Results for "Polynésie+Française+sécurité"

Nous sommes actuellement à Moorea et nous venons de faire la randonnée du col des trois cocotiers. Nous avons eu la bonne surprise de voir qu'un balisage tout neuf avait été mis en place. Un peu avant le lycée agricole et au belvédère, un panneau indique les randonnées au départ du lycée agricole, avec une carte et un descriptif des randos (voir photo). Le sentier était bien marqué et chaque intersection il y avait un balisage. Aucun problème pour faire cette boucle sans guide.

Nous ne savons pas ce qu'il en est des sommets. La seule autre ballade que nous avons faite est celle de la cascade d'Afaraeitu. Là par contre, aucun balisage mais le chemin est très facile à suivre : toujours tout droit jusqu'à la cascade (le départ se fait sur une route en terre juste avant l'hôpital, on a demande à des gens qui passaient)

Contrairement à ce qu'on a pu lire dans notre guide, certaines randonnées sont tout à fait faisables sans guide.

Bonjour à tous,

Avec mon conjoint, nous avons prévu un voyage en Polynésie du 2 octobre au 23 octobre.

Après avoir lu les discussions existantes, les avis, etc, je me permets de lancer une discussion afin d'avoir des retours sur notre itinéraire envisagé :

Tahiti - 3 nuits Moorea - 2 nuits Tahiti - 1 nuit Huahine - 3 nuits Raiatea - 3 nuits Maupiti - 2 nuits Bora - 1 nuit (escale pour aller à Rangiroa sans repasser par Raiatea ) Rangiroa - 3 nuits Tahiti - 3 nuits

Je précise que j'ai prévu du temps à Tahiti, car ma mère est partie s'installer là bas. Son départ étant récent, elle n'a pas encore le recul, ni les avis nécessaires à la préparation de notre séjour. J'ai essayé d'adapter le circuit au mieux avec les vols, afin de ne pas perdre trop de temps dans les transferts. J'avais aussi lu sur les forums que la visite de 5 îles était l'idéal...

Merci par avance pour vos retours, ce voyage sera certainement l'un des plus beaux de notre vie alors je ne voudrais pas passer à côté de choses "essentielles" !

Nous aurons une escale de 3 heures à Bora Bora. Pas asssez de temps pour faire une excursion, mais trop pour rester à l'aéroport. Auriez-vous des idées à me proposer ? Merci d'avance.

Bonjour,

Nous avons 6 heures d'attente entre deux vols à Rangiroa et je pensais en profiter pour aller déjeuner et se baigner à l'hôtel Kia Ora mais malheureusement ils n'assurent pas les transferts. savez-vous s'il y a des taxis et quel est le prix (c'est à 4 km) ? Savez-vous également si nous pouvons laisser nos bagages à l'aéroport pour éviter de les trimbaler pour rien ?

Si vous avez d'autres idées pour passer quelques heures à Rangiroa, je suis preneuse. Merci d'avance.

Bonjour,

Nous partons dans deux semaines pour trois semaines en PF, dont deux à bord d'un Catamaran.

Nous passerons trois jours à Moorea après la croisière. Nous prendrons le traversier/ferry Papeete/Moorea/Papeete. Sur le site de Aremiti, on voit les horaires et on peut acheter des billets mais pas pour une heure précise.

Ma question : Est-ce qu'il y a toujours de la place sur les derniers traversiers de la journée, soit vers 17:00 ?

Nous arriverons sur Moorea un dimanche, vers 18:00. Est-ce qu'il y a de petits restaurants près du port ?

Merci !

