Wondering what to do in Bora Bora? You’ve booked your trip and are ready to go, now here are some great ideas about what to do for fun when you arrive. The Island is considered by many to be the most beautiful place on earth and is surrounded by a protected lagoon that provides calm waters perfect for swimming, snorkeling and other activities.

Snorkeling in Bora Bora

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The South Pacific is host to some of the best snorkeling destinations in the world. The Bora Bora lagoon is a great place to see a number of dazzling and colorful tropical fish. Swimming in the calm waters of the lagoon is like being in a giant heated pool, surrounded by friendly tropical wildlife. Once you’re comfortable with the calm waters of the lagoon and want to experience some more adventurous activities, you can book one of the local tour providers to take you outside the reef in the deep blue Pacific Ocean where you’ll see sharks, stingrays and turtles.

Dive for pearls at the Bora Pearl Company

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Bora Bora is the home of the famous dark Tahitian pearl. There are dozens of shopping areas for art, handcrafts, pearls, and fragrant Tahitian oils on the island for you to find the perfect souvenir of your vacation to paradise. If you want to do something different, the Bora Pearl Company offers the chance to dive for your own pearls.

Boat cruise in a glass bottom boat

One of the best activities accessible for people of all ages to do is take a cruise on a glass bottom boat. These are good for all age groups and will allow you to enjoy the beautiful scenery while cruising around the lagoon. You’ll get a first hand look at the beautiful tropical fish from the comfort of the boat. If you’re lucky you might even see a stingray or a turtle!

Enjoy a massage

If you’re traveling as a couple on a romantic vacation getaway, or just want to unwind after an action packed day, a massage is a good way to slow down the pace. Many of the resorts in Bora Bora offer this as a service and will provide a relaxing spa experience in a beautiful tropical setting.

Flame twirling Tahitian fire dancers

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Bora Bora is home to the famous Polynesian fire dancers. Fire dancing shows are one of the most exciting evening activities on the island and shouldn’t be missed. You’ll witness a dazzling spectacle of light and dance while enjoying a fun evening of entertainment. The dancers dressed in loincloths are pyrotechnic experts that will put on a dazzling display of acrobatic antics using flames.

Hike Mount Otemanu

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Going for a hike is a great thing to do when you’re feeling a bit more adventurous. Mount Otemanu has an unusually shaped peak that reaches 728 meters above sea level. The neighboring mount Pahia is smaller but also worth a visit during your vacation. From the height of these peaks there are vantage points that will allow you to witness the full majesty of this tropical paradise. There are many opportunities here for you to get unique photos of the beautiful island and its spectacular aquamarine lagoon.

Enjoy a Motu picnic

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Perhaps one of the most satisfying vacation experiences available in is to enjoy a meal with your loved one in a beautiful tropical setting. There are private beaches and islets known as Motus that can be used to organize a tropical island picnic. Many of the resorts in Bora Bora are able to arrange a private beach dinner for you if you ask them.

Watch a sunset on the beach

Taking the time to appreciate the natural beauty of a tropical beach sunset is an activity that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Watching the sunset from a tropical beach is spectacular and a perfect way to transition from a fun filled day to a nighttime activity like a romantic dinner or some local entertainment.

Parasailing over the lagoon

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For the adventurous travelers looking for thrilling things to do, parasailing is a spectacular way to see the island from a different vantage point. The warm winds and calm lagoon waters make for a perfect parasailing adventure that you’ll never forget. This is undoubtedly one of the best photo opportunities of your vacation, so don’t forget to bring your camera.

Stay in an over-water bungalow

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Bora Bora is famous for its over-water bungalows and is considered one of the most beautiful places for a vacation. Staying in an over-water bungalow is a vacation experience you’ll never forget and will provide you with a relaxing home base during your trip. Many of the resorts provide over-the-water bungalow accommodations that range from the comparatively cheap, to very luxurious. There’s no doubt that swimming in the lagoons around your bungalow is the best way to start a fun day in paradise!

Even seasoned travel pros can sometimes use a little travel advice now and then. Everyone knows that when you go on a trip you should always take half the luggage and twice the money, but what are the top 10 worst travel mistakes to avoid on your vacation?

Overpacking

This is probably one of the biggest travel mistakes that you can make. When you overpack not only will you be charged more at the airport if you go over their weight limit but you’ll have less room for souvenirs. If in doubt, don’t pack it at all. When you get there, if you find that you truly need it then you can always purchase it later. You will be responsible for your luggage while you travel and the lighter and fewer pieces you have, the happier you will be.

