Bora Bora

Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The original name of the island in theTahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; The island, located northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef;
Bora Bora is amajor international tourist destination, famous for its aqua-centric luxury resorts.
The island was first inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 4th century. Its previousPolynesian name was Vava'u. As there is no B in the Tahitian language, it is actually called Pora Pora, but early visitors misheard it. 
Today the island is mainly dependent on tourism. Overthe last few years several resorts have been built on motu (small islands) surrounding the lagoon. Thirty years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over-the-water bungalows on stiltsover the lagoon and today, over-water bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. The quality of those bungalows ranges from comparably cheap, basic accommodations tovery luxurious and expensive places to stay.
Most of the tourist destinations are aquacentric; however it is possible to visit attractions on land. Although French and Tahitian are themain languages spoken by the inhabitants, people in contact with tourists generally have some command of English. Most visitors to Bora Bora are American, Japanese, or European.
Rentalcars and bicycles are the recommended method of transport. There are also small fun-cars for hire in Vaitape. Snorkeling and scuba diving in and around the lagoon of Bora Bora arepopular activities. Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water. There are a few dive operators on the island offering manta ray dives and also shark-feeding dives.