Tag: outdoors

Wellness Around the World: 10 Ways
to Join In

Posted on by Shannon Magann

With studies emerging continually that link a healthy lifestyle to longevity and happiness, you’ll want to maximise your wellness efforts wherever you are in the world. Four Seasons hotels and resorts offer a myriad of activities to keep you looking and feeling your best – here are some of our favourites.

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Meditate With a Former Buddhist Nun

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Take a hike in the Sonoran Desert

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Light Spiritual Lanterns and candles in Vietnam

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Let crystal singing bowls guide your mindfulness journey

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Experience the Sacred Nap ritual in Bali

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Find your balance by reconnecting with nature

Ancient Practices Made New

Meditate With a Former Buddhist Nun

At Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, resident wellness mentor and former Buddhist nun Ibu Fera knows the value of mindfulness and meditation: “They’re realistic ways of addressing all sorts of stresses. They go straight to the root of the problem.” For an even deeper sense of relaxation, she recommends the Sacred Nap ritual. Wrap yourself in an aerial silk hammock, suspended from the ceiling of the Resort’s bamboo Dharma Shanti Bale, and let Fera rock you to sleep as she tells the life story of Buddha. You’ll awake from this deeply soothing and nurturing experience refreshed and recharged.

Make a Wish in Vietnam

You’ll have the Spa to yourself at Four Seasons Resort Hoi An (The Nam Hai) during the Goodnight Kiss to the Earth ceremony. As the sun sets, float traditional wishing candles on the Spa’s lagoon and join Oanh Ngo, the Resort’s Resident Singing Bowl Artist, for a soothing singing bowl lesson on an eight-octave set of crystal bowls tuned to 432 Hz – believed to be the harmonic frequency of the universe. “When I play singing bowls I feel more happiness,” Ngo says. “I feel at peace, and it helps me to deeply connect back to myself, as well as to our Mother Earth.”

 

Find New Perspective in the Sonoran Desert

In Arizona, at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, you can start the day with a 6:30 am hike on the Resort’s private trail through Pinnacle Peak Park. The 5.1-mile hike meanders over saguaro-studded ridgetop and past towering granite boulders. Your effort is rewarded at the top, where you’ll enjoy 360-degree views of North Scottsdale – the ideal spot to change your perspective.

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Eggs filled with hot baobab seeds mimic the sound of the waves in this massage in Seychelles

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Sip a Green Supreme drink in Anguilla

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Exercise in privacy in Los Angeles

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Bali’s Illume Room offers total immersion in light, sound and colour frequencies

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Find inner balance with yoga stretches

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Kick-start Your Healthy Diet in Anguilla

Treat Yourself

Sip a Green Drink in Anguilla

Because a healthy lifestyle often begins with diet, each hotel or resort prioritizes nutritious offerings. Raise a glass to wellness at Half Shell Beach Bar at Four Seasons Resort Anguilla. On the menu? The Dean Green Supreme, which has anti-inflammatory properties thanks to moringa plant leaves. You know they’re fresh, because Restaurant Manager Dean Bryan picks the leaves from his home tree. The rest of the ingredients? Bananas, orange juice, mango purée and – should you so desire – coconut rum. “Moringa contains more vitamin C than oranges, the same amount of vitamin A as carrots, more potassium than bananas, more iron than spinach and more protein than yogurt,” Bryan says.

 

Relax with the Waves in Seychelles

No wellness regime would be complete without some pampering, inside and out, and you have options around the globe. One is at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island. Unwind with a relaxing massage that uses a unique technique: Eggs filled with hot baobab seeds are rolled across your skin to soothe tense muscles, mimicking the sound and motion of waves.

 

Find Holistic Harmony in Bali

Science meets spiritual at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, where the cutting-edge Illume Room draws on the latest technology and scientific understanding of the body’s 50 trillion cells to offer total immersion into light, sound and colour frequencies. Bali’s first “Surround Sound Spa Suite,” the room is sealed from outside light sources to maximise the effects of colour therapy, while a heated quartz-sand bed made of crushed crystals and seven alchemy crystal singing bowls add to the vibrations – using the body’s electromagnetic field to stimulate inner healing.