Bonjour,

Nous partons en Polynésie mi août et je prépare les sorties plongee sur les îles ou nous allons séjourner (principalement rangiroa moorea bora-bora et raiatea). J'ai vu sur internet l'existence de pass intér-îles pour avoir des plongées dans plusieurs clubs différents à des tarifs raisonnables. Est-ce que cela est vraiment un bon plan? Quelqu'un a-t-il testé? Merci d'avance! Gauderique

bonjour

2& jours de congés en septembre 2016. Facile de trouver des billets aller/retour Paris/Tahiti, mais choisir 3 à 4 îles, trouver les transferts, trouver les guests houses nous semble très difficile en si peu de temps. Quelles îles privilégier pour un 1er séjour: farniente, découverte en scooter de paysages, villages, superbes plages ? D'après vous, nous pouvons espérer y arriver ou alors reporter ce voyage ? Merci

Je prévois de partir en Polynésie en Février prochain pour minimum trois semaines, je n'ai pas encore établi un itinéraire et je souhaiterai savoir quelles sont les îles les plus propices au snorkeling. Quel itinéraire me conseilleriez vous ? Merci par avance

nous sommes en train d'envisager un voyage de trois semaines en Polynésie pour un groupe de neufs personnes pour tout le monde c'est la première fois : quatre couples et une célibataire nous sommes tous plongeurs bouteille sauf deux personnes Tahiti; Moréa; Bora-Bora; Rangiroa;Fakarava voila le choix des îles pour le moment nous souhaitons plonger mais également découvrir le pays et ses coutumes faire un tour en quad en 4x4 puis le tour d'une île en jet ce choix 😉est il bon ? faut il rajouter Maupiti merci de nous donner votre avis avec vos arguments

Bonjour, Nous serons 1.5 journée à Tahiti en septembre avant de reprendre notre vol international.

J'avais pensé :

- soit voir le main le marché de Papeete (nous verrons également celui de Raiatea), puis louer une voiture et aller aux cascades de Faarumai et au trou du souffleur,

-soit louer une voiture toute la journée et faire le tour le l'île et aller à Tahiti iti,

Ou bien faire la Grande Traversière avec Patrick Aventures mais ce n'est pas le même budget et comme nous serons en fin de voyage j'ai peur d'avoir un budget limité à ce moment-là.

Votre avis sur la question me serait très utile. Merci d'avance

Bonjour,

Je suis actuellement auto-entrepreneur en France, je travaille via le web pour des clients français (web marketing, formations en ligne, gestion de sites, etc...) et je voudrais m'installer à Tahiti.

Etant donné que je pense m'installer là-bas, je voudrais ouvrir l'entreprise à Tahiti, d'autant qu'il semble que la fiscalité soit plus avantageuse (d'ailleurs, si quelqu'un a des retours d'expérience là-dessus, je suis preneur)

Ma question est la suivante : Est-il possible d'être entrepreneur domicilié en à Tahiti, tout en facturant principalement des clients en métropole ? Ou est-ce que ça peut poser un problème ?

Je pense aussi créer des produits web qui seront vendus pour la plupart hors de la Polynésie (là où il y a le marché web...)

Donc en gros, je voudrais vivre à Tahiti, y domicilier mon entreprise, mais travailler en dehors du territoire grâce au web (au moins les premières années).

Est-ce que ça peut poser un problème quelconque ?

Merci beaucoup pour les retours ! :)

Bonjour,

Quelqu'un sait-il s'il est possible/facile de trouver un retour de Maupiti en bateau (goelette de ravitaillement ou autre)? Depuis que le Maupiti Express ne dessert plus l'île et compte tenu du prix très élevé des billets d'avion, je suppose qu'il existe des possibilités plus ou moins régulières de rejoindre au moins Bora Bora, mais comment? Si on vient passer quelques jours sur Maupiti avec un aller simple en avion, a-t-on de bonnes chances de pouvoir repartir par voie de mer, quitte à être prêt à attendre quelques jours sur place?

Bonjour à tous,

Nous avons réservé un vol A/R avec AIR FRANCE et AIR TAHITI NUI de Paris vers Papette pour juin, et retenu nos sièges depuis 3 mois. OR, il y a quelques jours, nous avons eu la désagréable surprise de constater que AIR TAHITI NUI avait annulé nos réservations de sièges sans nous en attribués d'autres. Bien entendu nous savons que cette réservation n'était pas contractuelle mais nous pensons que la compagnie aurait pu tout au moins nous en informer. Nous trouvons cette attitude inacceptable et nous avons déposé une réclamation auprès d'AIR TAHITI NUI qui nous a à demi-mot envoyé balader...Aussi nous voudrions savoir si c'était une pratique courante d'annuler arbitrairement une réservation de sièges, sans doute pour la réattribuer à des VIP...? Pour notre part avant d'avoir voler sur cette compagnie, nous en sommes déjà mécontents..Pas très commercial tout cela...!

