After 3 nights we left Huahine and arrived in Bora Bora, the halfway point of our trip.

Bora Bora is by far the most picturesque of the islands. I hate airports, and even the Bora Bora airport is magical.

Here's the drill. Land in the middle of a sea green lagoon (the most beautiful water of the trip to date). Watch rich people walk by. Breathe in the freshest air in the world. Wait for a yacht to take you to the mainland.

All in all it's a pretty unforgettable first impression.

However, as we got our things and walked to the dock, I began realizing that we'd been pretty spoiled in the resorts, and that maybe we were in for a wakeup call.

Upon arrival, we noticed some pretty high end yachts waiting at the docks with the St. Regis, Four Seasons, Sofitel logos. On each boat, tour guides were waiting to drape tourists with leis and shell necklaces, and two strong Tahitians were standing by to carry baggage.

We started walking in that direction, but quickly realized that with our non-resort status, we had to take the bus alongside the locals and other non-millionaires.

Of course, the "bus" to go into Bora Bora was also a yacht, there was just a little more guesswork required on our part to figure out what to do, and where to go.

I was a little bit apprehensive as we went to the hostel, as hostels on other islands were definitely not “honeymoon material.” But, I hoped for the best, and tried to appreciate that we had an opportunity to really interact with the locals, and get a dose of reality on Bora Bora.

All-in-all, the inconvenience is a small price to pay for the amount you save by staying at a hostel. (Nights at the St. Regis START at $1000 a night, and even the ride to and from the airport cost 7500 CFP - or the price of three meals - or about $85.)