 

Enjoy Exclusive Access in LA

Put wellness at the centre of your stay at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, where the exclusive Private Fitness Suite offers access to room features like a treadmill, Hydrow Rowing machine, Peloton bike, yoga equipment, medicine ball and weights, and Soul Cycle bike. After your workout, shower in the suite’s private bathroom and then unwind with guided meditation narrated by Deepak Chopra. Or just pause for a rest – the room’s energizing light helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm.

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Harvest salt in Hawaii

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Discover holistic healing in the Spa in Kuwait

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Soar to new heights with AntiGravity yoga

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Go for an early morning run through the sugar cane fields in Mauritius

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Get wet with an aquabike training session

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Harvest salt in Hawaii and learn to cook with it

Unexpected Exploits

Harvest Salt in Hawaii

If you think salt harvesting – as a guest of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai – must be bad for your blood pressure, think again. “Our Hawaiian ancestors lived off of Hawaii’s bountiful resources and, in turn, respected and honoured our land and ocean,” says Aunty Halani Berard, Mea Ho‘okipa (literal translation: “I am host”), a member of the Resort’s Ka‘upulehu Cultural Center team. “The natural salt the ocean provided was a cornerstone of Hawaiian living – used for food preservation, cooking, medicine and more. We are thrilled to bring this experience to our guests as another way to showcase our rich history.”

The natural salt the ocean provided was a cornerstone of Hawaiian living.

The newly launched experience begins with a quick hike to the ancient salt flats adjacent to the Resort, where guests will learn how Hawaiians collected and dried the vital mineral. Next, a cooking class with a Resort chef to taste how sea salt can change a dish. Still want more? End the day in the Spa with the Salts of the Ocean Body Treatment, which includes a salt scrub-down.

 

Soar in an AntiGravity Class in Kuwait

At Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya, guests can take an AntiGravity class in which they’ll do ballet, Pilates, yoga and strength training while suspended from the ceiling in a silk hammock. “When you start practising this, you’ll find you actually become younger, healthier and even a bit taller,” says AntiGravity founder Christopher Harrison. (We wouldn’t bet on the younger part, but it’s certainly worth trying.)

 

Cycle Underwater in Mauritius

If you’d rather be immersed in water than suspended in mid-air, Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita is your place: There, guests will be elbow deep in the 25-metre (82-foot) al fresco lap pool for an aquabike session. Or simply choose to run a 3.5-to-7-kilometre trail along the sugar fields. “June is the start of the sugar-cane harvesting season in Mauritius,” Fitness Centre Manager Noam Clarisse says, “meaning that much of the cane is at its tallest and it sways gently in the breeze – a beautiful sight to run alongside in the early morning light.”

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Where will you invest in your wellness?

Bali at Jimbaran Bay

A Colourful Course

Posted on by Shannon Magann

Shep and Ian Murray were miserable. Their New York City office jobs were a far cry from the lives they had envisioned during a childhood spent accompanying their journalist parents to destinations in Africa, Italy and Anguilla. So it was only fitting that on a trip back to that same island paradise, they developed an escape plan. “We were talking to a friend of ours, telling him about an idea we had to sell neckties,” Shep says. “He said, ‘What’s stopping you?’ ” The brothers accepted the challenge, and
vineyard vines was born.

As we visit different destinations, we try to put them into our clothes.

Nearly 20 years later, Shep and Ian’s passion project has become a household name, synonymous with apparel that’s equal parts polished and whimsical. “We started making ties first because we couldn’t find ones that were colourful, fun and well-made,” Ian says. The inspiration? Their many travels – past and present.

Anguilla

Having discovered Anguilla as boys, the brothers pay homage to their beloved vacation spot – and site of the brand’s inception – with the tongue-in-cheek Rum Runner Tie, featuring a runaway rum barrel.

Photo courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Boating in deep water

“I caught my first sailfish in Costa Rica, and it ignited my love of fishing,” Ian says. “It inspired me to take Shep fishing in the Florida Keys for his bachelor party. Since then, boating and fishing have been a huge part of our lives and our brand.”

Photo courtesy iStock

Austin skyline

“Everyone and everything in Austin – from the live music to the barbecue – embodies the ‘Every day should feel this good’ motto,” Shep says. “It’s hard not to have a good time when you’re there.”

