Sit on This Side of the Plane When Flying to Bora Bora
I could’ve cried.
After spending months and months and months planning our honeymoon to Tahiti and Bora Bora, I knew there was one detail I needed to get right: what side of the plane to sit on when flying to Bora Bora.
On the morning of our flight, we ferried from Tahiti’s neighbouring island, Moorea, back to Tahiti, cabbed to Faa’a International Airport and positioned ourselves near the gate for our Air Tahiti flight to Bora Bora. Fans buzzed on the walls. Passengers fanned themselves, as they sat on red vinyl seats. The waiting room was hot and humid to say the least. We waited there for an hour and a half, sweating, drinking bottle after bottle of water, fanning ourselves with a Tahiti tourism magazine and glancing at the tv screen above the gates, because I knew the wait would be worth it.
All of a sudden, luggage bags clanged along the floor, shoes squeaked and passengers sprinted by. When I turned around, a long line protruded from the gate. I grimaced, as I looked up at the tv screen again: Air Tahiti flight to Bora Bora, now boarding. After suffering in the hot and humid waiting area, we missed out on a good spot in line.
My wife and I threw on our backpacks and went to, you guessed it, the back of the line. The Air Tahiti staff ushered us out onto the tarmac in small groups. The hot, humid outdoor air felt like a relief from the hot, humid waiting area. Clouds covered the sky. The red and white Air Tahiti propeller plane sat on the tarmac. The line of passengers climbed up a staircase into the rear of the plane.
What Side of the Plane to Sit on When Flying to Bora Bora from Tahiti
When we finally climbed the staircase and entered the plane, I scanned the rows in front of me. The left side of the plane was filled with people. Why? Because, when you're looking towards the front of the plane from the back, the left side of the plane is the side to sit on when flying to Bora Bora from Tahiti. This is because the left side of the plane offers aerial views of Bora Bora as you land. Sure, the plane does a quick loop back so that passengers on the right side can see the island too, but the turnaround is very brief and the views aren’t anywhere near as spectacular as the initial flyby.
As we shimmied down the aisle, I noticed two empty seats on the left side of the plane. As we edged closer to the seats, a flight attendant glanced at us and pointed us to the right, emptier side of the plane. The attendant stated that, due to the smaller size of the aircraft, they needed more passengers to sit on the right side of the plane to balance it out. Sadly, we sat on the right side. I didn’t end up crying, but it was a bummer for sure. I pulled my camera out of my bag, rested it on my lap and glanced out the window, hoping I’d somehow get a good photo of Bora Bora from the air on the brief turnaround before landing.
Throughout the flight, we heard passengers on the left side oohing and ahhing at the views. As the plane started to lower, we could just see the top of Mount Otemanu over their heads. The plane did, in fact, do a turnaround before landing, offering a very brief glimpse of Bora Bora from the sky, but, by the time the plane circled back, we were well past the island and it only really came into proper view from our window when we were just about to land. I tried to snap a few shots before the plane landed, but they were not the epic aerial photos of the lagoon and Mount Otemanu that I had envisioned when we planned our trip to Bora Bora.
What Side of the Plane to Sit on When Flying From Bora Bora to Tahiti
After an epic week of swimming with sharks and relaxing, I was sad when our time in Bora Bora ended, but I knew that it offered one last chance to experience Bora Bora from the sky. After we ferried from the mainland to Bora Bora’s island airport, we positioned ourselves even closer to the gate this time and constantly gazed at the tv screen. As soon as the tv screen signalled that the plane was boarding, we blitzed to the line. This time, we ended up right near the front of it.
In Bora Bora, you enter the plane the same way you do in Tahiti: you walk onto the tarmac in groups, climb a staircase and enter the plane from the rear. The key difference, however, is that you need to sit on the right side of the plane when leaving Bora Bora.
When we boarded the plane, most of the seats were still empty, so we grabbed seats on the right side towards the front so that the plane’s wing and propeller weren’t obstructing our view. As the plane sped down the runway, I hoped that I was correct in sitting on the right side.
As the plane lifted into the sky, Bora Bora’s lagoon lit up beneath us in the sunlight. Mount Otemanu rose out of the ocean. Various shades of blue mixed along the lagoon before disappearing into the deep blue of the ocean. I snapped as many photos as I could, and then gazed at the incredible view before it disappeared.
Throughout the next 45 minutes, other islands appeared below us, offering even more beautiful sights for aerial photos. When we approached Tahiti, our seats also provided views of Tahiti’s neighbouring island, Moorea, where we stayed for the first half of our trip. We peered out through the window at the views one more time, as the plane descended towards Tahiti.
Conclusion
When travelling to Bora Bora from Tahiti, the plane ride is part of the experience. Depending on what side you sit on, the plane ride offers unmatched views of Bora Bora’s famous lagoon and mountain. When flying to Bora Bora, sit on the left side of the plane when facing the front; when leaving Bora Bora, sit on the right side of the plane when facing the front. Just make sure to get to the airport early, position yourself near the gate and get in line as fast as you can when the boarding call is announced. If you do this, you will be rewarded with incredible views, and, of course, the opportunity to snap some spectacular aerial photos of one of the most beautiful places on earth.