Just absolutely the more magical place on earth. Stunning views. amazing food. i would like there in a heart beat.... I want to be back so increadibly bad

My husband and I and 8 friends spent 3 wonderful days and nights at the Nuku Hiva Pearl Lodge in September 2008. The lodge is beautifully situated, overlooking a lovely bay formed by the caldera of an extinct volcano. The small town of Taiohae is an easy walk from the hotel. The individual bungalows are roomy, well-designed, and include an outside deck with a great view and optimal privacy. The hotel staff aim to please and will arrange excursions to archaeological sites and transfers to/from the airport. Our only quibble is that the menu is too long and doesn’t change; it would be better to have a short, changing menu featuring fresh local seafood every night. Wine collection is good and reasonably priced. We miss waking up to a beautiful sunrise over the bay every morning and the crowing of the feral roosters that run loose all over the Marquesas!

We stayed here for 5 nights and loved our stay. It was the swankiest place we stayed in in French Polynesia and the quality vis a vis price of the hotel is very good for French Polynesia, though drinks, food & laundry are very expensive. Staff were very welcoming and friendly as is everyone in the Marquesas.

The rooms are small but beautiful. All wood and done up with taste and to match the local culture. There is a mini bar, aircon, fan, very nice and modern bathroom with high quality toiletries and a small TV with two channels in French (no CNN on the islands). Each room also has a spacious deck area with chairs overlooking the lovely harbor. Everything is kept very clean and the garden is well maintained and the bungalows spread out along it to assure maximum privacy for all guests.

They let you use bikes for free and there is a tiny pool with a stunning view which is great for lounging in the late afternoon to cool down.

There is a very expensive Internet terminal n the lobby (500 PF or about $4 for 15 minutes). If you have a laptop, you can supposedly also use the Internet in your room via old phone dial up with a special code for the same rates plus exorbitant phone rates. It's therefore much better to go either to the Yacht Service place on the pier or the Internet center in the same complex as Air Tahiti about a 20 minute walk from the hotel where the rates are more reasonable and they have ISDN lines.

They offer a variety of boat and land excursions. (They contract out the boat excursions which you can also book elsewhere.) The land excursions they do themselves. As others have indicated these are very expensive 14,000 PF about $180 per person--two person minimum) for a full day trip (8:30-2:30PM) with a wonderful lunch at chez Yvonne in another village. Jean Pierre the guide is very knowledgable and enthusiastic. He participates in all the archaeological excavations on the islands and so it's worth going out with him but his English is not so good so it's better if you have someone along who speaks French to translate.

We came here to dive and were severely disappointed to learn that the dive center had closed for regular dives and they were only offering trips for three people to snorkel with the melon headed dolphins (aka as pygmy orcas) and do one dive for the princely sum of 50,000 PF. It's a nice, spacious boat and they do a great job taking their time to let you swim with the dolphins, show them leaping along the boat's bows and then doing a dive where you can stay down as long as your consumption allows it. Price includes all dive equipment and juice and fruit. They will not pick you up for that price either, so it's another 1000 PF per person to get to the pier to catch the boat and back to the hotel. You have a 40-70% chance of seeing these wonderful creatures between December and April and it's the only place in the world where they come to school in such quantities (there are literally hundreds around you) so this is a unique experience. Through the hotel you might be able to arrange a cheaper trip out to see the dolphins by speedboat (not covered), but they don't offer diving or have snorkel gear so bring your own.

The Marquesas are a wonderful place to relax and take in some culture. Check out Rose Corner's boutique and museum right below the hotel. Rose is American and has been on the islands for thirty years and her and her hubby designed the Pearl Lodge. She is a fount of information about the islands and their culture and very helpful to visitors.

My wife and I began our 3 week honeymoon at this spot. We continued on to Hiva Oa, Moorea and Bora Bora. The Marquesas Islands are beautiful, quiet and isolated. If you are looking for beach time, this is NOT the place...there really is none. But if you are looking for hiking, 4x4 excursions and amazing site-seeing, then this is the place. The hotel is very nice and the people could not be more accomidating. The only drawback was the pool is very small and roosters do not cock-a-doodle-do only when the sun rises like in cartoons, but whenever their tiny chicken brains feel like it. For revenge, I ate a lot of chicken. The food at the hotel is very good, but expensive. Also, the all-day 4x4 excursion was great and the lunch is served at a small cafe in a bay that is amazing. All in all, these islands are an adventure and my memories of all of French Polynesia start with these islands and the wonderful people and amazing scenery.