I will start my review with a guess that Edward, the owner of the place, has either been involved in managing deluxe hotels or happened to stay in a lot of five-star properties around the world. Why? Because once you step into the door of his Bora-Bora bungalow – and even more so, after you have stayed there a couple of days – you immediately realize that he is the one who has a very acute understanding of what a super comfortable, relaxing, stylish - and yet thoroughly thought-out and functional – holiday accommodation is supposed to look and feel like. Indeed, in many ways, Edward’s bungalow comes up to, if not exceeds, the standards of a five-star hotel in terms of design, materials used, amenities and cleanness.
I do not want to provide a long list of all those handy little things that come together with this fabulous accommodation, as there are truly a lot of them. However, I cannot help mentioning those that made our stay uber comfortable: invisible, yet powerful air-conditioning capable of cooling the whole bungalow in less than ten minutes, a Miele washing machine and tumble dryer, a freezer with an ice maker, a Weber gas grill, five-star hotel grade pillows, luxurious sateen bedding and a comfortable mattress, collapsible lightweight beach chairs and, of course, the cherry on the cake – the TERRACE with a large dining table and two lounge chairs with infinitely comfortable cushions for you to slowly submerge yourself into the turquoise beauty of the lagoon in front of you. In his brochure describing the bungalow, Edward refers to the views you get from the terrace as Technicolor ones – in all honesty, I cannot agree more.
You have, of course, to be ready to cater for yourselves at the bungalow, but that is really an easy part in the fully equipped kitchen with all sort of quality tableware and glasses for red, white and champagne. The only (and I really mean it - the only) thing we missed in the kitchen was an ice bucket. You will also need a car to move around the island from the bungalow and a new Renault that you may, as an option, rent out from Christophe – the very helpful French gentleman who helps Edward take care of the place on Bora Bora – is a must in terms of quality and price. As the bungalow sits on a hill just above the lagoon (hence the fantastic views from the terrace), you will need some confidence to drive a steep and curly driveway up to a smallish parking lot on the hill right next to the bungalow, but you get used to steering the car along that narrow path after a couple of times or, as an option, you may park it by the main road at the bottom of the hill and climb up the steep stairs to the bungalow (which may be a bit tricky unless you are in a reasonably fit shape).
In truth, Edward’s place is so relaxing, comfortable and stylish that I can hardly think of anything that you might not enjoy there. I have already mentioned an ice bucket and Edward may also consider providing a few white napkins to go with it. Also, why not to throw a stylish rug between the sofa and the armchairs in the room – this will serve as a soft texture accent on the otherwise beautiful wooden floor and provide an extra layer of visual coziness. The owners may also consider putting soft furniture pads on the legs of the sturdy chairs on the terrace – this way the wooden floor will suffer much less from scratches caused by guests moving the chairs around the table.
To wrap it up, I started this review with a guess, but let me finish it with something that I am absolutely positive about – if you can take care of yourself for a few days in a bungalow which in the first place has been created to be providing you with every means to it, then simply go for it! And let me tell you this – when leaving on the last day of your stay, you will pause at the doorstep, turn around, take another admiring look at the terrace from which you were enjoying the impossibly vivid shades of the lagoon, sigh briefly and think to yourself “Boy, I should have booked this place for a couple of days more” :) Enjoy, for every inch of this fantastic bungalow is simply made for it!
All bookings are direct with the owner 