By Gerald Goh
The New Paper
Sunday, Feb 19, 2012

SINGAPORE - Save Bora Bora for momentous occasions.

That is radio DJ Yasminne Cheng's advice to holiday-makers planning to visit the island atoll in the South Pacific.

She spent her nine-day honeymoon there at the end of January 2009.

The 33-year-old Class 95 radio presenter told The New Paper: "I recently came back from a trip to Phuket. The beaches and the ocean at Phuket are very nice, don't get me wrong, but once you've been to Bora Bora, you're spoilt.

"I remember looking at the water at Phuket and thinking, 'That's not crystal clear.'"

Cheng, who describes Bora Bora as a magical honeymoon destination, says that the only problem is the back-breaking journey to get there.

"We took a seven-hour flight from Singapore to Sydney and, after a short layover, it was another seven hours or so to (the island of) Tahiti.

"We had to stay the night in a hotel on Tahiti before taking a 45-minute boat ride to Bora Bora."

Nevertheless, having already vacationed in the Maldives, Cheng said that the journey was entirely worth the trouble.

"I love the idea of the privacy of a water villa and I wanted that again for our honeymoon.

"Like the Maldives, Bora Bora is an absolutely tranquil place and a couple's dream honeymoon vacation, where you're very unlikely to get screaming kids.

"What's more, the crystal-clear water at Bora Bora makes it seem like a different ocean from the one in the Maldives.

"The water is so clear, it looks like you've just filled a giant bathtub outside your (villa) window with spring water, but when you jump right in, it's salty seawater.

"It's quite jarring that way!"

Sheltered lagoon

Cheng also said that the Bora Bora atoll is a haven for marine wildlife by virtue of the lagoon's sheltered location, which allows many ocean species to flourish there.

According to Cheng, she and her husband were frequently "visited" by many colourful fish, eagle rays and sea turtles at their water villa, with even a barracuda putting in an appearance once.

In fact, one of the reasons the couple chose to stay at the Le Meridien Bora Bora resort is that it houses the Turtle Sanctuary.

According to Cheng, the sanctuary rescues and incubates sea turtle eggs to protect them from poachers. It also rehabilitates injured turtles before releasing them back into the wild.

The self-confessed animal lover also enjoyed snorkelling alongside the sea turtles in the ocean.

"You can swim beside them peacefully as long as you keep them at arm's length.

"Being wild turtles, they're generally serene but might bite if provoked. I didn't want to touch them.

"I like all my digits intact," she joked.

Cheng and her husband also enjoyed a day trip to Tahiti, where they rented a a dune buggy to go around the island .

She said with a laugh: "There was no power steering at all!

"It was more like an ATV buggy in terms of handling."

Cheng also firmly believes that Bora Bora is the best place for a beach vacation.

"The place is simply bursting with colour and the Polynesian natives are very friendly.

"Being a radio DJ is actually quite stressful, what with all the preparation you have to do for your shows.

"I like being able to just lie like a sack of potatoes while on vacation.

"Where else in the world can you find seven different shades of blue everywhere you look, from the sky to the sea?"

Did you know?

Bora Bora is part of the Society Islands group of French Polynesia, which is itself an Overseas Land of France.

Travel guidebook Lonely Planet describes Bora Bora as one of the most luxurious destinations on earth, albeit an extremely "overpriced" one.

Interestingly, there is no letter "B" in the Tahitian language. Bora Bora is actually Pora Pora, meaning "first born", but early visitors heard it as Bora Bora.

This article was first published in The New Paper.