6 Best Sights in The Other Islands, French Polynesia

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.

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.

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 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).

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.

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.