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Hand of the King
May 11, 2012
My wife and I are going to Bora Bora soon and I have some questions. We're staying at the InterContinental Le Moana Hotel for 5 nights in the overwater villas. We've never been travelers and this is the first time traveling internationally. The island looks to be small and touristy enough for everything to be very obvious once we get there (is it?), and we're kind of just going off of to-do items from tripadvisor and blogs.

My questions are:
How do we pay for things? Do we have to go to the bank and get the Tahiti currency?
If so, how much should we bring?
Or can we just use our AmEx? or Visa?
Will US currency be accepted in most places?
Is there anything special we need to bring for the trip and flight?
Have any of you been to Bora Bora and stayed at the InterContinental Le Moana?
If so, what was your experience?
Do you recommend anything specific?
What are some "must-dos"?
I saw that we should be able travel around in bikes no problem - is this true?
Is there a night life?

That's all I can think of for now... Thanks, folks.

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PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Hand of the King posted:

My wife and I are going to Bora Bora soon and I have some questions. We're staying at the InterContinental Le Moana Hotel for 5 nights in the overwater villas. We've never been travelers and this is the first time traveling internationally. The island looks to be small and touristy enough for everything to be very obvious once we get there (is it?), and we're kind of just going off of to-do items from tripadvisor and blogs.

My questions are:
How do we pay for things? Do we have to go to the bank and get the Tahiti currency?
If so, how much should we bring?
Or can we just use our AmEx? or Visa?
Will US currency be accepted in most places?
Is there anything special we need to bring for the trip and flight?
Have any of you been to Bora Bora and stayed at the InterContinental Le Moana?
If so, what was your experience?
Do you recommend anything specific?
What are some "must-dos"?
I saw that we should be able travel around in bikes no problem - is this true?
Is there a night life?

That's all I can think of for now... Thanks, folks.

Jesus, y'all picked a hell of a place to pop your international travel cherry. I haven't been specifically to Bora Bora, but everywhere else I've been in the first world, you'll be fine with VISA and/or Mastercard for 99% of things. You may be able to get cash before you leave; if not, go to a bank when you arrive and get some there. I don't think USD will be accepted in most places, but euros probably would be if you want to hedge your bets.

It looks most hotels have both 110V and 220V (Europlug) outlets, so you probably won't need plug adapters, but you might consider buying one just in case.

Hand of the King
May 11, 2012

PT6A posted:

Jesus, y'all picked a hell of a place to pop your international travel cherry. I haven't been specifically to Bora Bora, but everywhere else I've been in the first world, you'll be fine with VISA and/or Mastercard for 99% of things. You may be able to get cash before you leave; if not, go to a bank when you arrive and get some there. I don't think USD will be accepted in most places, but euros probably would be if you want to hedge your bets.

It looks most hotels have both 110V and 220V (Europlug) outlets, so you probably won't need plug adapters, but you might consider buying one just in case.

Oh Jesus I had totally forgotten about the outlets. Ok, I got ordered a couple of euro round pin plug adapters. Thank you for mentioning that! I'll probably just use my Chase Preferred card when I'm there since there is no foreign exchange fee on that card.

Mortley
Jan 18, 2005

aux tep unt rep uni ovi
With the insane (relative to backpackers, mind) cost of a trip like that, it's hard to imagine you'll have a bad time. But keep in mind that Google still works: http://wikitravel.org/en/Bora_Bora

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Hand of the King posted:

Oh Jesus I had totally forgotten about the outlets. Ok, I got ordered a couple of euro round pin plug adapters. Thank you for mentioning that! I'll probably just use my Chase Preferred card when I'm there since there is no foreign exchange fee on that card.

Oh, this reminds me: pack whatever you can that you might need or want on your first day in your carry-on. When my friends went there, their luggage was lost for a few days, and poo poo's loving expensive there. He's irrationally attached to his $50 flip flops now.

Saladman
Jan 12, 2010
Make sure you don't get on the wrong flight and up in Tora Bora ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tora_Bora ). Otherwise you should have an amazing time.

Saladman fucked around with this message at 18:01 on May 19, 2015

Hand of the King
May 11, 2012

PT6A posted:

Oh, this reminds me: pack whatever you can that you might need or want on your first day in your carry-on. When my friends went there, their luggage was lost for a few days, and poo poo's loving expensive there. He's irrationally attached to his $50 flip flops now.

Good call. I'll be sure to remember that. Also, I already own $60 flip flops... :ohdear:

Saladman posted:

Make sure you don't get on the wrong flight and up in Tora Bora ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tora_Bora ). Otherwise you should have an amazing time.

Haha, definitely don't want to end up there.

FINGERBLASTER69
Nov 15, 2014

Saladman posted:

Make sure you don't get on the wrong flight and up in Tora Bora ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tora_Bora ). Otherwise you should have an amazing time.

I thought this at first and wondered what the hell made him go there haha.

Slo-Tek
Jun 8, 2001

WINDOWS 98 BEAT HIS FRIEND WITH A SHOVEL
Tourist destinations like Bora Bora will be well equipped to separate you from your money no matter what format, and they are going to bleed you. Familiarize yourself with the exchange rate...then don't sweat it. If something looks fun/tasty/strange, pay the man and try it...though often you can do the exact same thing for a fraction the price if you arrange directly through the outfitter/boat owner/barkeep/whatever rather than through the hotel package/concierge service. But everything is going to be a financial beating. Think Disney World...and then some.

