As ships are moored or anchored in this port, you'll tender to the center of Vaitape, the main town.

You can find an ATM, Internet cafe and a post office within easy walk of the tender pier.

Cruise calendar for this port.

Watch a destination video.

Bora Bora - Unquestionably the most mythical of the Pacific islands remains the island of all dreams.

Honeymooners and romantics from around the world have laid claim to Bora Bora where the castle-like Mount Otemanu pierces the sky above the crystal lagoon with its unique over the water bungalows that offer a magical oneness with this extraordinaryenvironment.

Lush tropical slopes and valleys blossom with hibiscus, while palm-covered motu circle the lagoon like a delicate necklace. Perfect white-sand beaches give way to emerald waters where impossibly colored fish animate the coral gardens. So much has been written about Bora Bora, and yet it is hard to find the right words to describe the magic that emanates from this island.

Seen from the air, Bora Bora has been compared to that of "a tiny emerald in a setting of turquoise, encircled by a sheltering necklace of sparkling pearls".

Bora Bora itself is rather small, and can be circled by car in about an hour.

The lagoon is 3 times the size of the land mass and offers an amazing range of hues of blue and turquoise as you navigate its crystal waters.

To the southeast of the island is the Coral Garden, a natural underwater park where all types of fish and corals are found.

Off the Point Matira there is an area where the huge and graceful manta rays congregate for your viewing pleasure. There are other types of ray such as the beautiful spotted ray and the friendly gray ray which love to be petted during the "ray feeding" excursions.
At the entrance of the pass, the "White valley" teems with gray sharks and barracudas in a never ending ballet.

Most of the temples (Marae) having been destroyed during the last century by the English missionaries, and unfortunately there is little archaeological remnants left.

Bora Bora lagoon offers a multitude of activities and excursions, one of the most popular being the Shark feeding, where from chest-deep water you watch local divers feed 4' to 5' reef sharks by hand. It's a lot of fun and totally safe. The same routine is done with a large group of friendly gray rays.

You can also take a circle-the-lagoon excursion with motu picnic, rent a small boat, visit the Lagoonarium near Le Meridien Hotel and take a 4x4 excursion to the panoramic view points and the US cannons.

Car rental (very expensive), scooter and bicycle rentals can be found just outside the entrance of the port on the main street of Vaitape. The (sometimes electric) bike is probably your best option, as the roads are well maintained.

The most inexpensive and common form of transportation is the public bus system. On Tahiti there are now two types of buses: the open-air trucks called Le Truck and the RTC large white coaches. Both operating frequently in Papeete and around the island. Le Truck also operates on most other islands. Bus service is however known to be highly irregular.

Taxis can be hired at most hotels, airports, and ferry terminals. For scenic tours around the islands, try escorted excursions by boat, 4x4 safari, bus, or helicopter.

Tours are also sold in the port. Appreciating the real beauty of this port requires booking a shore excursion via the cruise line or through an independent local operator.

It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.

There is a craft market at the port where local artisans offer handmade shell jewelry and belts, wood sculptures, pareaus and other Polynesian handicrafts.

Bargaining and haggling over prices in markets and stores is not customary.

1000 CFP francs = 8.38 euros.

Bora Bora isn't the cheapest place in the world!

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Official languages: French, Tahitian

Internet can b found in the hotels and can be expensive.

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