Truth be told, we almost didn’t get to Bora Bora at all. Due to an airline glitch and no available seats for more days than we could wait, we found ourselves stranded in the airport in Papeete, our bags at the ready, prepaid hotel reservations in hand — and no way to get where we were going.

Seeing that I was headed toward a serious meltdown, my traveling companion, Marc, sprang into action. He instructed me to stay with the bags while he went off to see what he could do. About a half-hour later he reappeared, all smiles, and proudly announced that the problem was solved.

As we walked through the terminal, he filled me in on the details. His first thought was to see what it would cost to hire a private plane, which sounded prohibitively pricey to me. Nonetheless, Marc had headed off to the private aircraft sector of the airport, where he wound up in the office of a flying school. Despite his limited French and the office manager’s limited English, he managed to explain the problem. After determining that neither we nor our bags would be a problem weight-wise, she talked to a French pilot who was about to fly to Bora Bora so a student could build up some hours. For the price of the gas — a lot cheaper than hiring a private plane — he was willing to take us on as unexpected passengers.

About 45 minutes later, our bags were thoroughly checked and stowed; we also had been thoroughly checked, had signed a waiver and were strapped into the four-seater plane headed for Bora Bora.

It was a lovely day, and flying low over the ocean in a small plane was a treat. Located 160 miles northwest of Papeete, Bora Bora is the quintessential South Pacific island, though actually it is made up of a number of islands and a long ring of motus on the barrier reef, with the 6.2-mile-long main island being the largest of the group. Despite the language barrier, we managed to minimally communicate with the pilot as he pointed out particulars of Bora Bora’s aerial topography.

All too soon we landed, said “au revoir” to our saviors and headed for the terminal.

The Bora Bora airport is not located on the main island but on an outer motu called Motu Mute. Transportation to the main island is provided free of charge via a launch that crosses a lagoon to Vaitape Village, but the launch only meets scheduled flights; so since our flight was anything but scheduled, we settled in for a four-hour wait. After almost not making it at all, it seemed a small price to pay.

We chose the Sofitel Bora Bora Marara for several reasons. Despite having received an $18 million renovation in 2007, it isn’t as heart-stoppingly expensive as the other upscale resorts on the island. Also, it is on the main island, and Sofitel is a French hotel chain; this appealed to us, since Bora Bora is, after all, in French Polynesia.

We dropped our bags off in the room and headed for the Hurricane Bar. It’d been a long day. It was reassuring to find that the bar had come by its name because the original hotel was built in the late 1970s by Dino de Laurentis for the making of his film Hurricane, not because of a recurring cataclysmic weather event in the area. Sitting at an ocean-view table watching the sunset while sipping on a tropical umbrella drink, we began to unwind.

The next morning, refreshed and ready to explore, we decided to start with a trip around the island — and what better way than to rent a motor scooter? We got a ride into the main town of Vaitape and headed for the rental company. Our little red scooter looked shiny and new, and after brief instructions, we donned our helmets and set off down the road.

It was lovely breezing along open-air, surrounded by lush landscape and ocean views, but it was short-lived. After not more than 20 minutes, our scooter began to sputter and stall until it finally came to a dead halt.

Our Bora Bora adventure seemed to be fraught with transportation issues, but again luck was with us. As we stood by the side of the road trying to decide what to do next, a well-worn but serviceable truck pulled up. Out hopped an incredibly fit Tahitian grandfather, followed by his teenage granddaughter and a friend.

After some hand signals and a little fractured French on my part, they hoisted the non-functional scooter and the two of us into the truck bed and off we went, back to the rental place.

We declined the offer of another scooter and decided to rent a car for a half-day instead.

We drove the 19 miles around the island loop twice, stopping to take photos and enjoy the views. We popped into a family-owned Polynesian version of 7-Eleven for a Coke, checked out the charming white church in Faanui and took photos of bread boxes, where fresh baguettes are delivered to families daily.

Before returning the car, we stopped by Bloody Mary’s for one of their signature drinks and lunch. In business since 1979, the restaurant has become something of an institution and is almost a must-visit for everyone coming to Bora Bora. Despite its decidedly touristy ambience, the food is good, the service is friendly and the bar swings in the evening.

That night, we signed up for the hotel’s Polynesian dinner and dance show. Predictably, the food was just okay, but the show was great. How those Tahitians can get their hips moving with such astonishing speed remains a mystery to me, but it was as awe-inspiring as it was entertaining.