Photo courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Chair lift in Switzerland

A beloved sweatshirt from a childhood ski trip to Switzerland 30 years ago became the prototype for one of the brand’s bestselling items: The Shep Shirt.

Photo courtesy iStock

Santa Maria del Fiore church

On where their travels will take them next: “Our family visited Italy together when we were kids, but we never made it to Florence,” Shep says. “Our parents loved it there, so we’re looking forward to seeing what it’s all about.”

Photo courtesy iStock

“As we visit different destinations, we try to put them into our clothes,” Shep says. “It’s an emotional thing. Every season, we take our customers somewhere new and introduce them to the landscape and people.”

As the place where it all began, the small Caribbean island of Anguilla remains near to their hearts. “The pace is slower, the beach days are a little longer, and the vibe is a little more barefoot and casual,” Ian says. “There’s an authenticity about it that we love.” The brothers aim to infuse each of their products with that same feeling, in particular using playful patterns with images of martinis, golf clubs and Windsurfers.

“‘Every day should feel this good’ is our way of life,” Shep says. “It’s a reminder not to take life too seriously, and it means different things to different people.”


vineyard vines founders

Ian (left) and Shep Murray, the founders of vineyard vines

Photo courtesy vineyard vines

Created in partnership with vineyard vines

Your Journey Begins Here

Inspiration awaits. Time to start exploring.

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Tee Time: Our Top U.S. Golf Destinations

Posted on by Austin Morton

“Golf is the greatest excuse in the world to hang out with people I love, enjoying incredible scenery – and you can play at age 5 and 95,” says Dan Budzius, who discovered his passion for the game as a 5-year-old growing up in Illinois. He’s been a PGA Professional for more than 30 years and is also the general manager of Troon North Golf Club – which offers special access to guests of Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.

Here, Budzius reveals the courses he thinks every golfer should play, from Scottsdale to Orlando, as well as some of his favourite spots off the green.

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golf course in Orlando, Florida

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

ON THE GREEN: A COURSE TO RIVAL DISNEY

“You can fall out of bed at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort and it’s literally 300 yards to the golf course,” Budzius says of the Resort’s Tranquilo Golf Club, which was designed by Tom Fazio and is also an Audubon sanctuary, replete with shimmering wetlands. “The hospitality of
Four Seasons extends to the course – lots of daily fee courses don’t offer complimentary bottled water and fruit anymore, but they do, along with Titleist
Pro V1 golf balls at the driving range, the best quality range balls you can get.”

OFF THE GREEN: HIGH-FLYING THRILLS

Budzius last visited in January for the PGA show, one of the biggest golf trade shows on earth. “You’re in the middle of Disney World, so you don’t have to go far for entertainment and dining,” he says. His recommendation: the fresh catch and oysters on the roof at Capa and a ride on Space Mountain – the roller coaster was designed with the assistance of a NASA astronaut in 1975 and still thrills today. “It’s the ride you want to go on over and over again.”

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TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas is a treat for professional and recreational players alike.

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The Dallas skyline at night.

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The course was originally designed by Jay Morrish in 1982, with input from player consultants Byron Nelson and Ben Crenshaw.

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A shot of the 16th hole at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas.

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Golf is a game best enjoyed with those you love, says PGA Pro Dan Budzius.

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Scenes from TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas.

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ON THE GREEN: SOUTHWESTERN CHARM

Budzius’s go-to golf course in Dallas is the 18-hole, par-70 TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. “It was one of the best stops on the Byron Nelson PGA tournament, a beautiful course in Irving, a suburb of Dallas,” he says. “It’s between Dallas and Fort Worth, which means you get to explore both authentic cowboy culture and the glitz and glamour of the big city. Plus, you’ll hear some of the best country music on earth.”

OFF THE GREEN: MARIACHI AND MORE

His favourite place to head for a meal when he’s in town: Joe T. Garcia’s, in Fort Worth, which has been family-owned since opening in 1935. “They’re known for tacos and burritos, but there’s a line out the door every Friday and Saturday night,” he says. “They have the greatest margaritas in the world and authentic live music, like mariachi bands.”

