A holiday on the
Aranui 5 is a different type of cruise.
We bought our holiday
as a package (from Ultimate Travel, Ultimo, NSW) which included a pickup from
home to the airport, flight to Papeete via Auckland, 3 nights accommodation in
the Manava Resort, Papeete, then transfer to the ship. A thirteen night cruise,
in a Superior Deluxe stateroom, transfer from the ship back to the Manava
Resort, transfer to the airport, flight home and pickup from Sydney airport to
home again. Buying a complete package took all the work, stress and worry out
of the planning process and we were very happy with the
service we received from Beverley at Ultimate Travel.
The flight from
Sydney (via Air New Zealand) was slightly delayed departing and when we arrived
at Auckland and looked at the Flight Information board we saw we had vey little
time to spare before our connection to Papeete. As it turned out, we sat in the
departure lounge for a long time before boarding.
Service on Air New
Zealand was fine but a very short distance between the seats so not enough leg
room.
We flew Air Tahiti
Nui from Auckland to Papeete and again the service was fine but not enough leg
room. Also, the entertainment system was very old and only a small number of
movies - so take a good book or your own movies on your tablet. Also no
footrest on either plane so if you have short legs, take your own blow up foot
cushion!
The Manava Resort is
very nice, we had a Garden View room which was quite large, included a
kitchenette and plenty of space. An Ocean View room would be nice, depending on
the extra cost. The resort has an infinity pool where the water temperature was
just right to cool off in. The only problem here is that construction work is
being carried out near the pool, so if you want to relax there you have to put
up with the noise and also the large crane spoiling the view.
Also there are
roosters around that start crowing about 4 in the morning. It turned out that
there are lots of roosters in the islands. Apparently they provide the
colourful feathers for the traditional costumes.
A cold buffet
breakfast was included but the price of meals for lunch and dinner was expensive
by our standards (about $A40 - $A50 for a main course).
100 French Pacific
Francs (XPF) ~ $A1.42 (at Sep 2017)
Around Papeete there
are sites where "food trucks" can be found. There is a site a few
minutes walk from the Resort. One night we ordered a steak with green beans and
fish with chips. The amount of beans and the chips would have been enough to
feed about six people! Not exactly a cheap meal but a lot
less than at the Resort. The next night we ordered pizza but it wasn't exactly
wonderful.
The Resort runs a
shuttle bus into the town and back a couple of times a day (700XPF per person
each way). I would have to say there is not a lot to see in downtown Papeete. it gives the impression of "faded glory". What
we saw in the shops was what we would consider as expensive by Australian
standards. There was a gun shop in town selling the sort of guns we would
normally only see in action movies. Goodness knows what anyone would do with
them in Tahiti.
Papeete also suffers
from traffic congestion, especially at peak hours. Our return trip from the
resort to the airport was along a slow moving car park.
We took an afternoon
tour around the island (5500XPF each) but again there wasn't that much to see
other than the coastal scenery. There is a nice botanic garden but at least
having done the tour we don't feel that we missed something.
The French government
pours €1.7 billion into French Polynesia each year with most of it going to
Tahiti but it still looks like it needs more.
A lot of it
apparently goes into social services such as providing housing for low income
people, and paying families to send their children to school. Unemployment is
very high and the tourist industry is not what it was a few years ago. Many
resorts have closed.
The daytime air
temperature was in the mid to high twenties with a bit of cloud around.
The original Aranui
(built 1984) was a cargo ship designed to carry cargo between Papeete and
villages in the Marquesas Islands while carrying just a few passengers.
Subsequent Aranuis were slightly larger each build and the Aranui 5 was
designed to carry 295 passengers plus cargo and her maiden voyage was in December 2015.
The fact that the
ship is still very much a cargo ship servicing the islands is what makes it
different from other cruises. Watching the cargo going onto and off the ship is
part of the experience for passengers. The main cargo being exported from the
islands is copra.
The itinerary for
each cruise can vary subject to cargo requirements and then even when the
cruise is underway, the schedule is subject to the weather and sea conditions.
