How to save money on a trip to Bora Bora?

Who does not like hotels and luxury trips, but I suppose that like me, you do not like the absurd prices that they put on certain basic elements, like water, for example. I also don’t like when you pay a lot for something and you don’t get the equivalent value, without exaggeration, because some persons wait to get the moon just for paying a lot (and a lot will always be relative!) … Everything has a balance, and that is why I want to share our secrets, and let you know how to save money on a trip to Bora Bora.

I already know the dates on which the promotions of many airlines in Europe come out. Usually when a high season ends. We wait for these promotions and based on them for planning our trips. Monitor the evolution of rates in your country to get the best offer. Now in the time of Covid there are interesting promotions, maybe you do not know if you will be able to travel at that date because of restrictions, but that is another story. For this reason, check very well all conditions, if the ticket is modifiable or refundable.

If you want to save money on a trip to Bora Bora and you can choose any dates for vacations… Avoid traveling during all the massive vacation periods, such as July and August or Christmas. At that moment you will pay more than ever, in Polynesia the prices are multiplied by two, and in Bora Bora there will be crowded, which can jeopardize the quality of the service on some occasion (Ex: If you need to change your room because of a problem, probably all the rooms will be busy, and that will be a real problem).

Here some site that will be useful in your research:

I know I’m talking in this post about how to save on Bora Bora, but one of the ways to optimize your travel investment, is to integrate other islands in your trip. The flight time to Polynesia is long, do not limit yourself to knowing only Bora Bora, you can enjoy more days of tropical paradise, less expensive, and leave the big budget for Bora Bora.

In addition, the Tahiti-Bora flight will have a more interesting price and the agencies will surely find you combined solutions that will improve the prices of accommodation in Bora Bora.

Book about a year in advance and you will find good Early Bird offers. I do not recommend booking at the last minute, you will not have the best rooms, or good prices.

Use the loyalty benefits of hotel chains if you are a member of any of them (for example, IHG or Hilton Honors). Sometimes you can get better prices than the agencies, do not hesitate to compare, I have already done this with my agency.

Consider paying for the IHG Ambassador program to get an upgrade, it could be interesting, as you would pay for an entry-level room, and this program guarantees you an upgrade to the next higher level of the room, without a rate increase. You can also probably benefit from an early check-in or a late check-out.

Initially the full day excursions will seem a little expensive, although compared to the excursions of other tropical paradises, the prices are quite correct. Then when you know how much food can cost in a restaurant in Bora Bora, you realize that the prices of excursions that include meals are very interesting.

Many of these excursions also include drinks during the day. Find out what your excursion includes, if it is just a snack or if it really includes a complete meal in a motu? Do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions.

I don’t usually use travel agencies, in fact, the first time I traveled to French Polynesia, I tried to organize the trip as usual, but honestly, I was a little lost and when I compared what I had found with what I got from the agency, I forgot to do it on my own. It went much better and everything is planned.

Agencies negotiate better prices for transfers and some hotel rooms. If you visit several islands, they can offer you something they call combined, which consists of staying in hotels of the same chain on several islands, and thus obtain a preferential rate.

On the other hand, if you have any inconvenience during the trip, it will be easier to communicate with the local agency, than with an agency in your country of origin, due to time changes.

Get information about the insurance coverage of your credit card to know whether or not you really need to pay for additional insurance. For years I was paying insurance that was not necessary because it was already included in my card.

A lot of attention with what is covered or not in the current situation; Many cards do not apply the cancellation or repatriation insurance included in your travel insurance for covid reasons. Verify that they can provide you with a certificate of coverage, which is now mandatory for Polynesia; and you must explicitly state that you are covered for that destination.

These insurances apply only if you pay for your trip with your credit card.

At airports, food and water are quite expensive, if you don’t have access to the airline lounge, then take precautions. Take a reusable water bottle and a snack to grab at any moment.

A reusable bottle can be emptied to pass the security control and then refilled again in a source of drinking water. You can also fill it up at the hotel before leaving and avoid buying bottles of water at unusual prices. You will see how much you’ll save …

Do not pay the exorbitant prices of drinks and snacks at the resorts. Bring your own snacks to enjoy them during your stay in Bora Bora, in your bungalow taking the sun. Include a bottle of wine or some alcohol that you like. Alcoholic beverages are ultra-expensive in French Polynesia, even more in Bora Bora resorts. Check the alcohol quantity limitations for international and inner-island flights.

Check the way to get to your hotel in Bora Bora; many resorts are in the ring that surrounds the main island; and you have to pay a boat to get there. A way to save yourself this tri, that is not negligible, It is to take the Air Tahiti boat (included with the plane ticket) and when you’ll be at the main island, you take the hotel’s free boats. This must be planned very well because not all ship-ships leave from the same place (a taxi could be necessary) and the schedules and number of boats from each hotel are different.

You can take advantage of this stopover to do some shopping at the Vaitape’s groceries, before going to your hotel. Forget about shopping in resort stores; they are excessively expensive. Use them only in extreme urgency!

If you are booking with a French Polynesia agency; Tell them to integrate boat transfer in the rate. Do not organize it on your own because it will be more expensive.