Marquesas

Back from the islands, I thought that you might be interested in seeing what I saw. I took the Aranui3, a mixed freighter-passenger ship. In comparison to the Aranui2 trip, which I took 10 years ago, this trip was more oriented toward the tourists' needs. The information and guides were much better, but a lot of the previous adventure got lost in the comfort of the now almost cruise ship. You still get to disembark on whaleboats, but most of the time, they were the larger aluminum variety. The freight was taken off in flat barges.

The passengers were nice and well travelled; a bit more than half were French, including those living in Tahiti and on various other French islands. The next largest group was anglophone, most of them Americans, but also a large group from New Zealand. The rest were from Argentine, Israel, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. (I may have forgotten to mention some other nations.) The Germanophones lucked out with Bernard, the charming and efficient cruise director as guide, a former communications specialist in the French navy. Ever beautiful Vai, whom I knew from Aranui2, was the French speaking tour guide. Sylvie gave the information sessions in English, and Carol, the specialist on Marquesan art, was an American.

I had wondered how the islanders would cope with 140 instead of 60 passengers, but that worry was not necessary at all. Two of the three restaurants had added on. There were many more wood carvers and other artists and much of their work was of higher quality than 10 years ago. Although the frequent craft markets were a bit overwhelming for some passengers (not for me, I was looking to expand on my tropical theme home decoration), all of the vendors were as laidback as before. No pushiness ever. We discovered that the very expensive high end items could sometimes be offered at a slightly lower price, but no hard bargaining. The initiative usually came from the artist.

I put some of my photos in a series of blogs. Klick on the name of the island directly underneath the title photo to get to the next blog. The islands are not all in the order of the voyage. The last blog is on Moorea and Tahiti.

I hope that posting the blogs is not against forum rules. Start here:
http://uapou2007.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your report and photos. The islands look so beautiful especially the bay with the black sand beach.

I dream of the Marquesas Islands... so remote, so beautiful and the problem for me... Just so damn expensive to get to and be at.

Thanks for sharing your information... Lucky you to go there!

Enjoyed reading your report. I would also like to get to the Marquesas but I think I was fortunate enough to get to Tahiti so that will have to suffice!

Thanks for the report, I'm hoping to do this trip sometime in the next year. It doesn't seem that expensive considering lodging and food and excursions are included.

Hi Nuku---
Great photos and commentary!

I almost took the Aranui 3 when it first started a couple of years ago. It seemed a lot nicer for passengers than the previous versions.

But tell me, how were the no-see-ums in the Marquesas? Friends said they can get pretty bad. Any places were they never were, or others were they are always bad?? I may take the trip in a year or two!

Raro

Raro,

The nonos weren't too bad. (I wasn't bitten.) We were told that they are only on beaches in NukuHiva and on a beach in Ua Pou. Don't lie in the sand, go into the water and then go back out to the grassy area. The ship's boutique sells a product called 'Heiva' that protects from nonos. I did not use it. By the way, the boutique's prices are the same or lower than on Tahiti.

About Aranui3:

We had a standard cabin with a bull's eye window, was sufficient, plenty of storage space for all the stuff I overpacked.
I saw one of the cabins with a very large window, really nice because it had a sitting area and an open feeling, but it did not have more storage than our cabin. I did not see the balcony cabins.
The dormitory was a bit cramped, but the people there liked it enough and felt that they had gotten a good bargain. Each bunk had a curtain and was assigned a large locker. There is additional hanging space for clothes. The showers and bathrooms looked very clean.

The ship has two lounges, a small one up on the bar deck, a large one with coffee, tea and cocoa. There is also plenty of oudoor deck space. Passengers from all cabin categories including the dormitory can use all the ship's facilities.

There is a dormitory (pont local) without bunks that they sell to the locals. I am sure that somebody on a very tight budget could book it in Tahiti. You have to bring your own bedding. I saw the 'pont local' passengers in the lounges and on the decks, but they ate with the crew.

There were few local passengers on this trip and some of them had booked cabins. As one good looking Marquesan lady with a twinkle in her eye told a friend on the islands: we (her husband was with her) are pretending to be tourists. :-) Mayor Leon Lichtle of Ua Huka - ever aware of proper protocol - introduced her to the group as the first Marquesan school superintendent.

Ten years ago, we took the trip at the beginning of the local school vacation and the 'pont local' must have been very crowded. When I spoke with one of young mothers returning to Ua Pou, she told me that it had been horrible with so many people seasick.

About overpacking, don't do it!
They picked up the laundry three times and returned it in perfect condition. (Stick to either dark or light colored, don't mix.) However, you need to wash your socks and underwear yourself. There are coin operated washing machines and dryers. I washed by hand, brought a rope and strung it up in the cabin because the laundry won't dry well on the string in the bathroom. Pool towels were exchanged as often as one wanted, bathroom towels were exchanged more often than we needed.

The air conditioning is rather cold, but can be adjusted. It is still cold compared to the outside temperature.

Hi Nuku---
thanks for the additional info!

I was planning on a splurge a couple of yrs ago, and was ready to book out one of those two cabins that have an outside balcony. Wanted to just relax and smoke a little cigar on the balcony! Ended up flying to Easter Is. instead,

But you mentioned a word I am not familiar with. Is it a Marquesan word? It is "socks". I remember some tourists to the Cooks mentioning that word, apparently some type of foot covering. [Never wore them in 12 yrs in the Cooks, except to church, funerals, or in Parliament! :) ]

Raro

Hi Raro,

I think that socks are as overrated as balcony cabins. :-)

At the church wedding in Omoa, Fatu Hiva, the bride was barefoot - no socks, no flip-flops - but wore luscious tiare flower anklets. I don't know if the bridegroom wore socks. He wore the heaviest workboots he could find, the type Canadians might wear in winter and brandnew long khaki pants. This curious outfit was topped by a red and white flower shirt in the same pattern as the bride's dress and both wore many beautiful white tiare leis.

Back to the balconies, there are more than two of them. Two overlook the pool which makes you sit right in everybody's face. No wonder, nobody ever sat on them. The others are on the side - can be windy. Hardly any passengers used their balcony. Smoking is permitted on deck - and believe me, with a ship half full of Frenchmen, there will be smoking. I wasn't bothered because of the nice breezes.

We did Voyage 7...June 9-23..suite A and E. A geat trip. We wish the Voyage
was longer. The French were a little pushy and rude, but we didn't let that bother us. Good food and lots of wine for lunch and dinner.

Pago,

Were the balcony suites worth their money? Did you sit on the balcony?

The French were just fine on our trip. They think that the Americans are too noisy. :-) The noisiest were definitely the Kiwis, a bunch of retired rabble rousers. ;-) (John, if you read this, don't take it seriously.)

hi nuku hiva and pogo,

what is the dress code / accetable attire for dinner on the aranui?

thanks!

cheryl