Reviews from our community
6 reviews
13 helpful votes
It's been a few days now since I returned from my 8-day, 7-night vacation paradise in Bora Bora. I miss it with all of my heart already!! My girlfriend and I stayed at Richard's bungalow as a 50th birthday gift to the both of us. We were in Nirvana the minute we got there (and all along, I thought we were in Bora Bora)! The bungalow is actually big enough to fit six if the third couple brings along a few sleeping pads for the loft located above the bedrooms. As soon as we got there, we were greeted by Nir who is an amazing concierge in addition to being an amazing human being! Nir was available to meet all of our needs in enjoying our stay to the fullest; in addition he set us up with some incredible excursions that will remain in our hearts forever!! Every minute of our island experience was a testament to the wonderful relaxing atmosphere that Richard and Nir, as well as the residents of Bora Bora in general, provides to its visitors!! We soaked up lots of sun and cool evening breezes, mingled with a wonderful array of sea life while snorkeling and diving, and traveled around the island many times to familiarize ourselves with the entire island. The bungalow is absolutely one of the most private on the main island and is an incredible bargain compared to other over-water bungalows offered by many of the hotels. **You should have a car for your entire stay though, because the bungalow is a few miles north of the main spots in town and not easily reachable by foot or by bike. Throughout our entire stay, we lounged around at our leisure, cooked our own meals in our beautiful kitchen, and ate them on the patio overlooking the peaceful and spectacular lagoon with all of the amazing scenery right in front of us!! I will be coming back to Bora Bora many times over and am already looking at ways that I can make this spectacular island my permanent home once my daughter is out on her own. Being in Richards over water bungalow, it already felt like home to me!! Thank you Richard and Nir for an experience that will last in my heart and soul for the rest of my life!!
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95 reviews
45 hotel reviews
94 helpful votes
We stayed here for a week. This is one of the few privately rented over water bungalows on Bora Bora – it is on the main island about twenty minute drive to Vaitape, the only real town, and there are no shops or facilities near the bungalow. The owner does have an arrangement with a very helpful local man (Nir) who will meet you at the dock with keys, a mobile and a friendly smile. You can also rent a car from Nir at a rate which is less than the major companies and a car is needed unless you don’t want to independently leave the bungalow during your stay (this adds about $70 to the day rate). The mobile is in case of any problems at the bungalow, as again there is no body on site to assist. The bungalow is not totally remote there are four other bungalows over the water next door and a small community on the hill behind. The bungalow is quite spacious (there are two bedrooms but the second is really designed for kids), the lounge is open plan and the kitchen is modern and you can tell the owner put a lot of thought into the kitchen appliances. The décor though is not homely and lacked good soft furnishing which was a shame as it made it hard to lounge around either inside or on the deck. The bed and bathrooms are ok but again nothing special and a big minus were the brown towels which moulted and which we never used because of it! We were worried about insects and during a week stay we did see three cockroaches and a fair number of mosquitos and small ants (the windows etc are screened but when we were there the screen door was not that effective but when reported we were told Nir would be fixing it) by the end of the stay we were feeling much more comfortable in the property. The water under the bungalow is said to be good for snorkeling but when we were there the water was both cold and not very clear – the location is prone to wind gusting down the channel and therefore the current around the bungalow is strong. We ended up going down to Matira beach to snorkel and better still going on one of the day trips to the Lagoonarium which was amazing. On reflection the opportunity to have your own space and the lapping of water under you when you fall asleep was amazing but you do feel cut off from everything.
| How easy was it to book the property? | How helpful were the directions to the property? |
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| Friends getaway | Families with young children |
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- Was the property as advertised?
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We came to Bora Bora on our honeymoon and felt that we had the best accommodations on the island! We were so entertained by the variety of fish to watch and snorkel with right off the deck. It was truly the best snorkeling experience! I'm still wondering if one of the four oysters I spotted are holding pearls..hmmm. We had a car to get to the market and make a few trips around the island with, which was so great. By the end of the week we had gone scuba diving twice and snorkeled every day, we learned how to husk and crack open and grate a coconut all by ourselves, and knew the personalities of all of "our" fish. Needless to say, we felt right at home! We cooked our own meals and ate on the amazing waterfront patio feeling like we were at our favorite restaurant all but one night. We loved watching the sunset from the deck and also loved watching the stars come out among the palm trees. The trade winds were blowing in full swing the week we were there, but it was so comfortable! 80's during the day and 70's at night. After our eyes adjusted to the beauty of the water and the gorgeous tropics around the island we decided we could belong here! We miss the soft ocean breezes, the untouched beauty of the island, feeding our fish, and our dinners on the deck. We are already planning our next trip. It's a funny phenomenon considering we anticipated going to this exotic destination and we left feeling like we were right at home. MAURURU!!! Nana...until next time!
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146 reviews
37 hotel reviews
247 helpful votes
| How easy was it to book the property? | How helpful were the directions to the property? |
| How easy was key pickup/access to the property? | Overall condition of the property |
| Bedding & mattresses | Kitchen & utensils |
| Bathroom cleanliness | Other facilities & amenities |
| Service |
| Friends getaway | Families with young children |
- Was the property as advertised?
- Would you recommend the location of this property?
- Was it a good value for the price paid?
- Did the property offer wi-fi/internet access?
- Was your security deposit returned on time?