Combien de temps ça prendre de Los Angeles vers Tahiti ou Papette par vol commerciale et quelle est la meilleure route que fait l'avion pour y aller ? Quel compagnie est la meilleure et a le meilleur prix merci !😉

Hi everyone, A quick introduction. I'm 27, I live in Picardy, and I'm getting married in 2017. We'd like to spend our honeymoon in French Polynesia for 3 weeks. I'm open to all kinds of advice!!! I think we'll use a travel agency because our work schedules don't leave us much time to organize the trip... Unless I change my mind! ;-) But we don’t want our trip to turn into tourist clichés—we really don’t like that. That said, we *do* want to see those postcard-perfect beaches and landscapes! We don’t dive, but I think we’ll try a beginner’s dive, and maybe even get our Level 1 certification, depending on how it goes (I read some comments about it on this forum). Anyway, I’m looking for any information and internet links to make this trip a success. This is THE trip of a lifetime, and it has to be perfect! Thanks for your help! I’m also checking out the different threads about Polynesia on this forum ;-)

This trip is a more budget-friendly—and shorter—alternative to the 14-day Aranui 5 cruise, which includes a few days at sea and a detour to Bora Bora in the Leeward Islands on the way back. The advantage of the cruise is that it lets you see and visit (though far too quickly) the two islands of Tahuata and Fatu Hiva, which don’t have airports. By plane, you’ll only be able to land on 4 of the 6 islands. However, Tahuata is accessible from Hiva Oa via a day trip (or two-day trip) shuttle. Plan for two extra days in your total time dedicated to the Marquesas Islands (called *Fenua Enata* in Marquesan language).

Our itinerary is perfect for those who aren’t excited by cruises and prefer to get closer to the local communities. This 9-day trip cost us around 2500 € all-inclusive. For a 14-day cruise on the Aranui, expect to pay 2300 € per person for a basic cabin for four, or 3800 € per person for a superior double cabin.

Air Tahiti offers a 4-island Marquesas Pass (Nuku Hiva, Ua Pou, Ua Huka, and Hiva Oa) for 86,000 XPF (about 700 €). The journey is made on an ATR 72 from Tahiti to Nuku Hiva or Hiva Oa, and on a 19-seat Twin Otter between the islands (often only 13 or 15 seats are available due to cargo, so book well in advance). We’re traveling as a couple. We booked our family-run guesthouse stays at the Tourism Fair in early February, where you can meet the owners and make your choice. Stays are almost always half-board or breakfast-only. Transfers are usually included, but you can always book a car or taxi.

**NUKU HIVA**

**A LITTLE GEOGRAPHY** Nuku Hiva (NH) is located about 1,500 km from Tahiti, in the north of French Polynesia. At 387 km², it’s the second-largest island in French Polynesia after Tahiti. It was formed by incredible volcanic phenomena and cataclysms between 1 and 6 million years ago, which lifted the island thousands of meters above the sea. Even after millennia of slow erosion, collapses, and settling, NH remains the most majestic of the Marquesas, with its sheer cliffs, deep valleys featuring immense waterfalls, and black walls that were once the inner walls of enormous volcanoes.

**A LITTLE HISTORY** The first contact between NH’s inhabitants and Europeans was in 1595 with Spanish navigators who only stayed briefly. It wasn’t until the late 18th century that Europeans arrived in greater numbers on NH (and the other Marquesas Islands), disrupting a very fragile social and cultural balance. It’s believed that nearly 100,000 people lived on Nuku Hiva at that time—a population decimated over the decades by epidemics, diseases brought by Europeans, and alcohol used for barter. The disastrous result: by the 1930s, only 2,500 people remained, having largely lost their identity and living in poverty. Today, the island has about 2,600 inhabitants spread across several villages, with Taiohae as the main one.

