On Fatu Hiva we are given the opportunity to walk 15km across the island, with the warning that it is hot and tiring. Thoughtfully, the Aranui team provides a 4×4 to occasionally meet us with cold water and deliciously sweet grapefruit. Every two days on this 11-day cruise we are treated to a lecture by Pascal Erhel Hatuuku, a jolly Marquesan who has encyclopaedic knowledge of the Pacific islands’ history, culture, legends and more. Tiki, for example, is believed to be the first man created by the god Tūmatauenga. Carved wood or stone tikis are sold throughout the Marquesas and, Pascal explains, each tiki is a receptacle for a soul.
