The History of Bora Bora Island

1. The History of Bora Bora Island The history of Bora Bora shows that the island's first settlers back in the 4th century were Tongan people. The first European explorers who visited the island were led by James Cook. However, prior to this island of Bora Bora was already sighted by other explorers. The history of Bora Bora also indicates that in 1842 the island became a colony of France under the leadership of Admiral Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars. During World War II, the United States picked Bora Bora Island as a base for military supply, oil depot, air strip and seaplane base. The United States Military also constructed defensive fortifications although no combat took place along the island because the presence of American troops seemed to be accepted. For more information, visit: http://www.sunnsandvacation.com/ According to the history of Bora Bora, the United States Military Base closed on June 2, 1946 officially,after the war but many Americans refused to leave the island because it became close to their hearts. Some Americans were even forcibly asked to leave due to complaints of their families from the mainland. This previously used base became French Polynesia's only international airport. But later on Faa'a International Airport was opened in the year 1962 in Papeete, Tahiti. Today the Island of Bora Bora relies largely on tourism and because of this seven luxurious resorts were built over the past few years. Hotel Bora Bora was the first to build bungalows that stand over the water using stilts. And today, over-the-water bungalows are a given of every resort on the island because these bungalows provide spectacular sites of lagoons and mountains. Bora Bora Island is popular for snorkelling and especially for scuba diving. Tourists can explore the lagoons and can find different species of sharks and manta rays. The island's foremost attraction is its tranquil lagoon of dazzling clear water that offers different nautical activities like shark and stingray feeding excursion. Also a very interesting activity is the land excursion. In land excursions, tourists can take a ride on 4x4 trucks that climb up the hills to view old World War II cannons that is very much a part of the history of Bora Bora. The main languages that are spoken by people in Bora Bora Island are French and Tahitian although most inhabitants that inter-act with visitors have good comprehension of the English language. Most tourists that visit the island are Americans, Japanese and Europeans. The history of Bora Bora is very interesting and what better way to discover and relive it than to visit the villages and explore the island.