Known as the pearl of the Pacific and famous for its stunning lagoons, Bora Bora consists of a central main island surrounded by many smaller islets. Vaitape, located on the west coast of the main island, is the primary population hub. Made up of a series of islands, Bora Bora has virtually "no" public transportation. Since the airport is also located on its own separate islet, you have to take a boat to travel to and from the airport. There are no common "buses" or "trains" to solve your airport transfer needs!

Tahiti Travel Information

★ 【Bora Bora Activities】Shark & Ray Snorkel｜Jet Ski｜ATV
★ 【Moorea Activities】ATV & Jet Ski｜ATV｜Jet Ski
★ 【Island Hopping】Bora Bora Flights & Shuttle Boat｜Moorea Ferry
★ 【Accommodation】Tahiti Accommodation Info
★ 【Guide】Pre-trip Preparation｜Budget Travel Tips｜Bora Bora Attractions｜Moorea Attractions

After arriving at Bora Bora Airport via Air Tahiti, there are a few ways to get from the airport to your resort:

1. Book a Private Resort Boat Transfer

This is probably the most comfortable and straightforward transport option. As soon as you arrive at the airport, there are dedicated welcome booths for the hotels. Using Conrad Bora Bora Nui as an example, the round-trip private airport transfer is charged per person: 13,900 XPF (about $130 USD per person round-trip).

Upon arrival, the resort staff will greet you with flower leis and help with your luggage. The next time you see your bags will be when you're comfortably settled into your room!

Behind the booths are the private boat docks for the various resorts.

Each dock clearly displays the name of its resort.

Conrad's dock and boat.

If we had an unlimited budget, we'd definitely choose this relaxing and comfortable arrival experience too!

2. Book a Private Boat Transfer (Third Party)

This option isn't charged per person. The more people you have, the cheaper the average cost becomes. So, if you have a large enough group, a private charter boat is a fantastic choice! For a group of seven, the one-way cost comes down to just $27.65 USD per person. Here are the one-way prices for a private boat transfer from the airport to Conrad Bora Bora Nui:

However, if your group is small, the hotel's transfer is still more cost-effective! If you do have a larger group, it might also be worth sending an email to your resort to negotiate a transfer rate.

3. Take Air Tahiti's Free Shuttle Boat

If it's just the two of you, like Cherry and Fish, the most economical choice is to take the free Air Tahiti shuttle boat to Vaitape on the main island. The boat ticket is free; it's said that the cost is already included in your flight ticket. Once you arrive in Vaitape, you can transfer to your resort's shuttle boat or a taxi (depending on where you're staying).

If you choose this method, taking Conrad as an example again, the only fee you'll need to pay is for the resort's shuttle boat from the main island to the hotel. For two people, the round-trip shuttle boat costs 3,000 XPF ($30 USD). Compared to the private resort transfer, the two of us saved a massive $230 USD round-trip!!!!! Most resorts won't tell you this option exists, so guests almost always choose the expensive resort transfer! The only downside to this budget-friendly choice is that you won't get a flower lei greeting when you arrive at the airport hall… but for $230 USD, we're more than happy to quietly sacrifice the leis! Next up, we're going to focus on sharing our shuttle boat experience for all our budget-conscious friends out there.

After arriving at Bora Bora Airport, follow the signs to baggage claim.

Right next to the baggage claim area, there's a door (the glass door on the right in the photo below). Outside, you'll find some luggage carts.

Load your freshly claimed bags onto a luggage cart, and you can roll it straight onto the boat! The largest boat at the entire dock is the Air Tahiti shuttle boat! The staff will even help push the luggage carts onboard for you.

If you're afraid of getting on the wrong boat, just look for the Air Tahiti logo on the hull.

The shuttle boat has two decks. The first deck is indoors.

On the first deck, you can look out at the scenery through the windows.

The second deck is open-air! As dedicated tourists, we obviously had to head straight to the outdoor area on the top deck! As you can tell, everyone up here is an excited traveler!

The water in Bora Bora is magical. It feels like no matter how many photos we take, they just can't capture how stunning it is in real life.

Along the way, you can see Mt. Otemanu.

Two completely different shades of ocean blue!

On our way, we crossed paths with a Conrad boat!

And a cruise ship!

The scenery along the route is so incredibly beautiful that rather than a simple shuttle, it feels more like a scenic sightseeing cruise!

