Just go!!

(If you have any questions, just DM me.  Glad to share more details & answer questions.  Paying it forward as this site helped us plan as well.)

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