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view from a green at Ridge Castle Pines

Photo courtesy of The Ridge at Castle Pines

ON THE GREEN: MOUNTAIN VIEWS

Just 25 miles south of Four Seasons Hotel Denver, The Ridge at Castle Pines North is another one of Budzius’s preferred places to play. “It’s an immaculately manicured course designed by Tom Weiskopf, and you can see Pikes Peak, Devils Head and Mount Evans from the green.” In the winter, Budzius says, herds of elk often frequent the course. “They shy away during the warmer months, but in winter they just roam.”

OFF THE GREEN: SKI AND SPA

When he’s not teeing off at The Ridge, Budzius can be found skiing the 2,465 acres of terrain at Copper Mountain, 75 miles west of the city. “The mountains aren’t too far from Denver, so you have some of the greatest skiing in the world at your fingertips.” Back at Four Seasons Hotel Denver, the 10-treatment room Spa awaits to soothe tired muscles. Opt for the Evergreen Massage, which uses heated oils from indigenous evergreen trees – like lodgepole pine and blue spruce – for a deep-tissue massage.

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Troon North Golf Club is home to two celebrated 18-hole courses, Monument and Pinnacle.

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The rugged desert landscape and distinct elevation changes are part of what makes playing at Troon North so enjoyable, Budzius says.

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Golfers tee off at hole 15 on the Monument course.

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When Budzius isn’t golfing, he enjoys breaking a sweat at nearby Camelback Mountain.

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A view of Echo Canyon Trail on Camelback Mountain.

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The Monument course at Troon North was conceived by legendary golfer Tom Weiskopf.

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ON THE GREEN: HIGH-TECH AMENITIES

But Budzius says it’s hard to top his current home turf, Troon North Golf Club, just minutes from Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North. “It’s honestly two of the best desert golf courses that you’ll see here in the Southwest or anywhere in the world,” he says. “There’s typically beautiful desert on both sides of the holes, with huge rocks and distinct elevation changes.” And though you’re playing a centuries-old game, at Troon North you can expect 21st-century amenities: “Our golf carts have GPS that will give you exact yardage to the pin. Or you can order off the food and beverage menu and have it delivered to your exact location.”

OFF THE GREEN: LIVE MUSIC AND DESERT HIKES

Thursday nights are beloved at the club’s Dynamite Grille, thanks to live music and delicious barbecue. “The chef smokes unbelievable brisket, and the sliders are phenomenal as well,” Budzius says. The area’s unique landscape also offers ample opportunity for adventure. Budzius enjoys hiking the 2,704-foot-tall Camelback Mountain, about 40 minutes away. “In summer, be sure to go in the early morning when it’s cooler, but in high season it’s great all day. If you go all the way up and back, it’s as good a workout as you could ever get, with beautiful rock formation views to boot.”

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Your Journey Begins Here

Where will you choose to play next?

Denver skyline and mountains

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The Insider’s Guide to Dubai:
6 People You Need to Meet

Posted on by Laura Begley Bloom

Dubai is a study in contrast – a place where winding souks exist alongside modern high-rise buildings, glamorous beach resorts and dramatic desert landscapes share real estate and a dazzling city centre abuts lively residential neighbourhoods. The largest city in the United Arab Emirates, often described as a bridge between East and West, is also a mosaic of global cultures.

The people who live and work in Dubai are as compelling as the metropolis itself. From a Brazilian belly dancer to a falconer from South Africa, Four Seasons can introduce you to some of the most intriguing individuals – people who will make an extraordinary visit truly unforgettable.

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The Bartender Dubai

THE MIXOLOGIST

Born in Milan, with Sicilian roots, Mariano Ricciari, the assistant bar manager and lead bartender of MINA Brasserie, still starts his day with a proper Italian espresso. Friends joke that he’s a workaholic. Even though he’s a manager, he still likes to jump behind the bar for fun.

Here, you see things that you don’t find anywhere else.

“I love to create a sense of hospitality,” he says. “The interaction with different guests is what I like the most about my job. I get to listen to new stories and adventures. Some people share things that they might not even tell their wife or husband.”

Ricciari moved to Dubai three years ago and describes the city as a bubble in the world. “Here, you see things that you don’t find anywhere else, and you find a better way to recreate something that you’ve seen somewhere else,” he says. He’s constantly pushing his team to experiment and get creative with the cocktail program. “At the end of the night I like to sit down and share my feedback with the team and congratulate them for a job well done,” he says. “And of course, I pour myself a drink.”