Trying to do too much at once

Of course you want to see everything that you can, but leave some time in your trip for just hanging out, too. If you’re constantly moving from one place to another then you’re going to be exhausted and you probably won’t get the most out of your travel experience.

Not comparing prices

Whether you are booking a plane ticket, rail pass, or hotel room it’s always a good idea to compare prices when traveling. Try using three different websites for the best results. It will take a little extra time on your part but you could save as much as 50% off the price and that’s money that you can use for something else!

Not getting off the beaten path

A trip jam-packed full of popular sites will definitely give you something to talk about when you get home and will also give you lots of jealous glares from your friends. You don’t want to forget to get off the beaten path, though. Taking an afternoon to go for a stroll off the major streets and away from the major sites can give you a better feel for the place that you’re visiting, as well as expose you to some eateries and shops that might even be less expensive than what you’ll find in the main thoroughfares.

Avoiding a site because it’s “touristy”

While it is always good to get off the beaten path, don’t completely ignore those “touristy” sites, either. After all, what’s a trip to Paris without a viewing of the Eiffel Tower or a trip to New York City without seeing the Statue of Liberty? Sometimes, a place is just cheesy and not worth visiting. However, most of the time a place is popular for a reason: because it’s really a worthwhile travel experience! Try to mix up the popular sites with a bit of your own exploring.

Not carrying important phone numbers with you

It doesn’t matter if you’re going abroad or two states over, it’s always important to carry important telephone numbers with you when you travel. In fact, you might want to make two copies of them and keep one set in your wallet and one in your suitcase. Important numbers include your bank, credit cards, health insurance company, doctors, and emergency contact information. If your wallet gets lost or stolen then you will need to call all of your credit cards and bank cards and inform them. At that point, simply having the numbers on the back of your cards is not going to be very helpful…

Carrying all of your money on you

Whether you have traveler’s checks, credit cards, or cash it’s never a good idea to carry all of your money on you at once. If you get robbed or you lose your wallet then you’re going to be in a lot of trouble! Instead, divide up your credit cards and store them (along with some traveler’s checks) in the hotel’s safe if they offer one. It’s also wise to carry a limited amount of cash on you as well, although it’s always a good idea to have at least a little bit of change on you for those places that don’t take credit cards for small purchases.

Not buying something when you see it

You’ve probably seen at least one thing on your travels that you really liked and not bought it, figuring that you would just go back and buy it later. Well, chances are you didn’t make it back there. If you see something that really calls to you then buy it when you have the chance. Later on you might get caught up in sightseeing, traveling, or just simply run out of time. Or, you might go back to the store and find it closed. It’s better to just make the purchase when you have the chance, especially if it’s something that you don’t think you’re going to be able to find anywhere else.

Choosing chains over local eateries

Sometimes, those old familiar chains will just call to you and you won’t be able to resist them. One of the biggest mistakes, however, is to ONLY eat at international chains. It’s hard to get a good feel for a place without trying out some of the local fare. No, you’re not going to like all of it, but there’s a very good chance that you’ll like a lot of it. Plus, you can tell a lot from the town or country that you’re in by sitting back in a local restaurant and taking in the crowd. In fact, this can be entertainment within itself when you travel.

Not giving yourself enough travel time

Even pros sometimes make the mistake of not giving themselves enough travel time when it comes to making planes, trains, and automobiles. If it is absolutely imperative that you make a specific train or flight then you need to give yourself plenty of time to get there. When in doubt, just assume that you’re going to be traveling during rush hour or delayed by some unforeseen calamity. It’s always better to arrive early than late. If you’re taking a train then it doesn’t hurt to time your distance from your hotel to the train station the day before. Don’t just take travel time into account, either. You also want to allow plenty of time for getting dressed, last minute packing, checking out of your hotel room, and getting to the transportation that will take you to your place of transit.

Planning your dream vacation can be a very time consuming endeavor, but fortunately it’s never been easier. These are the best travel sites to help you plan the perfect trip while saving you time and money.

Kayak.com

Kayak is one of the best travel websites available to quickly find your airline tickets, hotels and rental cars. The great thing about Kayak is that it allows you to search hundreds of travel websites at once within a simple easy to use interface. This can save you tons of time, for example, you can locate the best flight at the right price on all of the different airlines at once, without needing to search directly on the individual airline websites. One of the unique things about Kayak is that you don’t have to book your travel through them. You always have the option of booking directly through the provider, which is usually a better choice since it allows you to deal directly with the airline or hotel if you need to make changes to your reservation later.