In terms of what to bring for the flight, as mentioned, pack poo poo you will need in your carry-on. Book/computer/charger(s)/camera/fresh shirt and underwear/toiletries/meds/passport/ID/money.
A 26 hour flight is a bitch, you can only watch Aliens on the inflight entertainment about 3 times before you are pretty tired of it, so bring your own mixed media. Get up and walk around every few hours. Whenever you are up to pee, take a lap around coach.

Consider also better living through chemistry, may want to hit your GP up for some Provigil. It is an unscheduled drug for treating narcolepsy, but one of the off-label uses is for kicking the poo poo out of jetlag and not losing the first two days of your expensive-rear end trip sleeping through the day and watching horrible hotel television at 4am local. If you are already at the docs doing a little drug-seeking, you might try your luck on some sleeping pills or anti-anxiety stuff, though do keep in mind that mixing those with alcohol is a way to get on the news and off the plane, and on a terrorist watch list when you do something crazy/drunk/drugged over Greenland.

Sunscreen, reapplied regularly. Probably a dorky swimshirt, as well. Seriously, you do not want to lose a day or more to a vicious sunburn, and you will get one if you are not very careful and very attentive.

Do all the hiking and diving you can do, with guides and without. Oh, and as far as diving, if you haven't done much before, you don't need to power around on fins chasing stuff or dive deep. All the best color and most interesting stuff is happening fairly close to the surface and on a really small scale. All those crazy sea slugs you see on Blue Planet? those are like an inch long. So try staking out a little bit of coral and just watch a couple square feet for as long as you can hold your breath. You'll see cool stuff, and you won't work so hard you use up your tanks or puke in your snorkel.

Practicing whatever French you remember from high school, plus whatever Tahitian you learn on your flight can be fun, and set you apart from the "DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH" resort crowd...but not that far apart.

Decent underwater cameras are pretty cheap nowdays. I picked up an Olympus TG-4 for like 350$, and while it isn't an awesome imaging system, it fits in my pocket has some useful shooting modes including a good macro, and takes way-better-than-cellphone pictures underwater/rain/dust/etc. and is decently hardened against drops and rough treatment.

Slo-Tek fucked around with this message at 08:35 on May 21, 2015

Finch!
Sep 11, 2001

Spatial Awareness?

[ ] Whaleshark

404 Not Found
When I travel I just suck up the ATM fees and use them to withdraw cash. They are everywhere and it's easy, and I'm rather lazy...

Keep in mind that most travel insurance (you will have travel insurance, right?) only covers a small amount of cash for loss or theft - usually around $300 or thereabouts - so don't take thousands of dollars with you to exchange to francs, just in case something goes wrong.

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sellouts
Apr 23, 2003

Slo-Tek posted:

Tourist destinations like Bora Bora will be well equipped to separate you from your money no matter what format, and they are going to bleed you. Familiarize yourself with the exchange rate...then don't sweat it. If something looks fun/tasty/strange, pay the man and try it...though often you can do the exact same thing for a fraction the price if you arrange directly through the outfitter/boat owner/barkeep/whatever rather than through the hotel package/concierge service. But everything is going to be a financial beating. Think Disney World...and then some

God, the tone of this poo poo is frustrating. Yeah, it's expensive, he booked the goddamn hotel so he knows. The guy might do fine for himself and it isn't a big deal. In fact, if he's never traveled internationally before, he might be busy making piles of money.

As someone who has gone to the Maldives and other luxury destinations and stayed at very nice properties here's how it worked.

On resort, everything booked to room. Leave a credit card with them with no foreign transaction fees and ask what currency the charge in. Check out the exchange rate they use to see what is most advantageous. Also email resort to request a sunset facing bungalow if that's what you want.

Off resort, you can use cards mostly everywhere. If you get currency be prepared to pay a fee from your bank. Don't do this. Bring us cash and you will get a better exchange rate in the country if you need it. Cash at the hotel can be good for tips at the pool, etc. Again, watch exchange rates and do everything you can to bring a card with no foreign transaction fees like the chase sapphire preferred.

The cheap power adapters are great but our rooms in many nice spots had them built into the wall, which was great. Bring them just in case.

The sun is no joke. Do as the other posters say and be liberal with sunscreen. I burn easily and am fine around the equator but I do wear a rash guard when in Muslim countries out of respect. You clearly won't have to worry about that but it's easy.

For overwater bungalows if you sleep lightly bring earplugs. I love the sound of the water but it lapping could drive extremely sensitive people crazy. I didn't hear it in one of our ocean bungalows but tripadvisor had some complaints at another property. Also bring an eye mask for the flight and also because if your bungalow is sunrise facing combined with the time change you'll be up at weird hours.

My one advice: figure out transfers to and from the airport to the hotel. If taxi is the best option to where you take the boat to the island, cool, but be prepared. In Maldives the hotel sends a rep at the airport to take you to the seaplane or boat transfer. Be familiar with how they do it. Struggling to get from airport to hotel with luggage is a bad start to a really memorable trip.

Have fun!

Edit: OP, did you book this through Costco Travel? Just curious how their rates compared to the rates online. At these levels of resorts I have saved money by going through a travel agent which is Against Most Goon Advice. Also thought of 2 things: 1 is that a lot of the non powered watersports are free, so grab a paddle board and putter around. It can be fun Also ask when you get there if they feed the stingrays / sharks at sunset. They did this at another resort and it was a lot of fun and made for good pictures.

sellouts fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Jun 3, 2015

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