We sailed from
Papeete on Tue 12 Sep 2017 and the journey was Papeete - Rotoava on Fakarava
island, Taiohae on Nuku Hiva (with visits to Haiheu and Taipival villages),
Hakahau on Ua Pou, Puamau on Hiva Oa, Vaitahu on Tahuata, Atuona on Hiva Oa,
Omoa then Hanavave on Fatu Iva, Vaipaee on Ua Huka (with visits to Hokatu and
Hane villages), then back to Taiohae on Nuku Hiva and Hakahau on Ua Pou, Tiputa
on Rangiroa, Motu Tapu on Bora Bora and then back to Papeete.
We had a Deluxe
Superior Stateroom (on deck 9) which had a balcony. It was a little
"cosy" but comfortable and well equiped.
There were 204
passengers on board, 94 French,
67 English speaking
( a mix of Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, Canadians, British and
various other countries who didn't necessarily speak French and included a
couple from Iceland, and a Chilean), plus 43 Germans. The numbers varied
slightly between ports with passengers disembarking and others embarking.
Announcements on board were in French and English, so I don't know how the
Germans got on, maybe they have enough French or English. The vast majority of
the passengers were middle aged and older. I think the oldest was 87 years.
Breakfast was a
buffet, hot and cold with fruit in season. From the look of the mangoes on the
trees we saw on the islands, October would be the time to come if you are partial to mangoes.
Lunch and dinner were
usually three courses but no choice of dishes, although if you didn’t want a
dish an alternative would be offered. The serves were a modest size but with
three courses certainly enough to eat (I don’t think anyone went hungry). Lots
of fish, including raw fish, on the menu so if one doesn’t eat/like fish it
could be a problem. I don’t know how a vegetarian or vegan would cope but I
think that those with special dietary needs were catered for.
Wine was served at
lunch and dinner, rationed at one (free) bottle per four persons but more could
be purchased.
Some lunches were had
ashore in a village we were visiting, usually a buffet style with dishes of raw
fish, roasted pork, a goat dish, chicken, breadfruit and taro plus fruit.
Dinner on board was
sometimes a buffet served on the outdoor decks.
There was a “Happy
Hour” most days when a limited range of Cocktails were available at half price
(500 - 650 XPF).
Internet is available
on the ship, 3500XPF for 150mb, or 5000XPF for 300mb. This service is much
faster than that which is available on the islands, which are cheaper, but are
v e r y s l o w and liable to drop out. So if you want
internet access - pay for it.
Our first port of
call was Rotoava, on Fakarava. This is a long, narrow, flat atoll with lots of
coconut trees, surrounding a very wide lagoon. Going ashore involves getting
off the ship onto a barge which takes passengers to a pier onshore.
We went snorkelling
there but the coral was dead and the fish were not all that spectacular. There
is no snorkelling in the Marquesas and only one place, Hakahau on Ua Pau where
one can swim.
We docked at a wharf
at Taiohae on the southern side of Nuku Hiva island and were taken by vehicle
to the village for a look around before rejoining the vehicle for a journey
over the hills to Haitheu on the northern side of the island. There was a stop
at an archaeological site for an explanation of the remains there and a dance
performance under a huge banyan tree - a very spectacular show.
Lunch was at a local
restaurant and included pig baked in a pit (Umu). Then back over the hills for
a guided tour of the Cathedral at Taiohae. Quite a spectacular journey over the
hills but someone needs to teach these drivers what a gear box is for - I kept
sitting there wanting to say “try second gear!”
Day 5 was Hakahau on
Ua Pou, another dock landing. We went for a hike up a rather steep and at times
rocky path up a hill for a view over the bay - not far but under the conditions
quite tiring and sweaty.
We then had a dance
performance which was the best we saw on the cruise. Lunch ashore again.
BBQ on deck for
dinner.
Puamau on Hiva Oa was
another barge landing with the option of attending Mass at the local church. We
visited an archaeological site at Te I’Ipona for a talk on the ancient culture.
After lunch it was off to Vaitahu on Tahuata - a barge
from the ship to the pier for a guided tour of the catholic church.
Atuona on Hiva Oa is
where both Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel are both buried in the local cemetery.
