Visiting Bora Bora with kids is a dream for many families! This most popular island in French Polynesia is visited by most tourists when they book a tour to French Polynesia. Among other things, we too visited this island with our 10-year-old daughter for a few days. We have explored the entire island extensively and in this blog we list the best children’s activities in Bora Bora.
Bora Bora with kids
#1 Lagoon tour
Bora Bora is known for its beautiful white beaches, its blue sea and for its beautiful underwater world. It is therefore highly recommended to book a Lagoon Tour. We booked this tour through the organization Bora Bora Explorer. This tour took about half a day and we thought this was a really super cool snorkeling tour.
You go to different spots in the lagoon to spot different animals. First we went in search of manta rays. These magnificent animals can grow up to several meters wide. We saw several and Sophie our daughter also saw several. Then at the next point we went in search of eagle rays.
We encountered these too, and we even came across a group of as many as 30 eagle rays. Wonderful to see so many of these beautiful animals together. At the third stop, we saw several blacktip reef sharks and again several rays. These animals here are so tame you can almost touch them. The last snorkeling spot was at Coral Garden and here we saw several fish and also an eel.
In short, we had been able to spot many special animals underwater in a few hours. Besides, it’s fun to be on the water and see all those different shades of blue of the sea. We ended this tour with a delicious lunch on a beach overlooking the sea. Still, we definitely recommend booking a tour at least once to explore the lagoon.
#2 Land tour
After doing the lagoon tour in the morning, we did a tour of the country in the afternoon. We had also booked this tour with Bora Bora Explorer and therefore the two tours dovetailed. We went on tour in a kind of truck that was open at the back. We liked that very much ourselves.
On this tour, we drove a full circle around the island and went to various viewpoints. Along the way, the guide explained about the island at various points. In total, we spent about 3 hours on the road with this guide.
Especially also if you don’t have a car on the island and still want to see a bit more of the island, it is definitely recommended to book this tour. Check out the Bora Bora Explorer website for more information.
#3 Matira Beach
The only beach you can visit on Bora Bora with kids is Matira Beach. By the way, this is a beautiful beach (white sand and blue sea), so in that respect, definitely recommended to visit with kids. It is quite a long beach, so there is plenty of space on the beach for the family to lie in the sun.
On the beach you have several eateries, where you can go for a snack and a drink. Unfortunately, there are no amenities such as beach beds. If you walk along the beach and look into the water, you will see rays swimming here regularly. There are few parking spots at the beach, so at times we really had to search for a suitable parking space.
Actually, Matira Beach is the only beach you can visit on mainland Bora Bora. The other beaches often belong to the big hotels and you can only go there if you buy a day pass. You can purchase these quite easily through the websites of the various hotels, but they come with quite a price tag.
#4 Self snorkeling
Of course, you can also go snorkeling by yourself from the beach. For example, at Matira Beach. We must say that we did find the underwater world there a bit disappointing. We couldn’t really find super much coral. If you do not go on a tour, but would like to spot the manta rays, you have a point on the island, where you can swim to it just fine.
In fact, in the north of the island you have a Manta Ray Cleaning station and there we also saw the manta rays. The advice is to go here early in the morning, as the animals are there in the morning. We went snorkeling here around 11 and then we only saw one. Other Dutch people were swimming here at 7 a.m. and then there was a whole group of manta rays swimming.
So make sure you go on time and make sure you keep an eye on kids at all times (especially if there is current). Other than that, we found few good snorkeling spots on the island. To get to Coral Garden, for example, you really need a boat. The distance is not super far (a Dutch couple told that they had swum there), but not recommended with kids. Especially also because of the current there. Then it’s better to book a tour with the family.
Family-friendly hotel Bora Bora
You can stay at several family-friendly accommodations on Bora Bora with kids. The choice is not huge and most accommodations are quite pricey. We list below some of the best-reviewed family-friendly accommodations on Bora Bora.
Budget accommodation: Bora Bora Hiva Home
Mid-range accommodation: Sunset Hill Lodge
Luxury accommodation: Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations on Bora Bora.
Tips Bora Bora with kids
Family-friendly restaurant Bora Bora
On the island of Bora Bora, you have surprisingly few family-friendly restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat. This is because most tourists are at the hotels on the various private islands and usually eat there. On the main island, therefore, you don’t have super much choice in terms of restaurants, which made it quite a search for us at times.
At Matira Beach you have several somewhat smaller eateries, where you can eat reasonably affordably. This is where we ate and drank most times with our daughter. Also, you do have some somewhat larger supermarkets where you can get food and drinks. Prices are generally quite high, except for the baguettes. These cost almost nothing here and because of that, you also see locals walking everywhere with baguettes.
How many days Bora Bora with kids
We ended up spending 3 full days on Bora Bora with our daughter and we felt that was more than enough. On the main island, besides Matira beach, you don’t have much to do. You really need to go on a tour then. We spent 1 day on tour and then we spent half a day exploring the lagoon and half a day exploring the island.
For the rest of the two days we spent mostly around Matira Beach, but after a day or 2 you have seen it here too. 3 to 4 days is therefore fine for a stay on Bora Bora with kids.
Best travel time Bora Bora
Located in French Polynesia, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Bora Bora has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round. Yet there are distinct differences between the seasons that affect your trip.
The dry season runs from May through October and is the best travel time for Bora Bora with kids. During these months, the temperature is around 27 degrees, rainfall is low and humidity is pleasant. The sea is calm and clear, ideal for snorkeling or taking a canoe out on the water. Activities such as feeding stingrays or a boat trip to the coral reef are also at their best during this period.
We visited Bora Bora in the month of September with our daughter and we generally had excellent weather on the island with lots of sunshine.
The wet period runs from November to April. It is warmer then (around 30 degrees), but also more humid, with frequent short, heavy showers. These tropical rainstorms usually fall at the end of the day, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the island during the day. The advantage of traveling during this period is that accommodations are often cheaper and the island is quieter.
Transportation to and from Bora Bora
Most tourists fly to Bora Bora from Tahiti and it takes you about 50 minutes by plane. We found both the outward and return flights to be fine. We flew with Air Tahiti and this airline offers several flights a day. When you arrive at the Bora Bora airport, you are on an island and then you still have to get to your hotel or to the mainland.
The ferry to the main island is free and takes about 15 minutes. If you have booked a luxury hotel on one of the private islands, there is a good chance that the hotel in question will pick you up from the airport.
To get around the main island, a car does come in handy. You drive around the entire island in about 30/ 40 minutes. We had rented a very cool electric car through Avis to explore the island. This was a Minimoke that was open on the sides, with a roof on it though. Our daughter absolutely loved this electric car so we drove many laps around the island.
It is helpful, however, if you have an electric charging station at your accommodation. We did not have this ourselves, but we were able to charge it at the car at the rental company. For more information on such a car, check out the Avis Bora Bora website.
