Ua Pou looks like nothing else in the Pacific. Basalt spires, narrow as organ pipes, rise above the island in a crown of grey rock, some of them over a thousand metres high, and clouds often catch on them and turn the whole skyline into a stage set. This is the Marquesas, one of the most remote island groups on earth, about fifteen hundred kilometres northeast of Tahiti, and the first sight of them from the sea is a good argument for taking the long way round.
The islands have a tough, proud culture. Marquesan carvers are famous for tiki figures and for tattoo, and the old stone platforms called me'ae, once used for ceremonies, are hidden in the forest valleys. Missionaries and traders arrived in the nineteenth century and brought disease that cut the population catastrophically, yet the language and the arts survived. Today there are Marquesan festivals with dance, drumming and carving competitions, and the locals still speak about family lines and valleys with a deep sense of belonging.
The main village, Hakahau, sits on the north coast, and from there narrow roads climb and dip along the coast to the other villages. The roads are mostly concrete or tarmac, steep and winding, with sudden drops and views of the spires. Rain squalls blow through quickly, and the best conditions are between May and October. Most of the traffic you meet is pickups, horses and the occasional goat.
Be realistic about logistics: there are no big towns, fuel is limited to the villages, and you should ask in Hakahau before you head out. Boats and small planes link the islands, and visitors usually rent a vehicle locally rather than bringing their own. Eat the fresh fish, breadfruit and coconut-cooked dishes at small family guesthouses, and carry cash, because cards are not universally accepted.