Hiva Oa: Puamau and Atuona
Follow our expert guides to the mysterious jungle ruins of Puamau, where we visit one of the Marquesas’ most significant archaeological sites at Mea’e Ipona that is noted for its tikis (ancient human-like religious sculptures). These haunting and sometimes frightening statues remind us of the often fearsome ancient civilisations. Of particular interest is the largest tiki in the Marquesas that stands over two metres high, a six-fingered tiki that is said to hold significant spiritual power, and another that is a revered symbol of childbirth. Our next port of call is Atuona, the village where the French painter Paul Gauguin spent the last years of his life. It was also the home of Belgian singer/composer Jacques Brel who, like Gauguin, lived out his last days in this little piece of paradise. After entering Atuona harbour and docking at high tide, we visit the Gauguin and Brel museums, a replica of Gauguin’s ‘House of Pleasure’, and the final resting place of both men in the frangipaniscented village cemetery high on a hill overlooking the bay. The more active can also join a one-hour hike to a spectacular viewpoint above the village or, if the weather is fine, sign up for an adventure on horseback. Lunch is another traditional Marquesan feast at Hoa Nui restaurant followed by free time to shop for local crafts or check out the General Store.