**NUKU HIVA IN LITERATURE**

1 / One of the famous writers who visited NH and stayed there was Herman Melville, who arrived in July 1842, the author of *Moby Dick*. The island had just come under French protectorate. Seduced by the enchanting *vahinés* and dazzled by his paradisiacal vision of the place, Melville deserted his ship. He ended up a prisoner of a local tribe, the Taipi, in Taipivai, where he stayed for a month and a half until an Australian ship captain secured his release in exchange for a musket and a roll of cotton fabric! Melville wrote a novel about this tumultuous episode in his life, considered a classic of travel literature. The book, *Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life*, published in 1846 in the United States, was a huge success.

2 / Another famous Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, arrived in NH aboard a yacht that anchored in Anaho Bay, the island’s most beautiful, in July 1888. Stevenson was already known for two magnificent novels that marked their era: *Treasure Island* and *Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde*. Stevenson, too, was captivated by the island’s natural beauty, though he also noted the devastating decline in identity, socio-cultural life, and physical health of a population ravaged by disease and alcohol. His account of his stay, *In the South Seas: An Account of Experiences and Observations in the Marquesas, Paumotus, and Gilbert Islands During Two Cruises on the Yacht Casco (1888) and the Schooner Equator (1889)*, was published in 1896 in New York, four years after his death in Apia, Western Samoa, where he had settled. It was also published in London in 1900.

3 / In August 1903, Victor Segalen, a French naval doctor, ethnologist, and archaeologist, landed in NH from the ship *La Durance*, sent to Polynesia to recover the possessions of the painter Paul Gauguin, who had died in April of that year. He, too, was enthralled by the Marquesas but lamented the loss of identity, dignity, and pride of the Māori, alienated by a Christianization that destroyed their culture and customs, denied their gods, and erased their past. He wrote about his experience, doubts, and fears in *Les Immémoriaux*.

4 / In December 1907, Jack London arrived in NH aboard the sailboat *Stark*, following in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessor, Herman Melville. London was in poor physical condition, exhausted from his relentless travels that had taken him from the Klondike in Canada to Japan, Australia, and London in Europe. He was appalled and shocked by Nuku Hiva’s degraded health situation: where Melville had encountered over 2,000 vigorous and healthy Marquesan warriors, London found only 12 suffering from various diseases—the rest had been wiped out by tuberculosis! His approach remained humanistic, and he maintained a sharp geopolitical awareness of these traditional Polynesian cultures, weakened by the inexorable advance of modernity in the early 20th century. He continued his journey to the Tuamotu Islands and Tahiti, publishing *Martin Eden*, the moving account of his initiatory voyage in the South Pacific, in 1911.

5 / Finally, Alain Gerbault, a writer, linguist, ethnologist, and tireless traveler, arrived in the Marquesas via the Panama Canal in December 1933. He was completely exhausted after an endless crossing on a small sailboat, the *Firecrest*. Enthralled by his stay in the Marquesas, he continued to the Tuamotu Islands in 1934, then Tahiti in 1935. Gerbault fought for the preservation of traditions, as well as the songs and dances banned by the Churches and the French Administration (these bans lasted over 50 years, mind you...!!!). Bora Bora remained his favorite island. A staunch Pétainist during World War II, he was forced to flee Bora Bora for Samoa, then Tonga, and finally Timor, a half-Portuguese island and thus neutral during the war. His travel accounts, *In Pursuit of the Sun: Logbook from New York to Tahiti* and *A Paradise Is Dying*, were published in the late 1940s. He died in Timor in 1941, and his ashes were repatriated to Bora Bora.

Back to our trip and stay.

**Day 1: April 27**

Departure from Papeete at 6:30 AM—we had to wake up two hours earlier and reach the airport in the dark. Takeoff at dawn, good weather en route, flight duration: 4 hours.