There is a museum dedicated to Gauguin which houses copies of his paintings and
information on his life. One of the ship’s guides, who lives on Ua Pau, gave a
very informative talk on Gauguin. Another museum houses a restored Beechcraft
plane which belonged to Jaques Brel (no CD’s of his music on sale though!).
Day 8 provided an
opportunity for the more physically inclined (capable) passengers (not us!) at
Omoa on Fatu Hiva. A barge landing and the hikers set off on a 10 mile hike to
the ship’s next port of call, around the coast at Hanavave. The hike started
with a 5 mile climb up at about 20 degrees and then a 5 mile descent at even
steeper grades at the end. Those who managed it reported it as quite a
challenge. The rest of us just wandered around the village till it was time to
sail.
The consensus amongst
the passengers we spoke to was that Omoa was the “nicest” place we visited.
Very small population. It just had a good look and feel to it.
A barge landing at
Hanavave for a quick look around the village.
Day 9 we were up
early to watch the ship’s entry and manoeuver in Vaipaee bay on Ua Huka. The
bay is short and very narrow so the ship enters bow first, drops the anchor and
swings, with only just enough room, 180 degrees and ties up from the stern to
both sides of the bay. Because of its exposure, a barge landing here in rough
weather would be a challenge - fortunately we had relatively smooth seas.
From the pier we were
taken by 4WD vehicles (see my previous comments about gears) to the Botanical
Garden, trees, not flowers, where our guides gave an informative talk on the
garden’s history and the various trees and fruits. The only ripe ones at this
time were star fruit and a type of mandarin. We did see a Soursop growing
though, a fruit we had heard about but never seen.
Then we drove on to a
museum which had been created by reproducing, from photographs, items which are
held in the British Museum, about the local culture. There was a slight rain
shower just as we were leaving for Hokatu village where there is a handicraft
centre and a Petroglyph museum. Then we were driven to Hane village, another
handicraft centre and a small Sea Museum. Lunch was at the Celine Fournier
restaurant in Hane, then driven back to the ship.
Ua Huka is different
from the other islands in the Marquesa group. It is the most northern and drier
that the others. It presents a very different aspect, less trees and more open
areas but still very hilly with a spectacular coastline.
The next day we were
back in Taiohae for a short time before sailing back to Hakahau. Then a
Polynesian buffet on the pool deck for dinner when unfortunately we had a
couple of heavy rain showers toward the end of the meal. Not enough to dampen
(if you’ll pardon the pun) anyone’s spirit. Fortunately we were sitting under
cover. The crew just carried on presenting the food and the show.
The Marqueasas
Islands, part of French Polynesia, lie about 1370km NE of Tahiti. They are of
volcanic origin and rise sharply and spectacularly from the sea. The little bit
of beach they have is black sand. They are quite different from the low lying
coral atolls, covered by coconut palms and surrounded by turquoise seas.
There was usually
quite a bit of cloud around the peaks of the islands in the morning which
tended to clear as the day went on.
The Islanders still
keep horses as a form of transport and there are wild pigs and goats in the
interior of the islands which are sought by game hunters.
Hiva Oa
Fatu Hiva
Day 11 was our second
“sea day” (day 3 was our first). Enough going on on board to stop anyone
getting bored and also a nice chance to have a rest from our busy schedule so
far.
Rangiroa is a chain
of atolls surrounding the second largest lagoon in the world. The ship enters
the lagoon through a very narrow channel.
The landing at
Rangiroa is directly from the barge onto the beach, the only landing of this
type on the cruise. There is no pier. There were no waves to speak of so we
able go ashore without getting our feet wet.
Rangiroa is home to a
black pearl farm and we went on a short bus ride from where we landed to the
pearl farm for a very interesting and informative talk on how pearls are
cultured and grown. The ride also gave us an opportunity to see a bit more of
the island.
We had time for a
refreshing swim but didn’t bother snorkelling as we expected to get better
conditions on Bora Bora.
All the places we
have visited on this cruise have been very clean, tidy and well kept. We have
often seen people (the equivalent of council workers?) picking up leaves (there
doesn’t seem to be any rubbish lying around), cutting grass and keeping the
place tidy. The people are wearing clean clothes and seem happy. Much nicer
than Papeete which has a dilapidated look and feel to it. There are stalls
selling handicrafts and fruit at all the places but no one is trying to attract
attention, they just sit there and wait for you to come to them and there is no
selling pressure - you either want to buy or you don’t. We haven’t seen anyone
begging, which is more than be said for continental places.
