Full-Day Lagoon Safari, Motu Lunch

BORA BORA EXPERIENCE - ROHIVAI TOURS runs this 6-hour lagoon safari from $170 per person. Stops include a coral garden snorkel, stingrays and blacktip reef sharks, plus a Polynesian picnic lunch on a motu. It holds 4.9 out of 5 across 825 reviews.

Overview

This is a six-hour boat safari around Bora Bora's lagoon, run by Bora Bora Experience with local guides speaking French and English. The day strings together the lagoon's main marine encounters in one outing: a stop at a sanctuary where you can swim with stingrays and blacktip reef sharks, snorkeling in a coral garden, and a possible pass at a second sanctuary where manta rays sometimes appear, though sightings are never guaranteed. It finishes with a Polynesian-style picnic lunch on a motu, a small islet fringed with coconut palms.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, with 18 resort and meeting point options listed around the island. Snorkeling gear, towels, drinks, and lunch are all provided, so the practical packing list is short: sunscreen, beachwear, water shoes if you like them, and a camera. Several travellers reported seeing an unusually wide range of animals in a single day, including eagle rays and dolphins on top of the headline species.

Reviewers repeatedly praised the guides for their knowledge, humor, and music on the boat. The tour needs a minimum number of participants to run, with weather-dependent scheduling typical of lagoon tours.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Boat pickupPickup by boat from one of 18 listed resorts and points around the island, including Vaitape quay and Matira Beach. If your accommodation lacks safe sea access, the operator arranges a nearby meeting point.
2. Water transferA boat transfer of 20 minutes out into the lagoon to reach the first stop.
3. Shark and stingray snorkelSnorkeling and shark viewing at a marine sanctuary, with the chance to swim near stingrays and blacktip reef sharks.
4. Coral garden snorkelFurther snorkeling stops for wildlife and marine life viewing, including the coral garden with its fish and coral formations. A manta ray sanctuary is also on the route, though sightings are not guaranteed.
5. Motu lunchBreak time on a motu with a Polynesian-style picnic lunch, free time, and a walk along the sand.
6. Return transferA 20-minute water transport leg back, with drop-off at any of the 18 listed locations.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you prepare for this day on the water.

• What to bring. The listing asks for sunscreen, beachwear, water shoes, and a camera. Fins, masks, towels, drinks, and lunch are all provided. The listing also asks you to provide your fin size ahead of time for the equipment.
• Swimming ability. The stops involve snorkeling in open lagoon water, near rays and reef sharks. A regular swimsuit is enough, as one reviewer put it, and no special clothing is required.
• Wildlife luck. Stingrays and blacktip reef sharks are the reliable encounters, and the manta ray visit is explicitly not guaranteed. Several reviewers reported mantas, eagle rays, and even dolphins on their trips, so treat those species as a bonus rather than a promise.
• Guides and mood. Reviewers often mention friendly, funny guides who play music on the boat and share stories about Polynesian culture. One reviewer also described a performance after the BBQ lunch.
• Food and drink. Lunch is a Polynesian-style picnic on the motu, and reviewers called it outstanding and tasty. Water, fruit juices, and sodas are included all day, so there is no need to carry your own.
• Weather dependency. The tour requires favorable conditions and can be canceled for weather, in which case another date or a full refund is offered. One group still had a memorable day despite bad weather thanks to the guides, but be prepared for the schedule to shift.

Common issues. The tour depends on good weather and a minimum number of participants, and either problem can lead to rescheduling or a full refund rather than the day going ahead. Manta rays are a sometimes sighting, not a promise. Pickups are by boat only where sea access is safe, meaning enough depth, a sandy bottom, and no coral, and otherwise you are directed to a nearby meeting point. Alcohol and drugs are not allowed, nor are strollers, and canceling after the tour has begun forfeits any refund. Some travelers also felt the cultural demonstrations and humor would benefit from a more sensitive approach.

Frequently Asked Questions