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A belly dancer greets guests at Four Seasons Hotel Dubai

THE BELLY DANCER

Upon arrival at Four Seasons Dubai Jumeirah Beach, the unmistakable sounds of Arabic music wafts through the air and a pair of belly dancers appear, elegantly bending their bodies to the rhythm. It’s an ideal welcome.

[Belly dancing] brings you happiness when you watch it.

One of the dancers is Brazil-born Graciela Pischner, who always dreamed of performing in the Middle East and made her way to Dubai after stops in Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain and Tunis. “I like how people in Dubai appreciate and respect my work,” she says. “Also, it’s a safe place, and the perfect location for someone who wants to travel around the world.”

Belly dancing is a respected Arabic art form, with some differences according to location. In Dubai, the dancers perform in high heels and take big steps. “It brings you happiness when you watch it,” Pischner says.

The Restaurant Manager Dubai

THE RESTAURANT MANAGER

As the Manager of Suq Restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Lawrence Raj believes it’s his role to make guests feel like part of the family. “It’s as important to start the day right as it is to end,” he says, “so beginning with breakfast, I ensure every guest receives astounding service.”

At Suq every day is always full of new discoveries.

The cuisine at Suq, a mix of flavours from the Middle East, Asia and the West, reflects the diversity of the city. Raj, who was born in Kanyakumari in South India, moved to Dubai 15 years ago, drawn to the city’s blend of ancient traditions with modernity. “Dubai reminds travellers of its heritage through its food, fabrics, dialects and desert tents,” he says. “The city is so alive, and at Suq every day is always full of new discoveries, new friends and personal growth.”

A falcon trainer does a demonstration near Dubai.

THE FALCONER

The art of falconry goes back more than 2,000 years. Although most people in modern-day Dubai don’t rely on falcons to hunt prey and find water in the desert, the falcon remains an important symbol in Arabic culture. It’s the national bird of the United Arab Emirates.

South Africa–born Liander Botes is the operations manager at Wild Flight Dubai, which introduces travellers to falconry and educates them about birds of prey. “This is not a pet – this is a dangerous animal,” Botes tells visitors, noting that when going for the kill, the bird can reach speeds of up to 300 kph (200 mph). “It is a hunting tool and can cause the same damage as a rifle.”

The falcon can reach speeds of up to 300 kph (200 mph).

The falcon can travel long distances, but, as Botes shows guests, it can also return to its owner, thanks to a natural form of GPS. Wild Flight Dubai can arrange for a falcon to perch on a well-protected arm or display a bird’s exercise and free flight at sunset. “The interesting thing about my job is that every day is different,” says Botes, who developed a love of animals while growing up on a farm in South Africa. “Every day something new happens.”

The Camel Trainer Dubai

THE CAMEL TRAINER 

Mohammed Ali doesn’t speak a word of English, but with simple motions he shows guests how to mount his camels carefully and ride them over sand dunes.

He assures nervous first-timers through his translator that camels are actually quite calm as long as you don’t create a noise that disturbs them. An expert trainer who has worked alongside camels since childhood, Ali was born in Pakistan and now lives with the Bedouins in the desert. He takes great pleasure in helping visitors live out their Lawrence of Arabia fantasies while interacting with his well-behaved animals.

A food expert teaches Four Seasons' guests about local Dubai flavors.

THE FOOD EXPERT

Dubai’s dining scene isn’t defined just by its plentiful celebrity-chef restaurants. Arva Ahmed, a respected food blogger and the founder of Frying Pan Adventures, provides an authentic taste of local flavours on her culinary tours of Old Dubai.

Dubai is a great preserver of food culture from around the region.

Ahmed, born in India, moved to the United States for college, followed by a high-powered job as a management consultant in Manhattan. But her heart was always in Dubai. Eventually, she returned to pursue her true passion: food. With her quick wit and encyclopedic knowledge of regional cuisine, it’s no wonder Andrew Zimmern featured Ahmed on his show Bizarre Foods.

An afternoon with Ahmed in the Deira neighbourhood emphasizes Dubai’s multiculti cuisine. Tastings might include Lebanese pizza, freshly made Egyptian falafel, and a sweet Arabic dessert called knafeh that’s made with noodles and stringy cheese. She clearly relishes the variety: “Dubai is a great preserver of food culture from around the region, the Middle East and beyond to North Africa and the Indian subcontinent.”

