We chose to stay at the Intercontinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa. It’s an intimate resort of just 88 overwater bungalows situated on the center of Motu Pita Aa’u, which means “islet of two hearts” in Tahitian. The location affords the very best, and most photographed, vantage point of Mount Otemanu, the jagged remnant of an ancient volcano. Upon arrival, you are greeted on the dock by hotel staff, who then take you in a golf cart to welcome you and give you a tour of the resort.

At check-in we were upgraded to a Diamond Overwater Villa directly facing Mt. Otemanu. The lagoon below our villa, which we had direct access to from our deck, was crystal clear and a stunning bright blue hue. The villas at Intercontinental Bora Bora are over 1,000 sqft and are very spacious with separate bedroom and living areas, full-size closets, bathrooms with separate shower and tub and a two level deck. The lagoon has a soft sandy bottom and I was able to stand in the lagoon and touch the bottom with my head above the water. So amazing!

There is so much to do (or not to do!) on Bora Bora. Scuba diving and snorkeling are very popular with impressive underwater visibility and vibrant sea life. Jet skis can be rented to explore the lagoon on your own too. Helicopter tours give you a bird’s-eye view of Mount Otemanu and the surrounding lagoon. You can take a Jeep tour on the main island of Bora Bora and see cannons left behind from when Bora Bora was a military base during World War II.

On one of the days we rented our own pontoon boat and explored the lagoon. We spotted lots of sting rays and stopped for a bit to snorkel at the Coral Gardens. If you enjoy snorkeling, this spot should not be missed! I have never seen so many varieties of fish in one spot! Later, we visited Intercontinental’s sister resort, Le Moana, for drinks on the beach – what a stunning view.

One of my personal favorite things to do on trips is to have a professional photographer take pictures. I treasure these pictures that we’ve collected from the around the world. It’s a splurge, but so worth it. Marc and Billie at Bora Bora Photo Studio were so fun to work with and I would highly recommend them to anyone.