Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living - Issue 9 | Page 26

a commuter van. We chose to cycle in, which was just
enough of a workout to make the fantastic fish and beer
we enjoyed at a local pub a guilt-free meal.
The concierge helped Bobby create a schedule of
exciting activities, which means we spent the next few
days diving with sharks, stingrays and eels, off-roading through the jungle in a rented buggy, kayaking
and snorkeling. We also visited pineapple plantations,
attended a cooking class and shopped for pearls, for
which the island is famous. There was something to
keep everyone happy.

Diary, Day 7:
The water here seems to be endless shades
of crystal clear turquoise. We jumped
from the boat into the deep blue sea
and swam for about a mile in search of
manta rays. How did I get here, in the
open ocean , swimming with sharks and
looking for manta rays? No matter, I am
not sure I ever want to leave.

W

hile Moorea was a romantic and exciting start
to our honeymoon, nothing prepared us for the
beauty and serenity of Bora Bora. We took an
inter-island puddle jumper from Moorea to Bora Bora; after a
short flight we landed at a tiny airport and took a boat to our
hotel. We stayed at the Intercontinental here as well, though in
a spacious overwater villa set in a beautiful lagoon.
Our expectations of Bora Bora were far exceeded by reality,
so much so that we had a hard time believing that the island
setting, the fantastic hotel and especially our room, which
overlooked Mt. Otemanu and had a coffee table that opened
up into the water so we could feed the fish, was real.
We were intent on including Bora Bora in our itinerary
because we desperately needed some rest and relaxation,
which the island claimed to provide. And it did. We strolled,
we ate delicious local seafood, we got dolled up to enjoy poolside cocktails. We languished over candlelit dinners, beach
bonfires and romantic sunsets. I read in a hammock; Bobby
took pictures. We enjoyed diving from our deck into the water below. We jet-skied and took a private boat cruise. Bobby
managed to hire a captain who took us for another swim with

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GREENBOOK | FALL/WINTER 2016