Tripadvisor.com

Tripadvisor gives you access to reviews for almost all hotels in the world as seen through actual customers. Recognized as on of the best travel sites on the Web, it has changed the way people find out about the true quality of a hotel or travel related service by allowing actual customers to post reviews and even pictures of the establishments being reviewed. It’s amazing how many times you’ll book a trip to a four star hotel only to find that the beautiful pictures on their website don’t match the condition of the actual hotel when you arrive. Or worse, the hotel is under renovation and you have to contend with daily doses of construction noise. Tripadvisor allows you to book a hotel in confidence and provides a true picture of what you’ll get.

Seatguru.com

Seatguru allows you to find the best seat on almost any airline before you book. Have you ever been stuck on a 5 hour flight in what appears to be the worst seat possible on the plane? Maybe you were stuck in the back by a smelly toilet with a constant line of people standing next to your seat, or in front of an exit row where the seats don’t recline, or in that dreaded middle seat? Seatguru provides hundred of seating maps for almost all airlines and provides pointers and recommendations from real travelers about which seats to avoid and which are ideal. Whether you’re a frequent traveler or booking that dream vacation to a far away destination, this is one of the best travel websites to get your trip off to a great start.

Couchsurfing.org

Couchsurfing is a travel site for adventurous people to share their hospitality and travel experiences with each other. If you’re planning to travel and want to immerse yourself into a new culture, or simply want to save some money by forgoing the commercial hotel experience, couchsurfing will allow you to meet people who are willing to let you in to their homes and sleep on their couch. As the name implies, the couchsurfing members can arrange to share their homes with other travelers, and are usually willing to provide visitors with the local’s perspective or their home cities, possibly even acting as a tour guide. It’s not for everyone, but for the most adventurous and social travelers it can be a great way to meet people and make new friends.

AirTreks.com

AirTreks is one of the best travel sites to use if you’re planning a multi-stop round the world trip. AirTreks allows you to book any airline, to any city, in any direction, without imposing any limits on how long you can stay. Their travel website provides interactive tools to help you plan your customized international flight itinerary by clicking locations on a map. They also provide recommendations on how to optimize the trip with additional destinations that wouldn’t add much to the cost. It’s one of the best websites available to book a multiple destination flight if you’re trying to create a uniquely customized trip.

MyScenicDrives.com

MyScenicDrive.com offers one of the most interactive travel websites to discover and plan the best road-trips in the United States. It provides hundreds of preplanned routes and suggests thousands of interesting stop along the way. Whether you’re planning a month-long adventure, or simply want to go a weekend day-trip, you’ll find lots of new places to discover and can customize a unique scenic drive to suit your taste. The website offers many convenient features such as planning fuel costs or locating accommodation along the way. They even allow you to import the itinerary directly into your GPS.

Wikitravel.org

Wikitravel is one of the most extensive sources of information for travelers and was inspired by Wikipedia. If you’re planning a vacation and need to find information about a particular destination, whether you want to know about the history of a city, transportation, places of interest, currency, laws, political climate, Wikitravel is your in-depth source of information on the Web. Similar to Wikipedia, its content is provided by contributors from around the world who constantly update the website.

Triporama.com

Triporama is a free online website that makes it fun to plan a trip with friends and family. It provides a central place where everyone can share their ideas and plan logistics. Your travel party can share travel research, discuss ideas, assign tasks, conduct polls, and schedule trip dates. It also provides a Group Travel Guide that includes ideas for your trip, travel deals, and various planning advice for any type of trip you’re planning, such as a cruise, a road trip, a weekend getaway or any other type of travel.

UnusualHotelsOfTheWorld.com

This website offers an extensive list of the most unusual and unique travel accommodations in the world. If you’re looking for a truly unique experience and want to get away from the cookie cutter hotels that we’re all used to, this is one of the best websites to help you to find that memorable gem of a hotel that you’ll remember for life. For example, how would you like to stay in an ice hotel in Sweden? or a 19th century European fort? Or how about a tree house in the tropical forests of Panama? UnusualHotelsOfTheWorld.com is a great site if you want to plan a memorable vacation and do something off the beaten path.

Google Maps

Finally, Google Maps helps you put everything together by providing ones of the best tools for interactive mapping. You can’t plan a trip these days without relying on a good mapping tool like the one offered by Google, and best of all, it’s free! Google maps can be used for a number of reasons, like figuring out driving distances or directions, looking for accommodations or restaurants on your trip, or finding public transportation routes. Some of the best features are satellite view and street view, which allow you to zoom in to a street level eye-view of your destination. This is great to get an idea of what a place looks like before you arrive, or to scope out a particular area to see if this is the type of place you want to stay in.