Bora Bora/Moorea or just Bora Bora Honeymoon on a Budget?
 

My fiance and I have agreed to go to French Polynesia for our October (10/2-10/10) honeymoon. We're looking to spend either 7 or 8 nights in Bora Bora and Moorea, however our budget is roughly $10,000 for the the trip (including flights). Are we better off just going to Bora Bora and staying at a nicer hotel like the St. Regis on our budget or attempting to do both Bora Bora/Moorea and possibly only getting to stay at 4 star hotels on our budget? Is 7 or 8 nights at Bora Bora going to bore us? We're looking to relax after the wedding in an overwater bungelow.

We went to both Bora Bora and Moorea on our Honeymoon. We used Pleasant Holidays agency. They tried to talk us into staying a few days in Tahiti but we refused. Most we met did and didn't care for it. We stayed five nights at each island. Pearl Beach Resort on Bora Bora and Sheraton Moorea (and rented mopeds and went around the island daily - so much fun!). We've been married now 13 years and visited about 80% of the carribean and I can't think of a more magical place I'd rather go for a 2nd honeymoon! It's been a number of years, however I do recall we spent around $5,500 at that time so I feel your budget works well! Great choice!

Our travel agent, Leslie Borghetti has arranged a trip for us in June (20th anniversary of engagement--we were actually married in October. She found us flights to Tahiti, on to Bora Bora and then to Le Taha'aa and back for $8800 including breakfast. We are spending 2 nights in Tahiti in a well-reviewed, simple Swiss pensione (Pensione Suisse--you can google it). We will rent a car for a day in Moorea (90 euro a night, we pay this extra), then fly on to spend four nights in Bora Bora at the moderately priced Fare Rohotu, also very well reviewed (190 euro a night, we pay separate, has kitchen). We finish with 5 nights at a 5 star Relais and Chateaux resort, Le Tahaa Island Resort and Spa, very well-reviewed and described as most Polynesian. Breakfast is included.

You can google Leslie Borghetti at Custom Travel. Tell her you were sent by Carol and Marco.
The Fodor's guide for the South Pacific is excellent.

You won't get bored, you will be VERY tired after your wedding. We want to see Bora Bora for its beauty, but have heard it is somewhat overdeveloped and Disneyland like. So we are spending $1225 dollars on our own plus whatever food comes to plus the $8800 package for 11 nights total. This comes to $10,965 and as I said before, includes only breakfast in Le Taha'aa. However, both the Pensione Suisse and Fare Rohotu (check out their websites) have kitchenettes. We plan to eat modestly before we get to Le Tah'aa, eat hearty breakfasts and expect to pay substantially for the rest of the day. We usually save money in expensive hotels by getting room service and dividing meals. The luxury one is an over the water bungalow.

We are spending a bit more because it is a LONG and expensive flight, my husband is Italian and we usually travel to Europe and we will probably never return. If you are constricted to the $10,000, I would spend 2 nights in Tahiti inexpensively (get over jet lag) then head straight to Le Tahaa'aa for as many nights as you can. We plan to take a boat to Moorea and spend a day on that island.

La Orana and I hope you enjoy your honeymoon as much as we did ours (we were married in a small town on the Mediterrean Sea and then honeymooned in Venice.

ps The Fodor guide to French Polynesia is excellent.

It's late, so I keep forgetting things. We don't plan to spend any time in Tahiti itself except to sleep and rest. We will spend the full day we have there in Moorea.