The Pacific Crown Jewel

Did you know?

Bora Bora is claimed to be first inhabited by Polynesian settlers in the ninth century.

The settlers first named this island Vauvau.

Vauvau was conquered in the late 1800's by French settlers and became known as "Pora Pora". Pora means "first born" in their language.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941,  The United States took an interest in "Pora Pora" and built an airstrip and established a military base there to keep war supplies.  

There is a cannon on the island that is an artifact of the war days on this island.  

The name Pora Pora was so frequently butchered and said as "Bora Bora" that it became the name that we know the island by today.  

The military base was eventually abandoned due to lack of activity and the base and airstrip became the airport.  It's location is presently called Motu Mute (a motu is a tiny island just of the coast of the main island of Bora Bora).

Since then it is described as one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the world. 

"The Pacific Crown Jewel"