We cannot express how happy we were to select the Sofitel Bora Bora Private Island Resort for our honeymoon. After reading many reviews on the various resorts, we decided on this particular resort because it was in our price range and we had the opportunity to stay on a private island (motu).
We did not have the budget to stay at the more luxurious hotels; however we were pleasantly surprised by the hospitality, service, quality and overall experience of the resort. The Sofitel Bora Bora Marara Beach and Private Island Resort is located on a private white sand beach and sits on the edge of a gorgeous lagoon, providing serenity and privacy to guests.
There are two locations you can stay at the Sofitel; on the main land of Bora Bora or private motu in the lagoon. Both locations offer garden, hillside, beach or overwater bungalow’s. The resort is designed to give a fresh contemporary Polynesian ambience, with undressed wood architecture, lush green foliage, and vibrant colors and cultural decorations.
The private island is unique because there is a small waterfall onsite, botanical gardens, and a 360 degree panoramic view of the lagoon and a direct view of the famous Mount Otemanu . You can even take a short walk to the peak of the motu see breathtaking views of the sunset and surrounding islands. There are chairs set up for you to leisurely take in the sights, and each evening the staff set ups a champagne and appetizer sunset viewing for a fee. The rooms are extremely clean, come with an in room safe, mini fridge, daybeds, desk and extremely comfortable beds and linens.
There are two dining options at the resort; Latitude 16 Degrees at Marara Beach featuring French and fusion international cuisine, or Manu Tuki Restaurant on the private island serving breakfast, lunch and dinners once a week. There are two bars at the resort; Hurricane bar with views of the lagoon featuring entertainment at night, theme nights and poolside snacks open, and Mako bar with sunset views and an outdoor terrace serving South pacific cocktails and daily happy hour and snacks. Both bars are open from 10 am to 11 pm.
For further relaxation, the resort offers massages at the main island or a spectacular outdoor massage on the private island. The resort also features free yoga and tai chi classes held on the white sand beaches on some mornings to start your day off with a peaceful mind and body.
We truly enjoyed our stay at the private island in an overwater bungalow. The resort has a complimentary private boat shuttle which takes a few minutes to go from the beach to the motu. As we arrived to the dock of the motu, the wonderful staff greeted us with a beautiful song and ukulele serenade and fragrant floral lei. In our room the first day was a bottle of champagne chilled and waiting for us in our bungalow. We snorkeled each day in the clear warm waters, and enjoyed seeing the majestic views of Mount Otemanu and the incredible separations of blue in the gorgeous lagoon water. The staff was extremely helpful and flexible with our requests, and went out of their way to make sure we had the best experience possible. Every evening, we returned from dinner with a turn down service of a cleaned room and two French macaroons. A perfect way to end the day!
We were sad to leave our new home away from home; however we took with us a few souvenior shirts, pareo (colorful wrap for the ladies) and shell necklaces, reminding us of our most memorable experience in Bora Bora . The moment we took off from the water taxi to the airport, looking back at our private island, we knew that we had to come back someday.
