The Aranui 5 is a rare ship. Its front half contains cranes and cargo, its rear has 10 decks of cruise cabins and accoutrements. Sailing in French Polynesia, it provides a vital link to the Marquesas Islands which, located 1,399km north-east of the capital Papeete, is a remote archipelago filled with legends. After two days sailing over ocean that plunges to over 5km deep, mountainous crenellations appear on the horizon.
Rangiroa and Fakarava are atolls, formed when volcanoes once thrust up from the seabed, spawned organic matter and then sank beneath the waves, the organic matter becoming encircling reefs. Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora are undergoing that process, with their volcanoes still visible yet sinking and detached from the reefs, forming picturesque lagoons in between. The Marquesas Islands pushed out of the ocean only 60 million years ago and so have not yet sunk enough to form reefs. Aranui 5 visits all these places, providing the best kind of geology field trip. Those first mountains I see are on the island of Nuku Hiva and, once we dock, my fellow passengers and I are driven in 4x4s over a high pass and down to a village where Moby Dick author Herman Melville briefly lived.
Beyond this village — along a road that winds sharply along steep slopes, through tropical forest and across from tall waterfalls — we explore the ancient site of Kamuihei, once home to 10,000 people who performed rituals beneath a banyan tree that, at 600 years old, still stands today.
I embark on hikes with scenery that would thrill film location scouts
At Kamuihei and every other island we cruise to in the Marquesas — six in total — we are greeted by musicians playing ukuleles and traditional dancers sporting tattoos. Each island feels slightly different, from the culture and recent history of Hiva Oa (where artist Paul Gauguin lives out his final years) to the majestic landscapes of Ua Pou, where mountains come in the shape of pencils that thrust above steamy forests. Keen to walk off the truly excellent food served on board the ship, I embark on hikes with scenery that would thrill film location scouts.
Top pick
Hyper-local and foraged, featuring a zero-wastage course, the menu at the Pignut & The Hare on the edge of the North York Moors is obsessively focused on sustainability. Four cosy rooms upstairs provide the perfect place to crash into a virtuous slumber. From £385, pignutandthehare.co.uk
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 4x4 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.
I return with my head filled with stories and sensational scenery
After each island visit I return with my head filled with stories and sensational scenery, glad for my spacious suite replete with a balcony, seating area and heaps of space. Having travelled on a cargo ship before, I am delighted to learn that we can access the bridge, on which I chat with the second mate who is excited about going hunting with his father when we visit Hiva Oa. It’s one of the magical aspects of Aranui 5; being able to mix with the crew, the majority of whom are from French Polynesia and all of whom greet me with genuine smiles and shared excitement about the islands.
Although you won’t find the facilities found aboard larger cruise ships, it has all that you need, including a small fitness centre, a choice of lounges, a small spa where massages are on offer and an impressively stocked shop. The cuisine is a real highlight, reflecting the talent of head chef Henere Adams who conjures surprisingly delicious dishes such as mahi-mahi fish with vanilla sauce.
It is these contrasts of simple luxuries with the rugged and remote islands that stick in my memory. That is the French Polynesian experience: pampering with adventure. A cruise to islands of exquisite beauty such as Bora Bora, as well as ones of geological drama such as Ua Pou. A ship that mixes haute cuisine with bustling cargo operations. All in the very centre of the Pacific Ocean.
Air Tahiti Nui links Europe with Papeete, flying from Paris; airtahitinui.com. Cruises to the Marquesas Islands aboard Aranui 5 start from £4,693; aranui.com
