In the Remote Marquesas Islands, Nature Is at Its Most Intimidating—And Irresistible

Photo credit: Brad Torchia. Retrieved from cntraveler.com

The Polynesian name for the Marquesas is Te Fenua ‘Enata, the Land of Men. This volcanic archipelago of 12 islands is located 900 miles northeast of Tahiti and 2,340 miles from anywhere else. Only six islands are populated. They are so remote that they were one of the last places on earth to be colonized. They are so rugged that before the French brought baguettes and téléphones, each of their many distinct, walled-in valleys had its own tribe. The island my wife, Kim, and I were on was Nuku Hiva, the largest in the chain. We planned to spend three nights here, then move on to the smaller islands of ‘Ua Pou and Hiva Oa. This morning we had taken a boat in rough seas to get to the Hakaui Valley, where we hoped to hike up to a waterfall called Vaipō.

Maria, our guide for the day, glanced at the phone booth. “Do you want to call your grandmother?” she asked, her eyes sparkling. I was also learning that the Marquesan sense of humor is as relentless as the trade winds. Maria was a descendant of the valley’s original tribe and was related to everyone who lived here.

“That’d be tough,” I said. “My grandmother is in heaven.”