Marquesas Must Sees?

We are looking at a cruise for 2020 possibly to the Marquesas. I was wondering can anyone tell us about the must sees there and any other tips for these islands. Thanks.

I loved the 4x4 trip we made through the Taipivai Valley on Nuku Hiva. Partly it was because I read Melville's book, Typee, which is set there.

Which islands are you going to? I think the list has changed slightly. We didn't get outside of the village on Fatu Hiva--I would have loved to see the interior of this island.

Mainly you'll find there are 4x4 trips to see the scenic beauty of the island. There is the museum on Hiva Oa, and the graves of Gauguin and Brel. There is some scuba offered for advanced divers I believe.

I think their route goes to Nuku Hiva, Fatu Hiva, Hiva Oa, Hapatoni Tahuata (what is this island's actual name?

Questions/Comments I have right now:

Nuku Hiva:

The Cathedral is a standout attraction.... what else in town or any tours that are recommended?

Fatu Hiva:

What do you recommend here?

Hiva Oa:

What is the easiest way to see Gauguin's house and gravesite? Is there a car rental place for this?

Tahuata:

It looks like there might be a beach here? What else is there to see?

Are there any independent tours? Is it possible to rent a car anywhere? Are there any boat tours... might be fun to see these mountainous islands from the water.

Thanks for your help... information is hard to find on the Marquesas.

I think their route goes to Nuku Hiva, Fatu Hiva, Hiva Oa, Hapatoni Tahuata (what is this island's actual name?

 

Questions/Comments I have right now:

 

Nuku Hiva:

The Cathedral is a standout attraction.... what else in town or any tours that are recommended?

 

Fatu Hiva:

What do you recommend here?

 

Hiva Oa:

What is the easiest way to see Gauguin's house and gravesite? Is there a car rental place for this?

 

Tahuata:

It looks like there might be a beach here? What else is there to see?

 

Are there any independent tours? Is it possible to rent a car anywhere? Are there any boat tours... might be fun to see these mountainous islands from the water.

 

Thanks for your help... information is hard to find on the Marquesas.

I vaguely remember that there was a shuttle bus on Hiva Oa for the house and gravesite. Perhaps someone else can comment.

Few independent tours, I believe. I think there's one operator on one island--I did some research for a friend travelling there on Oceania several years ago, and the one operator (4x4's are the norm, but nice ones) was difficult to book, but bookable. Can't remember the name or even the island. We did 4x4 tours (a driver and up to 4 pax) on Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa, all booked thru the ship. There was one available on Fatu Hiva as well.

I wouldn't bother renting car anywhere on these islands, although I know zilch about Tahuata.

Little known fact: Thor Heyerdahl's first book was a memoir of his year on Fatu Hiva. He went there to live like a native, with his first wife. It didn't go very well, as I remember--when they caught a steamer off the island they both had fungal infections on their feet, lol. I read it when I was about 15, so was anxious to see this island. As I said, we just walked up the road outside of the village, so didn't see much. But the bay itself is absolutely beautiful.

Tripadvisor is an obvious suggestion The old website for Tahiti and the islands is now gone.

I believe they normally go to Fatu Hiva, Hiva Oa, Tahuata and Nuku Hiva. We went at the end of January earlier this year and had the ordered changed since a very large cruise ship was scheduled to be in Nuku Hiva the same day that we were and PG wanted us to enjoy the port.

So our first port was Nuku Hiva. The town that you tender into is large enough to actually be called a town. The Cathedral is right in town, and there was some craft and tourist-oriented shopping available. A few people from the cruise just stayed and town, and I believe one couple mentioned that they had found a small beach, but after stopping at Faka Rava 2 days earlier, it wasn't worth the walk. We took the "Visit of Taipivai Valley" excursion offered by the cruise. I think we used almost all of the SUVs and extended cab pick-ups in town, with 4 per vehicle plus a driver. We stopped at a number of scenic lookouts, and some of them were quite crowded due to the size of our tour. The onboard expert, Mark Eddowes, was our guide for this tour and he told us interesting historical information at each of the stops. The scenery was fantastic. We eventually stopped at a park-like cultural center with restrooms, a dining pavillion with a large selection of local food for tasting, and another building with craft vendors. We were surprised at how reasonably priced many of the handmade items were. On the way back into town, we were dropped off at the Cathedral for a tour. We felt it was good way to see the Island.

Next we stopped at Fatu Hiva. We actually couldn't find an excursion that I was comfortable with. There was a Petroglyph Walk which was described a difficult uphill hike in hot, humid conditions. There was also a scenic drive to the other end of the island. I was tempted by this since it ended at the Bay of Virgins which I wanted to see. But it was described as not being for those with vertigo, and looking at the road from the boat, I knew I had made the right decision. We ended up not even going into shore since my husband's back was acting up after the bumpy ride the day before. But... after pulling up anchor, the PG gave us a nice tour of the Bay of Virgins as we headed to the next anchorage.

