30 Best Sights in The Other Islands, French Polynesia

The village of Anaho, with it's small thatched-roofed Catholic church, is located at the head of the bay. It's backed by jagged green mountains—this has to rank among the most beautiful places on earth—and has the only coral shelf in the Marquesas. There's also an expansive white sand beach.

If you'd like to see a number of the Marquesas islands, jump aboard the Aranui 3, a cargo boat that leaves Pape'ete for the outlying islands—Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Fatu Hiva, and Ua Huka, plus several others—about 16 times per year; the journey takes about 15 days. The boat holds a maximum of 200 passengers with varying degrees of accommodation, meals are served, and there's a nursery, swimming pool, library, and a restaurant-bar. Nights are spent on board and shore visits are half or whole days with a guide from the ship. Pape'ete, Tahiti, Windward Islands. 42–62–42. www.aranui.com.

Hiva Oa's main settlement is Atuona, which lies at the head of the Bay of Traitors. The main attractions are those associated with artist Paul Gauguin—the museum and his grave.

If you'd like to see Gauguin's final resting place, pay a visit to the Calvaire Cemetery, which is behind Atuona's gendarmerie (police station); there should be a signpost. A stone engraved "paul gauguin, 1903" marks the spot. On the tombstone is a replica of a statue of an oviri (savage) that is said to symbolize the values for which the artist searched in the Marquesas. Jacques Brel is also buried here.

In the tiny village of Hokatu about 2 mi east of Hane look for the Geology and Petroglyphe Museum, which is tiny but interesting.

The village of Hane, protected on the east by Motu Hane, also has a little museum dedicated to the sea, with a display of canoes through the ages, paddles, and many other objects. The oldest archeological site so far discovered in the Marquesas, Haíatuatua, is also here. It has been dated to between AD 250 and 300.

Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson favored Hatiheu Bay, which is on the northern coast. Nearly a thousand feet above the bay, a statue of the Virgin looks down; in the valley is the Naniuhi tohua meeting place used by pre-Christian Marquesans, which includes a dance platform, ceremonial stones, and petroglyphs carved in boulders.

Based at the Hibiscus Hotel, this sanctuary rescues sea turtles that have been caught in commercial fishnets—most get sold on the lucrative black market. More than 1,300 turtles have been nursed back to heath at the sanctuary which tags the healthy turtles before releasing them into open waters. For US$100 you can sponsor and name a turtle and receive updates on its progress in the wild.

The Jacques Brel Cultural Centre is adjacent to the Paul Gauguin Centre and they share a ticket office. The center honors the life of Brel (1929–1978), a Belgian singer and actor that lived in Atuona for several years at the end of his life. Brel's Beachcraft Bonanza plane—which he named Jojo, after a good friend, and one of his most famous songs—is on permanent display. A souvenir market now stands next to the museum.

Near Mahu on the south coast is the home and grave of parliamentary speaker Noel Ilari, who was jailed by the French government in the 1950s on false charges. Details of the saga are on his gravestone. His home is now a modest guesthouse.

Tubuai has a number of marae—Polynesian meeting grounds or temples—along with ahu (platforms for the dead). They are generally poorly maintained in the Christian environment.

More than half the people live in the town of Mataura on the northern coast, about 1.5 km (1 mi) east of the wharf. You'll find the town hall, police station, shops, and a small market in the village, though in truth there is little for the tourist to buy.

At the foot of Mount Hitikau, you can see a great series of monumental tiki carved from red rock. Many organized tours call here.

The village's main attraction is the Musée Communal, the oldest museum in the Marquesas. Its collections include mortuary canoes and various decorations such as bracelets, earrings, sperm whale teeth, and adzes. Local wood-carvers work and sell their wares here. The museum is also known as the Archeological Museum of Vaipaee.

About 500 people live on the island in two villages: Omoa, which has a simple but beautiful Catholic church, and the even smaller Hanavave. Many of the inhabitants carry dramatic tattoos in the local tradition and proudly display them to visitors. The islanders are legendary for their generosity and friendship, and if necessary it's perhaps best to repay this generosity with gifts rather than cash.

Only 4.8 km (3 mi) of sea separate the villages but land access is by a 16-km (10-mi) narrow path that winds over the mountains. Walking this can take around four to five hours—getting around is not an easy option.

East of Vaipae'e, on the road to the airport, is this remarkable botanical garden spread out over 42 acres. It showcases more than 300 plant species (most of which are unlabeled, so take an illustrated guide if possible) from all over the world. Most of the major local flora, including the majestic local palm and papaya, are represented among the offerings. The citrus fruit collection, from which emanate distinctively tangy aromas, is reputed to be the best in the world. An aviary displays local birds, including the ultramarine lorikeet.

