Bora Bora 4X4 Island Safari Tour with Tupuna Safari Bora Bora

In planning for my time in Bora Bora, I knew that I wanted to do something that would connect me to the history of the island. I wanted to understand the culture and the landscape of Bora Bora, as well as take beautiful photos. With that in mind, I conversed with the Westin Bora Bora concierge – and everything was smoothly arranged from start to finish.

At the scheduled time, I made my way to the dock where a Westin boat was waiting. Within minutes, I was aboard and on my way to the mainland – an easy 10-minute ride.

Upon arrival, I was warmly greeted by my incredible tour guide and joined the rest of the group in the back of a jeep.

After a quick group introduction, the tour began. It felt exhilarating to be off in nature, to explore the main island of Bora Bora.

When the description said the ride would be bumpy, that was not a lie.  I found myself engaging my core abdominal muscles – along with bracing myself – to stay balanced. As the Jeep climbed steep, rugged terrain, I had to remind myself to quickly snap photos from the back.

Our first stop overlooked the Bora Bora airport, a strip of land that seems to float between endless ocean and sky. Here, our guide launched into a fascinating history lesson. I was amazed to learn that during World War II, the Americans built much of the island’s early infrastructure in just three weeks, effectively modernizing Bora Bora before any other island in French Polynesia, even before Tahiti.

From that vantage point, our guide pointed out landmarks along the horizon and shared stories about each one. His knowledge and passion for the island made every detail come alive.

He also explained that the tour no longer includes a stop at the old American cannons due to a recent incident in which a tour jeep flipped while attempting the steep climb, a reminder of the island’s dramatic landscape.

One of the most interesting parts of the lesson was about the Triangle of Polynesia, a vast region of the Pacific Ocean with Hawaii at the northern tip, New Zealand at the southwest, and Easter Island (Rapa Nui) at the southeast. French Polynesia, including Bora Bora, sits near the center of this cultural and geographic triangle. It was incredible to realize that the people of this region, guided only by the stars and sea currents, navigated and settled this massive area long before modern instruments existed. It gave the landscape around me even more meaning.

When our guide stopped on the side of the road, at the base of the extremely steep hill up toward the canon, all of us did a collective “Oh, I see why you don’t drive up there anymore.”

Stopping on the side was more than enough for me.

Our next stop took us high into the lush hills of Faanui. Here, we delved into some of the more intense aspects of Bora Bora’s cultural past: cannibalism. It was a wild reminder of the island’s pre-colonial traditions, when certain Polynesian societies, including Bora Bora, practiced ritual cannibalism.

Our guide sat on a seat and discussed the hieroglyphics at his feet. He talked about how the society would only sacrifice the male and eat them. This was often linked to warfare, punishment, or ceremonies of power. The guide explained how these customs were deeply woven into the spiritual and social structures of the time, rather than acts of savagery as they’ve often been stated.

Again, fascinating.

This site also told the story of the island’s ancient monarchy. The Kings of Bora Bora once ruled from these very grounds, wielding influence not only through warfare and alliances but also through sacred knowledge and connection to the land.

I wandered around the property, snapping photos of signs that described the native plants and the island’s unique wildlife. It felt like an outdoor museum nestled in the jungle.

There was a fruit tasting laid out for us, a lovely gesture in thought. But when I reached the table, I noticed the fruit was uncovered and was covered in fruit flies. Our guide casually waved them away, but I couldn’t bring myself to have a taste. I’m not quite European enough to eat fruit that bugs were lounging on seconds before.

A rather vocal couple asked our driver to stop at a market, so they could pick up some items to take back to their hotel room. They explained to all of us that they were vegan, traveling in Bora Bora, and simply did not know why the Conrad Bora Bora didn’t have more vegan options. They complained that a bowl of plan pasta was $40 USD – with nothing on it. So – as vegans -they wanted to know where the best market was to get their vegan approved items that they could cook with the hot water tea pot in their room.

So, our driver kindly stopped at a well stocked market and gave us time to shop and browse. I got shrimp chips, which are a personal favorite of mine. Along with some water and snacks. Once we all returned to the Jeep, I enjoyed the flavor and snap of the shrimp chips as the vegans let everyone know that they finally got their vegan food.

An Act of Kindness

Stop Five: Sunset Overlook

Saying Goodbye

Soon, it was time to say goodbye. First to go were the vegans. After the Vegan Wife said that she had a better view from her overwater bungalow than I did – after saying that the Conrad Bora Bora had horrid unsightly construction that apparently guest could hear while eating breakfast, I waited until the end of our experience together to give her my most heart filled goodbye.

The French man and his mom on the other hand, were absolutely a delight. We talked about travel locations without the passive aggressive nature of someone trying to one up us all. As the French man lived in Geneva, I asked him if Lyon was worth visiting. After he was brutally honest about a few of his opinions. But, the one place that he said I should definitely go – and his mom agreed?

Finland.

When it was time to drop them off at the Intercontinental Bora Bora’s dock, I was incredibly grateful for the French man brazenly jumping out of the Jeep, running down the street to get my hat and his chivalry. And for seeing how much he and his mom cared for one another. It was beautiful.

After they were dropped off, the guide asked if I wanted to sit in the front air conditioned seat with him until I got dropped back at The Westin dock.

The Conversation

This was the part of the day I truly appreciated the most—an unexpected one-on-one conversation with a native man from Bora Bora.

As we drove past a derelict hotel, its abandoned overwater bungalows slowly being reclaimed by the sea and jungle, he explained that it had shut down after the most recent hurricane. The damage was too great, and insurance complications prevented it from reopening. I asked why they hadn’t just torn it down. He replied simply that no one wanted to deal with the complexities of the land lease, the cost of rebuilding, or the red tape surrounding insurance. It was easier to let it fade.

I found this incredibly interesting and asked more. One of the most striking moments was when I asked him if he was happy. Without hesitation, he smiled and said yes—he was very happy. There was a calm certainty in his voice that stayed with me.

I also asked whether the hotels on the island were all French-owned. He explained that ownership was mixed, some French, some Belgian, but none of the land belonged to the hotel companies. All of it is leased from a collective of native French Polynesians. That’s also why, he added, they don’t pay income tax—something I didn’t know.

Another fascinating point was that Bora Bora is the highest-earning island in all of French Polynesia. And unlike Hawaii, he noted, there are no areas in the island chain that are off-limits to non-natives. Access is open to everyone.

Curious about how they weathered the COVID-19 pandemic, I asked how the island had survived, given how dependent it is on tourism. He told me that Bora Bora serves as the main hub for all the islands, and during the pandemic, it was seen as the most essential tourism engine. He added that if Bora Bora were ever to break off and become its own country, it would tip the balance of economic and political power across the region.

I found all of his answers deeply insightful. But what stayed with me most was his answer to that simple question: Are you happy? Yes, he repeated. He was exceptionally happy. He even mentioned that when he travels, he prefers to avoid hotels altogether. Instead, he stays with locals, relying on a strong community network he’s built over the years.

As someone who guides tours twice a day, he must meet hundreds of people a week. That life seemed both rich with connection and, at times, no doubt exhausting.

When he dropped me off at the Westin boat dock, I felt a wave of appreciation wash over me. This was exactly the kind of experience I had hoped for—something meaningful, but not overwhelming. The entire tour lasted just two hours, but it gave me so much more than I expected.

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