The high-mountain ridges of the Nuku Hiva Island in the Marquesas host the tallest waterfall in all of French Polynesia. The Vaipo Waterfall, 1148 ft /350 m high, is amazing from the distance. Unfortunately, you cannot reach its base. Due to huge boulders falling down from the surrounding cliffs the last 500 meters of the path is closed. It is a pity, no one told us upfront, but anyway, the whole trip is extraordinarily.
By boat, we reached Hakatea Bay and from there we marched through small coastal Hakaui village until we reach the rainforest. The village is larger than you would expect in this isolated area and is adorned with many flowers growing around the houses. The path in many fragments is actually an ancient road connecting old Polynesian villages. Stones laid flat form a road that has survived for centuries. It must have been used to transport goods from the coast, deep into the Hakaui Valley. Along the way, we noticed many house platforms. Deep in the forest, we encountered the remains of ancient me'ae, a place with flat ceremonial platforms that probably served religious purpose. There were also pits where breadfruit, one of the most important sources of food for the local people in the Marquesas was stored. In one of the rock shelves high in the steep slope of the volcanic rock, hidden are two wooden coffins shaped as small boats, visible from below as tiny dots. This is the burial site of last two chiefs from Hakaui Valley.
