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French Polynesia

Ua Huka: the wild horse paradise of the Marquesas

The island of Ua Huka (83 km², 571 inhabitants) is located in the archipelago of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. The island is located 35 km east of the island of Nuku Hiva and 55 km northeast of the island of Ua Pou. The first westerner to discover it was, in 1791, the American […]

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French Polynesia

Ua Pou: the island with bizarre shaped mountains

The island of Ua Pou which has an area of 105 sq km is the third largest island of the Marquesas archipelago. This island is located about 45 km south of Nuku Hiva. The island has just over two thousand inhabitants (2017). The first westerner to discover Ua Pou was, in 1791, the American captain […]

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French Polynesia

Eiao: an uninhabited and isolated island

The island of Eiao (43.8 sq km) is an uninhabited island, which, together with the small island of Hatutu (6.5 sq km, uninhabited) and the sandy island of Motu One, is part of the northernmost section of the Marquesas islands. Eiao is a very isolated island which is located 100 km north-west of Nuku Hiva. […]

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French Polynesia

Nuku Hiva: the largest island of the Marquesas

The island of Nuku Hiva (387 sq km, 2,660 inhabitants) is the largest island of the Marquesas. This is an island of great scenic beauty with high basaltic mountains, plateaus, waterfalls, green valleys, and rocky shores overlooking the sea. The highest mountain on the island is Mount Tekao, which reaches a height of 1,224 meters. […]

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French Polynesia

Hiva Oa: the island of Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel

The island of Hiva Oa (316 sq km, 1,986 inhabitants) is the second largest island, and today it is also second in importance, of the archipelago after Nuku Hiva. The first European to discover Hiva Oa was the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña y Neira in July 1595. In the past, the village of Atuona […]

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French Polynesia Itineraries and Travel Reviews

Cruise to the Marquesas Islands with the Aranui cargo ship

One of the most beautiful and interesting ways to visit the Marquesas islands is to take a cruise aboard the Aranui 5 cargo ship. This is an interesting combination of a transport ship and a cruise ship operating between Tahiti and the Marquesas archipelago. The ship offers various levels of accommodation for up to 254 […]

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French Polynesia

The climate of the Marquesas Islands: when to go

The climate of the Marquesas islands is sub-tropical, the prevailing winds greatly influence the climate, bringing precipitation along the southern and eastern coasts of the islands, which are covered with abundant tropical vegetation, while the north-western coasts receive little rain and are semi arid. Despite their position very close to the equator, the Marquesas are […]

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French Polynesia

Marquesas Islands: the wildest islands of Polynesia

The Marquesas Islands are the part of French Polynesia closest to the equator. In fact they are located between 8 ° and 11 ° latitude south of the equator, and about 1,400 km north east of Tahiti, their longitude is between 141 ° and 137 ° west. The archipelago is made up of a group […]

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French Polynesia

Gambier Islands: an archipelago of French Polynesia

The Gambier islands, located just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, are the smallest and most isolated of the large archipelagos of French Polynesia. The islands are almost a continuation of the Tuamotu archipelago, in fact they are located at its south-eastern end, around 23 ° south latitude and 134 ° west longitude, about 1,700 […]

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French Polynesia

French Polynesia power plugs and sockets, telephones

FRENCH POLYNESIA: DOCUMENTS All visitors to French Polynesia must be in possession of a passport valid for at least 3 months following the date of arrival. The visa, for citizens of the European Union, is not necessary if you are staying for less than 3 months. Citizens of other countries may be required to apply […]

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American Samoa Cook Islands Fiji French Polynesia New Caledonia Samoa

The beaches and islands of the South Pacific

American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Fiji The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. It extends over a third of the earth’s surface. The Pacific contains around 25,000 islands, most of which are located south of the equator. In the South Pacific there are beautiful islands with beautiful beaches. […]

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American Samoa Cook Islands Fiji French Polynesia Kiribati New Caledonia New Zealand Niue Pitcairn Samoa Solomon Islands Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu Wallis and Futuna

Cyclones and hurricanes in the South Pacific

What is the period of cyclones and hurricanes in Polynesia? What is the hurricanes and cyclones season and which are the islands most at risk of tropical cyclones in the South Pacific? Cyclones and tropical hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean typically form between 5 ° and 20 ° latitude from the equator, both north and […]

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French Polynesia Plan a trip

Practical advice for a travel to French Polynesia

The islands of French Polynesia, as well as all the beautiful islands of the South Pacific, are one of the favorite travel destinations for honeymooners. In this article I try to give some indications for those who want to make a travel to these dream islands with which I fell in love. The only international […]

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French Polynesia

Maupiti: experience Polynesia in contact with the population

Maupiti is a small island in French Polynesia in the Society Islands archipelago. The island is located 40 km west of Bora Bora and is served by a small airport located on a “motu” which has air connections to the islands of Tahiti and Raiatea. The “motus” are coral sand islets that form along the […]

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French Polynesia

Bora Bora: the most beautiful island in the world

Bora Bora (about 8,800 inhabitants) is an island of volcanic origin, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands about 230 km north-west of Tahiti. The island measures approximately 29 sq km and is crossed by a single 32 km road that runs parallel to the coast. This is a mountainous island dominated by the […]