Arrival around 10:30 AM in Nuku Hiva, the first stop of this trip. We booked two nights in half-board at Pension Koku’u, transfers included. Maybe not such a great idea, those included transfers, especially on this unique island where the airport is located on *Terre Déserte*, on the other side of the mountain, opposite and about 45 km from the main village of Taiohae. They’re charged at a steep price. Expect 6,000 XPF round-trip by taxi, but 15,000 XPF charged by guesthouses or hotels. The difference is notable. It wasn’t the best idea, but we can’t go back. Even for residents like us who know how to travel in Polynesia, the Air Tahiti employee who sold me the Pass couldn’t give any useful advice about the stay itself—probably because he’d never been to the Marquesas. It’s really annoying! In short, the good idea to remember is renting a car (like a Suzuki) to be free to manage your time and stop at leisure. The road signage is a bit basic, but you’ll manage just fine. Our host Alvane waits for us—without a sign (sic!)—and after searching for each other for 5 minutes, we’re off on a journey of over an hour (with photo stops) in a Land Rover with smooth tires (luckily, it’s not raining!). The recently paved and marked mountain road is impeccable. No time to catch our breath at the guesthouse; we leave immediately (not a great idea after waking up at dawn plus 4 hours on a plane) for a half-day hike that was also included in the prepaid stay. A sandwich was provided (really pathetic for the physical effort required), we have water, and we fill a few bottles at the spring near the ceremonial site of Taipivai, our first stop. Then the hike begins in the Hanaheu Valley, descending toward Anaho Bay and its namesake beach. A magnificent and wild spot, a few sailboats anchored, we swim—the water is really warm, over 30°C at the shore. That warm is rare and not necessarily pleasant. We then have to climb a very steep slope; this hike is actually quite tough. The air is still, humid, and stifling under the foliage, there’s a bit of mud, and tiny ants (which don’t bite, I’ll have you know), locally called *fofolles*, running over shoes, ankles, and calves. Not very pleasant...! On top of that, there are mosquitoes to protect against! In hindsight, it seems wise to bring energy bars from Papeete if you plan to hike on the afternoon of your arrival day. We weren’t careful... Result: a moment of weakness for me and a hyperventilation attack climbing back up from Anaho Bay!!! We return to the guesthouse at night. There we find Claudine and her four children—Marquesan-style atmosphere, friendly and casual. We share family life. Very simple room with a bathroom, no mosquitoes, we can sleep with the window open, but the night will be noisy, as is often the case in Polynesia. Roosters are everywhere and don’t sleep, dogs bark or whine. So we end up waking up early... like everyone else.

**Day 2: April 28**

We booked a full-day excursion with Thierry: it starts with a 45-minute boat ride to reach Hakatea Beach, hidden in a small secret bay like many along Nuku Hiva’s coasts. From there, the hike lasts all day—11 km round-trip on flat but also rugged terrain (ancient paved and elevated paths over 1,000 years old)—and river crossings. Bring the right shoes (like plastic Crocs with high socks—not very stylish but practical). We cross the former village of Hakaui, walk along the foundations of dwellings, and there are still weathered tikis in the lush vegetation. The ultimate goal of this hike is to reach the tall Vaipo waterfall. The place is magical, with openings in the vegetation and immense trees allowing photos of the treetops and caves where funeral canoes containing the bones of chiefs or great warriors were once placed. We return the same way to the beach and take another boat ride to reach Taihoae’s port. Back at the guesthouse after a glimpse of Taihoae’s waterfront.







