Clockwise from right: |
|||
Traditional Polynesian |
|||
poulet fafa with taro |
|||
leaves and chili; a |
|||
Catholic church in |
|||
Puama’ u, Hiva Oa; one of |
|||
many stone tikis in Nuku |
|||
Hiva; a yacht glides into |
|||
the harbour in Papeete |
|||
images: stockfood; alamy; awl images |
main village of Omo‘ a to Hanavave, farther along the western coast. The trail winds through forests of acacia and fruit trees— and your efforts are rewarded by spectacular views from the open grassland on the plateau. The descent to Hanavave affords another fantastic vista that’ s dominated by the beautiful Bay of Virgins, which is surrounded by lofty basalt columns.
Alternatively, a leisurely stroll around Omo‘ a leads to the small red-roofed church Église Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix d’ Omo‘ a, with its slender white spire and ornate wooden altar. On your walk in Omo‘ a, you’ ll find craftsmen demonstrating their skills in making tapa cloth, a material created from soaked tree bark that’ s decorated with elaborate designs using vegetable dyes.
HIVA OA
The most remarkable sight on Hiva Oa is the group of tiki statues— human-like stone religious sculptures, the largest outside the similar moai statues on Chile’ s Easter Island— standing in a leafy clearing. A winding road deep into green hills leads to the hallowed outdoor shrine of Meae Iipona, the site of these prehistoric stone figures, whose vast heads and huge eyes symbolise knowledge and power. One of them, around 9 feet tall and known as Takaii, towers over the rest, representing a formidable chieftain. Islanders believe the spirits of the dead wander this site and that the tikis come alive. There are lines in Takaii’ s eyes, which when hit by the sun in a certain spot resemble all-seeing pupils.
|
The charms of Hiva Oa also captivated French post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin and Belgian musician Jacques Brel, who lived their final years on the island and are buried close to each other in simple graves in the picturesque cemetery overlooking Atuona Bay.
NUKU HIVA
The capital of the Marquesas, Nuku Hiva is French Polynesia’ s second largest island after Tahiti. The main town of Taioha’ e, the starting point for exploring the island, is situated on a former volcanic crater that’ s partly collapsed into the ocean, creating a bay with black-sand beaches.
There are 700 archaeological sites scattered across the island, including me’ ae— sacred ceremonial places— as well as the remains of rock platforms where ancient Taipi people built their first homes beneath the banyan trees that still grow here today. In their shade, troupes of villagers perform spirited traditional dances, such as the haka pua, or pig dance, and haka manu, the bird dance, accompanied by guttural cries and a mesmerising beat from pahu wooden drums.
Nuka Hiva is also famous for its waterfalls. The Hakaui Valley hiking trail leads to the Vaipo waterfall, which cascades from a height of 1,148 feet and is the highest in all of French Polynesia.
RANGIROA
Part of the Tuamotu archipelago, Rangiroa is distinctly different from other Tahitian
|
TOP THREE: LOCAL DISHES TO TRY
Poulet fafa Traditionally cooked over an ahima’ a oven( pit barbecue dug into the earth), tender chicken pieces are prepared with onion, garlic, ginger and coconut milk to create a creamy dish served with fafa, the edible stem and heartshaped green leaves of the taro( known as Polynesian spinach).
Poisson cru The islands’ abundance of fresh seafood, fruit and vegetables comes together in French Polynesia’ s national dish. Traditionally served on a banana leaf, raw fish( usually tuna) is marinated in lime juice and coconut milk and mixed with crunchy raw vegetables to create a dish that tastes as good as it looks.
Firi firi Locals tend to eat these doughnuts for breakfast, but visitors devour them throughout the day. They’ re infused with coconut milk and moulded into a figure eight, or strips, before being fried and served warm with a liberal dusting of sugar.
|
spring 2025 • 63 |