We anchored off of a tiny settlement called Hapatoni on the island of Tahuata. I took the "Hapatoni Discovery" ship's excursion. I think everyone in the settlement came to the dock to meet our tender and entertain us with music. My husband had cancelled his reservation the day before because of his back, and that was a good thing. The tour took us up and down and around switchbacks, and we were frequently bumped up out of our seats. Again, the views and scenery were spectacular. We stopped in a fishing village called Vaitahu where they had a small museum, a Cathedral, and market with local items and crafts for sale. There were restrooms. Mark Eddowes was the guide for this tour as well so he gave us all of the history. The school children were let of class so they and their teachers could talk to us and answer questions about local life. It was very interesting. There was a small beach near the dock, and a few people walked to it while we waited for the tender, but if I remember correctly, it was pretty rocky, and not very wide.

Our last stop was Hiva Oa. I had originally booked "Atuona to Taaoa", but had cancelled that due to my husband's back problem. An open air type bus was provided to take PG passengers from the dock to the cemetery and on into town where there was a museum, stores and restaurants. I got off with quite a few other people at the road to the cemetery. It was all uphill, and we made the mistake of going all the way up. The view was great, but Paul Gauguin is buried near the entrance to the cemetery (enter at the bottom of the hill and walk straight across to the opposite side). By the time I got back on the bus, I was drenched with sweat and exhausted. In town, people were standing in line outside of the few businesses with AC, and there were more people who wanted to get on the bus than would fit, so they had to wait another 30 minutes. I decided to stay on the bus and head back to the ship.

Wendy is pretty spot on with her comments. We didn't see rental cars or taxis available. There were a few non-ship tours picking up passengers in Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa. We didn't see any boat tours, and all of the diving is for advance certified divers with recent dive experience. There's not much in the Marquesas, but they are beautiful, and the lack of people is part of their charm. The people who live there were very welcoming. Their history is interesting but quite sad.

Sorry to be long-winded, but I also struggled to find information on the Marquesas. I read the TripAdvisor reviews of hotels looking for information, but there aren't many of those either.

How was the sailing between the Society and Marquesan Islands? If anyone has been on both the 14 day Marquesas and 10 day Tuamotus route which do you prefer and why?

The sailing was fine in early February. We had large swells at our anchorage at Tahuata and the tender in to the dock was a challenge, but I didn't really feel it on the PG. And they had plenty of crew members to help us on to the tender. There were a few showers that passed by quickly when we were in the Marquesas, and on our 2 sea days on the way back. We could see them coming and take cover, and the wind only picked up 10 knots or so while they passed through. It cooled it off briefly like Florida in the summer.

We only spent one day in the Tuamotus, at Faka Rava. It's a great place for beaches and snorkeling. There were tours available at the dock when we tendered in, and a beach within walking distance. We did a tour with a local guide and he showed us some of the highlights. We had a ship excursion for snorkeling in the afternoon. It was a combination of deep water (with plenty of sharks) and a large coral head (with plenty of small colorful fish). If the Tuamotus were closer to Florida, I would fly to Faka Rava for a vacation. Living full time in South Florida, we can survive with just a ceiling fan, and the more fish meals, the better. And we love beaches and snorkeling.

Oh. I just reaiized that the PG doesn't anchor in the Bay of Virgins on Fatu Hiva any more. That's a shame. It's stunning, and shouldn't be missed if you can get there. What's the new anchorage like?

We anchored off Omoa, the town at the other end of the road from Hanavave. The anchorage is definitely not as scenic as the Bay of Virgins. It was, however, calm, unlike our next night at Tahuata. Omoa looked like a much bigger town than Hanavave.It could be that a lot of the drivers for the tours live there rather than by the Bay of Virgins. That would make it much more convenient to hire tour drivers up to Hanavave and back rather than the other way around.

We anchored off Omoa, the town at the other end of the road from Hanavave. The anchorage is definitely not as scenic as the Bay of Virgins. It was, however, calm, unlike our next night at Tahuata. Omoa looked like a much bigger town than Hanavave.It could be that a lot of the drivers for the tours live there rather than by the Bay of Virgins. That would make it much more convenient to hire tour drivers up to Hanavave and back rather than the other way around.

Is that they sailby you were talking about that they do? That sounds like a highlight.

Yes, we did a sailby of the Bay of Virgins. If I remember correctly, we approached slowly, came to a stop for a few minutes, then left slowly, so we had a very good look around from the ship. If you aren't afraid of heights, the "scenic drive" ship excursion gives you time to explore Hanavave, the town on the Bay of Virgins.

How was the sailing between the Society and Marquesan Islands? If anyone has been on both the 14 day Marquesas and 10 day Tuamotus route which do you prefer and why?

Ours was in December and the seas we're good, very calm. But as they say, your experience may vary! Dry season in the Marquesas so not wretchedly hot, although it is hot in the Societies at that time. This was our all-time fave on the PG.