The village of Puamau is east of Atuona; the journey takes 2½ hours by 4WD over a mountain trail that crosses the island, passing through the island's airport, the north shore, and the villages of Hanapaaoa and Nahoe. Puamau is overshadowed by a circle of high cliffs and is home to the Pekekea historical site which consists of the tomb of Queen Vahinetitoiani that's protected by two gigantic "tiki"—Mani and Pauto. Higher up the trail sits one of the most important archaeological sites in the Marquesas: Iipona, a temple site with the largest stone carving found outside of Easter Island. The site is guarded by a 7-foot-tall (2 meter) tiki that's known as 'Takai', the valley's namesake. Takai' is accompanied by two smaller tiki: Tauatepepe on the right and Pepetamuimui to the left. There are also many tiki heads displayed about the paepae, and on one of the platforms there is also the striking statue of Makali Taua Pepe, representing a woman giving birth to a creature that is half man, half goat.

Sea Museum of Hane displays pirogues (outrigger canoes) and various fishing equipment and hooks.

Tubuai had a role in the best-known naval mutiny, that aboard HMS Bounty in 1789. After master's mate Fletcher Christian seized the ship, setting Captain William Bligh adrift, the mutineers sailed the South Pacific looking for a place to hide, eventually ending up on Pitcairn Island. In the course of their travels they spent time in Tubuai, building Fort George, southeast of Taahuaia and around 3 km (2 mi) east of the wharf. Nothing remains of the original fort, but a replica has recently been built.

The island has some of the most interesting archaeological sites in French Polynesia and these can all be seen on a 4WD excursion. The village of Taaoa is west of Atuona and can be reached by a zigzag track that reaches an elevation of 1,300 feet (400 meters). The village has a great view over the bay, and there's a large archaeological site consisting of several hundred paepae (stone platforms).

Although it has no airport, the neighboring island of Tahuata—the only landing place of Spaniard Alvaro De Mendana, the first European to see the islands—can be reached by boat or helicopter and is popular with visiting yachties. Approximately 600 people live in either the village of Vaitahu, which is backed by a massive green cliff-face, or in several smaller villages around the island. Hapatoni is a delightful village by the sea, the seafront road being constructed with very old carved slabs. It can be reached by boat from Vaitahu village in about 15 minutes. There are no normal roads on the island and getting around can be difficult; horseback is the favored mode of transport. There are several lovely beaches that look tantalizing, but take precautions before taking the plunge as the dreaded nono will be there in large numbers. Petroglyphs can be seen in an inland valley and there are also relics of the fighting between the local people and the French in earlier days. Today, villagers sell carvings, paintings, and monoi (a fragrant mix of coconut and tiare flower extracts that's used as a body moisturizer).

In the shadow of towering, 2,834-foot (864 meters) Mt. Muake, this is the island's main town. Located in the center of the southern coast at the foot of deep Taiohae Bay, the town is in the center of an ancient volcanic crater, half of which has collapsed into the ocean, creating a bay. A modern administrative center complete with gendarmerie (police), it has a particularly French feel to it. Taiohae sculptors work in shops behind the village. Most of the island's banks, schools, stores, and shops are in Taiohae. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Marquesas is built with various rock from the six islands of the Marquesas. The wood carvings inside combine Marquesan art with religion, including a dramatic wooden pulpit.

Melville based his celebrated novel Typee on his experiences in Nuku Hiva and the time he spent in the valley of Taipivai. The large and fertile valley is around 16 km (10 mi) from Taiohae and can be reached by boat. Taipivai features the best archaeological sites in the Marquesas.

Techni-Iles. Techni-Iles at the Europcar office in Uturoa has two computers, but you can also bring your own laptop. 66–34–06 or 66 37 81.

The Museum of Wood, or "Jardin Bontanique," is situated in the Papua-keikaha Temoohe Arboretum.

The Paul Gauguin Cultural Centre has no original works by the artist but does display reproductions of some of the paintings from his time in Polynesia. A replica of his thatched Maison du Jouir (House of Pleasure) has been rebuilt nearby; the outside is finished in sculpted wood panels, with copies of Gauguin's originals. There's also a craft center.

The plateau provides the island with its only flat agricultural area, while a mountain range, dominated by 4,015-foot (1,223-meter) Mt. Tekao, looms above.

Vaiee-Nui Falls are in the valley behind Hanavave. The journey is described by some as an easy walk of around an hour but it must be remembered that rain is frequent on Fatu Hiva, and a muddy path can turn the easy walk into a tough hike. If you make the trip, be sure to take swimming gear; the pool at the base of the falls simply calls out for a swim.

At the center of the island—three hours by foot but quicker on horseback—are the archeological remains of Vaikivi, where you can admire a series of petroglyphs on the rocks of this ancient volcanic crater. Around 50 carved petroglyphs have been discovered here, including a depiction of an outrigger sailing canoe, others show a human face and an octopus.

The island's main village, Vaipae'e is a short walk from the dock at Baie de Vaipae, a narrow bay between high cliffs.

Musée Communal. The village's main attraction is the Musée Communal, the oldest museum in the Marquesas. Its collections include mortuary canoes and various decorations such as bracelets, earrings, sperm whale teeth, and adzes. Local wood-carvers work and sell their wares here. The museum is also known as the Archeological Museum of Vaipaee. 92–60–13. Free, donations welcome. Open by request only.