Your Journey Begins Here

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Your Most Instagrammable Day in Bora Bora

Posted on by Austin Morton

Bora Bora is one of the most photogenic locales on the planet – an island of 12 square miles (31 square kilometres), rising from the turquoise Pacific just northwest of Tahiti – and Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora fits right in. Set on its own private motu (island) a mere 15 minutes by boat from the airport, with an archipelago of overwater bungalows lofted above the glass-clear lagoon, the Resort is a prime jumping-off point for a day of exploring the volcanic atoll and its surrounding seascape. Here, a photographic rundown of your #dreamday at Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora – as shared by our guests and narrated by Four Seasons experts.

MORNING

Breakfast Bounty

The best way to kick-start a holiday on Bora Bora is with a tropical breakfast. Yogurt topped with fresh fruit and a dusting of crunchy granola is practically de rigueur because it’s protein-rich yet light enough to keep you feeling swimsuit-ready. Place your order at the breakfast buffet, choose à la carte or stay in the coddling comfort of your suite and ask for the Canoe Breakfast. Who wouldn’t want a morning meal delivered by ceremonial Polynesian canoe?

With fresh exotic fruits, pastries, omelettes and, of course, yogurt on offer, Executive Chef Eric Desbordes says proudly, “Our extensive options really do make this the most important meal of the day.” And if you do opt for delivery by canoe, be sure to take advantage of the complimentary whirl around the pontoons as your dining area is being prepared.

Stretch Yourself

“Yoga is even better for the body and soul when it’s done over the water,” spa director Stephanie Cherbakow says, referencing the additive calming effects of the sea. Within the lagoon-side Spa, the yoga deck is lofted over the sea, serving as a site for private yoga classes.

 

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AFTERNOON

Take a Snorkel Safari

The calm waters of the Resort’s Ruahatu (God of the Ocean) Lagoon Sanctuary are home to more than 100 species, including sea urchins, peacock damselfish and anemones. Join Louis Sabadel, a marine biologist at the Resort, for a snorkeling session as educational as it is awe-inspiring. Curious about the larger marine ecosystem in Bora Bora? Set sail with Sabadel on a chartered boat tour for even more opportunities to learn about the region’s sea life.

 

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Rinse and Repeat

You haven’t experienced a proper outdoor shower until you’ve bathed in your very own, set on a wooden platform above a crystalline lagoon. “All 108 of our Overwater Bungalow suites offer an outdoor shower on a private deck,” Resort Manager Diego Stembert says. Or, after a soak in your bungalow’s oversized tub, step straight from the bathroom onto your private wooden deck to take in the fresh sea air – an invigorating interlude during a day of adventure.

EVENING

Sunset Supper

Twilight seems to last longer at this longitude . . . all the better for tucking into a leisurely multi-course dinner on your private deck. “Even with all of our amazing restaurants, most of our guests will enjoy at least one private dinner in their suite during their stay,” says Desbordes. “There’s nothing like a table for two over the water and under the stars.” Among the choices on the in-room (or on-deck) menu: locally caught sautéed mahi mahi with virgin coconut sauce, with Taha’s vanilla crème brûlée for dessert.

 

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An Illuminating Display

Bora Bora culture is always on the agenda here, and every Monday night the Resort presents a Polynesian Dinner Show with traditional local music and fire dancing. “Our Polynesian Dinner show is a great opportunity for guests to mingle,” says Chef Concierge Etienne Baldeschi, “and the performances are truly captivating.” Not to be overshadowed is the menu: Offerings include coconut salad, crab cakes and Tahitian Firi Firi doughnuts.

Aim for the Stars

There may be no better way to cap off a perfect day in Bora Bora than taking in a light show: the stars. The low level of artificial light here means they’re as glittery as can be, especially on a private evening boat charter.

“The night skies here are stunning, and you can enjoy the stars from anywhere, but from the water is the ultimate,” says Baldeschi. You and your guests depart at dusk, sailing as the sky morphs from azure blue to marmalade orange, and stop at a private motu to watch, with bubbly in hand, as the stars appear.

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora

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YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Picture yourself in paradise.

Overwater bungalows