Le Meridien: Bora Bora
Le Meridien Bora Bora, a five-star resort surrounded by breathtaking scenery, is located in the crystal clear waters of the Bora Bora Lagoon. Bora Bora’s calm and shallow beaches with an infinite amount of water activities make it a bucket list family destination. This post will give an overview of a typical stay at the Le Meridien Resort with a family.
Rooms
Le Meridien has all types of rooms from beachfront villas to overwater bungalows. We stayed in a pool beach villa, which was the perfect size for us, a family of five. The room had a king size beds and three twin size sofa beds. The rooms are clean and amenities, such as Wifi, minibars, coffeemakers, and TVs are included. There were many drawers and lots of closet space (a lifesaver for large families!). One of our favorite parts of the room was the bluetooth sound system. Listening to music while sitting on the beach was the best.
However, the best features had to be the plunge pool and the beachfront access in the interior lagoon. The outdoor part of the villa was furnished with sun beds and double hammocks, so heaps of extra seating, both inside and out.
At Le Meridien Bora Bora, there is a room to fit everyone, from honeymooning couples to big families and all of them offer a true slice of paradise.
Food + Drink
Le Meridien has two main restaurants, Le Te Ava and Le Tipanié. Le Te Ava serves Mediterranean cuisine and is open for lunch and dinner. It is right on the beach, so you enjoy your dinner with the sound of the waves in your ears and the feel of sand under our toes. They have lots of shareable appetizer, which were our favorite dishes. The other restaurant, Le Tipanié, was our go-to for breakfast and dinner. It is not open for lunch, however a poolside lunch menu is available. Le Tipanié overlooks the crystal clear interior lagoon and has a coral reef right below for feeding the fish, which was definitely the best part of our meals. Every meal comes with a dessert and we always opted for the ice cream, which was some of the best we’ve ever had (pictured above). For breakfast, there is always a wide variety of options in the buffet and for dinner, there is either a three course menu or a themed buffet. All of the food options at Le Meridien are suitable for kids, even my siblings and I, who are typically picky eaters, enjoyed it, and they have many family-friendly dining options
Activities
While there is no kids club, Le Meridien Bora Bora has so much to offer when it come to family-friendly activities. A variety of complimentary non-motorized water sport gear, such as kayaks, paddle boards, and snorkeling gear is included. Jet skis and other motorized water equipment are available to rent. We spent most of our time paddle boarding towards the main island, kayaking around the overwater bungalows, and snorkeling in the reef in the interior lagoon. Our family’s favorite activity was the daily (and free) turtle feeding each day at 10:30 AM. The resort has an ecological center, which rescues turtles from all over Bora Bora and nourishes them back to health. We were able to hear a short presentation about the turtles before actually going to feed them each day. It was the perfect activity for after breakfast before hitting the beach and was a good way to learn more about the local wildlife with kids.
There are also many activities offered through the resort for outside excursions. On the resort property is a local dive shop, DiveEasy Bora Bora, which offers a wide variety of wildlife-rich dives. We did an two tank open water dive with manta rays and then with sharks. They were breathtaking and suitable for beginners and teen divers. Even as a new diver, I was able to complete and enjoy both dives. Another family-friendly activity was the three stop shark, stingray, and fish snorkel excursion. We booked our tour through the hotel concierge. This was the highlight of our trip and even my six and nine year old siblings loved it. While swimming/snorkeling experience is needed, there is no better way to explore Bora Bora than this. The guides were one of a kind and the up close encounters with the sharks and rays were amazing. If there is only one thing you do in Bora Bora as a family, I highly recommend this.
Overview + Opinion
Few places in the world compare to the natural beauty of the island nation of French Polynesia and its many family-friendly features puts it very high on the bucket list. While Bora Bora seems far, it is actually easy to get to with Air Tahiti Nui and United. The generous people, distinct culture, and vast array of marine wildlife are a package deal with a vacation to Bora Bora. Le Meridien has made this vacation one of our family’s favorite and is the perfect place for your next tropical trip.