**UA POU**

**Day 3: April 29**

Back to the airport in the late morning for the second flight of the trip to Ua Pou. 20-minute crossing in a Twin Otter (18 seats but only 13 occupied due to cargo between the islands). Beautiful weather, blue sea, nice photos to take upon departure from NH and arrival in UP. We’re greeted by Jérôme, a former military man turned tourism professional, who runs Pension Pukue’e with his wife Elisa, a native of UP. We’re in for two exceptional days. The guesthouse is comfortable, Jérôme and Elisa are very professional and pleasant. Jérôme is also a professional hiker, and Elisa is an excellent cook. We leave quickly for a half-day excursion to Hohoi, after a stop at the archaeological, cultural, and religious site of Maui’a, the Tavaka tribe’s territory. Jérôme is there to explain how Marquesan society functioned at the time and the events that took place on a site still largely buried under vegetation. Then we visit a flower-stone sculptor he knows—the only place in the Marquesas where you’ll find these stones. They’re collected in the river flowing into the sea at Hohoi, sometimes on the beach itself. Back to the guesthouse.

**Day 4: April 30**

A nature hike in the mountains—moderately difficult—toward the Vaiea waterfall is on our program for a good 4 hours. It’s hot, there are mosquitoes, and the dip in the pool under the waterfall (24°C water) is a rare pleasure. Lunch at a friend of Jérôme’s, a former chef for French minister François Fillon, who prepares delicious food. Elisa picks us up by car to return to the guesthouse. Ua Pou is a beautiful and elegant island with its sharp peaks and wild nature. Our favorite, thanks to Jérôme and his wife.





**UA HUKA**

**Day 4: May 1**

Departure for Ua Huka, the smallest inhabited island in the northern group of the Marquesas, located about 1,300 km northeast of Tahiti. Landing is at the oldest airfield in the Marquesas, built in 1972, between the villages of Vaipaee and Hane. Ua Huka has about 680 inhabitants, according to the last census, spread across 3 villages (since the 1870s): Vaipaee, Hane, and Hokatu. The island peaks at Mount Hitikau at only 884 meters. Its origin: a Hawaiian-type shield volcano that—over a few million years—collapsed to become a caldera (or elliptical depression) in which two small volcanoes appeared, the craters of Tahoatikiau and Teepoepo, now part of the Vaikivi Park. The island is rugged and wild, lower than the others, so less cloud-covered and drier. The bays are jagged, the coastline in ochre tones above the intense blue of the sea, and the beaches are constantly disturbed by the powerful surf. The village of Hokatu is only a few kilometers away (just 14 km of road on the island), but Maurice, our host, drives slowly, and it takes time to go up and down. The road is entirely paved or concreted, which isn’t the case on Ua Pou, for example. The guesthouse is disappointing, perched above the village and thus isolated. Beautiful view of the famous Hane motu and the sparkling sea under the bright sun. Apart from that, there are mosquitoes and cockroaches, the bungalow isn’t clean. Meals are taken with Maurice and Delphine in the village—fine dining isn’t on the menu! Ouch!!! We didn’t luck out...

**Day 5: May 2**

Early in the morning, after breakfast, Delphine takes us to the craft center, which turns out to be a letdown—the items for sale are, in my opinion, crude and poorly carved. Nothing like what’s offered at the Marquesas Fair, held twice a year in Papeete, where you can admire and buy small wonders: wood carvings, flower stone, and coral. Delphine is disappointed we’re not interested, and it shows... She’s a bit sulky! These are items meant for Aranui cruise passengers who land on Ua Huka once every two weeks... Solo travelers like us don’t seem to interest her much. The rest of the day—spent with Maurice—is dedicated to visiting cultural centers and small museums, like the Sea Museum in Hane with its ancient canoes, the municipal archaeological museum on the Te Tumu site above the airfield, the petroglyph house near Hokatu Beach, and finally the Papuakeikaraa arboretum, which gathers endemic plants from all over Polynesia and an impressive citrus collection. No excursion planned to Vaikivi Park, toward the previously mentioned craters that recall the island’s volcanic past. Also missing are the viewpoints, the unique endemic vegetation, and especially the petroglyphs. Too bad... at that price!!! Still, in the evening, we go fishing—with sandwiches and drinks in coolers—with other villagers from the dock at the end of the paved road. It’s cool, windy, no mosquitoes, lots of fish caught, and a great atmosphere. Plus, magnificently starry skies.

