09/08/2026
The Marquesas Islands
This was a destination that came up by chance for me, it wasn’t somewhere I’d necessarily always wanted to go - but I’m certainly glad I did.
I’m not going to tell you about the ‘how’ on this one, that needs its whole own spiel (the good, the bad and the ugly 😅).
Here are my three quick takeaways.…
- The people. At every port we were greeted by locals. Singing and dancing, a flower or lei, always big smiles. We saw many different dances and cultural performances- all showcasing the spirit of the people.
- The sheer remoteness. The cliffs, the forests, the winding roads and small villages. The slow, island life was everywhere you looked.
- The pride in their history. Learning the importance and meanings behind the Tiki and their tattooing was fascinating. So much more than ink on skin, it added a whole different level of understanding and respect for their history/culture.
🏝️What islands did we visit?
NUKU HIVA
Nuku Hiva was formed by the emerged ridge of volcanos that have been extinct for 2million years. Here we visited an archaeological site and sacred tree, where we were treated to a cultural dance and singing from the locals. Up in the forest behind, we saw the petroglyphs that remain from hundreds of years ago.
UA POA
Time in the local village with a fruit tasting and cultural performance; before we hit the black sand beach for a swim and relax. Soccer on the beach with the locals and our only swim spot in the Marquesas - they don’t have the beaches or swim spots you would expect when you think of French Polynesia!
HIVA OA
Hiva Oa is the second largest island in the Marquesas archipelago and home to the grave sites of both Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel.
While you’ll see the Tiki’s everywhere, HIVA Oa is home to one of the largest. It’s a little larger than me if you can find it in the photos…
FATU HIVA
This island is home to the Tapa and we had a great demonstration by Auntie Lucia on how they produce the material from the wood. We saw how delicate the process is of creating a flower bouquet for the hair, and the smell that came from this… magic. While some (Aaron) opted for a 14km hike in the humidity, I kicked back and enjoyed the scenery from the ship. The cliffs here were stunning and the port we stopped at in the afternoon looked something from a movie set. I’m sure you’ll be able to guess what island FATU HIVA is from the pics, its dramatic coastline was something to be seen!
UA HUKA
The definitely felt like the most remote island we visited. The furthest island East in the Marquesas the landscape was bare (but beautiful). An island with more wild horses and goats than there are people! One of the craziest ports to enter being anchored to rocks on either side and the captain doing a ‘Spectacular Manoeuvre’ at sunrise.
