Rachel & Friends: Five Ladies, One Travel Passion

Rachel is an avid traveler, passionate about islands and out of the way places. She contacted us to plan a bucket list trip for herself and four special women – her mother, her best friend and mother and aunt. They did a quick trip – one night on Tahiti and four nights on Bora Bora at the St. Regis – but it made an indelible impression on them all. And they had an absolute blast.

Rachel says: I live in the Caribbean, on the beautiful island of Trinidad, so I know and appreciate island life. Yet still I desire to travel to distant shores when planning a great vacation. I know we all have bucket lists, and the #1 destination on my bucket list was Bora Bora. From the very first time I heard about it and saw pictures I knew one day I would be there. And so I planned it and I made it happen!

When I planned my trip, I just knew I wanted to stay in an over water bungalow, but had no idea my reality would be even better than my dreams. I watched a program about Bora Bora on TV before I traveled and one of the things that was said was that the place is so beautiful they named it twice….Bora Bora. LOL….so true indeed. It was THE trip of my lifetime. It was so unbelievably perfect, and was everything I ever imagined and more!
Our stay in Tahiti was very brief, we arrived late one night and left early the following morning to catch our flight over to Bora Bora, so all I can say is Tahiti was short and sweet.

As for Bora Bora, from the time we landed and were greeted in the airport by St. Regis staff, the flow was seamless. The boat ride from the airport to the resort also doubled as our ‘check in’ process, so we wasted no time on arrival. Now, for those of you who believe that the pictures on TV and in magazines are all Photoshopped, let me tell you - it is even better in real life! Yes, the water really is that color and yes the lagoon really is that calm and yes the villas really are that picturesque. St. Regis has the largest overwater villas on Bora Bora. Our rooms were really well positioned. Outside of the Two Bedroom Royal Overwater Pool villas, which of course are the largest with the best views and in villa pools, I believe the villas that we stayed in were the best! We had a great view of Mt. Otemanu. The hotel grounds are well manicured. We spent most of our days on the beach, although the pool is steps away. You can get a nice pool at any island resort, but the absolutely pristine aquamarine lagoon of Bora Bora, you’re only going to find here. In fact, it felt like being in an enormous natural pool. And the beach boys… ah the St. Regis beach boys! They cater to your every need whether you are sunbathing at the pool or beach.

We ate at three of the restaurants on the resort, including the acclaimed Lagoon restaurant, one of the top restaurants in Bora Bora, found right at the St. Regis. The buffet breakfast every morning was delish. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and St. Regis Bora Bora’s spread -- their variety of breads, meats, eggs, fruits etc. -- was a delight. Again, you barely lifted a finger for breakfast as the staff were very attentive to bring anything to the table you wanted.

What made me feel truly special as a guest at the resort is the butler service at St. Regis. When you come half way around the world and spend that kind of money, you want to be pampered to the max and our butler was excellent! Sebastien was his name, I hope he still works there and that you may be lucky enough to have him, we absolutely loved Sebastien. He would randomly walk up to us on the beach just to make sure everything was going well, made all our reservations for us and even helped me fix my camera which fell into the water. Traveler tip – make sure you have a GoPro.
I am an avid traveler, I love to travel the world and I’m passionate especially about places not frequented by the masses. The farther the better is my personal motto, because when you start to travel you realize the world is not so big after all, yet at the same time there is so much to see. It is one of, if not the, greatest way to enrich your life and your experiences. Your travels become part of you, and are worth more than any material possession ever can. Every time you share your stories with people, it’s like you’re living your vacations all over again. I’ll be returning to Bora Bora one day, this I know for sure. I talk about Bora Bora and the St. Regis all the time, whenever I tell anyone about the best trip of my life.

I cannot thank Jennifer, Claudia, and the entire team at Pacific for Less enough for helping my dreams turn into a reality. From the moment I reached out to Pacific for Less, until even today almost 2 years later, their customer service is nothing less than exemplary. I wish they could plan all my vacations, seriously! They did everything possible to make my vacation amazing. I am so glad I stumbled upon their name while reading TripAdvisor reviews. My trip to Tahiti and Bora Bora could not have happened without them. It wasn’t even a honeymoon, but it sure felt that special.