After about 10-15 minutes, we arrived at the Main Pier in Vaitape!

Up ahead is the pavilion where you catch the shuttle boats.

After disembarking, the staff unloads the luggage we stored on the lower deck at the airport.

Before leaving with your bags, remember to check the return schedule on the nearby bulletin board (it's the sign just above the head of the passerby wearing a red hat in the photo below).

Air Tahiti clearly lists which boat and departure time corresponds to each of their flights. It's super clear and easy to understand!

If you choose this method to get from the airport to your hotel, please note that the schedule and pricing for each hotel's shuttle boat will vary. It's best to contact your hotel in advance to get their shuttle schedule and price information. If possible, let them know which shuttle you plan to take for check-in. Below is the shuttle schedule for Conrad Bora Bora:

The Conrad staff were absolutely lovely and even sent us an additional map.

The Main Pier is a crucial landmark when visiting Bora Bora. Besides the Air Tahiti shuttle, most resort shuttle boats also dock here. You usually just need to hop off the Air Tahiti boat and transfer to your resort's boat at the very same port (though always confirm shuttle details with your specific resort).

Speaking of which, we need to specifically mention that Conrad Bora Bora Nui might be the only exception. We later discovered that the owner of Conrad and the famous local pearl merchant, Robert Wan, are brothers! Any boat heading to Conrad before 3:30 PM departs from the dock behind Robert Wan's pearl shop (Robert Wan Pontoon). Only boats departing after 4:30 PM leave from the Main Pier.

We went out of our way to scout out the Robert Wan pontoon. Following the map, we first located the Robert Wan pearl shop.

There's a sign next to the shop that reads "Conrad Bora Bora Nui". Just follow the tranquil garden path inside~

And right before your eyes, this stunning wooden boardwalk appears~~~

This is just too beautiful!!!! And there wasn't a single soul around!!! We couldn't resist taking some fake influencer shots, even though we were basically just wearing our comfy pajamas! 😆 😆 😆

At the very end of the long wooden bridge is the boarding area. We noticed that even if the schedule says the boat departs from the Main Pier, whenever a Conrad shuttle passes by, the captain will check to see if anyone standing here is a Conrad guest (people probably mix up the boarding locations quite often!).

Looking back from the bridge, you can see Bora Bora's famous Mt. Otemanu.

If you're taking the shuttle to Vaitape, we really don't recommend doing it on a Sunday—which is exactly when we arrived! Aside from the supermarket, car rental companies, and the Visitors Information Centre (Tourist Office) located at the main port (shown below), absolutely everything else was closed… 😆

The visitor center sign actually has Japanese on it. Word has it that among Asian tourists, Japanese visitors make up the vast majority since they have direct flights here!

The glass doors are covered with tons of practical information.

Including shuttle boat schedules for various hotels.

And info about turtle watching! Originally, we really wanted to go to Le Meridien to see the sea turtles and sent quite a few emails to inquire. However, it seems these activities are primarily reserved for their own resort guests. Because we booked too late, we sadly missed out… But Cherry still wrote a dedicated post sharing all the different turtle watching packages and the transport details from Conrad to Le Meridien! If you're interested, be sure to check out our further reading section.

The visitor center's glass doors even openly display Vaitape town's taxi prices and driver phone numbers! Although the fares aren't cheap (a 5-minute ride costs around $15 USD), it's undeniably convenient!

Calculating the taxi fares, if you don't rent a car, just going out for a meal on the island will cost you at least $30 USD round-trip. Your resort might not tell you this proactively, but many restaurants in Vaitape actually offer free shuttle services during dinnertime (though not for lunch). They have different arrangements for guests from different hotels (varying pickup times and locations). If you want to dine out, you can contact the restaurants yourself or ask your resort's concierge to help you make a reservation and coordinate the shuttle. This can genuinely save you a ton on transportation! For a main island restaurant, Cherry highly recommends the Bora Bora Yacht Club, which is said to boast the most beautiful sunset in all of Bora Bora! Further reading: Bora Bora Yacht Club

Inside the visitor center, there are plenty of brochures you can take, and the staff is incredibly friendly!

They even provide free Wi-Fi! It's only for 30 minutes, but it's more than enough if you're in a pinch.

