PAPEETE, TAHITI, SOCIETY ISLANDS
Enhance your cruise and extend your trip with a carefully designed programme.
Take advantage of six days to discover the beauties of two islands of the Marquesas. Enjoy staying in idyllic resorts located in unique natural environments. This programme will be a perfect prelude to your cruise.
Day 1 – Papeete
Meet and greet at Tahiti international airport arrival hall. Look for PAUL GAUGUIN Cruises sign.
You will be greeted by our local English-speaking representative off the PAUL GAUGUIN Cruises selected flight.
You will be transferred to the hotel Intercontinental Resort Tahiti.
Check-in.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 – Papeete/Nuku Hiva
Early breakfast at the hotel and check-out.
From the hotel, you will be transferred to Papeete domestic airport in time for check-in of the flight to Nuku Hiva.
We advise you to take a separate luggage for this programme. Your other bags can be stored at the airport.
Domestic flight Papeete/Nuku Hiva.
Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your local representative and be transferred to the Keikahanui Nuku Hiva Lodge by 4×4 wheel vehicle.
Check-in your room at the Keikahanui Nuku Hiva Lodge.
Lunch is on your own.
Discover Taiohae – afternoon half day tour. You will depart for a visit of Taiohae, main village of Nuku Hiva’s island. A gentle hike towards and around the archaeological site of Koueva will be done. Koueva is an ancient ceremonial platform that once belonged to the great warrior chief Pakoko. This tohua was restored for the Arts Festival of the Marquesas Islands in 1999 and in 2011 and thus allows
Must see… The Cathedral of Notre Dame, built in 1973, on the site of an ancient tohua (ceremonial platform). The church shelters numerous religious wooden works by local artists. Stop at the Tohua Temeha, traditional ceremonial site hosting recent stone carvings, inspired by ancient local legends and testimony of Marquesan cultural revival.
Dinner served at the hotel.
Day 3 – Nuku Hiva
Breakfast. Discover the Valley of Hatiheu.
Depart for a full day tour in the valley of Hatiheu, on the north coast of Nuku Hiva’s island. Depart your hotel by 4×4 wheel vehicle through the Col of Muake. Along the way, enjoy spectacular views onto the bay of Taiohae, then the Taipivai valley, known as one of the largest coconut plantations in French Polynesia and made famous by the past presence of Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick and ‘Taïpi’. Visit the restored Kamuihei archaeological site. While listening to your guide, travel through time and imagine the sacred traditional ceremonies that took place on these once majestic sites.
Lunch on spot in a restaurant or as a picnic.
On the way back, stop at Hikokua. Beautiful restored site that will enable you to discover and understand the ancient Marquesas community life, its culture and customs
Dinner will be served at the hotel.
Day 4 – Nuku Hiva/Hiva Oa
Breakfast. Check-out.
You will be transferred to the airport in time for check-in of the flight to Hiva Oa airport.
Domestic flight Nuku Iva/Hiva Oa.
Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your guide and taken to the Hiva Oa Hanakee Lodge.
Lunch not included.
Check-in in your room from 2pm.
You will proceed to Atunoa village. During the tour, you will visit The Paul Gauguin Cultural Center finished in 2003, on the 100th anniversary of his death and the Espace Brel where many of his belongings are exposed.
Return to the lodge.
Dinner will be served at the hotel.
Day 5 – Hiva Oa
Breakfast. Discover the giant Tiki of Puamau.
Embark on 4×4 wheel vehicle for a full day tour to Puamau, on the northeast tip of Hiva Oa’s island. Breathtaking drive along the winding coastline through several valleys, until reaching the picturesque village of Puamau.
Visit Te Iipona, an archaeological site which became famous thanks to ‘Takai’, the tallest stone Tiki of French Polynesia (2,43 m) and the very exceptional ‘Makaii Taua Pepe’, unique tiki represented horizontally.
Lunch on spot in a Marquesas house or as a picnic.
Return to your hotel. Dinner will be served at the hotel.
Day 6 – Hiva Oa
Breakfast. Discover Tahuata Island.
Depart the hotel and embark on a boat to Tahuata Island. Upon arrival, you will begin a walking tour to discover Vaitahu. You will stroll along the modern church which is a mixture of European and Marquesan style, the archaeological museum, the port that has gathered the first Western explorer, the remains of the French fort built in 1850; the marine cemetery, and archaeological sites.
Lunch will be served as a picnic on a sandy beach.
After a time at leisure you will return to Hiva Oa.
Dinner will be served at the hotel.
Day 7 – Hiva Oa/Papeete
Breakfast. You room must be vacated before 11 am.
Lunch is on your own.
