Dreaming of a tropical paradise with white sand beaches and crystal clear blue water? Here is how we scored an incredible deal on an over water bungalow in French Polynesia.
Prices for Over Water Bungalows
When we started planning our 10-day trip to French Polynesia, we knew that we wanted to spend at least one night in an over water bungalow. And what better place to do it than Bora Bora!
Over water bungalows are pretty expensive. When Dave and I first started looking at prices ($1,400-$5,000 per night), we had sticker shock.
Priceline Deals on Bungalows
Dave and I kept checking the discount hotel sites, and finally Priceline had an over water bungalow on sale for $680 per night. The only catch was that Priceline wouldn’t tell us which resort we would be booking until after we paid.
Someone at work taught me a very helpful Priceline trick. When booking one of these mystery deals, compare the number of stars to the resorts in the area being offered to narrow down your selection. Then look at which amenities are offered to figure out which hotel/resort you are likely booking. For example, with this resort, there was a mention of green turtles. Since there are only two green turtle sanctuaries in all of French Polynesia, it was pretty easy to determine that this was the Le Meridien Resort. We also did the same thing in Tahiti when we booked through Priceline. For Tahiti, we determined that we would be booking the Intercontinental Resort after reading that the resort had tennis courts, which the other resort did not offer.
This meant that we were able to score an over water bungalow room for $680 per night for the first night and then booked a garden bungalow for $720 for the 2nd night. At the time we booked, the only over water bungalow that was available for the 2nd night was $1600. Our hope was that we could negotiate with the resort to leave us in our over water bungalow for both nights.
Getting Upgraded to Over Water Bungalow
I tried emailing the resort ahead of time to see if it might be possible to upgrade, but they said that they would have to wait until the day of our arrival to check availability. When we asked about upgrading on the day of arrival, they told us to check back around 5 pm.
We anxiously visited the reception desk at 5 pm, but were once again told that they couldn’t yet confirm the upgrade. It occurred to me that we were more likely to get upgraded if we actually spent some money at the resort. So we went ahead and booked the jet ski tour for the following day and a reservation for dinner that night (both of which we were planning to do anyway). It worked! At 8 pm, the resort called to inform us that we could stay in our over water bungalow one more night at the same price!
The best way to describe our stay was magical! We jumped off our over water bungalow, floated on our rafts, went jet skiing, and snorkeled in the lagoon.
Feeding Green Turtles in Bora Bora
One of my favorite experiences in Bora Bora was the green turtle feeding. Le Meridien is home to one of two green turtle sanctuaries in French Polynesia. Their mission is to rehab turtles that have been injured and then release them back into the wild. At the time we visited, they had 7 turtles that they were rehabilitating. One of the turtles was well enough to be released into the sanctuary’s lagoon, while the other turtles needed more critical care.
After a short presentation, we were escorted back to feed the turtles! Jordan was my favorite! He couldn’t wait to get his fish!
If you’re planning to visit French Polynesia, and want to stay in an over water bungalow, hopefully this post will help you get the best price possible. Most of the resorts only have 30-60 rooms available. Don’t wait too long to book your accommodation. Many of the resorts sell out of rooms, especially during the busy season (June – August).
Other Related Posts:
French Polynesia: 11 Adventures That You Shouldn’t Miss When Planning Your Trip
What to Pack for a Trip to French Polynesia
Huahine- The Best Kept Secret of French Polynesia
Itinerary for Biking Around Bora Bora
How Not to Explore Tahiti on Your First Trip to French Polynesia