I love snorkeling, and it doesn’t get much better than Bora Bora, with its incredibly clear, turquoise water, coral reefs and plethora of sea creatures. Local tour operators love to add a little zip to their snorkeling trips by offering a chance to swim with sharks and stroke rays. Marc said he’d be quite happy to take the trip, but no way was he jumping into an ocean full of sharks or touching a stingray.

First stop on the trip was a barrier reef. Donning mask, snorkel and fins, I jumped into the amazingly clear, brilliantly blue water. The coral formations were beautiful and the variety of fish impressive.

After we had all been lulled into a false sense of security, our guide began attracting some black-tipped lagoon sharks to join the group. We were assured that these 3- to 5-foot creatures were quite safe. Since their food supplies are abundant, they’re not interested in attacking tourists. It was lovely to see these powerful and graceful animals perform an underwater ballet within touching distance.

Next we visited a shallow sand bank where we stood in waist-deep water surrounded by elegant gray stingrays. Marc decided this didn’t look as dicey as swimming with sharks and not only hopped into the water but actually wound up stroking one. The trip finished up on a private motu with a traditional Polynesian lunch and time to swim in the shallow turquoise-blue lagoon.

For our last dinner in Bora Bora, we headed for La Bounty, a five-minute walk from the hotel. The little restaurant was low-key and the prices reasonable by Bora Bora standards. We shared the tuna trio (poisson cru, sashimi and tuna tartare), which was huge, and sipped on a beer, savoring our last night in paradise.

As we climbed into the commercial aircraft the next morning, we were reminded of our arrival. Isn’t it the way with travel — sometimes an unforeseen problem can wind up being one of the trip’s most cherished memories?

Info To Go

International flights into French Polynesia must first land at Tahiti Faa’a International Airport (PPT), three miles from the capital city of Papeete. The Bora Bora Airport (BOB) is located on an outer motu; a ferry to Vaitape on the main island is provided free of charge. Some hotels provide pick-up from the dock in Vaitape, but this must be prearranged and usually includes a fee. Other options are to take a taxi to the hotel or rent a car. For more information, visit www.tahiti-tourisme.com.

Diversions

Learn about Bora Bora’s history from a local and explore areas only accessible to a 4-wheel-drive vehicle with Tupuna Safari 4×4. Their three-hour tours circumnavigate the island on both paved and unpaved roads in a Range Rover 4×4. Bora Bora Discovery runs a snorkeling trip to a barrier reef where, besides seeing lovely coral formations, you can swim with sharks and pat a stingray. Or arrange a private scuba diving or snorkeling trip with an experienced guide at Diveasy. For non-snorkelers, Moana Adventure has a glass-bottomed boat tour which offers a glimpse of underwater life without even getting wet. At Bora Bora Activity Center in Vaitape, you can rent a scooter or a car or sign up for a helicopter or parasailing trip.

Galerie d’Art Alain et Linda is the island’s oldest and largest art gallery and studio, and the place to see the best of Polynesian art and possibly buy something to take home. Tattooing has been a part of Polynesian island culture for centuries. Bora Bora tattoo artists use modern methods to create traditional motifs. To see some traditional Tahitian dancing, check out the upscale resorts, since most have a Polynesian dinner and dance show at least once a week. Polynesia is known for its black pearls, and there are a number of places to buy them on the island.

Lodging

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora

This luxury resort offers both overwater and oceanfront accommodations on a private motu with white-sand beaches and a lagoon. BP 547 Motu Tehotu, tel 689 60 31 30, $$$$

InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa

At this luxurious, eco-friendly resort, 80 overwater villas sit between the two coral islands of Motu Piti Aau. BP 156 Bora Bora, tel 689 60 76 00, $$$$

Sofitel Bora Bora Marara Beach

Located on a white-sand beach on the main island, the resort reopened in 2007 with 95 overwater and hillside bungalows. BP 6 Nunue Vaitape, tel 689 60 55 00, $$$$

Dining

Bloody Mary’s

Serving a mix of French dishes and seafood since 1979, it’s become a Bora Bora tradition, with a lively bar crowd. Povai Bay, tel 689 67 72 86, $$$$

La Bounty

Tasty dishes ranging from Polynesian cuisine to pizza are served in a relaxed setting and at lower prices than the hotel restaurants. Matira, Vaitape, tel 689 67 70 43 $$$

Kaina Hut

The bar boasts tree trunk stools and a sandy floor, and the restaurant specializes in fresh seafood and char-grilled meat. PK 3.5, Paofai Bay, tel 689 71 10 73 $$$