We have heard quite a
bit of talk about how island people are now trying to rediscover and revive
their ancient culture which had been virtually wiped out by western
missionaries in the late 19th century. The ship’s crew provide entertainment in
the form of traditional song and dance and appear very proud of their culture
and history.
We sailed into the
lagoon at Bora Bora and anchored offshore for a barge transfer to the pier at
Vaitape. Bora Bora is an island in a lagoon surrounded by a chain of atolls.
Sunday morning so the only things open were one supermarket, a pharmacy, one gift shop and the churches. Lots of people in their Sunday best, also a lot of traffic with people coming to church. It didn’t look like there was much to see anyway unless you were interested in buying pearls.
We transferred to a
small island for a buffet bbq provided by the ship’s kitchen.
After lunch we went
on a motorized canoe cruise around the island. We only booked this tour (the
only optional tour we took - all the other tour mentioned are included in the
cruise fare) at the last minute because we were told it was our best
opportunity to go snorkelling, having been disappointed at Fakarava and
Rangirora. And having carted our goggles and snorkels all this way we wanted to
get some use out of them.
The first stop was an
opportunity (not taken by us) to swim with sting rays (remember Steve Irwin)
and black tip sharks (about 1 - 1.2m long). It was interesting watching the
guide in the water handling and feeding the rays.
Our next stop was
over some coral outcrops, where we did go into the water. Not
a lot of colour in
the coral but there was an abundance of small to medium sized, colourful fish.
It was absolutely amazing swimming among them, so close we could have touched
them if we were quick enough. At times we were right in the middle of a school.
Even better than swimming in Fiji.
The third stop was
over a sandy sea bottom that was a very fine sand, almost like mud and reminded
us of the sediment in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.
The tour enabled us
to see the resorts that have accommodation out over the lagoon, all looking
similar but apparently range greatly in price. The guide said that one of them
costs $US10,500 per night.
It was then back to
Papeete to disembark.
All in all the cruise was wonderful. The whole ship's crew were fantastic - friendly, helpful and good company. They are very practiced at getting passengers from the ship into the barges and we always felt we were in safe hands. Passengers need to have both hands free for the transfers so you need to carry what you want for the time ashore in a back pack. The food was excellent. The only minor complaint I have is that the bar staff were slow, especially when there was only one person behind the bar during Cocktail Hour.
There was a guest
lecturer on board giving talks on various matters about Polynesia and there was
a daily briefing about the next day's activities. The ship's band performed on
a few of the nights.
We were very
fortunate with the weather and seas during our cruise. In theory, September,
October should be the best time of the year to visit. We were told that the
previous two cruises struck rough seas and a lot of passengers were seasick.
We had smooth to
slight seas, little wind and maximum day temperatures around 28 deg C. Night time
temps were a little cooler, especially at sea, but not cold. The temperature in
the interior of the ship was around 22 deg C. We went through a couple of light
rain showers but generally there was little cloud other than that around the
higher peaks on the islands.
Mosquitoes and Nonos
(a type of biting sand fly) were not a problem (despite us having bought very
powerful repellant in Papeete) but would be in the warmer, wetter months.
We had two nights
back at the Manava Resort and just spent the time relaxing and recovering from
the cruise. It had been a busy schedule with early starts nearly every morning
(breakfast commenced at 6.30am most days).
We ate at the food
trucks again and discovered a different pizza truck from our previous visit
which served very good pizzas. And another food truck where we shared one huge
plate of food, which made it much cheaper than our first time in Papeete.
The resort opened the
breakfast bar at 5.30am to enable the guests departing on the flight to
Auckland to have breakfast before leaving.
The Air Tahiti Nui
aircraft for our return flight to Auckland was much newer than our incoming
flight with a bit more leg room, a newer entertainment system but still only a
small number of movies from which to choose. Brunch was served shortly after
take off. We had about two hours between flights at Auckland for our final leg
home.
As the sun sings slowly in the west . . . . . . .
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