Best snorkeling, Tonga or Raiatea/Bora Bora

[buildinboats]

Like the title says, I am in the beginning stages of planning a trip to either Tonga or the French Polynesia area of Raiatea/Bora Bora. With my family we would be doing a bare boat charter so we can move around amongst the islands and reefs. I can't scuba dive any more due to a lung issue so I am restricted to snorkeling. I have dived many places in the Caribbean prior to the lung problem and am really looking forward to a change of scenery, particularly to see different fish and healthy coral reefs.

This will probably be a once in a lifetime trip so I'd like it to be memorable. If you have been to either place recently, how did you like the underwater sights?

 

[david pinder]

Bora bora was fantastic but bring some money to eat on. When I was there a hamburger was $25 that was all I could afford to eat, most restraunts cost minimun $100 to sit down to eat birdseed

 

[buildinboats]

Bora bora was fantastic but bring some money to eat on. When I was there a hamburger was $25 that was all I could afford to eat, most restraunts cost minimun $100 to sit down to eat birdseed

Those prices seem crazy! We would be buying our own food and cooking it on the boat so maybe not quite so expensive. Were prices in the stores inflated as well.

More importantly, did you get out on the reefs and how were they?