Fiji or Bora Bora?

omalleyj20

My fiance and I are just beginning to think of honeymoon ideas, I heard both Fiji and Bora Bora are beautiful but I was wondering if anyone who has been there can fill me in on what else there is to do there besides beaches & water. We enjoy going out to restaurants and would enjoy nights strolling around a town. Not looking for any bars/clubs but somewhat of a night life. Any ideas? Thanks!

jessicarabbit501

I can't speak for Bora Bora but I've been to Fiji and it is incredibly beautiful.  The only thing about Fiji is that a lot of the resorts are sequestered from the actual Fijians and the expectation is that your entire time on the island is spent within the confines of, for example, the Sheraton (that's where we stayed in December '08) and the 10 or so other high end hotels around the Sheraton.  We stayed in Suva (the capital of Fiji) and there are a bunch of resorts centered on a little piece of the city that juts out into the Pacific.  All of these resorts are enclosed in a little city of their own and you can take shuttles to the different hotels (which also have shops and restaurants, etc.) and there's even a small little "town" of sorts where there are restaurants and shops and you can walk around.  Fiji isn't by any means a dangerous country but tourist culture over there has evolved to the point where you have to work really hard to see the real Fiji (these resorts are gated and there's virtually no interaction with the rest of the city).  FI and I ended up checking out of our hotel and renting a little bungalow on another island in a little city called Savu Savu.  It, like all the places in Fiji, was nestled on a hill in a tiny little town that had a farmer's market, movie rental place and lots of restaurants and shops along with the requisite water activities.  Honestly, Fiji is a place made to just lay around and enjoy each other's company and even though FI and I weren't honeymooning there (we weren't even engaged at the time) Fiji certainly holds fond memories for us for that very reason.  There's certainly enough to keep you occupied when you want to do something but it's not a terribly happening place.

SuMmErKuTiE

I can't speak for Bora Bora, but we just got back from our HM in Fiji and we stayed on a remote island where the only thing on the island was the resort. The only way on and off the island was by boat so we didn't have the option of leaving to go to other restaurants and bars. It's a very tranquil romantic and beautiful place perfect for honeymooners. Most resorts only accomodate up to a small amount of people and are much quieter than the AI's you find in the Caribbean. Our resort only accomodated up to 36 people at a time and it wasn't like a hotel with hallways of rooms. All of the staff know you by name by the end of the first day, it's a very personal experience. Every couple has their own Bure (beachfront villa). I have a review and pictures in my married bio for where we stayed.

Aside from relaxing and eating, we went on a beautiful hike to two waterfalls, snorkeling tours, kayaking, a honeymoon beach excursion, got a couples massage at the spa, and had dinner on the beach a few times. They also offered scuba diving courses and tours, beach volleyball games every afternoon, and kava ceremonies. (Kava is a popular Fijian drink)

The only downside is the long travel to get there. We're from Connecticut, so we had to travel to the west coast before boarding a 10 hour Air Pacific overnight flight to Fiji.

msaputra

Both are wonderful options! We went to Bora Bora for our honeymoon and had a great time. Bora Bora is also very secluded, not so much bars/clubs and night life. It really trully is a honeymoon paradise, very secluded, tranquil. If you enjoy the bars/clubs scene I don't think Bora Bora is the place...

The most famous activity is the shark/ray feeding. Other activities include ATV tour, 4x4 jeep safari tour, circle island tour, snorkeling, jet ski, spa, kayak, etc.