If you have some spare time in Vaitape, there's a Chin Lee supermarket just a 5-minute walk away. We highly recommend wandering over to stock up on drinks, snacks, and any supplies you might need at your hotel. According to hotel staff, the tap water in Bora Bora is not safe to drink straight from the faucet, and they don't even recommend drinking it after boiling! So, even if you just want to make instant noodles, it's safer to use boiled bottled water. We suggest buying large bottles of water at the supermarket first—it's way cheaper than buying them at the resort!

There are even people singing outside the supermarket~

Don't be fooled by its seemingly small exterior; this supermarket has absolutely everything inside!

They have hot food, too.

A colorful variety of fruits and vegetables.

They even have tofu!

Carrying a bunch of luggage to the supermarket is a hassle, so after getting off the Air Tahiti shuttle boat, we chatted with the staff and managed to store our bags at the visitor center.

As we mentioned earlier, all boats heading from Vaitape to Conrad before 3:30 PM depart from the Robert Wan Pontoon. When we finished our grocery run and went back to the visitor center to grab our bags and drag them to the Robert Wan dock… we bumped right into a Conrad staff member! He told us we could just board directly from the Main Pier right in front of the visitor center, saving us the trouble of lugging our suitcases around! We felt so incredibly lucky!! Even though the Robert Wan dock isn't far, the road isn't very smooth, so dragging heavy luggage there would have been pretty exhausting. 😆

And here is the shuttle boat we took! While it isn't as luxurious as a private transfer, it's perfectly clean and comfortable. We had been worrying about how to pay the boat fare, but you can actually just hop right on. The shuttle boat fee ($15 USD round-trip per person) is directly added to your room bill, so you can easily pay it when you check out!

It may not be the most premium private boat, but the stunning scenery along the way is completely uncompromised.

The shuttle boat drives super fast~

About 5 to 10 minutes later, we arrived at Conrad Bora Bora!

Taking the shuttle boat is definitely not the most "flashy" way to arrive at your Bora Bora resort. You don't get a welcome lei, and you have to haul your own luggage. However, after trying it ourselves, we found it to be surprisingly easy! For budget-savvy travelers, not only does it save you a massive chunk of change compared to those pricey private transfers, but it also gives you a chance to hit the supermarket for water and snacks, and explore Vaitape town on the main island. It's truly a fantastic option!

We have plenty more articles about Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea, covering must-visit attractions, overwater bungalow experiences, transport guides, and all-in-one itineraries. Keep reading below! 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Guides & Itineraries

[Tahiti Independent Travel] Ultimate Itinerary Planner | Weather, Visas, Transport, Exchange & Packing
[Tahiti Independent Travel] Under $700! 9 Budget Secrets for Tahiti (Itinerary Included)
[Tahiti] Air Tahiti First Experience ☆ Aerial Views of Bora Bora's Lagoon ☆ Transfer Info

Bora Bora

[Tahiti Independent Travel] Top 7 Bora Bora Attractions, Tours & Experiences
[Tahiti · Bora Bora] Close Encounters with Sharks and Rays ☆ Must-Do Bora Bora Tour
[Tahiti Overwater Bungalow] Dream Come True: Bora Bora Overwater Bungalow Review! ☆ Conrad Bora Bora Nui
[Tahiti · Bora Bora] Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort Review | 100% Pure Bora Bora Beauty
[Tahiti Independent Travel] Better Views than an Overwater Bungalow? Horizon View Suite Review | Conrad Bora Bora Nui
[Tahiti Independent Travel] What Room Can You Book with Points!? Lagoon View Suite Review | Conrad Bora Bora Nui
[Tahiti · Bora Bora] Romantic Dinner Under a Stunning Bora Bora Sunset | Bora Bora Yacht Club
Let's Go See Sea Turtles in Tahiti! Le Meridien Bora Bora

Moorea & Tahiti

[Tahiti Independent Travel] Top 11 Moorea Attractions and Must-Eat Foods!
[Tahiti · Moorea] How to Take the Ferry from Tahiti to Moorea? ☆ Complete Transport Info
[Tahiti · Moorea] Stunning Ocean Views + Private Pool Villa ☆ Secret Moorea Accommodation Recommendation
[Tahiti · Moorea] Moorea ATV Island Tour ☆ Hitting the Two Best Viewpoints!
[Tahiti Independent Travel] 5 Experiences in 1 Tour | Must-Do Moorea Jet Ski
[Tahiti] Must-Eat in Tahiti: Food Trucks ☆ Tahiti Food Truck

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