Wednesday, January 17, 2018, Vaitape, Bora Bora, French Polynesia, "Le Truck" Island Drive

- January 18, 2018

Considered by many the world's most beautiful island, the Society Island of Bora Bora is only 4 miles by 2 1/2 miles. This stunning land is made up of a barrier reef of motus, or islets, each one variously connected to the next depending on the tides. Surrounded by a deep lagoon that glows countless shade of turquoise and emerald, its palm-lined shores and steep forested slopes rise up dramatically to the pillar-like peak of Mt. Otemanu at 2,379 feet. American novelist James Michener put the island on many travelers' itineraries in the 1950s when he called it "the South Pacific at its unforgettable best." Rugged mountain roads through lush landscapes lead to spellbinding cliff-side views.

This was the views outside our cabin door when we arrived early AM.

Our cruise ship from our tender that took us to and from shore.

Our first excursion of the day took us on a small boat ride and snorkeling adventure. The water colors were spectacular. Made us feel like we arrived at Tahiti, although that was the day before.

We snorkeled in crystal clear waters. May not be able to tell, but the above photo is of sting ray and the below photo is a shark. We did move to a different location for our snorkeling.

After snorkeling in 10-foot deep waters, we relaxed in shallower waters.

“Le Truck” Island Drive

After our snorkeling excursion we took our second of the day, a whirl through paradise on board a charming open air “Le Truck” bus, admiring natural and historic sites. We took in the crystalline turquoise waters from the shore this time along with lovely small villages and abundant mountains, and learned about it all from our local guide. There were photo stops along the way as we drove to the district of Faanui and scenic Faanui Bay. Here we saw the ancient ceremonial site of the Faanui marae, Bora Bora's biggest Polynesian temple, with a typical raised ahu altar.

We paused for a photo stop at one of the island's famed restaurants.Here, we had a chance to take a photo in front of Bloody Mary’s Bar & Restaurant. A longtime island favorite of Hollywood royalty, it is the quintessential tiki bar with its thatched roof, open sides, white-sand floor, wooden slab tables and stools made of coconut stumps.