My wife and I are taking a delayed honeymooon to Bora Bora in late September. We will be traveling from New York and would like some travel tips regarding cheap airfare, the local culture, and what to see and do. Any thoughts?

Cheap tickets to Bora Bora is a contradiction in terms. You’d be lucky to find flights for under $2,000 each coming from New York. The itinerary goes through Los Angeles, on a combination of US Airways and Air Tahiti.

As for the island itself, I asked Bonnie Tsui, who wrote “Bora Bora: South Pacific High Life” (Sept. 24, 2006) for her tips. She e-mailed me a “to do” list of swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing and hiking. Bora Bora’s lagoon has hundreds of species of fish but open water adventures promise glimpses of sea turtles, moray eels, various sharks and in September, migrating humpback wales.

“Most people can’t believe that there’s a place on earth that really looks the way Bora Bora does” she said. The natural environment is “undeniably stunning – a calm, cerulean lagoon, abundant marine life, lush tropical forest.” There’s your list of things to see.

For local culture, you need to make an effort, Ms. Tsui said. Because the resorts, many overrun with honeymooners (no offense), are often perched on the motus (islets), you should rent a bike or scooter and visit the craftspeople in Vaitape, the main town, and drive the island’s one paved road to see where the locals live.
Source: New York Times Blog - DAVID G. ALLAN