Ua Huka

Introducing Ua Huka

Dubbed the Island of Horses (and there are indeed about as many horses on the island as people), 'Ua Huka could just as easily be called the island of sculptors. The island's only three villages - Vaipaee, Hane and Hokatu - are filled with small workshops where rosewood, tou and coconut are fashioned into ti'i, plates, bowls and the like. Besides being a fantastic place to buy carvings, 'Ua Huka's small size makes it easy to meet the artists themselves and to delve right in to Marquesan life. After a day or two the community seems to absorb you like a giant, friendly sponge; this is the kind of place that tempts you to do like Gauguin and devote your life to love, art and nature.

If all this isn't enough to entice a visit, the ancient 'Ua Hukans were just as artistically driven as their progeny. Tucked away in the jungle valleys are scattered petroglyphs, ti'i and pae pae; some are easily accessible while others take several hours to reach on horseback. Knowing that it's not everyone's cup of tea to travel through the bush for hours to see a few etchings, the locals have opened not just one but four little museums devoted to their cultural heritage. There's also an arboretum where visitors can explore the island's flora in one neat and tiny package. Amazingly, aside from Aranui passengers, the majority of travellers bypass 'Ua Huka's charms for those of its more developed neighbours, Nuku Hiva and 'Ua Pou.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009