Ua Huka is one of the rare islands not invaded by the black rat, which has preserved its birdlife, particularly the ultramarine lorikeet (or *pihiti* in Marquesan), which feeds almost exclusively on flower nectar (banana, coconut, hibiscus, mango, guava trees). A dog imported from New Zealand has been specially trained to detect rats: it inspects cargo unloaded from boats and the docks.

I recommend spending two full days on the island—one for visiting the various museums, the other for hiking in the island’s center park, where the archaeological sites are in their raw state: foundations of agricultural terrace walls, gathering places (or *tohua*), dwelling pavements (or *paepae*), sacred sites (or *me’ae* in Marquesan, *marae* in Tahitian) with their tikis and petroglyphs.

To finish, a bit of info on the island’s name, tied to Marquesan oral culture: according to the legend of the creation of the six Marquesas Islands, Ua Huka is the one that puts the finishing touch on the construction of the god Oatea’s house, each island having a defined architectural function. Ua Huka represents the hole (*ua*) where the god deposits what’s left (*huka* in Marquesan) of the unused materials during construction.

**HIVA OA**

**Day 6: May 3**

Departure in the late morning for Hiva Oa. Maurice—who had other things to do—dropped us off at the airfield 3 hours early... so this stop is a bit of a flop, even if we decided to stay positive! Hiva Oa is the third-largest island in French Polynesia after Tahiti and Nuku Hiva, and before Raiatea in the Leeward Islands. The island is beautiful, lush, verdant, and jagged. The mountains soar into the sky, the sea views are grand, the light is sublime—we’re lucky. Beautiful weather. Tania from Pension Kanahau waits for us at the airport. We’re in for two wonderful days with her. Tania is welcoming, smiling, and dynamic. What a pleasure to be with her, at her place—she cooks divinely and serves the best tuna in the world (the Big Eye reserved for the Japanese) and croquettes made with lobster, shrimp, and crab with breadfruit cubes, for example. Comfortable bungalow, no mosquitoes at night, we can sleep with the window open. It’s fantastic! After settling in, Tania takes us to town in Atuona, a pleasant and well-laid-out little village. We start with lunch—a delicious raw fish in coconut milk—then continue with the must-see attractions: the Catholic cemetery where Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel’s graves are, overlooking the town; the abandoned Protestant cemetery, reclaimed by the bush, with impressive Marquesan warrior tombs made of huge coral slabs and adorned with a tiki head (harder to find, as no one goes there... ask for directions!); the craft center; the Gauguin Museum (and the Jacques Brel Museum); and the waterfront. While we stroll peacefully, Tania organizes an excursion for the next day, May 4, a full day with Pifa O’Connor, a 36-year-old who knows his island inside out, is passionate about local history, and with whom we’ll hit it off.

