January 11, 2026
Tahuata Chief and Viv ( one of our New Zealand Residents) discussing language similarities, after his greeting with horn.
I missed the cultural greeting the locals on Tahuata gave a bunch of our residents. Which was impressive because they just got notice about an hour before we arrived. We had to sail by Hiva Oa because the swells in the harbor were too high for our ship to safely tender us into their port. The next day the same weather made tendering into Fatu Hiva too dicey, so we went back to Nuku Hiva's sheltered cove. Regardless, we still got to see so much of these gorgeous islands! Highly recommend the trip here.
Below are 2 teens who were doing a fun TikTok dance and they invited me to join them when we were hanging out in port. So sweet!
Who doesn't love a good themed party? This one was a dual Birthday Celebration for two of our favorite gents on the Ship, Eddie & Jim! The theme was wear blue and hats, dinner and dancing! About 90 of us were at dinner and even more came to dance up on the pool deck after.
Below are more of Janette Emerich's fantastic drone photo's that showcase these gorgeous islands. I love Janette's passion for travel and documenting it - she gave a great talk on her RV adventures across Panamerica - I will truly miss her when she goes back to them at the end of February. You can follow her on Facebook if you want to see more.
This is a part of the world I had seldom heard or seen photos documenting. The Marquesas were named after the 16th century Spanish Viceroy of Peru , the Marquis of Canete , by navigator Alvaro de Mendana who visited them in 1595. Nuku Hiva meaning "the land of men" is a group of volcanic islands. The highest point is the peak on Mount Oave, on Ua Pou Island at 4,035 feet above sea level.