Itinerary:

02Apr: Papeete

03-06 Apr:
Cruising Tumatou Archepelago

06-07 Apr: Pitcairn

08 Apr: Eclipse Intercept

11 Apr: Hiva Oa, Marquesas

12 Apr: Nuku Hiva, Marquesas

14 Apr: Fakarava

15 Apr: Moorea

16 Apr: Papeete

Nuku Hiva (Taiohae)

Taiohae is a pleasant village bordering the sea. It is the administrative, economic, educational and health center of the Marquesas Islands. Here are the French and Territorial administrators, the government buildings, gendarmerie, post office, general hospital, town hall, Air Tahiti office, banks, schools, well-stocked stores and shops. It lies on the south coast at the head of the Bay of Taiohae whose entrance is guarded by two rocks called "Les Sentinelles"" Motu Nui to the west and Matauapuna to the East. Sundays and holidays are just as busy as any work day, when the villagers drive back and forth along the sea front road in their 4-wheel drive vehicles, calling out to their friends, and stopping to join the on-going game of petanque or French bowls, played under the flowering flamboyant tree in the front of the town hall. Nearby, the women sit under a shelter and win money playing bingo.

The mystique of the Marquesas Islands doesn't stop at sea level. The diving here is unlike anything in French Polynesia, due to the absence of a protective coral reef. Visibility is reduced because of wave action and upwelling. The result is spectacularly blue water and a huge population of pelagics that come to feed in these remote waters. Hammerhead sharks and melon-headed whales (also known as Pygmy Orcas) are the main attraction. When the conditions are calm, even novice divers can experience the thrill of seeing these unique creatures in a totally pristine environment. The Pygmy Orcas are best seen between November and April.

Shore Excursions
Helicopter Flightseeing
Duration: Hour. Helicopter, Less Walking.

Cultural and Historical Taiohae
Duration: 1 Hours. Less Walking, Local Style Transport.

Visit of Taipivai Valley
Duration: 3 Hours. Difficult Walking, Four Wheel Drive.

Hiva Oa (Atuona)

Hiva Oa is one of the islands discovered and named by Mendaa in 1595. He named the island La Dominica. The main town is Atuona on the southern shore and is within Traitors Bay (Taaoa). Above the steady rumble of the Pacific surge, the sharply sculpted mountains of Hiva Oa hide their summits in the mists of rain-filled clouds. The largest and most fertile island in the southern group of the Marquesas, Hiva Oa has deep valleys, lush plateaus and thickly wooded forests. Located 740 miles northeast of Tahiti, the town of Atuona is the administrative center for the southern Marquesas. Framed in a theater of mountains with the Bay of Traitors providing safe anchorage, Atuona is a favorite port of call for yachts and copra ships.