**Day 7: May 4**

Pifa arrives at 8 AM sharp at the guesthouse, and we immediately buy sandwiches and water at a small supermarket in Atuona. First, we make a brief stop by the roadside at an unmarked spot, from which we descend a small path through dense vegetation leading to the famous smiling tiki—the only one of its kind in the Marquesas and Polynesia. The place is improbable, the tiki isn’t huge, but it’s beautiful and impressive. Then we’re off on the road that, dizzyingly, runs along and overlooks the island’s northern coast, at the edge of the ancient volcano. Few vehicles pass, the road—now a rocky track—is full of potholes, and we proceed slowly. (Note that this road has been fully paved since 2018.) The panoramas are majestic, with every shade of green against the blue sea. We stop again at the top of a cliff adorned with a huge stone, the *sacrifice stone*, from which young virgin girls were once thrown into the sea to appease angry gods. Another pause for lunch this time, at a small restaurant near the exceptional archaeological site of Puamau. We’ll experience the highlights of this trip during this excursion with our guide, Pifa, who spares no explanations. We discover, on a vast esplanade, the ceremonial complexes of Ta’a Oa and Meae Te I’Ipona, the latter featuring superb tikis, particularly the reclining tiki—or *Maki Taua Pepe*—representing Motherhood, a woman giving birth in a squatting position, as was often the case in many civilizations. Also notable is the *Takaii*, the largest tiki recorded in Polynesia to date. There’s also a huge stone with a now-blunt edge, on which the circumcision of chiefs’ and notables’ pre-adolescent sons was performed. A tough ordeal! But that’s not all! It seems there are more on the mountainside rising steeply behind the archaeological site—overturned tikis, platforms, and, apparently, a giant tiki at the top, which must have fallen but was visible from afar on the sea 30 or 40 years ago, according to the island’s elders. This meeting, worship, and living place—it was actually a small town—is immense. Thousands of people once lived in this part of the island. The site—a religious, social, and cultural sanctuary—would be the size of the largest Mayan sites in Yucatán, but the few concerned owners—two or three families who own the mountainside—don’t want to hear about intensive clearing or tree cutting for now. UNESCO rightly asks for some compliance efforts to grant special treatment to Hiva Oa in particular and the Marquesas in general. We’re not there yet, unfortunately, due to insurmountable local rigidities! This kind of attitude is quite typical in Polynesia: people are afraid to uncover *marae* buried under vegetation—they’re taboo and sometimes said to emit negative and deadly waves, so it’s better not to disturb or anger the ancient spirits or gods who might take revenge. The old religion is never far away in Polynesia, despite the successes of the missionaries.

We return to the guesthouse in the late afternoon. Last night in the Marquesas with Tania, who prepares a fine and delicious meal. Note that dinner costs 2,500 XPF per person.

**Day 8: May 5**

We take the plane as planned, via Nuku Hiva (short stopover). Arrival on time in Papeete.

May this travel journal inspire many of you to visit the Marquesas one day. It’s far, it’s expensive, it’s the trip of a lifetime—it’s unforgettable and unmissable.

Bonjour,

Désolée pour la question qui paraîtra peut-être un peu surprenante à certains... Voilà, j'ai lu partout qu'il fallait avoir des chaussures pour marcher dans l'eau en Polynésie, dont acte, du coup je me demande comment fait-on quand on marche dans l'eau en partant du bord pour aller faire du snorkelling (avec des palmes) loin du bord ? Arrivée sur le spot de snorkelling, on met ses palmes sur ses chaussons (et dans ce cas, il faut prévoir des palmes réglables ?) ? Ou on enlève ses chaussons et on enfile ses palmes et on se retrouve avec ses chaussons à la main...?!

Bref, je me pose la question avant d'acheter tout le matériel (on part en famille à 5...) pour être sûre de ne pas me tromper, merci d'avance pour vos retours d'expérience !

bonjour nous somme un couple et parton a tahiti 10 jour la semaine prochaine auriez vous des bon plan pension hotel .....sur papeete moorea....merci

Bonjour, Je viens de m'apercevoir qu'après 70 ans nous ne pouvons plus louer de voiture dans certaines destinations notamment en Polynésie ??🙁 Est -ce que quelqu'un peut nous informer où nous donner des tuyaux pour location voiture +70ans... Nous sommes un peu coincés pour pouvoir voyager ? Y a t-il en payant des suppléments une possibilité? Nous attendons vos conseils et vos expériences. Merci. Cordialement. Nini45

Bonjour à tous J'organise mon voyage de 17 jours en Polynésie et c'est vraiment pas simple .... et j'ai toujours trouvé des renseignements précieux auprès de vous ... J'aurai voulu connaitre votre avis sur le circuit que je viens de préparer et je suis preneuse de toutes les remarques .... Je precise que nous aimons voyager, faire de la plongée bouteilles et snorkelling, aller à la rencontre des habitants, fuir les hordes de touristes ....et ainsi voici mon parcours : 2J = Tahiti location chez l'hôte 3J = Moorea hôtel ou pension à trouver 4J = Huahine maison d'hôte chez Gwenn 3J = Maupiti pension chez Ludo et Moya 4J = Tikehau hotel Tikehau Pearl Beach 1J = Tahiti hôtel près aéroport Merci à tous