This destination is amazing, beautiful and relaxing, but it is not for everyone.  There are definite types of people who are ideal for this exotic location.  I would advise that you have the following traits:

1.    Like to relax in peace and quiet
2.    Love water and water-related activities
3.    Are laid back and can go with the much slower pace on this island
4.    Like to snorkel and/or scuba dive
5.    Not looking for night life/party atmosphere
6.    Likes a tropical climate

We determined that the following types of people would probably not thoroughly enjoy this trip.  For example:

1.    People who want immediate service
2.    People who drink a lot and want to party (the ...<< MORE >>

When we were preparing for our trip to Bora Bora, we did a lot of research to find all the information and products we needed.  I am going to save you some time and give you all the helpful ones we found.  These links are helpful for almost any trip you are planning, especially for international travel.  I will give you a little description of any particular products we found and used on our trip.

Currency Converter
One of the most important parts of planning your trip to a foreign location is to figure out how much your money is worth there.  ...<< MORE >>

One of the best things we bought before our trip to Bora Bora was an underwater camera.  After researching our options, we decided on the Olympus 770SW.  It is completely waterproof down to 33 feet, shockproof being dropped by up to 5 feet, freeze proof down to 14 degrees F and crush proof (if you step on it, etc.) up to 220 pounds.  (It is still available through several sites, including Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LXXJ1I/?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER).   They do have a new version out, but this one is now about a $150 less than we originally paid for it and it works great.  We ...<< MORE >>

One of the things we could not find before our trip was information on how to speak Tahitian.  Although most people there speak several languages, just like anywhere you go in the world, if you attempt to speak their native language, they really appreciate it.  We just wanted to learn a few basic words, but we couldn't figure out how to pronounce anything.  We searched for audio of Tahitian and couldn't find anything.  We searched for pronunciation guides - nothing.

While we were in Bora Bora, I picked up one of their local magazines, which happened to be for English speaking ...<< MORE >>

Unfortunately, Bora Bora is not an inexpensive place to visit.  My thought is that the island is pretty remote, so it probably costs a fortune to get everything there.  We were able to save a lot by researching our options for food and excursions.  We discovered that the meal plans available at the hotel were not really a good deal for us.  We don't usually eat much for breakfast, so to pay extra to have breakfast at the hotel every morning was a waste.  I packed a box of my favorite protein bars in my suitcase, and that is what ...<< MORE >>

That is the question I kept getting, before our trip and after, "Why Bora Bora?"  People wanted to know why we picked that destination, and some had never even heard of it.  So, the story is, it all started about 10 years ago with John's roommate Todd.  Todd was working for Club Med and he had to learn about all the locations they had clubs.  One of those locations was Bora Bora.  John thought it sounded exotic and cool, but it was one of those places you hear about, but you don't know anyone who has ever been there.  He ...<< MORE >>

Hi!  Welcome to the Manta Travel blog!  We hope that you will find helpful information to enable you to make travel a bigger part of your life.  We love to travel and always wanted to do more traveling, but we had all the typical issues:  not enough money, not enough time off, too much time needed to research the destinations, etc.  After taking a phenomenal dream trip to Bora Bora in 2007, we came back wanting more.  We discussed the possibility of becoming travel agents, but we couldn't find very much information about how to do it or how much ...<< MORE >>