The unspoiled paradise islands with a fraction of the Maldives’ visitors ...Middle East

The moment called for music. In a heartbeat, our guide Bryan was stringing his ukulele with fishing wire and launching into a medley that flipped from American rock ballads to Polynesian folk songs via “La cucaracha” (a Spanish song about a cockroach).

Our group of visitors and crew belted out the lyrics (or made grunting noises as commanded for the local tunes) as our boat departed the deserted beach where we’d been swimming.

I was 9,000 or so miles and 9.5 time zones from the UK in the Marquesas, French Polynesia, a sprawling, semi-autonomous territory of France made up of more than 100 islands. The Marquesas, a collection of dots in the Pacific, is one of the most remote island groups in the world.

Polynesia was first brought to my attention by Moana, the Disney film inspired by these islands. With a sequel released last December, I wanted to see whether it would live up to my fantasies.

I began in Tahiti, the biggest island, where my connecting flight from Seattle via Paris had landed (you can also fly from London, though this means changing airlines and re-checking baggage). The first stop was the guest house of my host, Hiti Levy, which looked on to a beach and where rooms were around £70 a night.Unlike some paradise-island destinations, French Polynesia is not overrun by international hotels. Instead, it is common to stay in guest houses with families.

I was glad of this while gorging on a breakfast of mango, avocado and homemade banana jam with Hiti and his wife, as they regaled me with stories of their lives (including hosting Team USA when the surfing competitions of the 2024 Paris Olympics took place outside their home).

Hiti (a hiking guide) and I then hopped on a boat to Fenua Aihere – a wild part of the island. We meandered through swamps of mangrove-like Polynesian chestnut trees, then rainforests carpeted with sea hibiscus flowers, to reach a double waterfall and natural swimming pools.

In some tourist destinations such pools would be packed with people and come with an entry fee. During our five-hour hike, we didn’t see a soul, or a ticket booth. The guided trip, including boat ride and a snack, cost around £62.90 (facebook.com/heeuriexplorer). In Hawaii, a full day’s hike typically costs north of £80.

Another edge French Polynesia had over rival destinations is its diversity. The territory is made up of five archipelagos – each of which has its own landscape, and its own culture. They include the turquoise lagoons of the Society Islands, such as Bora Bora, and the laid-back diving communities of the Tuamotu Archipelago.

The captivating country of art, Silk Road history and striking architecture

Given the time it takes to get to French Polynesia, many tourists stay for at least a week and visit three or more islands.

After Tahiti, I punted for the Marquesas, one of the most culturally distinct of the archipelagos, which receives up to 10,000 visitors a year. For French Polynesia as a whole, that number is about 300,000. According to tour operator Turquoise Holidays, that’s roughly equivalent to the number Hawaii welcomes a day in peak season, while the Maldives receives more than 1.5 million visits annually.

Nuku Hiva – capital of the Marquesas – felt like another world. Volcanic craters opened on to black sand shores, 100-metre-high waterfalls crashed into the sea, and semi-wild horses peered out of coconut forests.

I spent several days in Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa (the two main islands). The highlight was a boat trip with Bryan O’Connor, a Marquesan descended from Irish settlers, and his brother Pifa, both from Hiva Toa Tours (£77pp, including lunch; facebook.com/BlightBryanoconnor). We spent the day sailing around Tahuata.

There was a good price range of places to stay and eat. I tried out affordable guest houses (like Pension Temetiu Village, £89 a night) and the upmarket Hanakee Lodge (£223), where wooden bungalows overlook the sea.

One evening, Hanakee Lodge put on a performance of traditional Marquesan dance. Bare-chested men in dried-leaf skirts stomped in a dance similar to the Maori haka.

Singing traditional songs with Bryan and spotting children practising the warrior dances in school, I realised this was no mere show for tourists. The cultural pride perhaps comes from the fact it was once close to being obliterated.

“When these islands were taken over by the French, missionaries forbade Marquesan dance, language and culture,” said William Teikitohe, a tour guide from Le Nuku Hiva, a hotel. “In the 1970s, my generation started asking why. Now we are bringing the old culture back.”

Losing those traditions – this time to the Westernisation that mass tourism can bring – is not an option.

The sheer length (and cost) of the travel time from Europe, for example, helps to prevent overtourism. It also meant I saw few families on the trip – mostly adventurous retirees. What’s more, the Marquesas were this year inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage List for their cultural heritage and marine biodiversity. “It [Unesco status] could really help to protect the place,” Bryan said. “Partly by blocking people from building whatever they want.”

As I prepared to head home, I balked at the thought of two back-to-back nine-hour flights. But in the 18th century, it took months to sail to French Polynesia from Europe – so I reckoned I could handle a bit of jet lag.

Getting thereMarianna Hunt was a guest of Tahiti Tourisme UK and Air Tahiti Nui.Fly to Faa’a International Airport on Tahiti, stopping at Los Angeles or Seattle en route, with Air Tahiti Nui, from Paris Charles de Gaulle from £1,890, including hold luggage and meals.

Flights from Tahiti to Nuku Hiva, with Air Tahiti, cost from around £400

Staying thereRooms at Guesthouse A Hi’o To Mou’a start from £70, including breakfast, ahiotomoua.com.Rooms at Hanakee Lodge, Hiva Oa start from £223, not including breakfast, en.hotelhanakee.com.

More informationtahititourisme.uk/airtahitinui.com/en

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