You will be transferred to the airport in time for check-in of the flight to Papeete.
Domestic flight Hiva Oa/Papeete.
Upon arrival at Papeete domestic airport, you will be greeted by our local representative and be transferred to the port to embark on board your ship.
Your hotels:
Only 15 minutes away from the airport, the Intercontinental Tahiti Resort & Spa is located on 32 acres of lush tropical garden alongside an idyllic lagoon. This well-known resort in Tahiti offers fine dining at two restaurants and world-class dinner shows.
Located in the hills of Nuku Hiva, the Nuku Hiva Keikahanui Lodge overlooks the bay and village of Taiohae, the island’s capital. The trek from the airport is a scenic drive that can take up to an hour and a half, but once you arrive, you gain convenient access to every main attraction on the island including the most gorgeous black sand beach a mere walking distance away.
The Nuku Hiva Keikahanui Lodge was constructed from local materials, creating an architecture that blends perfectly with the natural environment. Decorative woodcarvings and tapa cloth give it a distinctly Marquesan character. Each bungalow has an outside deck with stunning views of the surrounding gardens. After a day exploring the island, you can relax in the comfort of your own bungalow or lounge by the swimming pool. The hotel restaurant is surrounded by tropical foliage and serves dinner by candlelight, providing the ultimate finishing touch.
Perched on a ridge above the eastern side of Tahauku Harbor, the Hiva Oa Hanakee Lodge offers amazing panoramic views of the island`s wild beauty. On the clearest day, you can see Mount Temetiu, the Bordelais Canal, the small island of Hanakee, the distant volcanic island of Tahuata, and the village of Atuona where Paul Gauguin and poet Jacques Brel are buried.
True to the spirit of the Marquesas Islands, each bungalow at the Hiva Oa Hanakee Lodge is decorated with creative Polynesian accents from talented local artisans. The prominent tiki statue in the lobby and other carvings throughout the complex serve as a constant reminder to the cultural significance of your surroundings. This hotel also features a restaurant with an outdoor terrace and infinity pool.
Your programme includes:
- Domestic flights: Papeete/Nuku Hiva/Hiva Oa/Papeete on economy class. Luggage allowance is one piece of luggage of 23kg maximum per person. On some sailings there are no direct flights between Hiva Oa and Papeete.
- 1 night in a Deluxe ocean view room at Intercontinental Resort Tahiti 4* local norms (or similar).
- 2 nights in a garden view bungalow at Nuku Hiva Keikahanui Lodge 3* local norms (or similar).
- 3 nights in a mountain view bungalow at Hanakee Hiva Oa Lodge 3* local norms (or similar).
- Meals as mentioned in the programme.
- Beverage package during meals: mineral water + 1 soft drink or 1 local beer + 1 coffee or tea. (We also offer the choice of 1 glass of wine during dinners at the lodges).
- Transfers and visits as mentioned in the programme.
- Services of local English-speaking guide during tours.
- Local taxes.
Your programme does not include:
- Overweight luggage.
- Luggage storage facilities at the airport.
- Personal expenses.
- Other services not mentioned in the programme.
Please note:
- The tours can be modified, postponed or cancelled without prior notice depending on air schedule, weather conditions, or ground transportation availabilities.
- The tours require healthy conditions. Follow your guide instructions.
Flights to the Marquesas are very strict, we do not encourage extra luggage due to the size of aircraft. We recommend you to use the storage facilities at the airport. Luggage storage located opposite the departure terminal, next to the Hawaiian airline office and the Bank of Polynesia. The storage at the airport is on a supplement basis. Payment should be made by clients directly on the spot. Credit card accepted (Visa, Mastercard) - Luggage allowance: one piece of 23kg maximum per person, size of check-in bag is: length + width + height less than 150 cm. 1 item of hand luggage the weight and size of which must not exceed 5kg and 45x35x20cm. The cabins and overhead lockers on the planes are not big enough to take extra items such as laptops, cameras, etc. All your effects must fit into your luggage items as described above.
Contact of your hotels:
Intercontinental Tahiti Resort Hotel
PO Box 6014, Faa’a,98702
French Polynesia
Telephone: +689 40 86 51 10
Nuke Hiva Keikahanui Lodge
BP 53 – Taiohae, Nuku Hiva 98742
French Polynesia
Telephone: +689 40 92 07 10
Hiva Oa Hanakee Lodge
Hiva Oa 98741
Telephone: +689 50 84 52
French Polynesia
Duration of the visits are given as a guide only. The order of the visits may be reversed. For the times of your PAUL GAUGUIN Cruises flight, please contact your travel agent; they are also shown on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.
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