(This is part of a trip report to the South Pacific, flying Singapore Airlines and Etihad first class and Lufthansa business class home! This summer trip has a value of $33,996 and we paid $3,996 for all these flights/hotels plus lots of miles and points!)

All I knew about Tahiti and Bora Bora was what I saw in pictures and it certainly lived up to my expectations in that regard. Tahiti is the largest of 118 islands known as French Polynesia, and one of the “Society Island” groups, with Bora Bora being another of the five in the group.

We flew into Papeete, the “water basket” and stayed at the IHG using points two different nights. It’s a very large and busy resort, but it never felt crowded…more on it later.

The next morning, we flew one hour to Bora Bora, originally Pora Pora, but Captain Cook misunderstood the pronunciation, hence Bora Bora! We used points to stay at IHG Le Moana, but requested an upgrade and were able to pay a nominal fee to score an overwater bungalow! What a TREAT! We arrived via boat and here are some pictures of it all!

Bora Bora has been referred to as “an artist’s palette of blues and greens,” and I would certainly agree! The lagoon is an indescribable color and pictures just don’t do it justice.

One night we saw a Polynesian show and dancers, fun times!

Another day, we took a boat to visit the IHG Thalasso Spa, where EVERY room is an overwater bungalow. We spent the day at the pool, ate lunch, and enjoyed the magnificent view of Mt. Otemanu! The manager told us people book one year in advance and have booked rooms for TWO weeks using points! And these rooms are not cheap! I hope the photos show how quiet and peaceful this resort was. The picture below is a Tahitian iPhone, I was told!

We flew back to Tahiti and stayed again at the IHG, again on points, and here are more photos.

I LOVED Tahiti and Bora Bora, and it really is a honeymoon destination. But beware, everything is VERY expensive and it would pay to strategize how to spend your money, unless of course, you have unlimited funds!  (:  We ate big breakfasts, snacks from home for lunch, and an early dinner, which helped lots.

Next up, an island in NZ you’ve probably never heard of…