Anyone been to Bora Bora?

[theclemsonkid]

So my wife and I recently got a nice inheritance, and we were thinking about doing some diving.
We though Caribbean first, then though Belize, then though the Pacific side of Mexico. Finally for fun, I just googled "Best place to reef dive", and got an unusually high number of hits from "Bora Bora" in Tahiti.
After looking into it, I can see it is MUCH more expensive, but at the same time looks absolutely AMAZING. The over water bungalows look like something out of a movie.
So if there is anyone who has ever been...
1. Did it cost you an arm and a leg? If you had any good deals or any way to cut costs, please share!
2. Did you get to SCUBA dive? If so, any specific place you recommend?
3. Comparatively speaking, would you recommend somewhere else before you would recommend Bora Bora?
Thanks for any insight!
-J

 

[scsinet]

Steve Weast went there... he's a member here who very infrequently posts... he took some amazing underwater photographs of some really neat stuff, including a massive Titan trigger.
Look here: https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/227110/does-anyone-have-pictures-from-scuba-diving-or-anything-like-that
On the other hand, Karen Carpenter went there on her honeymoon and described it to her family as "Boring Boring."
Have you considered the great barrier reef? That'd be where I went if I had the money.
Be sure to slice off a bit of your cash for a good SLR digital camera and an underwater kit for it. You owe it to us to post plenty of pics.

 

[saltn00b]

bora bora is my dream!
the 4 seasons bungalows on the water several thousand a night. i want to say 4k off the top of my head.
if you go, i will be uber jealous, and you better take pics!

 

[theclemsonkid]

Actually my sister took my Dad to the Great Barrier reef for his 60th birthday this past spring. From what I got from their pictures, it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be.
Now granted they know nothing about fish like I do, and didn't have the best camera for ideal pics...
Just something about Tahiti that looks amazing...
Thanks for that link with the pics btw!

 

[makoshrk2]

Go to maui, It's american, you can snorkel right off the beach, or take many different dive trips.

 

[steveweast]

Do not go to Maui.....as someone who travels to Hawaii frequently, I can say that it pales to Bora Bora. The lagoonal situation of those islands is a once in a lifetime experience that Hawaii can never match. The colors of that lagoon on your boat ride from the air strip will make your eyes hurt.....you'll find that you just can't look at it hard enough.
There is nothing cheap about Bora Bora unfortunately......a 8 or 9 day vacation there will run 8K to 10K if you stay at a nice place. There are some cheaper alternatives, but, IMO, the over water bungalow experience at a nice place is what makes Bora Bora so special. If you're a snorkeler, diver, or want to daily swim off your bungalow with the fishes, I would NOT recommend the Four Seasons or the St Regis. Don't get me wrong.....I'm a big Four Season's fan and stay frequently at the Four Seasons Waliea on Maui.....but, the new 5 star resorts were built on the North side of the lagoon that is VERY shallow and sandy.....there is no marine life there. They are trying to build artificial reefs there to attract fish. If aquatic life is not a priority, then by all means stay there....they are amazing properties otherwise.
I would recommend the Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spas. It has a fantastic deeper reef right off your bungalow.....and the boat ride into Town (Viatepe) is quite short compared with the new 5 star resorts. Request bungalow 108...107...106 in that order if you stay at the Nui.
Past that....I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have regarding Bora Bora.

 

[lovethesea]

I remember all of your pics Steve.....just beautiful. Especially pics from the bungalow.
Feel free to post some more

Did you get your little slice of ocean up and running again??

 

[steveweast]

Hmmmm.....I didn't see that this thread was back in February.....did you go yet ? and where ?
As for my tank.....I'm mainly a coldwater reefer for now. I got back my cold system from the guy that I sold it to... since he was moving. I plan to upgrade it significantly soon....but....I don't plan on returning to warm water reefing until this economy stabilizes.

 

[spinylobster]

Tahiti is def a good place to go. You may even want to consider Palau or Chuuk Lagoon, some of the best diving in the world. Get a hold of a couple scuba diving mags and they can steer you in the right direction, or go to there website. Also, if you are a member of PADI you can get some good discounts on PADI recommended resorts

Also, if you are really serious about diving plan your vacation on a liveaboard, that is the only way to see it all.
Egypt is also on my list of places to dive, if you want to check that out